Business Preparation Workshop

BUSINESS PREPARATION
Business Preparation is offered to Second Year students, and includes three workshops that the Maggie Flanigan Studio believes are vital for any serious actor. The majority of actors flail around NYC and LA for years, with little to no training, while also clueless in how to navigate the business. A professional actor must be able to wear two hats: the well-trained artist, and the business executive. Most actors do not fully grasp that they are the CEO of their company, and have the potential to make their own work, market themselves successfully, and obtain excellent representation. Our Business Preparation workshops, led by the head of our Business Program Kate Lacey, educate our actors in three important areas, setting them up with a wealth of knowledge that will add to what they will obtain in Business 1 and Business 2.

THE ACTOR AND THEIR TAXES
Many actors are uneducated when it comes to their tax responsibilities, unaware of the opportunities the tax code provides performance artists. Most actors work in many different states over the course of a year, freelance often, and supplement their incomes in a variety of ways. This workshop is led by Sandra Karas, a CPA who works with SAG/AFTRA professionals. She will teach you how to prepare year round for your taxes, the ways to protect yourself from audit, and how to utilize the many deductions you are entitled to take.

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO GROW YOUR CAREER
This workshop is led by Kate Lacey and social media strategist Heidi Dean. The business of the professional actor has changed dramatically and quickly in this technological era. The ability to take advantage of what is possible separates the continuously working actor from the unemployed. You will learn how to use social media platforms to create a strong professional presence in the industry, which will lead to more opportunities, broader recognition, and important connections with the people you need to know.

GETTING THE HEADSHOT THAT GETS YOU WORK
This workshop is led by Kate Lacey and professional NYC photographer Michael Cinquino, whose work has been featured in the NY Times, Harpers Bazaar, ABC, and Comedy Central. So many actors spend thousands of dollars on headshots, only to discover they’re not a representation of who they are, and not good enough to catch a casting directors eye.

In this workshop you will learn:
-What casting directors look for in a headshot?
-Why are most well-trained and talented actors not working?
-The three things working actors do that non-working actors don’t.
-The biggest mistakes actors make during their photo shoot.
-The 3 elements of an effective headshot.
-How to prepare for your photo shoot?

Business Preparation is a pre-requisite for Business 1