Having an IMDb page is a good tool for actors. So much information about an actor is contained on one site…their bio, agent/manager, credits, demo reel, and photos, to name a few. Further, actors can research others in the business. Many feel it is as essential as having an Actors Access account ( I do feel IMDb Pro is a must for serious actors).
There is another item on one’s IMDb page I didn’t mention, and yet something some actors consider at the top of the list in importance…the IMDb Starmeter. I’ll admit that how it actually works is still a mystery to me. It’s based on some complex algorithm…whatever the hell that is (I was never a math whiz in school). All I know is that the number represents the level of awareness people have with the actor, projects listed, and others involved. The theory is, the lower the number on your starmeter, the more popular you are. It is a popularity contest…no doubt…and, like other popularity contests based on numbers, is subject to manipulation. And therein, to paraphrase the Bard, lies the rub.
Should an actor wish to lower their starmeter number and make themselves look more “popular”, there are a few methods. There are services one can find on the internet that will help improve your starmeter for a price of around $50 to $100 or more monthly. You can also sign on to a Facebook page such as “Imdb and Likes” where, on a quid pro quo basis, actors will open each other’s IMDb page. Of course, one can always get their friends and family to click on their IMDb link every week, en masse.
So…how important is this effort?
Well, my fellow actors…if you pay to boost your starmeter ranking, you are wasting your money and if you join the Facebook pages to click on each other’s pages, you are wasting your time! Why? Read on.
The IMDb starmeter is irrelevant. No one cares, except for the amateur actor. Casting directors don’t care. Producers don’t care.
Boosting your starmeter can work against you. You may have an impressive starmeter ranking, yet your credits do not come close to matching your supposed popularity. This is what one acting coach refers to as "Lunch Bag Letdown". They were looking for a fancy meal based on the starmeter and instead got half a bologna sandwich and a stale twinkie. This does not make an actor look credible.
Bottom line, stop obsessing over that starmeter. Remember, there are absolutely no shortcuts in this business. Let me repeat…THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS IN THIS BUSINESS. You should continue training to keep the instrument tuned.
Below are links from two professionals in the business about this very subject. There are more on YouTube.
