5 Ways to Design a Hollywood Style Personal Brand

If one thing is certain, those with powerful personal brands stand out in a crowded marketplace. In the entertainment industry, standing out AND blending in are critical to your career.

When I initially entered this industry analysis from a personal branding perspective, I approached the subject by researching the character development process in order to reverse engineer it. Then I would provide this practical application training to my team in just what it takes to build a strong brand. What I began to discover was far more interesting. Through conversations with A-listers and executive film producers, I quickly learned the requirements of adaptation and personal brand evolution.

A Lesson in Character Development from Moira Rose

Building a legendary role requires a level of authenticity and confidence, but how do you do that when it isn't even a real person?

Schitt's Creek is one of my favorite series filmed in Canada. The sitcom made waves in the entertainment industry as being a unique and hilarious combination that led the cast and crew to 15 Emmy nominations in its final season. Like all productions, you begin with the story. This story began as a high-class family goes bankrupt abruptly shifting their life of luxury to that of extreme budgeting and survival. It was inspired by Dan's consumption of reality TV fueled with the question, "what would happen to the Kardashians if they lost all of their money? Would they still be the Kardashians?" he mentioned in an interview with Out Magazine in 2015.

Storyline aside, casting is the critical piece in entertainment that breathes life into each production. While brainstorming for the show with his son, Eugene Levy had one person in mind for the role of Moira: his longtime friend and former colleague, Catherine O'Hara. Her history of success, professionalism, and many other qualities attracted Eugene in offering this role to the seasoned actress.

In taking the right steps forward to design the legendary character, Catherine and the team used real-world influences such as Daphne Guinness to shape the character, including wardrobe. The pieces in her wardrobe then influenced her mood. Another character trait is her indistinguishable accent O'Hara claims are somewhat "souvenir" from Moria's world travels. Moira Rose continues to be a strong icon for LGBTQ+ communities across the globe.

Executive Producers on Personal Branding in Hiring

Executive producers and directors have a very challenging job. Not only are they responsible for the casting of the roles to breathe life into the story, but they have to constantly coach the talent to adjust their existing personal brand into that of the new role they are taking on.

In my discussion with Emmy-nominated film director, Bill Dolan, we discussed the importance of having a strong personal brand during the casting process.

"In a perfect sense, you secure people that are the perfect fit with the role. Pick out elements of the soul that align with their personal brand and if you're lucky you'll find an amazing headliner that is a great fit." - Bill Dolan

With notable A-listers committing to role-mastery, some may have gotten too close to the edge. For example, Christian Bale in his role for the Machinist where he lost 63lbs eating no more than an apple and a can of tuna each day, or the already petite Natalie Portman who dropped 20lbs for her role as a mentally distressed ballerina in Black Swan. None more notable than the role Heath Ledger played as the Joker in The Dark Knight. In his preparation for the role, some say he went too far to become the most legendary Joker of all time which many argue the insanity he studied drove him to his very own tragedy.

Ledger famously locked himself away in a hotel room and maintained a diary to prepare for the role. He told Empire in a 2007 interview, “It’s a combination of reading all the comic books I could that were relevant to the script and then just closing my eyes and meditating on it. I sat around in a hotel room in London for about a month, locked myself away, formed a little diary, and experimented with voices — it was important to try to find a somewhat iconic voice and laugh. I ended up landing more in the realm of a psychopath — someone with very little to no conscience towards his acts. He’s just an absolute sociopath, a cold-blooded, mass-murdering clown.”

This brought me to ask my question to Bill, "have you ever seen actors take on roles and permanently change their own personal brand to fit that of the new role?"

"Oh, all the time," Bill responded. He referenced the movie, Little Shop of Horrors as he noted how often talent takes on traits of the roles they play. "You are what you eat. You are what you consume. If you eat, sleep, and breathe a particular role, you will likely transform into that role," he explained.

David Serafine is an executive producer who began his journey as an author of a book now turning into a film. When I sat down with him to ask about his character development process, he led me through a few descriptive elements that bring a character to life.

"There are a few accessories that emphasize the true personality of a character, such a tight pair of bifocals that cut the circulation off of the bottom of the nose of a very nasty priest, or the symbolism in having Altoid mints around habitually to cleanse the palette of being deliberately nasty," he explains about the antagonists in his stories. Your symbolism can be many things, from a piece of your wardrobe like a pair of statement glasses to a big hat or glamorous wardrobe.

"The environment that you paint around an individual also contributes to the character's story," Serafine said. What is in your environment that makes you, uniquely you? Is it a team of energetic sales representatives that eagerly reach for quotas month over month? Or is it a big family, filled with laughter while sitting down for an evening feast? Think about your ideal environment where you shine and you will be able to build a strong foundation for your personal brand.

Matthew McConaughey On Unbranding & Rebranding

After joining a branding training session with Matthew McConaughey, I was in complete shock at how humble, wise, and compassionate you can be when you are rooted in values aligned with your personal brand. On the call, he said "... and that's when you get to the honey hole" about three times so that basically attests to the amazing value I received from the session.

Matthew McConaughey built a career on being the shirtless babe on romantic comedy movies, so when he tried to audition for more serious roles, he was never taken seriously or considered for the role. "I had to unbrand myself in order to rebrand myself in my career," he said. He took a two-year hiatus from his acting career to which he dubbed the Mcconassiance.

“I basically was gone. And so it was like, where’d McConaughey go? Then all of a sudden I became a new, bright idea. Hey, you know who’d be interesting casting?” Matthew McConaughey said in a Rolling Stone interview.

Since then McConaughey continues to enjoy a steady slew of prestigious awards including an Academy Award for Dallas Buyers Club and recently published the best-selling memoir, Greenlights, which I highly recommend.

"When you go to build your personal brand, make sure to fill up your bank account AND your soul account. Pledge to be competent at your values and you'll keep the focus you need to succeed with strength."

5 Ways to Build a Hollywood-Grade Brand

Let's break down the three lessons for you to make things easy to digest...

1. Embrace your story. Every little challenge, obstacle, and flaw makes you the unique creature you are today. This is the most challenging part of building a strong personal brand because you analyze an individual's life story which can amount to years of life coaching, distilled into a few discovery sessions and a list of rooted values.
2. Outline Your Goals. After all, "you are what you consume," as described by Bill Dolan, the experienced film director. If you are building a strong brand 'just because' good luck building one with impact. Know your goals and keep your mission at the center of your design. Remember that McConaughey had to completely rebrand himself during a two-year hiatus from the rom-com career in order to shift into different roles.
3. Find Brand Influences. Want to be the next Moira Rose? Find influences of your story and brand. From your wardrobe to your vocabulary, there are many star-studded celebrities with powerful personal brands that can inspire you in building yours.
4. Live Your Brand. Shift, change and express your personal brand in everything you do. From character development strategies like Moira's wardrobe to verbiage and tone, begin executing your brand strategy in your daily life and digital presence. Set your intentions on consuming the quality you want to attract. What are your quirks or accessories that paint the picture you are describing?
5. Reflect. Review. Evolve. Your brand will change as your goals change. As film producers continue to look for those secret ingredients in talent that match the role, your career is no different.

Ready to level up your personal brand and take advantage of the opportunities that flow your way by standing out? Contact my team to schedule a free consultation or keynote presentation: [email protected]

You can also learn more at www.stardustcreative.com

About Chantel Soumis

Chantel Soumis is one of the world’s most sought-after personal brand experts, fueled by a hunger for data-driven marketing magic and inspiration. She has worked with many Fortune 500 executive teams and celebrities to build a strong foundation of public relations techniques to be liked, memorable, and trustworthy while increasing brand recognition and accessibility. You’ll be enchanted by her enthusiasm and inspired by her story of overcoming adversity from being “unemployable” to one of the most recognized voices in personal branding today.

Learn more about her story at www.chantelsoumis.com.