How to Start an Acting Career
by Anthony Smith

 

Every year, thousands of people decide that they want to pursue an acting career. The problem is many of them believe it is as simple as getting a picture taken, composing a resume and getting an agent. That kind of thinking is precisely the reason why most aspiring actors never make it.

Here are the REAL first steps!

The basics of what you'll need:

Knowledge of yourself
Creativity
Knowledge of exactly what you want out of your acting career
A solid plan to keep you on track
Lots of motivation
Business skills
A good, solid financial base

 

Step 1: Find out what it really means to pursue the career in acting you say you want to pursue. Talk to both working actors as well as those who have been struggling to get work or who have been working sporadically. You can learn what to do and what not to do from both groups. Learn what a typical day could look like, especially at the beginning of your career.

Step 2: Start reading up on acting techniques. Read books like Sanford Meisner on Acting or The Art Of Acting by Stella Adler. They will help you to understand that there are different techniques that, first of all you will need to fall back on time and time again in order to be able to deliver consistently compelling performances and also how acting classes are conducted. You'll know what to expect and also have some basis on which to choose a school.

Step 3: Choose an acting school. If you have choices, don't just try and get in the first school you come to. Shop around, know what you exepct from your training, interview teachers and ask lots of questions before choosing. Once you start studying the craft, count on continuing to do it for a good portion of your career.

Step 4: Study the industry. Learn how it works. Learn what agents and casting directors do and what they expect from actors and actresses. Learn why they are in the business they are in. Learn who casts the different projects there are. For example if you are in New York, you will want to know who casts for certain Broadway shows, for Law & Order, Guiding Light, as well as other even smaller projects. Learn about the different ways that actors can ensure their work gets seen.

Step 5: Study the industry. Learn how it works. Learn what agents and casting directors do and what they expect from actors and actresses. Learn why they are in the business they are in. Learn who casts the different projects there are. For example if you are in New York, you will want to know who casts for certain Broadway shows, for Law & Order, Guiding Light, as well as other even smaller projects. Learn about the different ways that actors can ensure their work gets seen.

Step 6: Learn some basic business skills. On my site for new and aspiring actors, I have listed and described only 10 of the 21 I wrote about in my book. However many you study, you need to know that first of all as an actor, you are a free-lance professional and as such, you must sell yourself in a positive way to your 'customers' (casting directors, agents, directors, producers, etc.)

Step 7: Start putting together some of your basic marketing materials: Headshot (commercial and legit/dramatic), Acting Résumé, Acting Cover Letter, Monologues (at least two: comical and dramatic), but you will probably need more. Now the concept of type begins to be more important, because you want all of these things I mentioned here to all

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