Many people think you have to know someone in Hollywood to make it.
But the truth is, more importantly, somebody has to know you to cast you.
And the quickest path to being cast is through casting directors.
Not agents.
Not producers.
Not managers.
Casting directors.
Agents and managers can help you get auditions-and you need them to help you get auditions.
Producers have the final say to cast you, but until you get a certain level of credits, you have to go through casting directors anyway.
So whether you have an agent or not, you need to make sure that you are building your relationships with casting directors.
Remember, your agent could dump you or leave the business and you're on your own again.
So you should make sure that you are building the relationships that matter - casting directors - and lots of them! You can get to know casting directors on your own (see related article) or you can work with other contacts you have.
Here are three more ways.
1.
Through your agent or manager.
The whole job of an agent is to get you auditions.
Best case, they will pick up the phone, vouch for how good you are, and promise the casting director that they will love you as much as they do because you are so amazing.
Second best case, they at least submit your headshot for roles you're right for.
Worst case, you get with someone who leaves the beautiful expensive pictures you just took sitting on the shelf.
If you stay in touch with your agent or manager about what they are submitting you for, then they can make a big difference.
Don't hesitate to push them a little bit if they need pushing to get you in to meet those casting directors.
2.
Get a friend who knows the casting directors to recommend you.
If you have any actor friends who are already in with the casting director or on a show, ask them to pass your head shot on to the casting director to read for a small role.
You could establish a mutual helping bond with a few other actors, where you agree to help them if they help you.
Or you may know producers, writers on the show, or others who are working there that could push for you to get an audition.
In this business, you need to use every resource you got.
It's like politics.
You need to call on favors from everyone.
3.
Follow up with your own contacts from the past and ask for one person they can recommend you to.
Not only can you contact the people you know for auditions, but you can call all of the contacts you've made over time and ask them to recommend you to someone for an audition.
So let's say you worked with a producer in the past and you did a good job.
Now you could call them and ask if they could refer you to a casting director.
Or to an agent for that matter.
You could even tell them that you have a goal of adding three casting directors to your contact list this month and you would appreciate their support.
Some people will be inspired by the fact that you have a goal, and they will help you out because of it.
When all is said and done, you DO have to know someone in Hollywood to make it.
But the fact is, you have the power to get to know people.
If you want to approach casting directors but don't really know where to begin, you can start by getting a list of their names and addresses from the Casting Society of America for free, or you can find a Hollywood marketing consultant to help you identify the best casting directors and then create a cover letter or postcard message to pitch you to them.
The CDs must know you exist to call you in.
Get your picture out there as much as you can.
Use every contact you can muster up.
And ask them to introduce you to their contacts.
When you do this, you'll soon be someone in Hollywood that other people are trying to make contact with.