Written by Garrett O. Thomas
You’ve got the talent, looks and drive to be the biggest star that ever hit theaters and now you’re wondering what the next step is to getting there. It’s publicity, the thing that gets your name from your headshot to the credits onscreen. Publicity is something that everyone in entertainment should be conscious of! You not only get your name out there, but if you do it right, it could open up numerous doors in your career.
1. Walk the Red Carpet
So, you’re not exactly an Oscar nominee, but that doesn’t mean you can’t attend red carpet events. It’s Hollywood! Red carpet events happen all the time and not only do celebrities flock to them, but your new bestfriends, the press. The best service I can suggest to you would be to try PressHarvest.com, they submit you to red carpet events by using all your credentials, headshots and IMDB page. There’s no guarantee that you’ll walk big name events, however, they’ve still managed to pull through! The goal of walking red carpets is to get photographed at a good event or mingle with entertainment journalists who may be splashing your face on Star magazine tomorrow. All press is good press and the purpose of these events is to build your press kit so you have tangible evidence to show your agent, manager and publicist (they can thank me later for telling you to do this).
2. Networking
It’s really no secret that in this industry it’s all about whom you know not what you know. Regardless, we can utilize the two. You can showcase ‘what you know’ when meeting people that you should be getting to know, people who coordinate events, cast talent or direct, the possibilities are endless. The more exclusive the event, the better the chances of meeting someone that can eventually help you out.
3. Online Presence
Having a personal Web site that showcases your acting reel, resume, or even solely links to your IMDB page, is important. Web sites have become a necessity. You can collect contacts by having a newsletter signup option, this way you can update fans, friends and entertainment people on your current and future projects. The purpose is to have a strong online presence and to keep the traffic coming.
4. Pitch to freelance writers, bloggers and media
There are so many media companies and start up press sites that would love to use content on their pages, even if it’s written by an aspiring actor and about him/her self. They are always looking for new actors or musicians who have trailers, pictures or news within the industry. If your IMDB page is not as intriguing as you’d want it to be, having features or being on other media outlets will definitely overshadow your star meter until you make it big.
Garrett O. Thomas has been working in public relations for several years, having lived in Tucson, Arizona, he mostly focused on restaurant publicity, combating restaurant foreclosures during the economic recession in 2008.
Eventually, he moved to Houston, Texas where he began working in technology publicity. Promoting software and online publicity integration for Fortune 500 companies. After handling more than 12 contracts and overseeing $600,000 in contractual agreements, he decided that he wanted to progress his career into the entertainment industry.
He got a job as a celebrity publicist for Def Jam artist, Jeremih in Manhattan, New York. While Garrett collaborated with Def Jam and CAA, Jeremih received a Billboard Awards 2012 nomination for Top R&B song. From that point on, Garrett has worked with musicians, actors and producers, promoting their branding and educating them on his publicity knowledge and increasing his reach into a variety of areas in the entertainment industry.
Currently, Garrett lives in Hollywood, CA. You can see Garrett on CMT’s My Big Red Neck Vacation as himself, being referred to by Tom Arnold as “one of the best celebrity publicists in the city.”
