Tax time could mean business of acting savings ...

We all want to take "home" as much of what we earn as possible -- and, often, your tax return is a great, yet often overlooked, vehicle for claiming legitimate business of acting expenses that you can deduct from your business of acting earned income earned. Well .. it's that time again ... and as you start preparing for your April tax filing, you might find my latest Backstage column helpful. 

Costs incurred for self-taping (light ring, back drop and microphone purchases), commissions to agents and/or managers, classes, workshops, coaches and other training, parking expenses when you go to an in-person audition, auto mileage (or Uber, Lyft, or bus fare) to get you to/from that audition, your Actors Access, Casting Networks or other subscription service that you use to submit yourself for auditions.

 

The list goes on ... and is detailed in my Backstage article.

 

Happy deducting!

BL
 

 

 

A personal Action Plan will absolutely keep you on track, keep you focused and keep you motivated all along your journey to earn opportunities in the new year ...

Every journey needs a map to guide you and, if ever there was ever both a real need and a real opportunity, 2022 it is.

I have an entire chapter in my book about Action Plans: How to create one, why you need to create one, how to follow yours and have to adapt and focus along the way. A person Action Plan is essential.

"Lights, Camera, Action Plan!" is the name of my brand new workshop that I am debuting at Sol Acting Studios, in Albuquerque, this Saturday. I love New Mexico, I love Sol and I love the passion and the potential in every person I have met and come to know through my classes and seminars there. I am really excited about this one!

For those of you who can't join us there, remember this: Action Plans are made up of what you want to achieve and the tasks you will undertake and implement to achieve those goals.

All goals you have targeted and all tasks to be committed to to achieve those goals have to be activities and results that you can achieve on your own. An Action Plan to get you cast in a series regular role this coming network pilot season isn't something that you, alone, can make happen. But, there are steps you can take to getting you better prepared and ready for this opportunity when you arrive at that doorstep.

Often, it takes representation by an agent or a manager to get you in the room for the big stuff. So, an Action Plan to get you prepared and ready to seek and get signed for representation is a big deal ... and certainly a goal you can set and achieve on your on.

Start by creating evidence of your potential to submit to and attract the attention of a talent rep. That begins with content creation. That also begins with a commitment to professional-level classes and training. Proof of your commitment to the career you seek and your ability to create that evidence that

can convince an agent or manager that you are worth the investment of both their time and talent will go a long way towards getting you that representation and the relevant, professional experience that you will

absolutely need to get in the room for the big things every actor dreams of.

Dreams can become reality. It just requires that you a) apply patience, b) do the work and c) create, launch and implement a solid Action Plan that can, step by step, get you to the next stop on your career journey.

You can do it!

All best, keep safe ...

BL

A great self-tape that gets you to step 2 is all about your slate first and your acting audition second ...

Getting back to work in the new landscape means the need to instantly grab the attention of a casting director who requests a self-tape audition from you ... and it's not about your audition. Here's the big secret: It's all about your slate. That's the topic of my new column in Backstage, out today. 

The excitement over getting a self-tape audition request can really make your day. It's an opportunity to show a bit of your career potential evidence to an industry pro who is, potentially, in a position to hire you to do what you most love to do. But the excitement ... the preparation ... to have your self-tape audition be spot-on has your focus 100 percent of nailing that audition. But that's potentially big mistake.

The casting director has to see your audition before she can be impressed by it ... and if your self-tape slate doesn't first establish, right up front, your readiness for the job, that self-tape audition you worked so hard to get right might never get seen.

Make a great first impression first. Give a personable, confident, approachable, friendly slate to both introduce you, your brand and your readiness for the role. Then hit the ball out of the park with the perfect self-tape audition that checks off all of the right boxes to get you to the next step.

I know you are great actors! But where do you rank on the "slate scale"? It's time to A+ that!

BL

How to nail a virtual showcase and leave a lasting, positive impression ...

It's great to see the pandemic thaw continuing ...

But as we continue to emerge, some of the changes COVID brought us in the business of acting will be here for a while, like virtual showcases. 

Rather than a limited number of performances and a cap on venue seats, the potential global industry audience waiting to see what you might bring to the table is unlimited-- and that's great news. But that opportunity also comes with some critical challenges.

Here's hint: audio quality, visual images, content selection and acting for the camera vs. acting for stage.

All of this is the topic of my new Backstage column, just out today. 

Now, let's get you working!

BL

https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/a-talent-manager-on-how-to-nail-a-virtual-college-showcase-73261/

Thinking about a career as a talent rep? Signing talent isn't the first priority ...

I am often asked by actors about how about to find an agent or a manager to represent them ... 

Recently, however, I was asked by several soon-to-graduate college seniors about the journey to opening your own talent agency or talent management firm. It was an interesting conversation that reminded me that, while many things have indeed changed in the last nearly four decades since I launched my own talent management firm, one thing has remained a constant: Signing talent is not the first task at hand.

My latest Backstage column, which is out today ... address the hoops to be jumped through for that brave entrepreneur (or group of entrepreneurs) who want to set out on their own as a talent agent or talent manager owning and running their own firm in the new business of acting.

It also explains why those of us who embark on that journey turn gray so young ... :)

Stay safe, keep positive ...

BL

Repping actors, artists and content creators is a business of acting career path option many are considering ...

Ever considered a career as a talent manager? Maybe thinking about that now? The pandemic and the resulting shift in the business of acting landscaping has many, particularly young people, considering career options in the industry other acting. 

My friends at Backstage asked me to focus my next column on what pursuing a career as a talent manager is like – and what it takes to score great clients, build a great reputation and earn a living. And even it's an acting career you remain intent on pursuing, I hope this article might give you a bit of perspective on what to expect from you representative, whether agent or manager. The more you as an actor know about what it is we do -- and how and why we do it -- the better client you become and the better team we make together

That new column is out today ...

All best, keep safe, stay positive ...

BL

Ready to get back to work? Been offered an acting gig? What you need to know before you say "yes" in a new business of acting COVID landscape ...

It's been a long eight months and we're all eager to get back to work in the new business of acting. But a lot has changed during those six months, setting the stage (or the set) for everything that now follows in a COVID work landscape.

In many regions, production has returned. Content creators are creating. Actors are acting, directors are directing, producers are producing and all kinds of platforms are preparing to and presenting new content across the board. This is all great news, but it comes with a "however."

The new COVID compliance rules and regulations are supposed to ensure -- or better ensure -- everyone's safety back at work. But is that enough?

My new column in Backstage, out today, talks about what you need to know before you say "yes" to any job or opportunity in this new landscape.

Indeed we are all eager to get back to it. But primary among those desires also needs to the requirement and the protocol to keep you safe ... and the primary decision maker on that front should always be you.

Stay safe, keep positive ...

BL