Dance Resumé Tip

Like Robin was to Batman, your resumé is the sidekick to your headshot.  They should be on the same professional level and never without each other.  Before you begin drafting your resume, do your homework and find out what the current format is for your profession.  An artist's resumé should NOT look like a Wall Street Trader's resumé.  Browse dependable websites related to your field.  Talk to friends, teachers, and other industry professionals about formatting and relevancy.  Have someone proofread it for grammatical errors.  Besides a great headshot, a well-presented resumé is another essential tool for artists in the entertainment industry.  

A Great Resumé:

• Is clear & concise 
• Is 1 page
• Follows the 3-Column System

• Column 1: Production Name
• Column 2: Role
• Column 3: Director/Choreographer/Production Co./Network

• Under the Columns, include your special skills and achievements
• Uses black ink on Plain white paper.  A dancer never got a callback because their resumé was "pretty"
• Is free of fluff and sticks to the good stuff!
• Includes your phone number!

Make separate resume's for different jobs.

• If you are a dancer who wants to go into broadway or commercials, make a separate resumé that highlights your acting ability.
• Example: Change "dancer" in column 2 to "principle" or "featured"

Example of a good dance resumé

If you find that you do not have many credits, consider working non paying gigs that will be beneficial to your resumé.  Enroll in workshops, find an internship, take classes.  Anything that shows you are a working professional.  Also, do not be afraid to list multiple shows you've worked on with the same choreographer.  If a director is hiring you more than once, it's proof that they are confident in you, your talent and work ethic.   

Do you need help with your resumé?  Ask away!

Artist Marketing Tip of the Day: Patience

In an industry where one day you are hot and the next day you're not, it is important that you play the game like a puma ready to pounce.  Take your time in the initial stages of your career to build your brand, techniques and repertoire.  Then when you are ready to strike your successes will be efficient, swift, and plentiful.  Make sure everything you do and put out to the public is how you want to be represented.  Ask for input from your mentors, and friends who have good taste.  Until your work is a perfect interpretation of you, be patient, be persistent in your hard work, and strike when you are ready to go hard in the paint.

"Walk slow and drink plenty of ice water."

-Someone's country uncle

Artist Marketing Tip of the Day: Time Management

Time is Money, honey!!

My first tip for you is to understand that there is no such thing as managing time.  Time is the only thing in this world that is constant, and waits on no one.  There are only 24 hours in a day, and that's all the time you have to accomplish your tasks.  So use it wisely.  During work hours, minimize the personal telephone calls and the frivolous social network browsing.  I guarantee you can add at least one hour of work time to your schedule if you do just that.
Now for those of you who say there isn't enough time in the day to do things, think about this tip:  Try waking up an hour earlier everyday.  Instead of starting work at 9, start at 8.  You will add at least five valuable work hours to your week just by waking up earlier.  If you are productive, those five hours can be exponentially beneficial for you and the success of your business.

Artist Marketing Tip of the Day: Self-Pleasure

lol, yes that's exactly what I want you to do...please yourself in everything that you do.  Don't worry about trying to please too many people.  While you are worried about doing things so that other's will like you, you are wasting valuable time and effort that could be spent on propelling your career forward.  Imagine all the hours we spend thinking about how other's will view us if we do x,y and z?  A wise man once told me, the biggest way to fail is to try to please others.  Just think about it.  Do an activity because it makes you happy.  Buy those fancy business cards because it makes you look good, not because your "friend" told you to.  When you start taking pleasure in doing things for yourself, you appear more confident in yourself, your decision making skills and more persuasive to others.

Choose to live your life!!!

Artist Marketing Tip of the Day: Competitors

Tip: Know your Competition

Although you may have a brand or business that you think is unique to the market, never assume that there isn't competition out there-because there is.  Do some digging.  Find out who is your direct and indirect competition and what they are doing to get your customers.  How can you distinguish yourself from them so that your clientele repeats business with you?  What is it about your competition that works for them and how can you implement their tactics into your already-winning plan?  It is important that you are continuously doing market research in your industry.  With new technologies, and this ever-changing technological environment, there are always new ways to improve.

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

~Sun-Tzu

Artist Marketing Tip of the Day: Association

Tip: Association Fallacy

Now that you are taking yourself seriously as a professional, start surrounding yourself with other professional and influential people in your industry.  Don't be afraid to introduce yourself at parties and at other social gatherings.  People won't know who you are if you don't speak up.  So find your inner voice, and let the people know you are on the scene, ready to network.  Don't waste your time trying to impress, just be yourself, and the people you want to surround yourself with will come.  

Eliminate the negative personalities in your life, and those who have pessimistic views-they will mentally poison you.  Also, stay away from people who have a bad reputation for attitudes and trouble - you will be guilty by association!  So stay positive, and surround yourself with others who best represent you and your brand.  

"Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful of the friends you choose for you will become like them."

~ W. Clement Stone

Artist Marketing Tip of the Day: Social Media

Using resources like Twitter and Facebook to your advantage can make your life much easier if used correctly.  Start by creating an effective page where your fans can easily access your information.  Then begin looking for events or other artists in your area who share similar interests.  You are going to have to do some digging, but figure out who the important players are in the industry, and go to the events or classes they are hosting.  Before you know it, you will be booking gigs from Facebook - Lord knows I did!

Artist Marketing Tip of the Day: Success

Determine How to Measure Your Success

Success can mean many different things to people depending on an infinite amount of variables, world views, and experiences they may have encountered.  In this industry it is important that you set your own standards of success, or else you will fall victim to the "I wish I was like her" syndrome-and you don't want that.  As artists, we tend to be our worse enemy.  Self criticism can be good if you are positively growing from it, but when you start to cloud your mind with negative thoughts, you will slowly begin to self destruct and get sidetracked.  Don't let this be you!  Stay positive and determine what you want your ultimate outcome to be.  How will you positively contribute to the entertainment industry, and what steps are you going to take to get there?  Never determine your success based on what other people say.  Take charge and be the boss of your own destiny!

"When people believe in the themselves they have the first secret to success."

~ Norman Vincent Peale

Artist Marketing Tip of the Day: Be Proactive

It's time to take your life into your own hands.  Never wait around for an opportunity to drop into your lap and stop "wishing" that things will happen for you.  Make it happen!  No one has ever built an empire on hopes and dreams alone.  It takes a special person to be consistent, persistent and optimistic in this industry of rejection.  Therefore, never take "No" for an answer.  Always be on your A-Game, take classes, and go to events.  You never know when that small window of opportunity will open up for you.

"Ambition is the path to success, persistence is the vehicle you arrive in." 

~ William Eardley IV

Artist Marketing Tip: Pay to Play

As a professional artist, it is okay to divulge and invest in yourself.  When considering buying products such as business cards, headshots, video reels, shoes, or anything that is a direct symbol of your brand, keep in mind that quality is key :)  

Remember:

• Do your research to see what works best for your budget.  
• Set aside a budget reserve for those important marketing materials.  
• When trying to establish your brand in an over-saturated industry, creativity, simplicity, and attention to detail are key.

Artist Marketing Tip of the Day

Have Undeniable Skill

The competition is thick in the entertainment industry, and as an artist trying to break new ground, you must make sure you are the absolute BEST at what you do.  Be a student for a while.  Take the time to learn and perfect your craft before stepping into the professional arena.  It is a dog-eat-dog world out here, so make sure your skills are top-notch and no one will ever deny your fame!

Marketing Tip of the Day

Set Specific Goals!!

A non-specific goal: 

I want to dance in a music video.

A specific goal: 

I want to be the lead dancer in at least 1 music video this year.  

When you set specific goals you will subconsciously begin to take the necessary steps towards accomplishing them.  Make sure you set attainable objectives (aka baby steps), and a timeline to mark your achievements.  Start by setting monthly goals, annual goals, then long term goals.  Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?  At what level in your career will you be at 10 years from now?  It may seem overwhelming at first but once you have your plans in sight and in writing you will be able to clear away all the distractions and focus on what really matters...YOU!

Artist Marketing Tip of the Day

Tip #5: Draft a Resumé

Like Robin was to Batman, your resumé is the sidekick to your headshot.  They should never be without each other, and on the same professional level.  Before you begin drafting your resume, do your homework and find out what the current format is for your profession.  An artist's resumé should NOT look like a Wall Street Trader's resumé.  Browse dependable websites related to your field.  Talk to friends, teachers, and other industry professionals about formatting and relevancy.  Have someone proofread it for grammatical errors.  Besides a great headshot, a well-presented resumé is another essential tool for artists in the entertainment industry.  

A Great Resumé:

• Clear & Concise 
• 1 page
• Use the 3-Column System

• Column 1: Production Name
• Column 2: Role
• Column 3: Director/Choreographer/Production Co./Network

• Under the Columns, include your special skills and achievements
• Use black ink on Plain white paper.  A dancer never got a callback because their resumé was "pretty"
• Filter out the fluff and stick to the good stuff!
• Include your phone number!
• Make separate resume's for different jobs.  
• If you are a dancer who wants to go into broadway or commercials, make a separate resumé that highlights your acting ability.
• Example: Change "dancer" in column 2 to "principle" or "featured"

Example of a good dance resumé

If you find that you do not have many credits, consider working non paying gigs that will be beneficial to your resumé.  Enroll in workshops, find an internship, take classes.  Anything that shows you are a working professional.  Also, do not be afraid to list multiple shows you've worked on with the same choreographer.  If a director is hiring you more than once, it's proof that they are confident in you, your talent and work ethic.   

Do you need help with your resumé?  Ask away!

Artist Marketing Tip of the Day

#4: Take professional photos!

I cannot stress enough how important a great headshot is.  Having professional photos are imperative for your progression in the entertainment industry.  Before you begin to draw social media attraction, or build a website, all of your content must be an accurate representation of how you want the world to see you.  So invest the time and money in researching a photographer who best suits your professional needs.

Before the Shoot:

• Look at magazines and photos for posing ideas
• For inspiration on what to wear, compile magazine pages or photos from the internet that you like and want to emulate.  Keep a scrapbook for future reference.
• Get Beutified!  Hair, nails, skin.  Since the camera points out everything, the details are super important.
• Get your Rest

@ the Shoot:

• Bring a few outfits to the shoot that represent your personality
• Stick to solid colors.  No patterns or logos (you don't want to distract attention from your face)
• Have your hair and makeup done by a professional-but keep it natural (Casting directors want your photo to actually look like you when they send you out to auditions)
• HAVE FUN!!!

After the Shoot:

• Send out "Thank you's" to everyone involved in the shoot
• Follow up with the photographer to get your photos!  Make sure to get both hi-res and internet .jpeg copies
• Find a professional retoucher and printer

Artist Marketing Tip #3

With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world.

~ Dalai Lama

So you know who you are as an artist and how you want the world to view your talents.  Now it is time to develop your professional portfolio and gather knowledge. Whether you are starting from square one, or are already established in the game, this is an ESSENTIAL part to building your brand in the entertainment business.  

You must take the time to construct your foundation and be as knowledgeable as possible.  Everyone knows you can’t create an empire on shaky grounds!  So run off my luv muffs!  Go to your lab and start creating!  If you dance, start making videos of your choreography.  If you act, get involved in your local theater program.  If you model, start networking and setting up photo shoots.  Check out books and magazines relating to your field.  Find an internship. 
Take the necessary steps to secure your credibility in this industry.

You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.

~ Henry Ford

Artist Branding Tip #2:

Imperfection is beauty.  Madness is genius and it is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. 

~ Marilyn Monroe 

Now that you have a better understanding of who you are and how you want the world to see you, spend some time figuring out what your talent is.  Okay, we know you are a singer, dancer, model, but what kind of singer, dancer, model are you?  What is your particular style??  Are you a multifaceted talent? 

Hone in on your particular skill set, master it, and make it unique! 

What is it that makes your talent or skill one-of-a-kind?  Never shy away from your quirky mannerisms, or off-the-wall characteristics.  Those idiosyncrasies are usually the key to your success. 

Branding Your Talent

As an artist, it isn't easy trying to find that big break.  We all have the talent, but sometimes that isn't enough.  In a saturated world where everyone is trying to make a name for themselves, it is important for you to stand out and brand your particular talent so that other's don't have a choice but to stop and ask, "Who is that?"  

So pay close attention!  Here I will be giving you a daily marketing tip to help you better brand and promote yourself as an artist.  

When I say "Artist," I am refering to anyone involved in the entertainment industry, i.e. model, dancer, photographer, stylist, manager, juggler, professional squirrel catcher, lol-you get the idea.  

TIP #1: 

Answer this quesion: Who am I?

I know.  Zoolander much?  But seriously, before you begin your professional journey in the entertainment industry you must know who you are, what you represent, and how you want the rest of the world to see you.  


ASSIGNMENT:
Before you take head shots, draft a resume or build a website, write down adjectives that best describe yourself.  What is it that makes you you?  What characteristics make you special and stand out in a crowd?  What is your niche?  How can you sell you as a brand?  


You will be surprised.  Once you do this you will have a clearer understanding of the professional path that lies before you.  


*Do you have a question about marketing or branding your talent?  Send me a message or write a comment.  I would love to hear from you!