As we’re getting into the holiday season, actors all over the country are considering making the move to Los Angeles for the busiest time of the year: Pilot Season. Some folks are hoping to stay for a couple of months before getting their big break (which is highly unlikely, unless you already have good representation and are a big fish in another market), and others are planning on it being a more permanent move. If you’re considering transitioning to Los Angeles, it can feel like completely starting over, and in some ways it is. Today’s post will focus on two big elements that I believe are important and incredibly intertwined when taking that leap: working on your craft and finding a community.
Although these may seem like distinctly different topics, I find it impossible to separate them because the truth is that when you’re working on your craft, you find your community naturally. Here are my three recommendations for doing just that:
- Take classes. Do some thinking about what type of acting you’re interested in. TV? Film? Commercial? Theatre? Drama? Comedy? Let that guide where you’re going to take classes and where you’re going to invest your time & money. When you do a bit to clarify your goals and start in that direction, you will find other actors and filmmakers you connect with. And almost any class will have individuals with both more and less experience/training/expertise as you. This allows you to learn from your peers as well as give guidance to others.
Classes are so important because they also become your acting workout. And again, when you know what your next focus is and find a class that is right for you, you will naturally find others with common goals.
Here are a few places you can start looking if you’re interested in:
Improv: UCB, Groundlings, iO West
On-Camera: Annie Grindlay, Chris Game
Commercial Technique: Killian McHugh, Bill Coelius,
Scene Study: Actorswork, Anthony Meindl, Actor’s Theatre Los Angeles
Comedy: Lesly Kahn
This is by no means an exhaustive list — there are countless places to take classes in L.A. So do some research, audit some classes, and find a good fit for you. Tatiana Maslany (of the award-winning show Orphan Black) recently spoke at a SAG Foundations event and mentioned that she was missing her acting class to be there that night. So yes, even folks with juicy roles on major TV shows take classes. 🙂
- Start Auditioning. Even before you have an agent or manager to submit you, you could consider joining LA Casting and Actors Access. LA Casting has a lot of commercial and background breakdowns that you can self-submit to, while Actors Access tends to lean more heavily towards casting calls for TV/Film, and for student films at places like USC, Chapman, and AFI. If you’re just starting out, I would highly recommend doing a few student films with filmmakers enrolled in reputable programs. Build relationships with folks whose careers are at similar places and get experience on set at the same time.
- Network. And finally, find networking events that jive with what you’re all about. For starters, I would recommend Thirsty Third Thursday with Bonnie Gillespie and many other ninjas who are proactive about managing their careers. I would also look into the SAG Foundation, which often has events that are open to non-union folks as well. Networking events are great places to meet the folks you might want to collaborate with someday soon. 😉
My overall advice is this: Meet like-minded people, and start creating with them. When you can work on your craft and build your community at the same time… that is the sweet spot! And in order to have longevity in Los Angeles, you’ll need both!
– Sarah
About Sarah J Eagen
A TV actor and writer, Sarah is currently a semifinalist for the prestigious Humanitas NEW VOICES program. She was recently staffed on the sci fi audio drama The Veil from Voxx Studios. Sarah co-wrote/produced/acted in the short Soledad, which screened on the Disney lot at the end of 2018. She was a top 10 finalist for the Stage 32 TV Writing Contest in 2019, a finalist for the NYTVF Script Comp in 2018, and the Women in Film/Blacklist Episodic lab in the fall of 2017. Sarah recently appeared on an episode of The Big Bang Theory, TV's longest-running multi-cam comedy, which was a dream come true because she double majored in Neuroscience and Theatre. She also played the helpful paralegal Carol in CBS's action comedy Rush Hour, and had the pleasure of sharing the screen with funny lady Kristen Schaal in the feature film Austin Found.