It’s that time of the year when everyone is looking forward to winding down, spending time with family and friends and when fully rested, then looking forward to the New Year.
Inevitably, the novelty of having Buck’s Fizz with breakfast, having just one more piece of chocolate and laying on the couch wearing out the TV remote buttons gets a bit tiresome.
We reach that stage during the Christmas break when we just want to do something different, perhaps plan for the coming year and that’s where this blog post comes in.
So, for when you reach the stage in your holidays when it’s time to clear the decks to plan and be jolly for the coming year, we bring you the 12 Days Of Christmas Planning for Supporting Artists.
1) It’s Show Time
… or “showreel” time to be more accurate.
If you do have one….
How old is your showreel?
How many of your agents’ have a copy of your old out-dated showreel?
Does your current showreel do you justice?
Jacket sleeves rolled up, big hair and shoulder pads were in vogue in the Eighties but an out-dated showreel won’t help much in the year 2020.
So, use this time to perhaps edit or plan a new showreel which showcases your current talents, look and character.
Not all SA’s will have one and they are not necessary or expected for doing this kind of work, but when the little (or big!) features come up, they might help your cause.
2) Clothes Maketh The Man And Lady.
The rush at the dry cleaners is more or less over during the Christmas 
holidays, so why not take this opportunity in getting those “old faithful” suits and costumes spick and span for the new year?
It might also be a good time to add to or look for a fresh wardrobe of clothes specifically for supporting artist work in the New Year sales. Money is tight at this time of year for most, but there’s usually a bargain or two to be had in January.
3) The Work-Life Balance.
In an earlier post entitled, “10 Things I Learned As A Supporting Artist“, we touched upon the importance of keeping a clear separation between social life and the work of a supporting artist, namely due to the unpredictable hours involved.
Get a good 2020 diary, calendar or app and avoid those clashes which put pressure on you, family and friends.
Having an acceptable work-life balance isn’t difficult, but it does take some planning… and the Christmas holidays gives us time to do just that; plan.
4) Picture This
In the same way that your showreel might need updating, what about your photos including headshots?
When was the last time you had new photos taken with Ray Knight Casting?
Making an appointment with us in the New Year to get new agency photos taken might be worthwhile.
We do try to monitor who needs updating, however in the meantime you could take some nicely taken selfies or forward any recent good quality shots you’ve had taken elsewhere.
See our post entitled, “5 Secrets To Taking The Perfect Selfie.”
5) Don’t Suffer A Breakdown
Our cars go through some punishment during the winter months; cold starts, lights, heaters, blowers all taking a toll on the battery, damp and freezing conditions all contributing to wear and tear on our vehicles.
Take some time over the holidays to cast an eye over your trusted vehicle and if needed, perhaps a quick maintenance service would be a good idea as we look forward to a few more months of dark, cold and damps starts and journeys to early calls.
6) Your Times Table
Perhaps you don’t own a car and you rely on public transport, in that case 
it’s worth checking timetables of your local buses, trains and tubes as some of these introduce new schedules in the New Year.
Remember that we post public transport travel status updates every morning at 5am on the Ray Knight Casting Twitter feed
Remember to check and update any travel apps you may have as well.
7) Act On It
Considering taking your acting skills to the next level?
In that case make use of the down time over Christmas by looking up any acting courses that may be starting in your area in the New Year.
As the saying goes, “Every day’s a school day”, however taking a course in acting may be just what you need to take your supporting artist career to the next level. Some can be expensive, but there are some very reasonable short courses and one-off workshops around.
8) Bookmarks
When was the last time you checked through your bookmarks and sorted out the chaff?
Websites change, apps get outdated and those websites among your bookmarks might not be relevant anymore.
Use the down time during Christmas to sweep clean your bookmarks; perhaps those Facebook groups or Twitter profiles you follow are no longer active If you’re getting a new ‘phone, don’t just copy old bookmarks across from your old ‘phone, take the time to spring clean them early.
Need some help with which bookmarks we recommend for supporting artists? In that case read our blog post entitled,
“10 Websites That Every Supporting Artist Should Bookmark“
9) Paying The Price
When was the last time you checked your phone contract?
Are you paying the price for complacency when it comes to not being on the most appropriate tariff for your usage?
Planning for the next 12 months or more, together with checking your budget with regards to being on the best contract might be a good initiative for the New Year.
If you’re planning to pick up a bargain new ‘phone in the New Year sales, it might also be the best time to shop around for the best contract.
Your ‘phone is your ally in our business. Make sure it’s working for you in every way possible.
10) Money In… Money Out
We don’t want to scare you, but once Christmas is out of the way, April will 
be just around the corner… and that means it’s time to get your financial books in order.
Why not get in a head start and go over your receipts, invoices, bills and statements during the quite time after Christmas?
The more you can prepare, clarify and sort your finances before April, the less of a headache it will be… and the less an accountant will charge for doing it for you.
11) R & R
Treat yourself to a good holiday as you deserve it after the previous 12 months of hard work.
Don’t worry, you’ll soon be caught up in a brand-new year with brand new challenges and opportunities once again.
1) Thank You!
Finally, a big “thank you” to all our supporting artists for your work over this this past year.
We hope very much to repeat and surpass our recent successes next year and so don’t forget to make Ray Knight Casting a part of your 2020.
Keep up to date with what we’re up to, either via our Twitter account, our Facebook account, our Blog here and of course our website over at www.rayknight.co.uk
We’ll continue to be the UK’s premier casting agency with the highest standard of service & quality and hope to work with you again in 2020.
You are the best quality SAs in the business and we are lucky to have you!
So, in the meantime all of us here at Ray Knight Casting wish you all and your loved ones a very happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas and a likewise New Year.
Well that’s it for this post and as usual feel free to leave your comments.
Also don’t forget that you can follow our Ray Knight Casting Blog – see right side bar – by signing up you’ll receive each and every one of our blog directly into your in-box as soon as they appear here on this blog.
© Ray Knight Casting – 2019
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