Give Yourself Your Own Big Break!

In Hollywood it’s easy to fool yourself into believing you need someone else’s permission to be successful. That you’ll get to meet the producers who will make your screenplay AFTER you land a rep; that you’ll get a rep AFTER you make a great indie film; that you’ll make that indie film AFTER you meet the perfect director for your script… the excuses can be endless. 

I know “excuses” sounds harsh, but with a million and one online platforms to share your work, endless film festivals, and audiences that are actively looking just about anywhere for new content - the only thing between you and getting closer to the success you want is yourself.

Here are 5 tips to start paving your own road to the “promised land” (and why making your own content can be a great way to get Hollywood to sit up and take notice):

1. If You Can’t Get in the Door, Try a Window

Show business is not for the faint of heart. It’s a small, exclusive club that everyone wants into and there are a lot of people guarding the front door. But the front door is not the only way in. Stop waiting to be noticed by the “gatekeepers” and make a short film and put it online, or host a comedy night, put your one-woman show up, maybe do a public reading of your latest script - you never know who will see your work and where it will lead. The smaller, “scrappier” ways into the ‘exclusive club’ of Hollywood might not feel as exciting or glamorous as going through the front door, but at the end of the day you’re still getting inside and that’s what counts. 

2. Nothing Sells Like Passion

If you’re waiting around for someone to hand you the career you want, it can leave you surrounded by a cloud of desperation and that needy energy can be felt by the people around you - the same people you want to help you in your career (not a good look). But if you’re focused on a project, that’s within your control to make, and you are genuinely passionate about making it - that excitement and empowerment will resonate wherever you go. It will translate when you walk into meetings, networking events, or talk with your reps. Creating a “passion project” can fill you with newfound confidence and purpose - qualities that Hollywood can’t get enough of. Also, thanks to artists like Issa Rae, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Ramy Hassan who have made big waves in Hollywood with their passion projects, Hollywood now sees the potential in deeply personal and unique stories. So what are you passionate about? Is there a story you’ve been aching to tell? What’s an idea that when you think about it, it gets you excited and energized?

3. Start Now

Once you’ve decided on a “passion project” you want to make, don’t wait to make it. It might feel daunting at first but I promise if you just start, the momentum will build. We can all come up with reasons to procrastinate and find easier things to do with our time - but most of those ‘easier things’ are not going to get you closer to your dreams. So, what’s your first step? Do you need to flesh out your story idea on paper? Do you need to dust off an old short film script you know you want to make? Maybe it’s emailing that director friend of yours who said they’d love to collaborate with you? Whatever that first step is, take it. Now! It won’t happen just by thinking about it, you have to take action.

4. Believe in Yourself

I know this phrase can cause a lot of groans and eye rolls, but it’s true. To pull off creating your own content, and maintaining the energy necessary to get it done, you need to both believe you can do it and believe it can potentially help get you closer to the career you want. The odds might be against you, and you might be met with doubt from others, but if you believe you have the ability to create your own content (and you bust your ass to make it happen) you can make it happen, and it can have a huge impact on your career.

5. No One Wants You until Everyone Wants You

The entertainment business is still a business. Producers, reps, and executives are in this to make a living, which means they like safe bets. A “safe bet” is someone with a clear artistic voice, someone who already has a fan base (even if it’s a small one), and someone who has a history of experience and success. If you create your own content you are probably a safer bet (or on your way to being one). For example, let’s say you’ve made 3 short films and are trying to land a rep - that rep can watch 3 examples of your artistic voice and vision; if your films have been to festivals or won awards (no matter how small the award or festival) they can see that a jury of people have invested in your work; and if you’ve posted those short films online and they got a good number of views that rep can see you have a fan base. Hollywood loves to capitalize on someone who’s already climbing the career ladder. So give yourself your own big break:  make your own content, work your way up that ladder, and they will eventually take notice.

What do you do to move your own career forward? Let me know @CaroleKirsch!