BUSINESS AND CAREERS
by: Kevin McCorkle

Personal Creative Consortiums have been a proactive positive force in my career since the beginning of my career. Although I did not identify these consortiums, how they work and how to actively pursue them until about six years ago.

The Actors journey is one of talent development, relationship establishment, work generation and artistic entrepreneurship. How do Personal Creative Consortiums fit into your journey as an Actor? First let me define what I mean by Personal Creative Consortium. A PCC is any group, association, method, platform or relationship that allows your career to move forward as an Actor. You have many Consortiums right now although like me years ago you may not have identified them. There are times when these Consortiums work like they are supposed to and within the parameters they are set up to perform within.

For those of you that have an Agent you may understand this as a traditional PCC. An Agent will do their best to find auditions and work for you by submitting your picture and resume to Casting Directors looking for potential Actors. Depending upon the size and power of your Agent as well as your experience, name value and “bank ability” they will use their connections, clout and capability to get you in to see the people that will be able to hire you. The ideal situation is when an extremely talented and “bankable” Actor is signed with a powerful agent with many connections. However that scenario is rare, otherwise stars and super powerful agents would not be so scarce.

A manager can be another important PCC either by taking on a beginning Actor and grooming them for success or signing a successful Actor and managing” their success taking them to new heights that an Actor may not be able to achieve with only their Agent. This is where the traditional acting career paradigm goes.

An Actor signs with an agent and possibly a manager then waits for the phone to ring. When it doesn’t ring or ring often enough the Actor then becomes disillusioned with their representation and leaves them hoping to find that agent, manager or combination that will work the magic in their career. This will often happen several times in an Actor’s career.

The component missing in this formula is the proactive personal growth that the Actor is leaving out. In order to be attractive as a viable consideration for talent in a film, television series, theatrical show or a commercial there has to be a history of competency and work to make it happen. Rarely do casting directors, directors, producers and network or studio executives rely solely on their gut feelings to offer a substantial role or contract. Most of the time it is based on a combination of relationships, compatibility to the role, capability, previous work experience and a gut feeling that it s right. Which makes perfect sense … why would anyone risk simply taking a chance when millions of dollars and months or years of time are on the line!!

This is where your work with Personal Creative Consortiums comes into play. All of your relationships and the work you do “your homework” is about enhancing your virtual shelf space … your “self space” (if you saw the video you will understand this). Your internet presence, your classes or school, your theatre company or improv. group, the restaurant you work at, your internship at that production company, the Actors from your home town, your family … as well as many other groups, individuals, companies, platforms and associations can serve as your own Personal Creative Consortiums. In addition to the usual agent or agent and manager relationship all of these PCCs can bolster your career providing a strong foundation to prepare you for the challenging and high paying work reserved for those who are ready and capable of taking on the challenge. So go out find your Personal Creative Consortiums and make your presence known but most of all, enjoy the journey.

The key element in the pursuit of a successful career in the arts is the ability to pursue success in whatever discipline you choose.  Just as there are physical laws in the universe like gravity, the laws of motion, and energy; there are laws and restrictions that will determine your success or lack of success in the career or discipline of your choice.  Some of these laws are universal while others will only apply to you.  Let’s take a look at some of the more universal laws first and then explore how to determine your own lifestyle for success.  What are the generally accepted laws for success as an artist?  Although there are no perfect recipes for success, certain ingredients added to your life will most assuredly move your career forward.

Geography is one of the most important elements to create a life that supports your art.  Just as people rushed to California for gold, drilled in Texas for oil and flocked to the Gulf of Mexico for seafood.  Where you live as an artist will play a big part in establishing and growing your career.  Although there are many ancillary markets that can be beneficial in creating the initial spark to start (often a smarter decision); it is the larger markets that will sustain, support and carry a full time career.  At some point if the career you seek will be your sole focus and means of income you will need to move to a location that will support that goal.

Time is another primary consideration in the execution of a successful career plan.  You must have the capability to devote the proper amount of time to your career without a myriad of distractions preventing you from contributing the necessary time to excel at what you are doing.  In his examination of excellence Malcolm Gladwell writes about the value of time in creating success as the common denominator when combined with other opportunities and mitigating factors.  How much time are you willing or more importantly able to devote to your artistic endeavor?  To be a master at your craft Gladwell’s magic number is 10,000 hours…5 hours per day for 365 straight days is 1,825 hours, less than one fifth of the master time!  We all have to live our lives…  carving out time to devote to relationships, our lifestyle, hobbies, entertainment, work and all of the other components of our lives.  In a sense all of these components compete with each other for a balanced and healthy life.  If we are not diligent with our time then there will beprecious little to spend on the artistic discipline of our choice.  What amount of time works for you?

That depends on the balance of all the other factors in your life.  If your relationships are healthy they will not drain time away from your goals and dreams, on the contrary they will add to them.  If your lifestyle is manageable economically, finding a way to live below your means; as well as practicing the proper amount of moderation with outside influences…influences that could prove detrimental if overindulged in and healthy with the right amount of exercise, sleep and diet then your artistic pursuits will prevail.

Creating a life to support your career is a choice you can make.  Find creative”outside the box” ways to live a full life with frugality, use your family and friend relationships to support your career…moving it forward, and find a way to incorporate balance and fun into the mix!  For more information or to find out how to create your specific plan go to

www.kevinmccorkle.com then go to the Acting in Motion link and click on An Artist’s Life.  Here’s to the life and career of your dreams!!

In my last article on ‘Goal Setting’ I stressed the importance of setting goals, creating a strategic plan for your career, and following a timeline with clear specific actions to ensure that your goals happen.  It’s all great… in fact, it’s all fantastic if you’re the type of person who jumps out of bed in the morning eager to get started on the tasks for the day, loves a challenge and can’t wait for that first obstacle to get in your way, that rock to fall in your path.  My guess is, that’s not the case for many (if any) of us.

You’ve heard the saying, “when the going gets tough the tough get going.”  Well in the entertainment industry the “going gets tough” a fair amount of the time.  We deal with more rejection and more competition than probably any business in the world.  The solution… being held accountable for your goals and actions.  It works.

I’ve been in this industry for over twenty-five years and I’ve had ‘accountability partners’ or ‘accountability teams’ for every one of those years.  I’ve had a partner with whom I’ve done weekly calls.  And for years a group of five of my colleagues (from different aspects of the industry) met once a week to talk about our goals and what actions we were going to take that week.  On Friday we would email the team with an update of what we had done so far and what was still left to do before we met the next week.  It kept us focused and on target and the coaching and brainstorming we gave each other was priceless.

When I was interviewing professionals from the entertainment industry for my MTT video, Goal Setting Part II, I specifically asked them for their thoughts on the importance and the power of being held accountable.  Director, Mark Rosman (“A Cinderella Story”) says that he makes a point of getting together with people on a weekly basis.  “I’ve directed over fifteen TV movies and tons of episodic TV and feature films,” he says, “and I’ve found that especially when I’m in between jobs and I need that kind of help to keep going, an accountability group really is the thing that drives me.”  Bob Stewart, CEO NowCasting/Players Directory, recommends “a breakfast club with likeminded people.  Actors, directors, writers… even if it’s a mix of people… you make yourself accountable to them.”

Actress Mary Stein (“Changeling” “Babe: Pig in the City”) feels that accountability is key to success.  “When you’re sharing with someone on a regular basis,” she says, “it lets you know if you’re keeping your word or not.  What’s the truth here?  Am I really doing what I said I was going to do.”   Kris Emery, Production Executive at Comedy Central, told me that for her having somebody to talk to keeps her on track.  “I have a very good friend in Texas who I’ve known for over 20 years, and we have done goal setting over those years.  We have a personal blog where we correspond back and forth on a daily or weekly basis depending on what we’re doing.  We report in, talk about our accomplishments, our goals and where we need support.”

People at all levels and facets of the industry have accountability partners or teams.  I had the pleasure of co-leading a workshop with Film Producer, David Valdas (“Unforgiven,” “The Book of Eli”) and when I was speaking on the topic of accountability, David said that he has a team of other film producers who get together every Tuesday morning.  All of whom are extremely successful people in our industry.  It just proves the point… everyone can use that extra support.

So whether you’re taking on a new learning curve, a huge goal, or just going through the day to day routine with your promises and commitments, having a partner or team to check in with is essential. We’re all human and sometimes we need a little help to keep us on track.  Being held accountable for your actions and promises will work miracles.

In my video, Goal Setting Part II, which you’ll find on the mastertalentteachers.com website, I’ll be interviewing industry professionals on the “Seven Steps to Goal Setting” and we’ll address this fascinating topic of accountability.

Go to www.mastertalentteachers.com and enjoy my video on “Goal Setting – Part II.”

Why choose a career in the arts? Every artist asks him or her self that question and that question is asked of every artist. The answer is as unique as each of the artists asked. The more important question to ask is how to achieve the satisfaction and success you are striving for.

A career in the arts is more complex than other professions. With most occupations a linear quality exists, education and training diligently applied results in employment. The reason is the ratio of qualified applicants to available jobs. As an artist the situation is reversed, many more people are competing for fewer opportunities. How do you take this challenge on creating a robust, financially sound and successful career? One way to empower yourself with confidence and capability is by creating and following a Personal Foundational Blueprint. This blueprint will serve you in several ways. As a tool it encourages you to arm yourself with as much information you can gather to make thoughtful and strategic decisions. As a guide it helps you plan and create strategies moving your career forward in a practical and measurable way. Because this blueprint is flexible and constantly evolving it is a workout plan to readjust, hone and revise your goals and achievements.

What is this plan and how exactly does it work? Much like blueprints used by architects and builders this foundational blueprint allows you to build your career in the arts. Every construction plan from the simplest tree house to the most elaborate skyscraper starts with an idea. That idea evolves incorporating opportunities and circumstances supporting or challenging the execution of the idea. The initial spark of creativity precedes any action. The idea is transformed into tangible communication so you and others can create, develop and grow the idea from conception to inception taking it from the thought process into the planning stage. In the planning stage the idea is accessible to you and others in a more defined concrete manner. As planning defines the idea it moves closer to executable actions. These actions both large and small determine the success of the final outcome. The result may not be what you thought but a series of steps evolving the closer you get to achieving the original goal. Many variable factors within your control and others not even on your radar, will determine what actions will move you forward, keep you in place or prevent you from being pushed back as you attempt to bring your idea to completion.

How do you take this idea of a career foundational blueprint and turn it into a functional tool to utilize? How is success achieved in the world of entertainment? Every successful artist will answer that question differently. Just like every building is unique in its design. There are however materials, methods of construction and physical limitations shared by all buildings. The same is true for success as an artist. To achieve success in Show Business there are common denominators. An acting career (and every other artistic endeavor) is a practice. Just like a successful Law Practice, Doctor’s Practice, Dental Practice or any profession looked upon with deference and respect because of the work required for success, an artist’s practice is no different in the approach to success. A successful actor or artist will carry the same workload or more, encounter the same challenges or greater and reap the same rewards or more than any successful “professional”. What is different is the path to that success. An actor’s path is very personal and unique. An examination of the individual strengths and challenges must be undertaken to formulate a complete and comprehensive plan for success. The foundational plan should be broken down into several different sections these sections should be mastered before attempting others. Just like building construction, the concrete trucks shouldn’t show up before the trenches have been dug for the foundation. That doesn’t mean however that you don’t research and determine where the best and most cost efficient concrete company is and establish a relationship with them before a shovel breaks ground on the project! With that in mind let’s break the blue print down.

What is the idea of your career? When formulating the answer think in terms of planning. Most actors reply, “I want to star in movies, I want to work on Broadway or I want to be the lead of a hit TV show.” There is nothing wrong with lofty goals but without a plan or means to achieve those goals they will remain in the idea stage. Without a sufficient plan of actionable and measurable steps in place ideas cannot become reality. One of the sections of your blueprint should be a long-term goal. You should know that these goals require a lengthy, diligent and tenacious approach and the statistical odds are weighed against you. A realistic look at the circumstances surrounding achievement of these goals should not discourage but inspire you to be disciplined and pragmatic in your approach to them. So you have determined your long-term goals. How will you beat the odds and achieve them? Start by examining the steps or shorter-term goals necessary to complete in order to achieve the ultimate goals. How have others achieved the goal you are dreaming of? What UNIQUE qualities do you have bringing you closer to making dreams a reality? What changes will you make short and long term to bring you closer to success? Try breaking the changes, goals and inspirations down into lists…. don’t edit yourself let your imagination go there is always time for refining and editing. Some ideas, dreams and actions will be directly linked to your career, others will lean toward the life supporting your career and others will be a mix of the two.

Many actions supporting your ideas, dreams and goals will be repeatable; weekly classes, daily research and the like, others will be one time actions like moving to a bigger market Los Angeles, New York or Chicago.

Once you have your master list begin to break it down into achievable tasks. Just because a task is achievable doesn’t necessarily mean it is easy. There should be a balance of tasks requiring different time commitments, investment and energy. You’ll have daily actions that may pay off months or years from now. Other tasks will be performed on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly or other time increment.

The nature of these tasks will vary; some will be individual in nature, others will be with a partner or mentor, others may involve a class or creative consortium. Breaking the list down into the different achievable tasks is just the first step. After analyzing what you need to do then begin performing the tasks and measuring your progress. There will be moments of great progress, don’t get too excited by these. There will be stumbling blocks set backs and hurdles, don’t get too discouraged by these.

Whatever movement there is; forward, backward or even standing still…. use each of those experiences to learn and grow.

However you create your blueprint make it “user friendly” to YOU! Be as creative and fun in the conception of your blueprint as possible. You will be spending time with it every day until your creative energy forces you to make it evolve as your career grows.

For examples of creative blueprints that may inspire you visit kevinmccorkle.com and hit the Acting in Motion link. Be sure to check out the MTT site regularly to see the information, insight and valuable advice the other teachers and coaches have to offer. In my next video find out how to structure your life to support your art don’t miss it! Please contact me with questions or comments at http://www.kevinmccorkle.com

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been in your career for a year or for twenty years… we all get stuck from time to time. Maybe it’s a rejection that cuts a little too deep, the fear of not knowing how to do something, the fear of failure, the fear of success, a conversation in our head that tells us we can’t, or that the time’s not right, or that we’re too old, or the economy is bad. Whatever it is for you, it feels real and true and most importantly, it stops you!

The best goals, intentions, timelines, strategic plans… they all go out the window when we’re stuck. What do we do? How do we handle it? How do we get back on track? And how do we get back on track quickly?

I had a friend who, during an audition, had a bad experience where the director was very rude to her. It was three months before she went on another audition. My film partner and I had a similar situation happen to us. We had successfully produced films in other countries and were planning to produce our first film here in the U.S. We did a fantastic business plan and movie poster, had a great investor’s package, had everything organized and were ready to go out to investors. That was December of 2004. All of a sudden it was March 1st 2005! I had gone unconscious about the project and didn’t even know that I was stuck. The fear of raising the money stopped me cold!

I think getting stuck from time to time is inevitable. The question is, how do we deal with it and how do we get back on track in record time. Here are a few ideas from some of my entertainment industry guests who joined me for my MTT video. They’ve experienced being stuck first hand and they have some valuable advice for us.

CREATE A VISUAL DISPLAY: CEO of Now Casting, Bob Steward, feels that having your goals clearly plotted and broken down into a timeline with milestones is key. “But most importantly,” he says, “have it clearly visible at all times. That way you’ll stay conscious and engaged in your career and you’ll notice if something is wrong. So you’ll find out ‘oh, my foot’s stuck’ as opposed to ‘holy cow, I’m knee deep in quicksand.’

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE: Actress Mary Stein says that for her the best and fastest way to get unstuck is a daily practice of staying in touch with her vision. “Stay focused on the big picture,” she says, “and keep your eye on the prize.”

FACT VERSUS FICTION: Director/Writer Mark Rosman suggests that we look at the facts. “When I notice that I’m stuck,” he says, “I look at what is the story that I’m telling myself and I write it down. For example, after a producer called and said he didn’t want to option my script, I thought, oh, I’m not talented enough… I can’t write dialogue, and a whole ton of crazy things went through my mind. I wrote the long list on a piece of paper and then I compared it to the facts. The fact was, that producer didn’t want my script… period! That was the fact. So instead of looking at my interpretations of what I made it all mean, I decided to just look at the facts. All the drama disappeared in an instant and I got back on the phone and started pitching again.

HAVE AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER: Comedy Central Executive Kris Emery suggests that we have a buddy that we stay in touch with on a regular basis. Kris and her accountability partner speak (or blog) daily or weekly supporting each other with their goals and all the ups and downs that go along with reaching them. And they’ve been doing this for over 20 years!

IT’S A GOOD THING! IT MEANS YOU’RE GETTING BIGGER:
So says TV and feature writer Alison Lea Bingeman. She believes that “if you’re stuck, that means that you are breaking through to some new ground… some new level. She says that “there’s something new that you’re learning and that you’re processing and that you’ll come out on the other side with a lot more knowledge and a lot more wisdom.”

As I’ve mentioned, we are all going to get stuck from time to time, whether from internal reasons or external sources. We’re human. It happens. The question is… for how long are you willing to stay stuck? Minutes, days, weeks, years? How about seconds? Wouldn’t that be a whole lot better? Let’s cut down, way down, on the time we spend being stopped and stuck. Start using these suggestions and get masterful at getting back on track immediately.

ACCOUNTABILITY

It’s Time to Put Your Butt on the Line

by Suzanne Lyons

In my last article on ‘Goal Setting’ I stressed the importance of setting goals, creating a strategic plan for your career, and following a timeline with clear specific actions to ensure that your goals happen. It’s all great… in fact, it’s all fantastic if you’re the type of person who jumps out of bed in the morning eager to get started on the tasks for the day, loves a challenge and can’t wait for that first obstacle to get in your way, that rock to fall in your path. My guess is, that’s not the case for many (if any) of us.

You’ve heard the saying, “when the going gets tough the tough get going.” Well in the entertainment industry the “going gets tough” a fair amount of the time. We deal with more rejection and more competition than probably any business in the world. The solution… being held accountable for your goals and actions. It works.

I’ve been in this industry for over twenty-five years and I’ve had ‘accountability partners’ or ‘accountability teams’ for every one of those years. I’ve had a partner with whom I’ve done weekly calls. And for years a group of five of my colleagues (from different aspects of the industry) met once a week to talk about our goals and what actions we were going to take that week. On Friday we would email the team with an update of what we had done so far and what was still left to do before we met the next week. It kept us focused and on target and the coaching and brainstorming we gave each other was priceless.

When I was interviewing professionals from the entertainment industry for my MTT video, Goal Setting Part II, I specifically asked them for their thoughts on the importance and the power of being held accountable. Director, Mark Rosman (“A Cinderella Story”) says that he makes a point of getting together with people on a weekly basis. “I’ve directed over fifteen TV movies and tons of episodic TV and feature films,” he says, “and I’ve found that especially when I’m in between jobs and I need that kind of help to keep going, an accountability group really is the thing that drives me.” Bob Stewart, CEO NowCasting/Players Directory, recommends “a breakfast club with likeminded people. Actors, directors, writers… even if it’s a mix of people… you make yourself accountable to them.”

Actress Mary Stein (“Changeling” “Babe: Pig in the City”) feels that accountability is key to success. “When you’re sharing with someone on a regular basis,” she says, “it lets you know if you’re keeping your word or not. What’s the truth here? Am I really doing what I said I was going to do.” Kris Emery, Production Executive at Comedy Central, told me that for her having somebody to talk to keeps her on track. “I have a very good friend in Texas who I’ve known for over 20 years, and we have done goal setting over those years. We have a personal blog where we correspond back and forth on a daily or weekly basis depending on what we’re doing. We report in, talk about our accomplishments, our goals and where we need support.”

People at all levels and facets of the industry have accountability partners or teams. I had the pleasure of co-leading a workshop with Film Producer, David Valdas (“Unforgiven,” “The Book of Eli”) and when I was speaking on the topic of accountability, David said that he has a team of other film producers who get together every Tuesday morning. All of whom are extremely successful people in our industry. It just proves the point… everyone can use that extra support.

So whether you’re taking on a new learning curve, a huge goal, or just going through the day to day routine with your promises and commitments, having a partner or team to check in with is essential. We’re all human and sometimes we need a little help to keep us on track. Being held accountable for your actions and promises will work miracles.

In my video, Goal Setting Part II, which you’ll find on the mastertalentteachers.com website, I’ll be interviewing industry professionals on the “Seven Steps to Goal Setting” and we’ll address this fascinating topic of accountability.

Why don’t we do it?  Why don’t we set goals for ourselves?  Is it because we think it’s only for businesses.   After all, we’re creative.  Surely goal setting doesn’t apply to us.  Right?

That couldn’t be farther from the truth.  You are a business.  It’s imperative that you set goals for yourself.

When I was leading seminars in the entertainment industry I would start by asking “how many of you have set goals for yourselves?”  Never more than two people out of a hundred would raise their hands.  In every other industry in the world, it would have been the reverse.  Ninety-eight people out of a hundred would have raised their hands.  Just because we’re in a creative industry, doesn’t let us off the hook.  It’s still a business.  And you’re a business.  In fact, you’re the president and CEO of your company… called YOU.  You have to take responsibility for your company and create a strategic plan for your career.

There was a study done in 1953 with the graduates of Yale University that demonstrates the power of goals.  The grads interviewed were asked if they had a clear specific set of goals written down with a plan for achieving those goals.  Only 3% had written goals.  Twenty years later, 1973, the researchers went back and interviewed the group from the 1953 graduating class.  They discovered that the 3% with written specific goals were worth more in financial terms than the entire other 97% put together.

As an added bonus, when you really get that you are the president and CEO of your company your action will be different.  It’s like raising the bar for yourself.  You get to be bigger… way bigger.   If you’re thinking, all this goal setting and strategic planning is going to be to restricting, too binding for your creative spirit.   I have to tell you that I’ve experienced the opposite.  The more clear I am about my path, the more organized and structured my goals are, the more freedom I have to deviate from them.  It’s like having one of those sight-seeing bus passes where you get to jump on and off any time you want, depending on what sights excite you the most.   It’s the same with your career. The more clear you are about you path, your plan, your goals, your vision, your passion, the more you get to play, the more flexible you get to be.  And isn’t that what it’s all about.

In my video, “Goal Setting Part I,” which you’ll find on the mastertalentteachers.com website, I’ll get you up and running with my “Seven Steps to Goal Setting.”  We’ll start with The Big Picture… where you get to create your career the way you want it to be.   Here are a few examples of what I’ll be focusing on in the video.  I’ll give you the tools to help you set up your Goals, and once you’ve set them, I’ll show you how to create a Timeline.  We’ll then break your timeline into bite-sized pieces called Milestones. From there we’ll work on your Action Plan.  Once you have your milestones in place it is so much easier to know what actions are needed to fulfill on those milestones. Another step I’ll focus on is Accountability. You’ve heard the old saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”  Well, we’re all human and sometimes we need a little help to keep us on track.  Being held accountable for your actions and promises will work miracles.  For a great resource on more information on goal setting check out Master Talent Teacher Carolyne Barry’s book “Hit the Ground Running.”

It’s time to take control of your career.  Get a strategic plan in place, begin the goal setting process and from there create the life you want, design the career you love and get the results you’ve dreamed of.