Indispensable tools and sources

With my previous blog, I've realized my current networks are not as strong as when I was in London. Although we now have several and well developed different tools to help us keep the networks up. Extract of my journal: 

April 28^th 2011

“...What I would have done without the Web 2.0 achievements? How could have I embarked onto this course experience without the use of it? As a distance learner this would have been impossible....I received the info about the BAPP course through an ex schoolmate via Facebook; keeping her into my networks gave me the opportunity to know more about it... Web 2.0 indispensable for Professional Networking....”

We are not limited to radio and TV anymore, we can now reach information and networks at a greater speed. For example, how before we could have listened to a radio advertisement about an upcoming new show, without the opportunity to now more about it, and how now, through the internet, we can research and reach the font, share information with others, interact with the source via emails (sending our cv and photos), phone numbers and address.

For a deep understanding of what I mean when talking about communication development, found through the 'Professional Communication Technology Reader' :

“At it simplest level, web 2.0 takes communication within a network from a traditional one to one basis (where I might send a letter to you) and the one to many (the use of mass media such as TV and radio) to a many to many approach, where thousands of people may read and interact with each other over a single blog or one specific YouTube video. The types of communication extend beyond the call and response model of traditional communications practice.”

Now the speed of communication has extremely evolved and has become vital for our profession, and most importantly, has improved the awareness of employers on their potential employees.

Reading Stephanie's blog made me reflect on how before, to get to a potential employer, there was a long and at times unreliable waiting time, having only the Mail as a tool of contact available. 

3c: 'Sources of Information'

My 5 Most Important Sources of Information

Web:

For sure I can firstly think of the internet, I cannot think of my professional networks without thinking INTERNET. It has become the most important and reliable source of information for what it's happening in the world, for castings information and to keep evolving my knowledge in this fast changing era. I constantly use Google for any research I do, now many Italian casting websites, when in London I use to daily visit websites such as The Stage, Spotlight and Equity.

I now wake up and my computer is already on and my Google mail page has already opened. I almost automatically open my Facebook page and Skype. I'm extremely relaying on this sources and sometimes it's almost scary how much the internet is part of my everyday life; without it, what did my previous colleagues do? How could they keep in touch so constantly with their net of friends and work related people and with what was happening around them? I consider myself very lucky to be a professional in this technologic era, the only down side I can think of is the sometimes 'to easy way' we have to keep in shape in this profession. The risk could be to get too sluggard and loose drive to be active. 

Word of Mouth:

Surely the more antique but still effective way to receive information. Although, returning on how important is the internet for my networking, I get most of my 'word of mouth' information through the web being far away from my school mates and friends in the performing field.. I keep in touch with my colleagues around the world through Facebook and Skype, that update me with what they are doing and with new auditions/show they know about. We help each other out since we still are in the same hard situations of finding jobs....I can already tell that who is already well established in the business tend to not keep in touch as much, I believe it's something that happens automatically when busy working but reconnecting to what I said in my previous blog entitled Cooperation about acting the same as a professional and as a person, I still hope I will try to give information to friends that may need it regarding jobs and castings I might know about.

Television:

Especially since I left London I tend to watch Television as a good source of information to especially enrich my acting skills. I don't focus on Italian TV but actually I keep connected with Americans and British TV series and programs. I struggled to watch a movie doubted in Italian from English, it's very hard for me and watching news and TV series in their original language keep me fresh on the language that I so hardly learnt. 

I like to see the differences between Americans, Italians and British actors and singers and I use this source to learn as much as possible the good and bad of their artistic differences. I love the American's voices and exuberance in performing, but I still often prefer the acting skills of the British. I,unfortunately, have to say that Italians are generally not the best on these skills, especially for new and young TV series's actors. But I can always look at the 'bigs' we had in our acting history, famous actors like Marcello Mastroianni, Vittorio Gasmas, Sofia Loren, Roberto Benigni among others.

Magazine/News Paper:

I like to read and I like to read show's reviews and about new movies, books, plays, shows out there.

I also found different auditions and courses informations I was interested in. Again in London I was subscribed to the News paper The Stage for a time period of a year straight out of college. It was full of informations on castings and on 'who was doing what' professionally. It has been extremely important for the first months out of college. I actually believe it's on this paper that I found out about the cruise ship audition I got a job from. So big thank to that!

People I've worked with:

It's a bit like the 'word of mouth' source but with the difference that in this case I gain informations from people I've worked with and that I may not have a close relationship with, like casting directors, a costume designer, a photographer, a previous Employer so not only regarding my performing net but also for normal jobs, an agency I've worked for...I recently got given a job after having worked for only 1 day with an event agency, and another job for a TV commercial from passing informations from one agency to another...so here again work ethics come in, a good 'performance' with a job may always link you to something else that receives good references from a previous job. Never end up in bad relationship even if the job hasn't succeeded your expectations.

I was happy to read that also Stephanie isn't an iPhone user yet, although we can definitely see its benefits through iPhone applications. I don't have internet on my phone so I can't be connected at anytime which is a down side of this very technologic world. I should get on it so that I can always read my emails and, for example, in an audition situation, have the venues addresses and pone numbers easily at my hand...instead of having it to writing them down on a small piece of paper that very often GET LOST!!! I speak for experience...

3a: Current Networks

 

Current ways I use the most to network are through:

• Web
• Emails
• Phone
• Facebook
• Friends
• Word of mouth

I can definitely think of a way that a practitioner more experienced could have using their networks, which is the connections you create and nurse throughout your career with the people you get in touch with. 

I can think of when I was in college and the same Musical Director would get asked to direct our shows all the time, as he would always succeed the expectations of my school Principal. Or when I worked on ships for the first time and then after that how I struggled to get given another contract again, as there were so many 'veterans' that had worked with the company before and that would get the job first only because already well established and known by the casting directors and the creative team.

Or having an agent. When you are an established working performer, is more likely that you have an agent by now that connects you with jobs and raise your opportunities of work.

I believe I tend to use, within my social networks, a good verbal contact to expand my social net. I would probably benefit from it using the same approach within my professional networks. I think I have a good quality of being extrovert and positive towards meeting new people. Of course when underneath there's no real reason to 'force' myself to be liked by someone that could be a potential good link to my professional network, it's way easier to do. It could be for me a challenge to try to relate to a professional contact, the same way I act in a social situations. I think I could benefit from this.

An ideal network would look to me like a place where we can go and simply relate and share informations to each other. Something as serious as a place of work but instead of doing something for a job we already have, socialize and make connections in a place where everyone is there for the same reason, to expand their networks raising the opportunities for future jobs.

In order to do this ( which I know it's a bit unrealistic) I  would arrange similar situations where people from the same field of work can share ideas. I could think of organizing parties, social situations with a topic of interest, like the launch of a new show, a charity run o music gig...I'd always liked to be the one organizing for others...maybe it could also be a second career path I could keep in mind that can always be related to my actual professional practice. ( just a thought! )

I think I need to use more social networks like Linkedin to expand my current networks. I've just started to use it and I could notice there were many professional friends that are already in it and that are benefitting from it. I tend to start something and then not really get deep down into its meaning like this social network site that I still only use very little. Also I don't really know how to get in touch with others in the net and how I can get them to see me more easily. This is something I need to work on and explore more.