Actor to Actor, the question “where did you go to school” comes up a lot. When reflecting about my experience at my Acting Conservatory, I think very fondly on my time there (I met some of my best friends to this day during those two years), and firmly believe that it laid the foundation for my craft. It helped me cultivate my skill-set, master my strengths and acknowledge my weaknesses; and it taught me a lot about myself, both as an individual and an artist. However, did it fully prepare me to jump into the industry head-first, and teach me everything I need to know about the business side of the industry? Honestly, no. Things may have changed since I was in school, but it’s shocking to me they don’t teach this stuff in acting school, because I gotta say, you can master the subtleties of Chekhov all you want, talent and tenacity are only 50% of the battle.
It’s true that you have to know who you are as an artist, but you also MUST know how to sell yourself as a product. It’s a lot of hard work. It’s taken me 8 years to navigate through this incredible yet insane business and I still have SO much to learn, but I have found some invaluable resources and learned some hard lessons along the way. I do wish someone had been right there as I entered this brave new world to fill me in on all the ins and outs, so I’d like to be that person for you, and hopefully give you a bit of a head start in the lessons-learned department.
- ALWAYS BE IN CLASS.
Acting is a muscle, classes fortify that muscle and they’re a great place to network. I highly recommend taking a lot of different classes, picking and choosing the techniques and styles that best suit you and your craft. I have found a few GREAT classes that won’t break the bank. For those of you just starting out, one of the first audition technique classes I took was Alex D’Lerma’s Cinema Gym (tostadoprod@yahoo.com). This class was a wonderful introduction to auditioning and working on camera, in an intimate and hands on class setting. Jamison Jones (info@jonesfilms.com) offers a great scene study class that allows you to continue to hone your skills in scene work. If you’re already auditioning for Film and TV, the best class I have taken (and am currently enrolled in) is at Stan Kirsch Studios (stankirschstudios@gmail.com). These classes are essential for any actor who is serious about working in Hollywood today, and all of the class material is pulled from CURRENT Film/TV. If Improv/sketch is your thing, my favorite class was at UCB (lindsay@ucbcomedy.com).
- UTILIZE THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
A) A website. Is this mandatory? No. Is it helpful? Yes. Is it hard? No. If you have a Mac, you have iWeb and it’s easy as pie. If you have a PC I’m not sure what programs they offer in the way of website building, but any hosting site you partner up with will have a website builder, all you need is content and free time. OR if you have the cash to spare, you can always hire a website builder/designer. A fellow Ms. In The Biz lady who can help you: Verona@codebloo.net. I built mine on my Mac. Is it perfect? No. It is simple, clean, and efficient? Yup. Check it. http://www.amberrachelsweet.com
B) Facebook and Twitter. I DO NOT think spending hours scrolling through your feed is a productive way to spend your day, but I do think that it’s important to be visible, and both resources allow you to reach a large number of people; whether you’re in a new play, casting your new pilot, plugging your new sketch group, or co-starring on a network show.
- WORK. WORK. WORK.
Like I stated in my last article, you cannot sit around waiting for the phone to ring, because it won’t. You must create content for yourself. Not only will you be happier (because you’ll be feeding your creative soul) but you’ll feel productive and you’ll be busy WORKING. Find what makes you tick; sketch, stand up, writing, improv. Get together with other artists who want to work, and make shit happen; have play readings with your fellow artists, write original content and FILM that content. When in doubt, DO SOMETHING.
- DO YOUR RESEARCH.
A) Watch TV. Go see Movies. Go see plays. Go see Improv and sketch shows. Go to live tapings of multi-cam TV shows. You can write all of these off, by the way!
B) Before you go into an audition, look up the Director, the Casting Director, the Executive Producers, and Writer. Know who you’re auditioning for, just as you would for a job interview. IMDB PRO is a vital resource.
C) KNOW YOUR LINES. Yes, I’m yelling at you. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I have been to far too many auditions, in far too many acting classes, and on far too many set where actors don’t know their f’ing lines. It’s your job, do it. You’ll be a better actor because of it, I promise.
- NETWORK.
I have to admit, I hate this part of the job. I never thought I was very good at casually talking about myself, but networking keeps you in the loop; you get to meet a considerable amount of new people, most of whom are trying to do exactly what you are, and those who can potentially help/hire you. Networking also keeps you accountable for your career; if you constantly have to talk about yourself and what you’re doing, you have to be DOING something. Plus, it’s a nice opportunity to (not brag) share your “wins” with others and create a buzz around YOU. A great networking mixer I just attended was hosted by FilmBreak. I put myself out there, exchanged business cards, met a lot of really great people, and got a meeting out of it. Mission accomplished.
At the end of the day, are these 5 things the be all end all to having a fruitful career? Not really. Will employing them help you, and maybe put you a little ahead of the game? Absolutely. Take your talented self, all those wonderful tools you learned in acting school, incorporate these 5 things, DO the work, and see where it gets you. In this game, it’s all about how you choose to apply your time; talking about being a working actor is great, but BEING a working actor is tremendous.