Breaking In The Show of Business: Part 2

So did you let that sink in yet? Get started now wherever you live. Being an actor can start right now, regardless of where you live. Let that sink in.....You can see a lot of things being done in larger cities but there is an industry of people who are serious about acting, right where you live right now. Trust me, you want to get experience under your belt before you think you can make it in the big leagues. It's a tough and very competitive world in the acting circle and you don't want to get shut out of that circle without the proper skills and tools you need to make it.

Find An Agent: As I mentioned in my last post, you'll want to get a reputable agent. There are a lot of scams out there and there are some shady people out there who are ready to take your money. Once you have found a union agent, visit their website and see how they take submissions for representation. Most agents will have you submit online through their website. DON'T TAKE PROFESSIONAL PICTURES TO SEND AN AGENT. All you have to do it take some simple photos of yourself, real life photos of the authentic you and use these photos. Most people think they have to spend a lot of money on photos to send to an agent and this is one of the biggest mistakes that you can make. Agents know what kind of photos you'll need, let your agent guide you to the way they want to market you.

Me after my photo shoot with Greg James Photographer

Invest In Your Craft: Now that you have been seeking opportunities to get experience, submitted to union agents, wait to see what happens, but in the meantime, keep working on getting that experience, take classes, join a theatre group, learn about auditioning techniques, cold reading workshops, scene study classes, body movement classes, anything you can do to keep yourself busy with learning is what you should be doing now. Sooner or later, you'll get a call from an agent who wants to see you. Prepare a monologue that you can present to the potential agent. It would be good to prepare a comedic and dramatic piece if you can, either way, prepare something to show them. They may even have you do a cold reading of an audition piece. If you are accepted by the agency, they'll recommend photographers that you can shoot with, they'll guide you to the kind of photos that they will want you to get out of the photoshoot. The photographer will also know how to get the look the agent is looking for, follow their direction, no matter how you may see yourself, let these professionals help to shape an image for you - they know what the people who are going to hire you are looking for.

Once you start getting acting jobs, you are building your resume, working with a good agent, and you are now a professional actor. There are many things that follow from here, i.e. getting in the actors' union, negotiating contracts, filing taxes, registering with acting audition sites, doing your own audition video tapings, networking, acting website, casting director workshops, social media, working in different states, moving to a larger city, etc. This blog is meant to give newbies a grounding for breaking in the business from wherever you live.

REMEMBER: Stay away from "show business scams", radio and tv ads that want to show you how to get in the business, paying to be in an actors book, paying to be in some kind of entertainment show etc. The only time you pay for anything outside of classes, and photos, is the agent commission after you actually get the job! If you follow these simple steps, you'll be well on your way to getting your foot in the door of the acting industry.

Keep reading my blog to see how I navigate my acting career, you are sure to get some insight into how every job is different and can lead to bigger and better things. :)

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