Submissions

When you're an independent actor, like myself, you have tons of jobs you have to do for yourself. You are your own agent, manager, publicist, and accountant. Although being an accountant isn't too tough right now with the lack of funds. You have to be able to sell yourself to get the audition or the role. Hustle like you're an agent, care like you're a manager and promote like you're a publicist. Create websites, pages, and put yourself out there. When it comes to submitting for roles you have to know which headshot to submit. Whether it's a serious role, a funny role, a hero or a villain. Everyday I look over tons of casting calls for myself in hopes I'll find a role I can submit for. There's not as many out in Texas as there were in LA but I do find them just about everyday and I do submit. As for submitting to agents and management companies...there's a different challenge. You need to have the perfect cover letter selling yourself to the agent that you're the meal ticket for him/her. Agents like money, period. If they don't feel they can sell you, they won't waste their time. Then after you have a perfect cover letter a collection of different looks (pictures) will be best to show the agency. Show them your versatility in your look. I can pull off long hair, short hair, no hair, facial hair, mean, sweet, sexy, gross, nerdy, stoned...anything and everything. Lastly a good actor's reel could be the icing on the cake. After the agent reads your cover letter, checks out your pictures and is still willing to move forward with watching your actors reel, they have the intent of signing you; but remember it's ultimately your call. I've submitted a lot over the past year to many different agents and I've gotten an offer before, but I turned it down. I was offered representation out in LA but after doing my research and learning about the agency and the agent himself I felt they wouldn't be able to take my career to the next level and it would be a waste of my time and their client space to sign me. So I respectfully turned them down. A lot of my friends thought I was nuts, but you know what...at the end of the day I'm hiring them, and I need to trust that they will take me and my career to the next level. Other wise, why am I even trying to do this.

I'll soon be submitting again to a whole list of new and old agencies with my new headshots, actors reel, composite sheet of different looks and updated resume. It's exciting and also nerve racking. We'll see how it goes! Got an email today for an audition next week for an independent feature length film with hopes of getting in the festival circuit. Should be a fun one, like always.

Cheers,
Jonathan Baca