It’s officially December, the month in which everything simultaneously slows down because of the holidays, and gets completely crazy because of the holidays.
I have good news and bad news. Bad news… December means career homework. Good news… It involves watching a lot of tv.
It’s a bit early to talk about that thing that starts in late January and rhymes wth “violet treason.” But now is the perfect time to get current on all those shows your friends have been binge watching, pick the ones you love, and add them (and the people who cast them) to your target lists. That way, when violet treason rolls around, you’ll be ready to break our your postcards and let the people you most want to work with know how much you love their work, which is a great way to make them want to work with you.
Start by getting familiar with the hottest shows of 2015. Watch one or two episodes to see if they grab you. If not, that’s totally ok. But if they do, watch more. Then look up the casting director, producers, directors, writers, etc., and see if you have any connection to them. Have they worked on other projects you loved, or projects you actually worked on too? Do they have anything in the works for 2016? Does anyone from their office do workshops?
Remember to include services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, as great work is being done there, and those projects may be a bit more open to actors who aren’t ‘names’ yet. (I shot an episode of The Mindy Project last month, which just came out on Hulu… which means I need to sign up for Hulu!)
The same goes for movies. Take advantage of the chilly weather, throw on some sweatpants, and catch up on the films you meant to see and didn’t get around to. It’s never too late to tell someone you think they did great work.
I’ve been pretty good about movies lately, but still need to see Room, Spotlight, and Brooklyn. I’m all caught up on Mr. Robot and Fargo, and am plowing through Master of None and Jessica Jones (and Friday Night Lights, because I’ve developed a Connie Britton crush.) Which shows and movies are on your homework list?