12 Things to Do When Your Acting Career Feels Slow
We all have those seasons where it seems like the auditions just completely disappear, the “near misses” are aplenty, and your career just feels stagnant. There’s no way around it…it sucks. When acting is your passion it’s all you want to do, and it can be frustrating to not have a busy schedule. It might even leave you questioning your talents or purpose.
But the reality is, slow seasons can actually be a crucial time to level up your career. Many actors, however, get stuck in the mindset that the only acting worth doing is when they’re invited to do so (ex. in an audition or on set). Unfortunately, if you base your career around that mindset, it’ll take you much longer to reach your goals. Actors have to drive their own careers, create their own opportunities, and that is the case both in the slow and busy seasons.
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If you’re struggling to know where to put your time during this slow season, or need a little motivation to start initiating your own career, we’ve got 12 ideas for productive activities you can do.
12 things actors must do for success in the slow seasons
Take a Class
Getting back into class is ideal during a slow season. You can put your attention more fully on the training instead of feeling split between classwork and auditions. Sharpen up on types you audition for consistently, branch out to learn a new technique, or challenge yourself with a scene you’re scared of. This training can only help you when the busy season comes back around. Just sign up and show up.
Research: Shows in Your Market, Reps, Directors, Etc.
Maybe you’ve done a little research in the past, but things are always changing and now is a perfect time to get yourself up-to-date. Watch the shows that shoot in your market, familiarize yourself with production companies and their key players, and research local directors and filmmakers. This will help your auditions later on and set you up for success with future networking.
Mock Self-Tapes
Another piece of advice you might hear often, but likely never get around to doing. If you can’t get yourself back into class, you should at least be doing mock self-tape auditions at home to flex your muscles. Consider getting a small group of actor friends together to keep one another accountable and perhaps even peer review one another’s auditions. Again, just because it’s slow with auditions doesn’t mean it’s an excuse to not stay sharp.
Personal Development
When is the last time you were proactive about your personal growth and development? Our minds, bodies, and hearts are our tools as actors, so it is important to work on your emotional toolbox. The more you understand yourself, the better you can understand your characters, and other people you will interact with in the business. Read a book, listen to a podcast, check in with your therapist.
Work on a New Skill for Acting
If you really need to keep yourself busy, try working on a new “acting-adjacent” skill to increase your value. This could be stunts, dialects, horseback riding, or getting certified in a cool activity like motorcycles, scuba diving, or sky diving.
Create Your Own Content
Use this extra free time to be creative! There are two avenues here: creating a short or feature film, or developing short-form content for social media. Like I mentioned above, you don’t have to wait for an invitation to be an actor…you already are one, so go do the thing. It’s also great to take advantage of this free time to batch work your social media content in advance for when those busy weeks DO come back around.
Self-Submit on Non-Union Projects for Footage
If you’re a non-union actor, maybe it’s time to take a peek at the student or indie films happening in your area. This could be a great time to snag some new footage or a different sort of character to update your reel.
Increase Time Spent Networking
Networking in-person or online can often fall to the wayside during busy seasons. So take advantage of the extra time on your hands to plant seeds with casting directors/agents/filmmakers and connect and catch up with other actors in your market. Whatever time you usually spend on networking, try doubling it during slow seasons. Click here for an easy blueprint to follow!
Update Your Website or Press Kit
When is the last time you checked on your personal website, casting site profiles, or press kits? Slow seasons are great to make sure all your information, photos, and video clips are up to date and appear how you want them to online.
Take a Trip / Take a Staycation to Rest
Too many times we push off going on vacation, or even just booking out to unplug and rest, because we’re worried about “missing out” on the industry. In this slow season you have no excuses! Plus, being well-rested can ONLY help your career.
Get a Career Consult
If you really feel restless or aren’t sure what you really should be working on, consider scheduling a career consult with a coach or mentor you trust. They will be able to give you personalized feedback and suggestions.
Don’t Overthink Your Career
One of the most common traps actors fall into is sitting around waiting for auditions to come back and letting their thoughts run wild. This overthinking can lead to those negative mindsets and limiting beliefs creeping back in which can be really damaging for your self-image, motivation, and confidence. Fight the urge to nit-pick yourself and use this list to keep busy with beneficial and healthy activities for your career.
