SUSTAINING MOMENTUM WHEN THE INDUSTRY SHUTS DOWN
I bet you thought we’d never hear that word again: unprecedented.
Even typing it now has sent me back to the days of hoarding toilet paper and crafting makeshift masks out of bandanas. But these “unprecedented times” are back to haunt us yet again. At least, if you work in entertainment.
I am in awe of this difficult, yet necessary step the actors and writers have undertaken to ensure the future of this industry. One that includes fair compensation, protections, and expectations for all artists. And I know how daunting this strike can be.
While I can’t speed things up, I thought I could at least share my advice on what you can do to maintain momentum in your career while things are slow.
Use This Time as Your Quarantine Do-Over
Remember the ambitious plans you had during the 2020 lockdown? The projects you wanted to complete, the skills you wished to learn, but somehow never managed to?
Use this time to evaluate why those ideas remained unrealized. Were they too ambitious? Did procrastination set in? Or perhaps you were unsure where to begin?
You don’t need to return to your old quarantine-era goals. The important thing here is just to use your past failures as a guide. Let them shape what new goals you make during this industry interruption and how you go after achieving them.
Perhaps you’ll revamp your social media. Or perfect a second language. Take new headshots and revise your reel, nobody better than Marc D’Amour. Dive into self-help literature like Malcolm Gladwell’s meditations on what it means to reach your “pinnacle” in Outliers.
The key to utilizing this time wisely is making sure everything is in place when the strike ceases. Thus, the momentum continues.
Create Small for a Big Impact
With the SAG-AFTRA interim agreement, independent features and short-form productions are still possible with proper documentation.
Consider the benefits of creating something smaller:
If you’ve ever considered branching out into screenwriting, directing, or another production role, this could be your opportunity to explore in a low-stakes environment.
You have the creative liberty of creating ANYTHING you can imagine. A thriller set in a kindergarten classroom? Possible. A comedy about a mortician? Do-able. A romance between a gardener and an arsonist? Odd, but I can picture it. You can do anything you set your mind to.
People have more time NOW: Don’t bank on future attention. They won’t necessarily have that time to watch your indie feature film when it’s finally done 3 years from now. You have a better chance of getting industry professionals to see your web series, viral video, or even see you perform live.