“I booked my first co-star + produced my own short-film”
“Before I took Tony's Social Artist Training, I had a basic online presence with a website and social media platforms. I didn't have much knowledge as to how to bring myself to my website. I knew I liked pink, so my website was very pink, but I wouldn't call it an outstanding representation of myself. I wasn't sure if I'd have the time to progress through a weekly course. I realized that I needed to MAKE time to progress through a weekly course. I loved the weekly trainings, and then getting to attend the live Q&A with Tony and a guest each week to get a chance to ask questions that came up was extremely helpful. I felt like I got a lot of personalized attention which can be rare in a group setting. I remember in one of the courses, Tony talked about this comedian he worked with who had an amazing picture of her face smushed against a glass door, but she wasn't using it anywhere on her website which was more uniform in terms of material. He suggested that she put that picture front and center and I remember something clicking. Tony doesn’t just teach basic do's and don'ts, but he really works to help everyone capture their unique essence online and that's what I love most. With the help of my incredible sister, I took what Tony taught us and completely revamped my website. It matches the professional that I am and want to be, and is a great extension of me. Tony's advice to me when I first started the course, was to distill my goals down to one goal to focus on at first. Once you know your goal then you can define your audience. I'd been describing myself as a real-life Kimmy Schmidt meets Amy Adams in Enchanted, and it took me some time, but I booked my first co-star role on none other than Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. And I produced my own short-film as a princess in NYC that screened at a film festival. I am still much stronger with Instagram than Twitter, but I've learned how to use both to my advantage in terms of connecting with my audience and furthering relationships. They're pretty powerful tools once you learn how to use each one!”
Rebecca Knowles
Actor + Producer, New York, NY
