How Do You Start an Acting Career in a Small Town?
Do you reside in a small town and feel frustrated with the acting opportunities available to you? I hope the tips below will help you.
One question often asked is all about how to begin an acting career. Some questions asked come from young folks who are frustrated by the fact they are now living in a small town and can’t seem to locate any opportunities within their area. Whether this is your case or not, if you’re looking to begin an acting career will find these tips helpful.
- Lookup casting offices in your area.
- Lookup talent agencies in your area.
- Check your Regional Theatre Directory or their policy on auditioning and for information about local and upcoming projects.
- Universities with film departments: Film students are needed to generate a certain quantity of film projects annually, and for those projects, they are always trying to find actors!
- Find advertising agencies that have clients who shoot on-camera commercials and commercial print ads.
- See if you have a SAG, AFTRA or Equity office in your area and see if they have a set of reputable talent agents in the area.
- Through your local courthouse or cultural affairs office, lookup your regional theatre directory.
- Check the arts and culture part of the local newspaper for theatres, shows, plays, and events in your area. Observe the venues where they take place and contact them for the information you desire.
- Contact local photographers to see if they have contacts for ad agencies, other actors, casting directors, agencies. Agencies and Casting directors often refer actors to certain headshot photographers.
- Look up your state’s film commission. Usually, state film commissions have a set of upcoming film projects to be shot in that state.
- See if you will find any special editions of magazines and/or newspapers that have to do with theatre, film or acting in your area.
- Grab a copy of the Hollywood Reporter. Sometimes you will discover a set of film projects which are shot in various regions of the country.
- Try to find a set of Equity and Non-Equity theatres in your area. Go there and they should be able to give you a wealth of information about where you can go, to begin with, teachers, schools, etc.
- Lookup acting schools, acting teachers and acting coaches in your area.
- Lookup casting offices that cast for extras, even if they are in a huge city like New York or L.A. and subscribe with them. Ensure they have your headshot and resume and cover letter. But let them know where you are and where you live. If you are not in the big cities where lots of films and extra work have been shot, it is also crucial to let them know you’ll want to tell them to call you when there is work to be had in an area you can easily get to.
- Remember that after building your resume, the more theatre work you have in your resume from reputable theatres, the more attention you will get from casting directors and agents.
- Lastly, you could also go and take classes with casting directors or agents if you’ll find them. That is a great opportunity not only to meet up casting directors and agents but also to invest time in them.
How exactly to Convince Your Parents to Support Your Dream of Becoming an Actor
The more informed you are and the more intelligently you are able to talk, the higher your chances your parents will support you.
Do you know what it’s like and what the issues actors face, what it’s like to work on set, what your chances are of just getting work, how hard you’ll have to work, how much you will have to invest of your time and energy to study, to do mailings, to write cover letters, to submit yourself for auditions, to prepare for auditions, prepare your monologues, bone up on your cold reading skills, take specialization classes, travel, etc?
Do you know what the average earnings are of an actor these days? Do you know how many days on the average an actor works? Do you know why business skills are so important for the success of the average actor and do you have them? Do you know how to get an agent? Do you know what the main reason is that some actors get discovered? Are you aware of some scams that you need to watch out for? Do you know what it takes to become an actor and do you have what it takes?
They are many questions asked and
Why?
Because if you can start to answer those questions, maybe you could be more convincing. I understand you’re young, but you have to get started sometime. Some teenagers have someone who is a grown-up and who supports them within their goals. If you don’t, you can either keep butting heads with your parents or being afraid to approach the subject, or you can start to find out for yourself about this career path you want to embark on and show them that you are really serious.
Quite simply, the more info you have, the more informed you are about what you say you want, the more you are able to speak about it intelligently and demonstrate that guess what happens you are talking about, the higher your likelihood of to be able to convince them to guide you. If they have just as much information as you do, then you are on an equal playing field. They are your parents. They are bigger. They are older. They win! At least until you’re out of the house or until they no longer foot your bills!
Does doing your homework mean that you will get what you want ultimately? Does it mean that you will be one hundred percent guaranteed to obtain their support? Not necessarily. Your parents are certainly taking into consideration your best interests. But even though you don’t get them to support you, you will know much more than you do now in regards to the profession you say you wish to pursue.
Given that you’ve decided you wish to become an actor, you’re probably wondering how exactly to start breaking into showbiz.
You woke up this morning, gave a big stretch, and then decided you want to become an actor. But now what? First things first, to break into show business, whether you desire to model or actor, you have to do these exact things; start somewhere, gain experience, build credits, and make contacts with people who can allow you to network.
To start somewhere and get some acting experience, local community theatre and school theatre is a good spot to begin. Not only can you gain that valuable experience and learn what it’s like working together with other actors, being directed, and performing for a crowd, you will also start earning credits for your resume, and you’ll meet people with whom you are able to network. If jumping in feet first and performing before an audience is burdensome for you as well as terrifying, consider first taking classes on public speaking or get involved with Toastmasters. This is an organization geared to simply help people learn how to speak in front of large groups – an important skill for actors.
Then, if you’re intent on acting, it’s time to acquire a good set of headshots and start networking. Headshots really are a must for serious actors. Headshots are an actor’s means of self-promotion and self submitting to projects and productions. To get noticed, to get discovered, or to just get on the map, an actor must network with industry members and sending out combination headshots/resumes could be the single easiest way to do so. Headshots can be sent right to casting directors, talent agents and talent agencies. A headshot is an 8 x 10-inch photo along with your resume stapled to the trunk, text opposite from the trunk of the picture.
Don’t work with ANY agent that produces you use their photographer, to be able to be represented. Don’t work with anyone who pressures you into utilizing any of the services they could offer to be able to be represented. If a real estate agent wants a fee to represent you, change and walk out of the office. They will never enable you to get anything that makes it worth your while for what they charge.
Precisely, once you do get your headshots done, the best approach to go is by using a UNION FRANCHISED Agent. A union franchised talent agent can work with both union and non-union talent. AFTRA could be the union that works together TV – Commercials and TV Shows – basically shows in a videotaped format.
Watch out for agents that don’t have real offices. The unions will not franchise anybody who works from home. An agency needs a professional office to be able to interview clients.
Make sure the person you are working with as your potential agent is ethical.
