The following is an interview with Emmy Award-winning TV journalist Brad Holbrook on the launch of the online studio for actors, Actors Insite. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Holbrook about the inspiration for the organization, the resources that Actors Insite offers to actors looking to get into the entertainment industry, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: For those who may be unfamiliar, what is Actors Insite, and how did the organization come into existence?
Brad Holbrook: Actors Insite is an online service for actors to make contact with, and learn from, industry pros. (Industry pros is the term we use for Casting Directors, Agents, and Talent Managers, all of whom play very important roles in the careers of actors.) Actors must make themselves known to as many industry pros as possible in order to be successful. Until the internet, actors and industry pros got together haphazardly, and for many actors it was nearly impossible to ever be seen by many industry pros, face to face. Actors Insite brings actors and industry pros together in a way that has never before been possible.
BD: What sets Actors Insite apart from other industry sites offering resources to actors?
BH: Actors Insite allows direct, one-to-one contact between any number of industry pros who are on our monthly panels with our population of actors. The ndustry pros watch the actor’s demo reel or self-tape audition and then they write feedback that is sent to the actor, all done in this private, one-on-one conversation.
BD: What do you feel are the areas where actors struggle in the entertainment industry the most, and how does Actors Insite assist in alleviating these roadblocks?
BH: There are a lot of actors, and not that many jobs for them. Marketing yourself as an actor is by far the most difficult aspect of the career. Making connections with people who can help you, being seen by as many people as possible, channeling your marketing energies in the most efficient and effective way…those are the roadblocks and none of them is easily overcome. Actors Insite makes connecting with influential and important industry pros possible and meaningful.
BD: Who are the individuals behind the organization, and what can you share with us about their contributions to the organization?
BH: Actors Insite was started in 2011 by a small group of people in New York who all worked in the entertainment industry in one way or another. They built the website and figured out how to make the interactivity between industry pros and actor work. Today, Actors Insite is owned and operated by me and serves as an extension of a business I started almost ten years ago, www.actorintro.com, which shoots actor videos and edits their demo reels. Between the two companies, we can create videos for actors and make sure they’re seen by the right people in the industry. In five years, Actors Insite has brought more than 300 industry pros together with a countless number of actors, and both sides have benefited tremendously.
BD: How do interested actors go about connecting with your staff, and what should they anticipate as they take on this exciting journey?
BH: It’s a very simple, streamlined process to get involved with Actors Insite. Just go to www.actorsinsite.com and click the link to Create Your Actor Profile. You then upload your video(s), headshot(s) and resume. Once your profile is complete, you can select one or more of the industry pros who are on that month’s panel and submit your materials to them. In a week to ten days, they will look at your stuff and respond with their personal, expert feedback about what they’ve seen.
BD: Is there any additional advice that you would like to offer to potential actors or content creators?
BH: It’s a wonderful career, but one that has a lot of challenges. It’s not for the easily discouraged. Perseverance is key to any career success, of course, but is certainly necessary in the performing arts. Being careful and wise in the way you direct your energies and invest your money is the most important part of that. There are a lot of ways to spin your wheels trying to make it as an actor and even harder to know when that is happening.
BD: Lastly, where can our readers find more information about Actors Insite?
BH: Our website is chock full of info, both about the way the service works and also about how to navigate your career as an actor, and, of course, I am always available, personally, to answer any questions via email at brad (at) actorsinsite (dot) com. I hope to hear from you!
