#Young-fashioned
It is my new hashtag and it is literally going to take the world by storm “#Young-fashioned“! Ever thought about how archaic some people are. “Oh I’m old fashioned, I’d prefer to…..”. Well here’s a news story. Young-fashioned is where it’s at and here’s why.
We can’t afford to be old-fashioned. Old fashioned people don’t get results! Well okay, let a gentleman open a car door for you by all means. But please get new headshots! Learn more than one monologue, know your lines for auditions, check if glossy lips are still in fashion, make sure you aren’t flashing everything at an audition (unless the part is a semi-inappropriately dressed floozy picking up the lead character).
The moment that original Old Spice viral hit a million viewers I knew the stakes had changed. We are in a different era. Casting Directors can use sites like ‘Let It Cast’ to receive international self taped auditions around the world anytime they like. A voice coach can give you a lesson over Skype and you may never meet in person. You can self submit to a million different sites daily. Establishing genuine professional relationships on twitter can lead to auditions, and even roles. Crowd funding options allow film companies to fund an entire production via their own network. Actors around the world are writing their own material for international webisodes (even though my iPhone still thinks webisode not a real word) that can lead to big movie deals.
Taking charge of your own destiny and pushing the limits and boundaries of what you previously thought was accessible to you, can create extraordinary results. You just need to think like a young-fashioned, new aged gal.
Just last week I wrote about the play at The Rose, Bankside, by two very talented young London based female actors. Their determination to succeed led them to self-producing a three week run of the off West End show and to participate in this years’ Brighton Festival. Who knows what this will lead to. Another actor I know wrote and produced a piece that did a run at The Pleasance Theatre, one night of which Kevin Spacey came to watch. Three actors I know (virtually) via twitter are making a web series for distribution. Another pal in Australia is creating a top secret Sci-fi gig (I’ll tell you more when it’s announced).
So you see, throw away those old mustard corduroy trousers and original 80’s Ray Bans (well actually do keep those – they’re hip again) and don on a pink fluorescent set of “new fashioned” life trousers that say there is no limit on the amount of creativity and support you can have access to.
Angela Peters is an actor and blogger, based in London. You can follow Angela on Twitter too.
