I often get the question “how do I get started in film acting” from actors and aspiring actors of all ages! Below are some basic steps you can take to jumpstart your journey into acting in film, whether you are just discovering a love for acting or if you’re a seasoned theatre professional!
If you are looking for my Beginner’s Guide to Audiobook Narration, click here!
BASIC TIPS FOR NEW ACTORS (LITTLE TO NO EXPERIENCE)
If you are interested in becoming a film actor but have no theatrical experience (or otherwise), there are many ways you can grow your skills as an actor, often without spending any money! Then, once you decide if acting is something you love to pursue and practice, you may find it is time to start investing in a future career.
NOTE: Many people think the key to “becoming a real actor” is having an agent. BUT 9.5 TIMES OUT OF TEN YOU NEED EXPERIENCE OF SOME SORT TO SIGN WITH A LEGITIMATE AGENCY! DON’T RUSH THIS PROCESS. MAKE SURE YOU LOVE IT AND WORK HARD FOR IT!
-Audition at your local community theatre. Chances are there are several in or around your area and auditions are generally open to all experience levels
-Participate in group acting classes at your school, homeschool group, or local community center
-Does your church have an acting program that puts on skits or plays, etc? This is another great place to start!
-If you have the extra cash, join an acting class for your age group. A quick Google search will generally provide some good options in your area.
-Even if it isn’t “acting” specific, participate in dance classes, voice lessons, improv troupes, etc. Any performance based activity is going to help you grow as a performer and build your skill sets.
-Have any productions happening near you? Seek out work as a Background Actor (Google this!). This requires zero skill and is a wonderful way to experience a film set first hand (and maybe even get paid!)
-Have a film school near you? Look out for open calls for auditions.
-Back to the agency thing…. there are MANY “agencies” that prey on new talent. If the “agency” is requiring you pay for their classes or spend ANY amount of money to be represented by them (or did they approach you in a mall or on Instagram because you have “the look”?!), run fast. A legitimate talent agent should only get paid when you get work. Even if you know you need classes to move towards an acting career, I do not recommend paying the inflated costs at these Scam Agencies that make big promises with little delivery.
BASIC TIPS FOR EXPERIENCED ACTORS LOOKING TO BREAK INTO THE FILM MARKET
If you have some theatrical experience under your belt but you want to venture into on-camera acting, it’s perhaps easier than you think and doesn’t have to cost much money - but you do need to be prepared to invest into yourself and your career if you hope to be successful. And I will stress again…DON’T SIGN WITH JUST ANY AGENCY OR FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN AGENT TO BE A “REAL” ACTOR! More Below.
-Before you submit to jobs on the sites I recommend below, before you submit to a talent agent, before you build your IMDb profile… ANYTHING - a PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOT is key! Your headshot is often the only representation a film casting director will see of you before they decide if they will offer you a chance to audition. If your photo isn’t professional, they will assume YOU are not professional. A “good selfie” will not cut it! Your photo will likely fall into a pool or hundreds of other actors, and no matter how “unique” your look is, if it’s not industry standard, you will not get nearly the amount of opportunities that you could. Hands down.
-Classes can be very valuable. Acting on camera is very different than acting on stage. You may be a star stage performer from the back row, but if you are bringing that kind of intensity to the camera…it will likely seem over-acted and more “showing than telling”. Research On-Camera classes in your area (or even on Zoom!) and sign up for a few to see where you fit in. Not every class is for everyone, find your spot!
-Once you have a solid headshot (or ideally multiple showing various looks), there are some sites that are open to anyone to sign up for. You will sign up, possibly pay a fee, build your profile, and then you can begin submitting yourself for auditions.
Sites to Consider:
ActorsAccess.com (this is my favorite, worth paying the yearly $65 fee!)
Backstage.com (depending on your area, you may find good projects)
CastingNetworks.com (more commercial/reality type projects)
CastingCallsAmerica.com (I just recently discovered this one)
Join local Facebook Groups (For Example: Nashville Casting Calls has a lot of job opportunities of various types, both paid and unpaid)
-After signing up on the sites you choose, be sure to fill out your profile and resume thoroughly, upload your professional headshots, etc. If you have any clips for your Reel (clips of any film projects you may have done), upload these. If you don’t have any clips yet, continue to explore student films, short films in your area, 54 Hour Film Fests in your area, etc. You need to get On Camera experience to continue to gain opportunities that then become more experience!
-Once you’re on those sites…check them daily and submit yourself for projects! Be prepared that if if they offer you an audition, you need to know how to self tape. I’m not going to go into all of these details but Google it and watch a few YouTube videos so not only is your Headshot professional quality, but so are your auditions. In-person auditions are quite rare nowadays, so understanding how to self tape is imperative!
-Don’t turn your nose up at Background/Extra work, even when you have some experience. A film set is MUCH different from a theatrical show or rehearsal and it can be a fun and educational way to understand how a set works. (Don’t like working 12-14 hour days? Don’t like repeating the same action over and over and over again? Film industry might not be for you)
-After you’ve put together a professionally formatted acting resume with credits and training, understand how to put together a quality self tape, and ideally have some reel clips, begin researching talent agents in your general area and follow their submission guidelines. Before you sign, research them and the work they are getting their clients! Are they SAG Franchised ?(This is important even if you are Non-Union, this means they have access to the best breakdowns for bigger jobs)
SOME BASIC TIPS TO LIVE BY
-Please do not rush to “join SAG”. Being a SAG member does not speak to your talent abilities and will cost you a lot of money and likely cost you opportunities for non-union jobs as you are getting started. If you get some SAG vouchers and become a Must Sign - do your research and talk to other SAG members and decide if this is the right move for your career. (If you don’t know what any of these terms mean yet, then DEFINITELY DO NOT JOIN SAG until you understand all the ins and out, pluses and negatives) Don’t join just for bragging rights. I don’t know a single, working SAG actor who won’t tell you the exact same thing.
-Any chance you get to be on set, whether it’s paid or unpaid, a student film, extra work, etc, BE PROFESSIONAL, BE PREPARED, BE ON TIME, BE KIND AND BE PLEASANT TO EVERYONE YOU MEET! Even if the project doesn’t seem like it’s going to go anywhere, even if you’re just in the background…every person you interact with is a new connection you’re making in the film industry, regardless of their role. I can’t not tell you how many times I have met someone in passing on set, appreciated their good attitude, and made a point to hire them in the future, actor or crew. The same can be said for the opposite - if I spot a bad egg with a bad attitude on set, someone who hasn’t learned their lines or constantly gossips or complains, acts like something is beneath them, etc not only will I not hire them, I’ll tell other’s not to hire them! In film we work long days, weird hours, in freezing and scorching temperatures, and in very close quarters. There is no place for someone with a bad attitude!
I am sure there are SO many more tips that can help jumpstart your career as a film actor, but I hope this is a start to get you headed in the right direction.
If you’d like a one-on-one conversation about specifically how to can enhance your career, one-on-one acting lessons, headshot consultation, etc, I provide these services for a small fee. Please contact me for more information!
Thanks for reading and BEST OF LUCK to you as you begin, or continue) this journey!
(JUST GET GOOD HEADSHOTS!)