Striking while the iron is hot
My Dad always used this term.......strike while the iron is hot.
That term always applies to me. I've quit those mundane jobs before because of that. Nothing going on whatsoever, and even though the money is good, you feel trapped. That's why this career is so appealing to a lot of people. There is so much freedom, even with the unpredictability.
But the term can apply to the film career also. There are so many reasons an actor will hit L.A. or New York, one of which is that everyone thinks they are the next star. That's cool because I think I am too. As I said before, this business is the biggest roulette game ever, which is part of the appeal. Hell, I just got finished reading a book about a woman's struggles in Hollywood(Take your shirt off and cry). I'll review it in another blog, but it's a great read.
It's amazing, though, how many go out to L.A. or N.Y. while the iron ISN'T hot. Examples are high school or college drama students that don't realize that, with a few exceptions, what they do is PERFORMING, not ACTING. There are also the ones that get preyed on by "agents" who say they'll be the next star, have a great look, whatever. They'll go without much experience, only to find that there are a zillion people with "your look". At that point, how do you stand out? That's something very few actors are prepared for. In the short term, it's important to have that look, but in the long term, it's how you stand out because everyone has your look once you take that huge step.
I know how I stand out. I'm one of those people with the kind of energy that scares Red Bull. I can run full throttle on four hours sleep, and not even drink a drop of coffee. I give off the vibe that I don't sleep, but merely recharge batteries. I'm also a serious contradiction, and I admit it. The good thing is that all of it comes out eventually when you meet me, so it's pretty easy to cast me in certain roles. It also hurts me with getting an agent because a lot of them don't know what to think. Eventually, things happen though.
I know it's so tempting to want to hit N.Y. or L.A. right away, but the one thing I recommend is moving to an area with a hell of an indie scene and GETTING EXPERIENCE! I've been to two now, Georgia and North Carolina. They don't pay as well, and sometimes you are working on copy and credit(and that's ANOTHER obstacle you have to get through, which I'll mention later), but you can really build on a good career through that process, and make things a lot easier in that next step.
So the main definition of "striking while the iron is hot" is going while your career is "hot". Getting experience, knowing what you are getting into, and having a little idea what struggles you are in for will make life a lot easier for you.
It also isn't a guarantee that a big career will happen for you, but a 1% chance is still better than ZERO, right?
That term always applies to me. I've quit those mundane jobs before because of that. Nothing going on whatsoever, and even though the money is good, you feel trapped. That's why this career is so appealing to a lot of people. There is so much freedom, even with the unpredictability.
But the term can apply to the film career also. There are so many reasons an actor will hit L.A. or New York, one of which is that everyone thinks they are the next star. That's cool because I think I am too. As I said before, this business is the biggest roulette game ever, which is part of the appeal. Hell, I just got finished reading a book about a woman's struggles in Hollywood(Take your shirt off and cry). I'll review it in another blog, but it's a great read.
It's amazing, though, how many go out to L.A. or N.Y. while the iron ISN'T hot. Examples are high school or college drama students that don't realize that, with a few exceptions, what they do is PERFORMING, not ACTING. There are also the ones that get preyed on by "agents" who say they'll be the next star, have a great look, whatever. They'll go without much experience, only to find that there are a zillion people with "your look". At that point, how do you stand out? That's something very few actors are prepared for. In the short term, it's important to have that look, but in the long term, it's how you stand out because everyone has your look once you take that huge step.
I know how I stand out. I'm one of those people with the kind of energy that scares Red Bull. I can run full throttle on four hours sleep, and not even drink a drop of coffee. I give off the vibe that I don't sleep, but merely recharge batteries. I'm also a serious contradiction, and I admit it. The good thing is that all of it comes out eventually when you meet me, so it's pretty easy to cast me in certain roles. It also hurts me with getting an agent because a lot of them don't know what to think. Eventually, things happen though.
I know it's so tempting to want to hit N.Y. or L.A. right away, but the one thing I recommend is moving to an area with a hell of an indie scene and GETTING EXPERIENCE! I've been to two now, Georgia and North Carolina. They don't pay as well, and sometimes you are working on copy and credit(and that's ANOTHER obstacle you have to get through, which I'll mention later), but you can really build on a good career through that process, and make things a lot easier in that next step.
So the main definition of "striking while the iron is hot" is going while your career is "hot". Getting experience, knowing what you are getting into, and having a little idea what struggles you are in for will make life a lot easier for you.
It also isn't a guarantee that a big career will happen for you, but a 1% chance is still better than ZERO, right?
