During the down times, actors inevitably go through periods of frustration that comes from feeling like they are not working. This is natural because we see things around us moving, actors in new films, and they are getting parts that you feel should have been yours.
However, movement creates more movement. When you manage to get something going, preferrably something that is self generated or that isnt dependent on someone saying "yes" to you, you will find other opportunities opening up - opportunities to better your craft, and sometimes get seen doing it.
In many ways, actors are similar to filmmakers when it comes to down time. When a filmmaker waits for months (or sometimes years) for financing, a perfect directing gig, or to get their hands on that perfect script, they find themselves getting restless. Restless then translates into a fear of getting "stale." Many directors I know, get through this downtime by being productive in the meantime. They write scripts and get them as great as they can possibly get them, or they find smaller projects to work on with friends that will create some movement for them, as well as be something they will have fun doing. What often happens is that this somehow creates more opportunity. Its as though the universe reacts to your moving forward, and all of a sudden those slower stones begin turning over at a faster pace.
Here, actor Scott Caan speaks directly to a performing arts class during the 2009 Savanah Film Festival about other ways to handle the down time.
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