How to Be More Bookable! (Part One)

As actors and models, we are always looking for ways to make ourselves more successful! Unlike so many other professions, our success rate is not linear—if our auditions go up by 20%, that doesn’t mean that our bookings will also go up by 20%. There are so many factors and circumstances that are out of our control, and it’s rare to even get any feedback at all! Why did or didn’t you get the job? Often times we don’t know.

My goal is to help give you ideas on how to increase your ability to be booked based off what I have learned and experienced! Some strategies may seem more intuitive than others, but hopefully this will help empower you to take hold of those factors that are within your control, and set yourself up for success!

Being great to work with on set & in the audition room!

BTS of “Reco Island” shot by OGK Creative. Featuring actor @stephen_the_hedger & yours truly, director @jaustinberry, and MUAH @artistrybybrittany

I can think of several circumstances where talent unintentionally shot themselves in the foot in this area- showed up to a booking extremely late, weren’t paying attention when they were supposed to be working, caused drama on set in how they interacted with others, etc., but I think these situations go without saying. Let’s talk about some that may not be as obvious…

You get called into an audition room with other talent to audition together. You each do your slate and then the casting director tells you to do some actions together as a group. Although you may be nervous, make sure to be mindful of the other talent. Do not block another talent from being seen on camera, unless specifically asked by casting to do so. It makes you look novice and inexperienced, and you will likely upset the person you blocked, a person who may have connections in the industry or be a future castmate. This has happened to me in an audition, and afterwards I found out that that person did the same thing to someone else. Although it probably wasn’t intentional, it’s not a good look nor does it leave a good first impression.

Having lifestyle photography in your portfolio!

Featuring (from left to right): @jessicatanir, @veronikadresko, yours truly & @alessandrasierraofficial. Shot by @jaustinberry

Featuring (from left to right): @andreluisbrunelli, @theadrianjules, yours truly & @patriciavalofficial for Cascade at Link. Shot by @seamuspayne & @freddymarschall

Ooo this is a good one… especially in the south Florida market! If you are an actor and are even a little attractive, you need lifestyle photos in your portfolio! Why you may ask? You make excuses like, well I’m not a model, I’m not trying to be a model, I’m not ripped… yada yada ya…. IT DOESN’T MATTER! Plus, now more than ever, commercials are looking for “real looks”. They don’t always want people who look like the stereotypical model.

In a market that shoots a lot of commercials whether it’s Miami, Atlanta, LA, NYC, etc., the acting and modeling lines get blurred all the time! There have been times when I’ve been booked for a commercial, and I legitimately didn’t know if I was being hired as an actor or a model. Many times it will be something without lines, laughing and smiling as you interact with other people in a scene. Super easy! And many times, it may be a direct booking. They just hired you from the photos in your portfolio! So get some lifestyle photos and get some more gigs! I’ll even help you out…

Need inspiration? Follow my Pinterest page!

Click here for lifestyle photo inspiration and poses for both men & women!

Having a variety of commercial & theatrical headshots!

I did a whole blog post on this because for actors, this is HUGE! This may legitimately set you apart from the pack! I even go into practical strategies on typecasting and shoot preparation. Check out that blog post here!

To make it even easier for you, here’s a recommendation on a phenomenal headshot photographer based in Miami: Sierra Headshots!

Oh, and did I mention my readers get an exclusive discount?! When you book, just put promo code “JULIE” at the bottom of that questionnaire she will send you for 15% off all shoot packages!! Click the link below to book your session with her!

Learning other languages!

Naturally, this can be a pretty daunting feat, especially since fluency will give you the greatest likelihood of booking a job in a different language. However, even having some conversational knowledge in a different language may open opportunities for you! I’ll give you an example…

View the Spanish and English versions of the commercial here!

I received a self tape with several scripts in both English and Spanish with a note from my agent to read for one of the scripts in both languages. I emailed my agent to clarify that I only know some Spanish and asked her if it was still ok to do the self tape to which she said yes and to read for the shorter script, so I did, and I booked it!

Having a high quality self tape setup!

Since the pandemic, it’s more common than ever to do auditions and callbacks remotely. The more high quality your setup is, the more likely your self tape will be considered.

Does that mean if you don’t have a great setup, that they won’t consider you? No not at all! Sometimes you don’t have the means or you are traveling, so it’s always better to give it your best go than not to bother. I’ve booked great jobs without having the best setup—ultimately the most important things are to have good lighting, clear audio, and to follow the self tape directions.

Nonetheless, perception is important, and they are more likely to consider you a professional if you look like a professional. Need self tape setup recommendations? Click here!

Finding your features!

Feature for Bayliner Boats shot by @nickgallopphoto feat. yours truly & @offcnh.

Feature for Valley Forge Fabrics shot by @yesi.___

Feature for Uniform Advantage Scrubs shot by @kc_photog954

Feature for Walt Disney World shot by @disneyyellowshoes feat. yours truly & @_christian_lopez_official

I had a discussion with a fellow actor recently where they were saying they try to not get “stuck” on anything. If they have an audition or a booking, once it’s over, they just move on to the next thing. And although I understand the sentiment behind that—not taking too much stock in any audition so as to not be disappointed if it’s a “no” or after a project is done, not dwelling on it so as to put more focus on the next booking—I still think it can be a disservice to you. Why? Because how can you improve if you don’t think through what went well versus what didn’t, but more than that, going back to look for that film, that commercial, those photos can be invaluable assets in growing your portfolio, especially since not all jobs will have material you can add.

I had a direct booking for a medical company recently where the producer told me that they saw my photos of me wearing scrubs (from shoots I’ve done previously with a scrubs company- Uniform Advantage) and that that made them choose me! You never know how previous work will inspire new clients to book you!

In my experience, it’s rare for the production to go out of their way to send the final product. You may be able to ask them, but they are often busy, and you may be able to find it yourself! Here are the places I like to look to find the finished products of productions I’ve been in (many times the brand and/or the production company will display the work on one or multiple platforms):

*For nationally broadcasted commercials in the U.S.

*On the brand’s or production company’s YouTube page

*On the brand’s or production company’s website

*On the brand’s or production company’s social media

Marketing yourself on social media & connecting with others on set!

How will new clients, casting directors, potential agents, previous clients, crew members you have worked with, know all the work you have been up to if you never post any of it? Updating your resume and portfolio on the various casting databases is, of course, the most important thing, but you will likely be missing out on so many new opportunities if you neglect social media altogether. Even if you just post some of your work in bulk on Instagram, it is better than showing nothing at all, especially since many castings will ask for your social media handle.

Growing up in this industry, I would commonly hear the phrase, “Out of sight, out of mind,” and I think there is still some truth to that. If you are actively posting about your various bookings, films you are working on, classes you are taking, photos from various shoots, even just the typical grind of auditioning, people are more likely to think that you are a working actor/model and think of you if a project comes up. I’ve gotten many jobs this way, and you can too!

Part of the strategies discussed go into topics that I’ve discussed on other blog posts, so click below to learn more!

More to come…

I have so many more thoughts on this “Bookability” topic, but for now, I hope this gives you some helpful strategies on how to increase your casting opportunities and therefore also your odds of booking. Stay tuned for my Part 2 on How to Be More Bookable! Can’t wait to see all you do!

Which point did you find most helpful? Comment below!