Networking can feel daunting when you’re beginning your career as an actor. It can be hard to know where to start, how to initiate conversations, and even who to connect with. Don’t worry: We’ve got you covered with these seven strategies for networking in the entertainment industry.
1. Attend industry events
This is a big one. Going to in-person events of all kinds is the bread and butter of networking for actors.
Specific networking events – such as the informal mixers for filmmakers regularly hosted by BFI Network – are a great way to meet others in an environment where you may feel less anxiety about striking up a conversation, because that’s why you’re all there!
There can certainly be value in these events, but there are so many other possible avenues to meet creatives in person in a more organic way.
- Film screenings
- Film festivals
- Theatre press nights
- Industry talks and Q&As
Have a scout online to see what’s happening in your area or somewhere you can travel to without too much difficulty.
It’s also important to consider who you want to connect with. “You should definitely fill your life with creative actor friends, but actors often get so comfortable in their actor groups that they spend less time connecting with the people who are actually making casting decisions,” Backstage advises. “Seek out events you know directors, writers, producers, and casting directors will attend.”
2. Make connections through training workshops and courses
Your reason for investing in training should be because of the skills you want to gain, not for networking. But connections can be an excellent by-product of participating in a course.
According to the Actors Studio, workshops and courses are useful because they create repeated contact and that gives people a “clearer sense of who you are.”
“[Courses are] also one of the easiest places to build genuine industry relationships, because there is already a shared purpose,” the Actors’ Studio adds. “You are there to work, learn, and improve. If a connection grows from that, it tends to feel natural rather than contrived.”
In addition to sharpening your acting skills, you never know who you may connect with – whether it’s teachers or fellow participants – and what opportunities that may lead to.
3. Break the ice through social media
“You’ve got to know that relationships are your career and, in the past, our relationships were truly limited to who we could meet in person,” says Heidi Dean, an expert in social media marketing for actors. “But now, with social media, we can actually expand our web of contacts exponentially and meet people that we would never have access to offline in the business.”
It would be easy to write a whole article on that topic alone, but, in a nutshell, Dean lays out a three-step strategy for making connections on social media.
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First, be intentional with who you reach out to. There’s probably not much point focusing on casting directors for musicals if you don’t sing, for example. Dean advises making a realistic list of five people you’d like to connect with (so probably not a list of Hollywood directors if you’re just starting out).
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Second, research where those people have profiles online, whether it’s on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, or another platform.
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Third, Dean says the best way to form a new connection is “through their ego,” such as congratulating them on a recent achievement. You could also connect through a topic of mutual interest, rather than asking for something up front, such as for them to view your showreel.
You are less likely to form a deeper connection online – requests made via in-person networking are 34 times more successful, according to Forbes – but this strategy could be a great way to get your name on someone’s radar so they are aware of you if you end up applying to work with them. But remember not to overdo it with too much contact or overstep any boundaries. Otherwise you’ll risk being remembered for the wrong reasons!
4. Connect with creatives on jobs – and in the right spaces
People who work in the entertainment industry often have multiple projects bubbling away, and they may even do multiple roles.
One of your fellow cast members may be a director for another project, or you may strike up a conversation with a casting director while in the bar at a theatre or film screening. You never know where your next opportunity may come from.
5. Be the person everyone wants in the room
It’s important to always bring your best self to your jobs, training courses, and other spaces where you may connect with people.
“When we’re children, we like working with our friends in class because it makes the work more fun. The same thing applies to the industry,” says acting career coach Bongi Moon. “The same artists work together over and over at every level for no other reason than they enjoyed themselves.”
“Talent is also a factor, but so is friendship and trust,” Moon adds, urging emerging actors to “find the Scorsese to your DiCaprio,” referencing the director-actor pair who have had a working relationship spanning more than 20 years.
In addition to being professional – turning up early, learning your lines, and doing the work – think about the energy you bring to the room and how you are contributing to the wider team.
6. Have a giving attitude
“The first rule of networking is to help others first,” Dean says. That could be as simple as helping a fellow actor with a self-tape or replying to a social media post from a casting director asking for recommendations for a good book to read on holiday.
“If you find ways to help other people first, they’re going to be more inclined to help you,” Dean says. “[But] don't expect anything in return for your efforts.”
That may sound confusing, but Dean explains that “your networking actions and efforts should be based on your desire to connect with people and to truly live your purpose [as an artist],” rather than to gain something. Otherwise you may simply come across as needy and self-absorbed, which doesn’t bode well in an industry built on collaboration.
Moon agrees. “Networking isn’t about what the industry can do [for you], it’s about what you can do for the industry,” she says. “Make that your mantra and the way you approach it will change forever.”
7. Create your own network
Many groups, meet-ups, and networking events have grown out of creatives seeing a gap and doing something to fill it.
Moon advises actors to build their own network. “I have a friend who decided to create a WhatsApp group chat for people she met [with whom] she felt a genuine connection,” she says. “They share work, ideas, ask for help, you name it – it’s in their group chat.”
If you are struggling to find other actors in your region, try engaging with a local arts centre and suggesting a coffee morning aimed at local creatives. There are lots of fun and imaginative ways to bring people together, and, if no one else is doing it, then perhaps you could!
Networking may seem scary at first and you may face rejection, but you also may form a genuine connection or make a new friend in the industry. So be brave, and – so long as you are respectful of boundaries if someone does not want to engage – take those first steps to reach out to others in the industry.
“Ask the question, send the email, take the chance,” Moon says. “If the answer is no, nothing has changed. But if the answer is yes, well, now you’re cooking.”