Got the chance to hear a well known actor speak at a workshop this past week. It’s always great to hear about the journey other actors have had and how they made it through the Hollywood madness. I find it especially interesting when the actor that’s made it has NO real ties to this town. Like their father is Tom Hanks or Mom is a big agent at a top agency — nope just made it on a dream and a prayer. He shared a lot of great stores with us, but two things really stuck out to me.

The First: Know your lines. Hit your mark. And don’t “F” it up. Why does knowing your lines KEEP coming up? Are there really still acting teachers out there telling their students, “you don’t need to know your lines. They’re just a suggestion.” I seriously hope not. The business is too hard right now for anyone to shoot themselves in the foot like that. And sometimes a lot of the direction we get on set, if any, is technical; Go stand over there and then exit.

So, yes, while it’s our job to HIT OUR MARKS — it’s also our job to keep it organic. Or as they use to say in the old days, “what’s your motivation?”  I thought Don’t “F” it up was a great way to sum it all up. You know as actors sometimes we get in our own way. We WAAAY over think every little thing and sometimes you just have to jump. You’ve done the homework, you know your lines, now it’s time to just have fun…and don’t F it up.

The second thing he said was, It’s not a romantic business we’re in. And to remember that NO ONE is going to push harder for your career than YOU. Funny to think about really. I mean we surround ourselves with what we think will be the perfect agent who has all the connections. The perfect manager or lawyer or publicist — whoever — and yet, when it comes down to it we have to be our biggest champion. Something to always remember.

Welcome 2013, so nice to see you! I’m happy to be back at my computer and putting some thoughts down. My time off was WAY too long. But, a new year for me usually brings the promise of renewed hope. New Goals. Amazing new opportunities. A reboot. Guess you can call it “DaJuan 2013.” (should I copyright, that!) All that said, I think it’s a great idea to take stock at how far you’ve come and where you want to go this next year. I’ve found that if you have no idea where you’re going — you don’t get very far. Same goes for not knowing where you’ve come from. Below are two tips I use to make sure I don’t think the previous year was a bust. And hey, if you’re reading this, you’re already winning because you’re alive and have a chance to make new moves!

If you are one of the ones thinking that 2012 was a bust because you didn’t get everything you wanted done or you didn’t complete/accomplish this goal or that goal — read on. I actually use to beat myself up over a lot of things goal related, (truthfully, still do a little) but, I learned two things:

ONE. I’m much farther along then I think I am. Which translates to, ” YOU are much farther along then you think YOU are.” I bet that if you look back to January 2012 you’ll see you are in a much different place than January 2013. Sure you may not be on the tv show you want to be on yet or you did not sign with that new agent you wanted to land — but, it’s COMING. You have to believe that. Take a few moments and think, “where was I 2012?” You can go back even further if you like. Where was I when I first moved to Los Angeles? And track forward.

TWO. “REMEMBER THE WINS.” Sometimes we just forget how awesome we are doing and need to be reminded. It helps to keep a list of your accomplishments somewhere visible. Yup, write them down. Call it your 2012 WIN LIST if you like. It could be something as simple as a callback that went amazing, finally getting in front of that new casting director and blowing it out of the water or booking your third national commercial. Anything goes here and hey, it’s your list nobody else has to see it. By doing this you will have a tangible visual to help remind you how far you’ve really come. I’ve said this before, sometimes in our business there aren’t a lot of tangible things to show our accomplishments. This helps calm my anxiety and I can say, oh yeah, I forgot — THAT HAPPEN.

And finally it also helps to remember that although you don’t see it sometimes you have just laid brilliant seeds for things to come. Which may not look like much, but down the road when everything comes together so wonderfully it will all make sense.

Happy New Year! #thinkbigger

Feeling a little uninspired lately? Totally normal. I got asked the question yesterday, “how do you stay motivated in your career?” (I added the career part because it was all part of a bigger conversation.) The truthful answer is you don’t. Stay motivated ALL the time. It’s extremely easy to stay motivated when you’ve got a lot going on. When this is premiering or that is airing — that’s easy! But, when you’re going through the “down time,” that’s another story. Sometimes you need a little mental and/or physical break. I’ve found that motivation and inspiration come and go. My trick is that I simply understand that this is a 60 year career – not just a 6 year one. I’m in it for the long haul. And although those moments when I am unmotivated seem like lifetimes when I’m in them — I do understand when I get to where I want to be in the future — this will all just be a bleep on the radar screen. An honestly, when you sign on to be an actor, it’s not just for the good times unfortunately. You also sign on for the lows as well.

All that being said, I do believe in the old advice that you should be doing something FOCUSED for your career everyday. You can’t just sit back and wait for inspiration or motivation to come find you — it won’t happen like that. So, even if your one something a day is, “today I’m going to check out so that I am come back refreshed,” that’s ok! But, then make a promise to yourself to get back on that horse. Even if you are going to go to a movie or watch tv as your one something — boom! that’s cool too. Maybe you’ll find the inspiration and motivation there to write your next pilot. Who knows? JUST DO SOMETHING. I’ve had the awesome pleasure to have been around many successful people in the entertainment industry. The one common thread I see is that they always have something going on. Whether it’s a personal project, a shared project, a play, a reading — whatever. They’re always moving. DO SOMETHING.

And for goodness sakes, know and understand that you are not out here alone. When you’re really unmotivated…go have a drink with some friends.

There’s something powerful about saying I’M AN ACTOR. You have to take all the hills & valley’s that come with it. Not just when your winning.

One of my friends asked me for advice about what MORE she could be doing in her career. She feels she is not getting auditions and she’s just about at wits end. I’ve actually been asked this question a lot over the last couple of weeks. It’s funny because the conversation keeps coming back to , “my agent is not doing anything for me.” I think that’s such a loaded statement. On one hand, yes, that could be very true. Your reps could possibly just NOT be working for you. But, let’s touch on that in a moment. I say it’s a loaded statement because I think that as actors we forget how this relationship works. If they don’t do their job and try to get us auditions — then they don’t make any money. And most agents/managers want to make money. It is a business. So, maybe something on the actors end isn’t working. Are you doing EVERYTHING you can on your end to make sure their job is easier? As much as we’d like to think it’s supposed to, things just don’t magically get easier when you get an agent or manager.

You still have to put in the 90%. (Actually 100% if you really want to get down to it)

Here’s a few suggestions I threw out to my friend that may help you.

THE SIMPLE STUFF: Make sure you are current on all the tools your folks need to pitch you. This is classic, “Help them, help you.” Headshots, reels, websites, imdb photos, etc. Make sure all that stuff is looking it’s best. And never make them have to come looking for you to get these things done. You should already be on-top of this stuff.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Stay active. Whether it’s in an acting class or you get some friends together and do some scenes once a week. Keep working that muscle. I truly believe that acting is a muscle and if you don’t want to feel rusty — you gotta work it.

PUTTING IN THE WORK: If workshops are your thing. Get to them. Understand you’re paying to play and just like auditions you may do five of them and get nothing. Heck you may do 10 and get nothing. But, be smart about them. Strategic even. I’m not a fan of the cold read ones,  but that’s just me. If you’re going to get up in front people that could potentially hire you — put up your best work!

BE IN THE KNOW: Breakdowns. Listen. Get them. If you don’t know what these are you’re already behind. Especially since the big players don’t always use these. Oy, I know. But, get the breakdowns so you know what’s out there.

TAKE A RISK: Put yourself on tape. If you see something in the breakdowns that you’re absolutely right for — why the heck not? Yes, this might be time consuming and you have to do this with a QUICK turnaround, but it might just be worth it. TV cast quickly. So, if you see something — do it fast. And then work with your manager and/or agent to get your tape to the casting office. This is my new favorite thing. You can do this yourself. Just make sure you have a neutral background and you can be heard. Sammy’s camera has a lighting package for about $140. You can send your file w/ YOUSENDIT, DROPBOX, SENDSPACE or easiest a private YOUTUBE or VIMEO link. Grab a friend and do it!

NETWORKING: I know, I know. But, the more I learn about this business. The more I understand that the old saying, “it’s who you know,” is so very true! So, get out there and “KNOW” some people. And stay in touch. Not in a slimy way, but Hustle Shamelessly.

These are just a few suggestions that might help you, help your agents. And in the long run lead to more work. And really, isn’t that what we’re hoping for? I mentioned at the top of this blog post about your reps not working for you and it being true. Only you can answer that. These are relationships — you know when they’re not working. I just suggest you put all your emotional feelings aside and make sure you’re doing your part before making a decision. If you can honestly say you are and it’s still not working…well, it may be time to move on. It’s a business. They get it. But, maybe have a conversation BEFORE it gets to that point. Again…it’s a relationship. Communication is KEY.

You have any other tips for actors? Or want to tell me what you do to keep yourself at the top of your game? Email me @ dajuanjohnsontv@gmail.com

TV time. Fall TV is FINALLY back. And it’s time to get your fall TV schedule ready. I have to say I’m really looking forward to a few of them. Mostly because I auditioned for them and I want to see which way they went. But, also because it’s part of my job as an actor and I want to stay on top of my game. I never understand my fellow actors that say, “I don’t watch TV or go to the movies.” But, you audition for TV & Film, right? How are you supposed to know what’s current and what’s going on if you…don’t watch it? Makes no sense. Probably the only profession out there where folks would say that. Coaches on football teams constantly have their players watching other teams games. Dancers go to other dancers shows. Heck the guys in Corporate America would never show up for a job interview and say, “Merrill Lynch…so is that like dealing with money or something?” If you want to play the game you have to know the players.

What shows are you looking forward to catching let me know?

dajuanjohnsontv@gmail.com