OK So you have filled in the Polease Join Us form.............now what?

Photo

Next thing is to add a photo of you - one that shows your face is preferred. It's a visiual industry and if you can't be visualised you are unlikely to be getting much work.

Remember, Polease is an agency providing uniformed supporting officers - thats all uniforms, not just Police, Fire & Military. So you in a Police uniform is ok, you in a mask or helmet that covers your face is not so smart.

Complete the Physical Attributes page

The questions asked on the Join form are not optional.

Polease supplies uniformed supporting artistes, so it is logical for you to assume that Polease needs to know in advance your measurements. Do not think anyone has time to chase you round to get this information - supply it voluntarily and increase the chances of getting work.......or don't.

Complete the Profile

Think of the Profile page as your shop window - you have one chance to impress your potential employer. And remember who your audience is - they are 2nd Assistant Directors, Casting Directors, Photographers & in some cases Graphic Artists. They will not understand technical military or police terminology. Write for your audience, not for yourself.

Some hints:

• All CAPS or all lowercase just suggests that you have not put a lot of care into creating your profile - your audience wants people who are pedantic, who have lots of patience amd who like attention to detail.
• It is NOT a CV - it's an Artiste Profile - showing what you have to offer to your potential visual industry employers. Less is definitely more. Lists always beat blocks of text. The people looking at your Profile do not have time to read chunks of text.
• Never insert negatives - like NIL or N/A by a question/category.
• BECTU/EQUITY/SPOTLIGHT Membership - Yes is not an answer, nor is inserting a web address. Each of these organisations issue membership numbers. If you are a member of one of them enter your membership number. The potential employer may want to check up on you.
• Voice Skills - should always include English (if you can speak it) and any other language you can speak, plus any accents you can convincingly do and any singing skills - tenor voice (for example).
• Skills - should include anything you have mastered that could be portrayed on screen or in a photo. So writing whilst nice is not really a skill in this context. Driving a car is one skill. Driving a motorbike is a second skill. Driving a tank is a third skill. Military experience is not a skill. Marching & Military Drill are skills. Remember your audience. Remember to use lists. NEVER tell untruths, you WILL be found out.
• Training - use this space to enter relevant information. What is relevant? CLAIT Computer training probably is not, Advanced Driver probably is. Actors training probably is,  Police Sergants course probably is not. Remember your audience.
• Education - it is your Artiste Profile not your CV. Knowing that a person is educated to GCSE level is good enough, lists of those GCSE's is too much information. Knowing you have a degree is more use than caring what it is about (to be brutally honest). Education that is really relevant - like a Degree in Forensic Sciences maybe of use - they may want a SOCO person as well as an Uniformed Policeman. Remember your audience, keep it simple and use lists.
• Background - relevant background only. Having been an Accounts clerk is not a lot of use (anyone can sit at a desk and be filmed). Not everyone can march like a soldier or walk like a policeman or look right sword fighting. What you were once, what you are today (if relevant).
• Interests - once again relevance to your audience is important. If you are interested in acting - say so. If you are interested in quiet evenings at home with the cat, don't say so. If you say here you run marathons then why isn't that in your Skills section? Being physically fit may get you work.

General Advice

• Unsuitable photos will be removed.
• Using the pages of ArtisteZone to solicit direct contact to you will be stopped - Polease is an agency, and takes a cut (of the fees) for supplying you to the production - that fee helps pay for ArtisteZone.
• ArtisteZone is NOT a social networking site - its a facility to help 2nd ADs & Casting Directors etc find people for potential roles.
• If your Profile is considered to be too long, containing irrelevant detail (or none at all) it could be removed.
• When you are on AristeZone or when on-set, you are representing Polease - so text & behaviour that shows Polease in a bad light will not be tolerated.

Use your Profile to Aid You

Make the most of your ArrtisteZone Profile and let it help you get work - Polease is the fast -growing agency that in the last year (2010) has supplied people for well known TV dramas - Hustle, Midsomer Murders, Survivors; for regular TV series like Doctors and for feature films including Goodies and the on-going Tezz plus many other new productions.

Polease is finding work for Artistes, but generally only for those providing photos and details via theiir Profiles.