Studio

Internet Etiquette For Actors

7/7/2009 at 1:57 PM by Amy Allen

Casting Director Paul Russell's two recent advice articles on backstage pertain to the the way actors present themselves online, both on social networking sites and in email. Since Massify has a social networking component, it makes sense to expand on the topic.

First, email, since it's easier. Russell says, "For any professional, electronic correspondence an actor's email address should include the performer's name or part of it. Such as: NormaDesmond@whatever.com, N.Desmond@whatever.com
Norma_D@whatever.com, etc."

He's right, of course, and I would encourage actors to take this a step further. Acting is a business and you are selling yourself, the product. Nobody today would have a business without a website, so you should use the email address that comes with your domain name, if possible (norma@normadesmond.com, to continue using Russell's example).

You should also have a professional signature at the end of your email address that's free of emoticons and swirls and long quotes. It should be simple, so that people can find your cell phone number easily. Your name, cell number, any other contact info you'd like, possibly your twitter name (more about this later), and your website's address are appropriate for an email signature.

Last but not least, when you're applying to jobs, make sure to actually read the small print. If they ask you to include your resume in the body of the email, do so. If a director or producer wants you to apply online, that's not so unusual anymore.

Russell's advice on social networking sites is also worth heeding, even if some of the status updates he considers "inappropriate" don't sound that unacceptable to me ("...is generally displeased" could be a lot worse.)

While there are obvious social networking gaffes when you are also using your facebook and twitter for professional purposes (talking about how much you hate rehearsals, for example), a bigger problem is not using them to your full advantage. Even as an actor, you want to be part of the conversation, and contribute something worthwhile.

This is much easier than it sounds. For instance, when you're catching up on news online, share the stories that are related to acting, with your personal take on them. When you come across a great new resource, share it. (I know this probably doesn't have to be mentioned, but not sharing a resource doesn't mean nobody else will learn about it, so it's not like you're giving away secrets. It just means other people will learn about it from someone else.) You want to be seen as a tastemaker.

Also, remain positive. Nothing is worse than someone who whines online. For instance, even if you're feeling frustrated after an audition and feel the need to tell the world, maybe mention how nice it was to meet new people at the audition (preferably after following them on twitter, friending them on facebook, and mentioning them in the message) instead of how bummed you are that you keep auditioning with little success.

You can apply these suggestions to most social networking sites, even and especially specialized ones like Massify. People come to network on these sites, so promoting yourself is expected and encouraged. Part of self promotion is maintaining a positive and well-informed online presence.