Ah. So you're stuck at home with nothing to do except wait out the COVID-19 storm.
Bored yet? You shouldn't be! While the news can make this whole ordeal out to be a massive problem, if you're not sick, you've just been given the opportunity of a lifetime - 3 to 8 weeks of pure freedom. (Besides work if you have it, of course.)
Now is the time to get a head start on your acting career!!
There is so much you can do with this time, whether you're a seasoned veteran of the industry or about as green as freshly budded leaves on a tree. I've put together some things to consider doing with your time off below! I've come up with 4 categories: Business, Practice, Network and Personal.
1. Business work.
Plan on getting new headshots. Look for photographers, make a Pintrest board with photo ideas that you like.
Recut your reel. Might I suggest you go to someone you know, like yours truly? :)
Build an email list (Ask yourself: who should go on that list?)
Order postcards/business cards. I use Canva to design and order all of my stuff!
Rework your sites. Website, IG, FB, Twitter, all the pages
Do any rebranding planning now. (Ask yourself: why you shouldn’t rebrand overnight?)
Get your marketing package together. Work out any kinks you might have if you've already got a marketing package. (Ask yourself: what should go in my marketing package?)
Take some online classes. Whether it's Production Assistant 101 (to get some quick cash after this is all over), Financial Well-being to learn money management for the freelancer #lifestyle, build your skills in the productive manner during your hiatus!
2. Practice work.
Read some new material. Or print new material. I always keep a list of scenes I see from movies and/or TV shows that I could see myself in and then find the scene later online.
If you are worried about quality and you're just starting out, don't be too picky. People want to see that you're putting in an effort and get to know who you are.
Do scene work over Skype. With so many callbacks being held over Skype, you should practice scene-work with a a budy over Skype. This will get you used to the format and get your process down so that you're pro-level ready!
Put yourself on tape and get those skills SOLID. It doesn't have to be an audition. Have a few monologues you can dust off? Do it! Practice setting up lights and your camera to get the best quality. Don't have lights or a camera? Practice McGyver-ing a tripod out of whatever you have in your room for your phone.
I have a whole lighting setup at home with a dope camera, but I don't travel with 50 pounds of equipment! I can't tell you how many times I've been out and about and needed to put myself on tape! You just gotta do it.
3. Networking work.
Reach out to people you want to collaborate with. That IG model you know lives closeby but you've only run into once, that director a couple hours away from you, the food blogger in your apartment complex. If you've had some crazy "what if we did this..." idea, now's the time to write it down and put it into action!
Re-connect with people you’ve lost touch with. Specifically people in your career field, but if you want to reconnect with that second cousin, go for it!
Get active on FB groups you haven’t been a part of. Show. Face. You need to be posting for people to know you exist!
4. Personal work.
Read those books you've been wanting to read. Knowledge is power. (Even if it's fiction!!)
Pintrest the shit out of those travel destinations you want to go to. Or whatever else you're obsessed about. Just make a Pintrest board! It's very therapeutic.
Create a vision board. This will help keep you on track; when you know what you're fighting for, it makes the journey sweeter :)
Build some meditation into your morning/evening routines. It doesn't even have to be every day. But if you know on Tuesday morning your SO walks the dog, consider making Tuesday morning your meditating time. (Ask yourself: what does meditating really help with?)
Call family and friends. These people are your biggest fans. Don't lose sight of your roots.
That's all from me! Stay healthy and safe, but keep your eye on the prize! If this helped you come up with some ideas and build an acting action plan, share it with the hashtag #ThoughtfulAndThriving!
Alexis