Introduction

Dear Professional Actor,

Here's an idea you can use to manage your acting career.

Look around. It may look like just a blog but looks deceive. It's an actor's multi-tool --

Daily Planner, Audition Log, Expense & Mileage Record, Brand- Communications- and Customer Relationship Manager

-- assembled by an actor, focused on actors' needs, and made strong by integration.

INTERACTIVE DEMO

This isn't an ad. It's an interactive example of the actual, working kit.

Try out the record-keeping forms on the right. Enter mileage for a couple of sample trips and make a few imaginary purchases. Then review your input in the Data Demonstrations below. ‡

Skim the journal entries. They simulate the details you need to track regarding auditions, commuting, self-promotion, networking, planning, spending, customer relationships, communications, branding, production and more.

Surf a few tags. You'll see how handy it is to have related records tied to one-another.

Open items in the calendar at the bottom of the page. Get directions to a class.

It all works together. Without cluttering a desk, shelves, or file cabinet. And it's all free -- and no further away than a single bookmark or your browser's home page.

I hope my fellow actors can take advantage of this no-cost career-management system. I'm sure you'll find that the time you invest upfront will pay itself back right away. Please let me know your results.

Update: See the instructions in this Getting Started post.

Apart from my use of their services I am not endorsed, sanctioned, sponsored, employed by, nor affiliated with Google in any way.

Now go convert your Energy Into Motion.

--dej,

actor

PS
If you like this tip, why not share?

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Features Summary

• Online -- Access from anywhere
• Free -- Costs nothing to use. There's no subscription
  
• Privacy -- Selectively publish or keep everything confidential
• Choice of colors & layouts -- Choose among dozens of readymade themes
• Itemized expense records -- Customizeable forms make data collection & review painless
• Mileage record
  -- Print it out at tax time!
• Daily activity record -- Date-stamped journal format
• Goal keeper -- Stay on top of your near-term and long-range objectives. Use a simple to-do list, a full-fledged external utility, or both
  
• Customer & network contact history -- Write notes in journal format, in your contact book, or input granular data to a custom form

• Address book
• Calendar
• Reminders
• Audition notebook with dated comments
• Wardrobe record, with images
• Mapping -- Route planning with an array of navigation options
• Correspondence record, with images -- Who said what. When and how
• Cross-referencing system -- Instantaneous retrieval of pertinent information
• Mobile uploads -- Add pictures and journal entries using your cell phone
• Profile manager -- A centralized, clickable menu of sites where your headshot and resume need to be kept current
  
• Brand voice monitor -- Keep an eye on the mojo you project in your Twitter feeds
• Brand reputation monitor -- Keep up on what's tweeted about you
• Hot links -- Live access to any career-related URL

Under the Hood

While you can use any components with comparable features, the Actuator toolkit demonstrated here draws heavily on the Google product suite. That means most are accessed by a single account password.

Action Manager

An exception is the recommended CheckVist, which appears here generically as "Action Manager" and would be a separate account. No additional linking is required. If you already use a similar system, that's no problem! Just point your "Action Manager" link to that site.

Planner
Google Calendar isn't necessarily better than the desktop calendar you use. Some possible advantages: It can send SMS or email reminders. You can selectively publish it. Aware of addresses (and some place names) by its connection to Google Maps, it's convenient for getting directions to appointments.


Directions
Use Google Maps to plan your route, mileage, and travel times. Send maps to your phone, email or GPS with a click. Pinpoint recurring locations on a custom map for efficient travel and recall.


Expense & Mileage Records
Forms to collect data are easy to customize. Graphical reports are then at your fingertips. Spreadsheets can do calculation or simply organize your data for tax time. It's part of Google Documents, which has other features not used here. Useful for conversion between document formats.


Contact Book
Your Google account most likely is attached to a Gmail address. Gmail ties to Contacts, a standalone contacts database. In turn, Contacts is connected to Maps and the telephone product Voice. Your contacts can be sorted into folders as you like. Click an email address to compose a message; click a land address to get directions; click a phone number to dial.


Switchboard
With built-in access to your contact book, Voice offers call screening and custom forwarding. Have several phones with one number. Assign your agent to a hotline; send anyone else to voicemail -- with emailed transcripts! Take calls from your landline when at home; your mobile when on the road. All with a permanent number and free long distance to USA and Canada. See this Voice demonstration for inspiration.


Images
For pictures I use Picasa Web Albums, an extension of Google's free photo software. You may already use another image-hosting service. It won't be necessary to switch accounts, provided it permits you to embed those assets here. Optionally, you can upload images to your journal directly from your computer or mobile phone.


Journal
Obviously all these features are collected here in Blogger. Make spontaneous entries in diary format, and tag them to link any one to any other. Summarize phone calls. Show which photo-correspondence you sent to whom. Remember what audition material you used, and what you wore. If you like, you can enable Comments for followup remarks. Naturally you can remove features, add and rearrange.

The layout can be finessed to fit your browsing preferences (eliminate scroll bars from forms).


Why so much Google?
It's what I use. While it will be as simple to bring together services from another or diverse vendors, it makes sense that those from a single source are most likely to continue cooperating with each other. But if you have others you prefer to use, by all means use them! I want to inform and inspire you, not convert you. It's "do it yourself."

Visit the User Forum to get or suggest alternatives.

Phantom Callback

I got a callback for Phantom Audition!

Mon, August 24
3:30pm – 4:00pm

SJSU (map)

What did I wear?

William Morris

Fake William Morris asked if they could keep me on file!

They have the prettiest letterhead EVAR.

From CRM Demo

Goals

1. play Hamlet on primetime network tv within 4 months
2. star in a broadway musical based on my life within 3 years
3. learn to play kazoo before i bucket
   

Banana Men

Auditioned today at Fake Venue for Banana Men.

Nailed it.

I did my monologue from Tootsie.

Here's what I wore:

From CRM Demo

Remember to park closer to the tavern.

Action List

1. Enter mileage
2. Record my expenses
3. Get directions to set
4. Write a follow-up on my audition
5. Re-arrange this list
6. Pack a sweater for Caracas