Reflections on 2013

The year 2013 is almost wrapped up. This was my first official year in the pursuit of acting and I worked hard. I've appeared in 27 films, 6 TV projects, 1 music video, 2 internet commercials, 4 internet series, 1 public service announcement, 1 industrial project, and have done 2 voice over roles; it was a busy year.

It's good that I enjoy working hard to the point that downtime depresses me but I've come to realize that a mere accumulation of a vast and large amount of work isn't necessarily the path to success. It helps. It builds a reputation of reliability and good work ethic but, after that, a certain degree of marketing must still take place.

This is what I've come to realize, in a year of hard work, that perhaps I'm no better off than when I started. Now that's not entirely true, I've built a strong rapport with filmmakers and producers that has already landed me further projects sight unseen. People enjoy working with colleagues that have already proven themselves to be serious and skilled; I am the same way when others ask for a casting referral, I look through my file of people I've already worked with or those I haven't worked with yet but would like to.

So, in that sense, things are fine. But now it's my time for gathering other creatives; finding a strong team of production and performance minded people to continue film production work in the coming years. To keep on building and honing those skills while, at the same time, still pursuing a strong desire to act.

Though some might not agree, I find the work to the be the easy part of this; it's the self-marketing and promotion that I find most challenging. I would like nothing more than to just say my lines and be out of there, back home, submitting for more jobs, but I am starting to understand that building a strong relationship with everyone around you is more important than being a reliable actor; not to say being a reliable actor is unimportant. It's simply that going out to screenings and mixers or whatever comes your way is as important as being prompt and ready on set by call time or earlier.

I realize now it's not going to be hard work alone that sees me to 'success' [see also: income or moving out of your parents house].