CV (task 1a)

When opening my CV file up, I realised I hadn't updated it for over 6 months! I think this is the main thing to remember with a CV...that you must keep it organised and up to date. It is the first thing that a casting director will see, and to not be up to date can reflect badly on you as a performer but it can also be frustrating for the director as they cannot gather the information they need.
I am not sure whether to have my address and phone number on my CV as I would like to be contacted by email as my primary source, so any thoughts on if I should include this would be very helpful!

Here is a link to my CV on google docs:

CV

Photos (task 1d)

I had my head shots taken almost a year ago and when going back through them all, I have found pictures that did not reflect me as a performer back then and that I discarded, now suit me better!
I have uploaded onto flickr 3 head shots and a couple of on stage photos that show what I did at college. The link is here:

Emma's Flickr Account

I am going to add a gadget so the link will be easily accessible. I am surprised at how easy Flickr is to use as I haven't used this web page before. I particularly liked how I could create a set of photos so I can organise my photos.

I shall give you a sneek preview of my flickr album on here!

Web 2.0 and the effects it has in the workplace (task 1b)

Web 2.0 is a creation which has revolutionised the way the musical theatre and the dance industry works. Not only does it let us directly be in contact with casting agents and other performers but it saves a lot of time and money which performers tend not to have either of! Of course any aid can come with it's downfalls which I would like to discuss here as well but there is no doubt that it has completely changed the way we work.

Many things sprung to mind when web 2.0 was raised in our lecture. I know I use Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and other websites every day for long periods of time for social use, but as graduation drew closer I found myself using these websites for my career too. One example I would like to use is 'dance cast'. Dance cast is a Facebook group which you can be asked to join for upcoming auditions for not only dance jobs, but the look for singers, actors and extras too. The beauty of this is that the jobs on the page are not just for the UK but for all over the world, giving you sometimes details of the casting director, choreographer, producer which is amazing as it completely broadens the amount of jobs available to performers. Even better that it is all free and on a website I use everyday to chat to my friends and check out photos.

This however, does raise the point that can we now ever separate work life from home life? Everyone needs their 'downtime' and with auditions at the tip of our fingers can we ever relax? It's a hard enough industry when you are in class, and when you are at auditions, do we need to be reminded of it so frequently? Especially if we have a smartphone...which brings me nicely onto my next point. Accessibility.

With web 2.0 and smartphones you are constantly connected to these networking sites. This has a massive impact on the way we live, especially as a performer auditioning. We can be emailed/text/tweeted/skyped...or even be rung by someone(!) to find out about a casting. But it's not just getting a job that web 2.0 can help us with, it's also keeping that job and being organised. Rehearsal schedules, social meets, reviews and promotion for a show all use Facebook and twitter. Creating event pages and groups is an amazing way for everyone to keep in contact with each other in one communal place, which is the whole allure of web 2.0 that Tim O'Reilly shows in the reader; "The users add content to the site, and the more the users access the site and add data the better the site becomes." Saying that the more we add to a site, the greater the appeal to it as we can have an influence on how a page works.

I think that web 2.0 is a brilliant tool for performers, casting directors, agents etc as it gives us all a wider variety of jobs and clients in an effective way. Not only is it instant but it is free and quick to use! For me, the benefits outweigh any problem, as I would like to have as many opportunities as possible!

Phew!

Well.....it's taken me a while to get here, but YAY! Finally my first post!
I think I have looked through every template and picture to find one I do really like, so now that I am happy (apart from making my picture a little bigger!) I can begin!
Tomorrow is our first module meeting and I am rather excited to see everyone and start some work, so adios for now and see you all tomorrow!!