How Do You Build Credibility As An Actor?
When you’re starting out – or even if you’re not, building credibility is important. The trouble is that there’s lots of conflicting advice about how to gain the credibility vital to being taken seriously by casting directors, agents and producers.
What are the usual sources of credibility?
Training
Headshots
Showreels
Website/Facebook Page/Twitter
Business Cards
Agent
Relationship with Casting Director
Past Work/Future Work
Reviews of your Work
These do all add credibility, but here’s the weird thing:
There are successful actors that don’t have most of them. We even know of successful working actors with no showreel yet. Has it stopped them auditioning? No. Has it stopped them getting cast? No. Has it stopped them working? No.
So how come?
Well, credibility is cumulative, so elements of credibility interact to speak on your behalf. These individual elements create trust.
Let me explain.
Getting training is seen as very important, so if you’ve trained – that buys you trust.
Getting into a top accredited drama school is difficult – so that buys you trust with agents and casting directors.
Getting an agent is difficult, so that buys you trust with casting directors
Getting into a film/show buys you trust with agents, casting directors and other producers.
If you want someone to trust you, you have to build that trust.
If you didn’t attend an elite school, and you don’t have an agent, it’s hard to jump to a relationship of trust with a casting director.
If you don’t have an agent, to get one is going to take more than having a headshot and showreel. You need to demonstrate that someone else has trusted you. That’s why a personal recommendation from a successful friend works so well. There is trust established.
So, think about whose trust you are attempting to gain and devise a multi-element strategy to help them trust you.
If we can help you with any aspect of your acting career, why not drop us an email at hello@actingcoachscotland.co.uk