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One of the most common questions we receive here at ActorsLife.com
is about websites. Everyone wants one, but nobody has hundreds of dollars to spend on it.
Is there a way to get a professionally designed personal website without draining your
bank account? We checked out a few options, and here's one of the best.
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An actor without a website is at a great disadvantage. Alison Franck, casting director
for the Papermill Playhouse says, "If I get an actor's name from someone
and I know nothing about them, the first thing I can do is go to their website and
learn all about them."
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Those actors who can send a link to their personal website are at a distinct advantage.
While one actor is stuffing envelopes and snail-mailing a headshot that may take days
to arrive amidst a huge pile of photos... in seconds, the more competitive actor
e-mails a link to a website with photos, resume, reviews, demo reel clips, and even
an actual on-camera audition for a casting director or producer to view instantly.
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In short, a website has become an indispensable tool for the actor. New York actor
John Lloyd Young says, "It seems ludicrous to me that someone would argue with the fact
that it's a good thing to have your information there 24 hours a day."
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But, if you don't have the time to teach yourself web design nor hundreds of dollars
to hire a professional to do it for you... do you have any options?
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Fortunately for actors, the answer is yes. ReelACT.com, an online video library of
talent with offices in New York and Los Angeles, is providing an incredibly valuable
service for actors at a very reasonable price. For example, how would you like a
professionally designed personal website for free? Does that sound reasonable enough?
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No More Cattle Calls
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As the process of casting moves into the 21st Century, there is no longer a need
to call in a herd of 300 actors for a "cattle call". Actors can use
ReelACT to get a free personal website, showcase their demo & voiceover reels, host
their photos, find casting notices and more. Every actor has an instantly available
online video audition providing a clear advantage over actors just mailing out
headshots.
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Once photos, a resume, and a video audition are posted, casting directors and
filmmakers can view your website when casting both legit and commercial productions.
Instead of having to search the papers for audition listings and mail out headshots,
your information is posted online for industry professionals to search, 24 hours a day.
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Did I Mention The Free Website?
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Seriously. No joke. This is a professionally designed, personal website with your
own address - reelact.com/yourname - that hosts your resume, multiple headshots,
VideoSlate, demo reels, voiceovers etc. Plus, they offer unlimited instantaneous
updates for your website. (Other "free" website services charge you to
update your information or upload new photos.)
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Just got cast in a juicy new role? Update your resume immediately on your ReelACT
website. Love your new photos? Get them posted right away. Your first photo is free,
and you can add more photos for just $10 each. (To see a demo of a live site,
click here.)
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Video Makes the Difference
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You may have the greatest photo in the city, but headshots say nothing about you as
an actor, and casting directors know that. They are looking for a level of comfort,
an awareness of the camera, easy body language, and a level of skill in cold reading
that they simply cannot deduce by looking at a photo.
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"Headshots lie", says ReelACT managing partner Deena Varshavskya.
"You receive hundreds of seemingly suitable submissions only to discover that
most look nothing like their headshots, or they don't have the acting skills you
need. Ninety-five percent of auditions today are videotaped. So why not start with
video and avoid the disappointment altogether?"
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Each and every actor in their database is on video. ReelACT can prepare and post
your current Demo Reel with your website. If you don't have a demo reel for them to
post, they will make a short VideoSlate for you when you register, making it
possible for you to have online video.
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When you set up your free website, you'll have the opportunity to register for
a VideoSlate audition in either New York or Los Angeles. It's run just like a
professional on-camera audition with scripts provided. When you're done,
your video is compressed and stored online where casting directors can access them
through a detailed online talent search.
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There is a one-time charge for preparing and hosting your VideoSlate audition, but
at $120, it is a fraction of the cost of doing it yourself.
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Get a Competitive Advantage
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Giving casting directors, producers, filmmakers, and agents easy access to your
video reels makes you stand out and dramatically improves your chances of getting cast.
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When the casting director and producers are trying to make a casting decision,
seeing the range of your acting ability in a demo reel or a dramatic vs. comedic
VideoSlate could be the deciding factor in getting the job.
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Constant Exposure to Industry Professionals
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Having your own personal ReelACT website is like hiring someone to promote you
24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. When you are in the ReelACT
online Talent Video Directory, you are being "auditioned" online by
casting directors and filmmakers without knowing it.
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You may also choose to add your website link to your business cards, your emails,
etc. A casting director may not have the time to go through all the submissions they
receive, but they may get curious if your email or postcard is signed with a link
that says "Watch my video NOW!" That way, you are marketing yourself without any
effort on your part.
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Don't Wait to Get a Competitive Edge
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If you're ready to set up a website but have no idea where to begin, ReelACT is a
very easy way to set up a tremendously powerful tool. You set up a free, professionally
designed personal website within minutes and get a competitive edge by having your
demo reel or VideoSlate available to casting directors, filmmakers, producers and
agents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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