Task 3c- Sources of information
In this task we have been asked to identify our current 5 most important sources of information that help us in our professional networking. After some thinking I have came up with the top five, although there is some more I could add, but these I feel are the most valuable.
My friends
I feel that this is one of my most important ways of networking and the one I enjoy the most. It doesn't feel like work or an effort for me to socialise and see my friends but I always gain some information from it. I could be meeting for a coffee or even a cheeky glass of wine and a conversation will always come up about an audition one of my friends may be attending that I had not heard about and now I have the opportunity to look it up. Or for example as we all know in this industry we are not always lucky enough to be performing all the time so it is nice to hear what other people are working on In-between jobs and get some ideas and contacts of them so you can apply for a part time job they have been doing . Meeting with friends is also about cooperation. Obviously if you are handing them lots of information about work and auditions and they are sitting there giving you nothing back then you need to maybe not have such a big mouth as you don't want to give everything and receive nothing back but I think we all know the people you can rely on. Its great to be able to talk with people who have the same interests and you and also give each other support as well as gaining some information for future opportunities.
Web 2.0
At the beginning of this module we looked at how effective the web 2.0 was in our professional practice. It is such a valid source of information. Without being able to send emails I can't imagine how much more difficult it would be to apply for jobs and casting agencies. It is so quick and easy to be able to upload your CV and head shots and send it to a casting director. Also the websites such as spotlight,casting call pro, and the stage are all excellent sites to be able to access on the Internet. Yes ok you can buy the stage newspaper in the shop but how about a circumstance happens when you abroad and you can't do that... Well with the Internet you can view that newspaper anywhere in the world and see what auditions are coming up. It's amazing!
Social networking sites
I go on my Facebook and twitter accounts so many times in a day... It's actually a little obsessive. I am not always going on there for work related reasons, most of the time just to be nosey at what all my contacts are up to but I can guarantee that most of the times I am on there I see information about an audition that someone has posted or something related to my profession which can help me in my future. Somebody may even update there status about a bad audition that they have had and you might not have spoken to that person in along time but seeing them on your news feed can make you get back in touch with them which then could open more doors for you as they are more than likely to have something coming up they might like to share information about with you. Also since beginning this course I have been introduced to blogs which I find is a great source of networking and will continue to use hopefully even after completing my degree.
My mobile phone
Where I would be without my mobile phone I do not know. I am on it all the time. Especially nowadays they are so amazing, you can do everything on them. It is such an essential part of your profession that you have a phone so that your agent or a company that you have auditioned for can contact you. Also the technology on phones now are so great you can type in a location of somewhere you have to be and Your phone will direct you to it, you can find train times and if there's going to be a delay. It's important to have your phone on you all the time so if an emergency happens, for example you are going to be late to teach a class or unable to make a casting you can call up whoever you need to straight away.
My agent
My agent is the one source that can get me most of my auditions, or even better so the auditions that are private and more suitable for what it is I want to be auditioning for.
They have been part of the industry for a lot longer than me and have more valuable contacts and knowledge that can help me to further my career. My agent gives me advice on cv,s and head shots and knows what roles I am suitable for.
Like I mentioned earlier these are only some of the sources of information that play a vital part in developing and benefiting my profesional practice. Professional networking is a highly important part of your career and I understand how important it is to engage and expand on them all of the time.
Wednesday 28 November 2012
Tuesday 20 November 2012
Task 3a- Current networks
Task 3a- Current networks
In this profession, networking is something that we need to take quite seriously. If I chose to just sit at home and wait for something to happen in my career, I don't think I would get very far. It is essential to be active and engaging with different ways you can help improve your professional practice.
Attending auditions for many performers can feel like a very repetitive experience. Most auditions that you go to you don't actually get the job, so you can begin to feel very disappointed in yourself and maybe like you don't want to go to the next audition because the same thing will happen again. Most importantly you should not give up. Also, attending an audition is a great way to network with other people who are there. 9 times out of 10 you will definitely hear from someone there about an audition they are attending the week later or even sometimes if you are cut from that audition, in the room next door there may be an open audition that you are lucky enough to go for while you are there. Bonus... Two auditions in one day! Another great thing about auditions is that a lot of the time you see the same panel of judges popping up. If you keep attending they are soon going to recognise you and eventually a role that is suited for you may come up and you might be just the person they had in mind. They might even watch you and see that you might not be right for that particular job but they may consider to send you for another audition that will be suitable for you.
One of my favourite ways of networking is with friends. I talk to my friends everyday and I always hear of auditions and castings coming up. In some cases I have been sent for an audition for a job that one of my friends has already done, this gives me the opportunity to get some information from them about what the casting director might be looking for and even more helpful sometimes they might even be able to teach me some of the dance that I will be learning in the audition or recommend a song I should sing or give me advice on the clothing I should wear.
Whilst on the subject of talking, another great way to network is by getting out there to events and making contacts. For example, your friend asks you to go and watch her in a show. Then afterwards you have the choice to stay and go for a drink, or go home. The right choice I personally think here is to just stay for that one drink, you never know who you are going to meet in them after show drinks.Chances are the choreographers working in the show , directors etc.... You get my point. If you make a good impression and then the next week they are the judging panel, they might just remember you.
Social networking is another great opportunity for your professional network. I am a little bit obsessed with Facebook and twitter if I am honest. I am constantly refreshing my news feed every five minutes to see if anything new is going on but I don't think it is a bad thing. There is always some body up dating there status about whose going to the a certain audition tomorrow, or people asking has anyone got the sheet music for a song that they need. Without the social networking sites we wouldn't be able to do this. Think about it you don't have all the numbers in your phone book of all the people you are friends with on Facebook , that would just be too many, but it is great to be able to have all those contacts on the click of a computer screen and it's such a fast and easy way of sharing your information about upcoming events socially and professionally . This point being said, I don't think Facebook and twitter are such great ways of networking if maybe a casting director was able to access your Facebook. Sometimes it's not a good idea for them to see your personal life so I think a more professional and personal website should be used in this circumstance.
Making a good and long lasting impression on people that you work with is always something to think about. You never know it could lead to other opportunities. They are more likely to employ you again or even recommend you to another director/ choreographer.
Having a good relationship with your agent is something very important and I have to admit this is where I have not been as engaging as I should have been. I know I should call my agent on a weekly basis to chat about the work I want to audition for and also generally about life to make sure I have a good strong relationship with him as he has a lot of other people to take care of as well, but I don't seem to put this into practice. I am glad that this task has made me realise this and I am going to make sure I contact him more as he is really one of my main sources to get auditions and castings from.
There are also many websites out there which you can get a lot of information from about upcoming work like the stage, spotlight, and casting call pro. Theses are just a few examples.
As you can see there is such a wide range of networks to help in your professional practice and these are only a few that I use. I am looking forward to learning more about professional networking in this part of the module, so for now that's all I have. Now to for reader 3, to help me expand my knowledge on the network professional.
In this profession, networking is something that we need to take quite seriously. If I chose to just sit at home and wait for something to happen in my career, I don't think I would get very far. It is essential to be active and engaging with different ways you can help improve your professional practice.
Attending auditions for many performers can feel like a very repetitive experience. Most auditions that you go to you don't actually get the job, so you can begin to feel very disappointed in yourself and maybe like you don't want to go to the next audition because the same thing will happen again. Most importantly you should not give up. Also, attending an audition is a great way to network with other people who are there. 9 times out of 10 you will definitely hear from someone there about an audition they are attending the week later or even sometimes if you are cut from that audition, in the room next door there may be an open audition that you are lucky enough to go for while you are there. Bonus... Two auditions in one day! Another great thing about auditions is that a lot of the time you see the same panel of judges popping up. If you keep attending they are soon going to recognise you and eventually a role that is suited for you may come up and you might be just the person they had in mind. They might even watch you and see that you might not be right for that particular job but they may consider to send you for another audition that will be suitable for you.
One of my favourite ways of networking is with friends. I talk to my friends everyday and I always hear of auditions and castings coming up. In some cases I have been sent for an audition for a job that one of my friends has already done, this gives me the opportunity to get some information from them about what the casting director might be looking for and even more helpful sometimes they might even be able to teach me some of the dance that I will be learning in the audition or recommend a song I should sing or give me advice on the clothing I should wear.
Whilst on the subject of talking, another great way to network is by getting out there to events and making contacts. For example, your friend asks you to go and watch her in a show. Then afterwards you have the choice to stay and go for a drink, or go home. The right choice I personally think here is to just stay for that one drink, you never know who you are going to meet in them after show drinks.Chances are the choreographers working in the show , directors etc.... You get my point. If you make a good impression and then the next week they are the judging panel, they might just remember you.
Social networking is another great opportunity for your professional network. I am a little bit obsessed with Facebook and twitter if I am honest. I am constantly refreshing my news feed every five minutes to see if anything new is going on but I don't think it is a bad thing. There is always some body up dating there status about whose going to the a certain audition tomorrow, or people asking has anyone got the sheet music for a song that they need. Without the social networking sites we wouldn't be able to do this. Think about it you don't have all the numbers in your phone book of all the people you are friends with on Facebook , that would just be too many, but it is great to be able to have all those contacts on the click of a computer screen and it's such a fast and easy way of sharing your information about upcoming events socially and professionally . This point being said, I don't think Facebook and twitter are such great ways of networking if maybe a casting director was able to access your Facebook. Sometimes it's not a good idea for them to see your personal life so I think a more professional and personal website should be used in this circumstance.
Making a good and long lasting impression on people that you work with is always something to think about. You never know it could lead to other opportunities. They are more likely to employ you again or even recommend you to another director/ choreographer.
Having a good relationship with your agent is something very important and I have to admit this is where I have not been as engaging as I should have been. I know I should call my agent on a weekly basis to chat about the work I want to audition for and also generally about life to make sure I have a good strong relationship with him as he has a lot of other people to take care of as well, but I don't seem to put this into practice. I am glad that this task has made me realise this and I am going to make sure I contact him more as he is really one of my main sources to get auditions and castings from.
There are also many websites out there which you can get a lot of information from about upcoming work like the stage, spotlight, and casting call pro. Theses are just a few examples.
As you can see there is such a wide range of networks to help in your professional practice and these are only a few that I use. I am looking forward to learning more about professional networking in this part of the module, so for now that's all I have. Now to for reader 3, to help me expand my knowledge on the network professional.
Monday 12 November 2012
Tuesday 6 November 2012
Task 2d- Inquiry.
I found this task quite hard. It seems silly too as I just have to ask myself some questions and answer them but when I sit down and really think and put my thoughts into words I found myself almost confusing myself. Eventually after some deep thinking I came up with some answers and really enjoyed challenging my brain to think and reflect.
What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?
At the moment I am looking into hopefully becoming a teacher after completing this degree course. As it is something I have never really done a lot of before, I am currently researching and looking into ways of becoming a good teacher and what sort of teaching I would like to do. I am looking for a teaching assistant job or some small dance teaching jobs to try and gain some experience for in the future when i have my full teaching qualifications. I really look up to my old ballet teacher who I actually covered a class for a couple of weeks ago, at her dance school. She hasn't taught me now for about 6 years but out of all the teachers I have ever had throughout my dance training she seems to stick in my head. I admire her ways of teaching and watch her closely teaching the young children she teaches today and hope that one day I can be as inspiring as she is. I also admire my boyfriend and his patience and ambition that he has. He is a secondary school physical education teacher and after listening to some of the stories he tells me about his day I sometimes wonder how he gets up the next day and does it all again, but what I see when he's talking to me is his passion in what he is teaching. He wants to share his love for sport and help the younger generation achieve their dreams and goals and I hope one day I can also share my passion with others.
What gets you angry or makes you sad? Who do you admire who also shares your feelings or has found a way to work around the sadness or anger?
What really makes me angry in this profession is when I see people with less talent than me or some of my friends, getting a job that I feel they should not have got. I really don't believe in myself which has always been a big problem for me as if I don't believe in myself then who is going to? But what I am saying is that I do know the difference between say someone who can dance and someone who can't and if that person who can't dance keeps getting the job over the other person because of maybe someone they know or they are that little bit skinnier, well this really makes me angry. Unfortunately that is the way this industry works and you have to learn to deal with it. I admire basically everyone in this industry who gets on with it. I see a lot of my friends being upset when they get so close to getting their dream job but then I see how they pick themselves up and move on to the next audition. You have to find a way to deal with it. Life's to short to best yourself up!
What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who also seems to love this or is an example of what you love?
I love that buzz you get when you hear the music and your blood starts pumping and all you want to do is move and dance because it feels amazing. How wonderful that something that feels so good is your job and something you get to do everyday. I love that dancing is something that keeps your body fit and healthy without even realising it. Without even having to say " oh I must do some exercise today" you are naturally keeping your body active by doing something you enjoy doing. I love how when you are performing a drama piece how you can be made to act any character in the world, someone as far away from who you actually are but for that moment you get the chance to let yourself go and be something different. The opportunities of being a performer are also the chances you get to travel. Look at me. I always had the passion to go travelling and I then I was offered a job on a cruise ship were I was able to dance everyday professionally and travel to so many counties around the world I had always dreamed of going, and I was getting paid for that! I admire all the performers out there who have put in the years of hard work to then be able to live and enjoy what they love doing.
What do you feel you don't understand? Who do you admire who does seem to understand it or who has found a way of making not understanding it interesting or beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you?
I honestly don't understand we're my life will take me. I know maybe I am not supposed to but as a child I thought I would be in a girl band and and famous by 19, and probably married with children by the age of 25 and no way is that how my life is going or even how I would want it to! Can you imagine kids in 3 years... Omg no! What I am saying is I don't understand how the world works sometimes and how even though my love for performing is so strong, how can I continue to live not getting to actually perform on a stage everyday like I dreamed. That is why I have decided to do this degree so I can still work with dance and drama but maybe not in the way that I hoped initially. I admire my mum for understanding my decision In this. All the hours and money she has put into my dancing I didn't want her to think I am was throwing it all away just because I was going to go into teaching more than performing and luckily she understands and supports me. I also admire all the girls and boys on this course who have chose to develop there passion and qualifications they have now into something more!
What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?
At the moment I am looking into hopefully becoming a teacher after completing this degree course. As it is something I have never really done a lot of before, I am currently researching and looking into ways of becoming a good teacher and what sort of teaching I would like to do. I am looking for a teaching assistant job or some small dance teaching jobs to try and gain some experience for in the future when i have my full teaching qualifications. I really look up to my old ballet teacher who I actually covered a class for a couple of weeks ago, at her dance school. She hasn't taught me now for about 6 years but out of all the teachers I have ever had throughout my dance training she seems to stick in my head. I admire her ways of teaching and watch her closely teaching the young children she teaches today and hope that one day I can be as inspiring as she is. I also admire my boyfriend and his patience and ambition that he has. He is a secondary school physical education teacher and after listening to some of the stories he tells me about his day I sometimes wonder how he gets up the next day and does it all again, but what I see when he's talking to me is his passion in what he is teaching. He wants to share his love for sport and help the younger generation achieve their dreams and goals and I hope one day I can also share my passion with others.
What gets you angry or makes you sad? Who do you admire who also shares your feelings or has found a way to work around the sadness or anger?
What really makes me angry in this profession is when I see people with less talent than me or some of my friends, getting a job that I feel they should not have got. I really don't believe in myself which has always been a big problem for me as if I don't believe in myself then who is going to? But what I am saying is that I do know the difference between say someone who can dance and someone who can't and if that person who can't dance keeps getting the job over the other person because of maybe someone they know or they are that little bit skinnier, well this really makes me angry. Unfortunately that is the way this industry works and you have to learn to deal with it. I admire basically everyone in this industry who gets on with it. I see a lot of my friends being upset when they get so close to getting their dream job but then I see how they pick themselves up and move on to the next audition. You have to find a way to deal with it. Life's to short to best yourself up!
What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who also seems to love this or is an example of what you love?
I love that buzz you get when you hear the music and your blood starts pumping and all you want to do is move and dance because it feels amazing. How wonderful that something that feels so good is your job and something you get to do everyday. I love that dancing is something that keeps your body fit and healthy without even realising it. Without even having to say " oh I must do some exercise today" you are naturally keeping your body active by doing something you enjoy doing. I love how when you are performing a drama piece how you can be made to act any character in the world, someone as far away from who you actually are but for that moment you get the chance to let yourself go and be something different. The opportunities of being a performer are also the chances you get to travel. Look at me. I always had the passion to go travelling and I then I was offered a job on a cruise ship were I was able to dance everyday professionally and travel to so many counties around the world I had always dreamed of going, and I was getting paid for that! I admire all the performers out there who have put in the years of hard work to then be able to live and enjoy what they love doing.
What do you feel you don't understand? Who do you admire who does seem to understand it or who has found a way of making not understanding it interesting or beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you?
I honestly don't understand we're my life will take me. I know maybe I am not supposed to but as a child I thought I would be in a girl band and and famous by 19, and probably married with children by the age of 25 and no way is that how my life is going or even how I would want it to! Can you imagine kids in 3 years... Omg no! What I am saying is I don't understand how the world works sometimes and how even though my love for performing is so strong, how can I continue to live not getting to actually perform on a stage everyday like I dreamed. That is why I have decided to do this degree so I can still work with dance and drama but maybe not in the way that I hoped initially. I admire my mum for understanding my decision In this. All the hours and money she has put into my dancing I didn't want her to think I am was throwing it all away just because I was going to go into teaching more than performing and luckily she understands and supports me. I also admire all the girls and boys on this course who have chose to develop there passion and qualifications they have now into something more!
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