THE WINNER PAGES WINNER PAGES INDEX! Level 1 Foundation Business Cards Website Training & Classes Email Signature Affording a Career Networking Gaining Experience Events to Attend Resume Format Pros & Cons of Showcases Following up Headshot Representation (Managers & Agents) Level 2 Package Intro: Business & Marketing Level 5 Working Continued Education Self Submitting Legit Casting Sites (Job Boards) Joining SAG-AFTRA Acting Clips & Self Taping In the Zone Set up Moving to a larger market Locating Material “Moving to LA” Creating Content Level 3 Auditioning & Booking Auditioning Level 6 Next Level Booking Pros for your Team Lawyer/Marketing Team/Publicist Self Care Level 4 Becoming Competitive Create a Routine Promotional Tools Money Social Media: FB, IG, TW, Saving money YouTube, Vimeo Multiple Streams of Income 1.1 WHY YOU NEED TRAINING Emphasis on why training is important! Become an Olympic Actor! Checklist IF YOU UNDERSTAND THESE CONCEPTS CHECK THE BOXES The very 1st step you take toward becoming an actor is get into Acting Classes. Acting technique is paramount to anyone wanting to be a serious actor. Actors without training rarely become successful. Acting is not talking or just “being yourself.” It is a difficult skill that you practice until it becomes easy. Train in acting like an athlete who wants to go to the olympics. Build your foundation. Strong acting training will get you ready for on set work. To become a working professional you must become a great actor. Always be developing and adding new skills to your acting toolkit. You need to be able to act and be vulnerable in front of large groups of people Professional actors train in acting classes 2-3 days a week 1.1 WHY YOU NEED TRAINING Read More CLICK TO GO TO LINK What do famous actors say about acting training? www.backstage.com/news/successful-actors-talk-about-their-training/ 6 Things They Don’t Tell You In Theater School www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/6-things-they-dont-tell-you-theater-school/ Do You Really Need To Have Acting Classes? cast44.com/do-you-really-need-to-have-acting-classes/ WHAT KINDS OF TRAINING 1.2 YOU NEED Training is important and every actor should start with acting training. Checklist CHECK THE BOXES OF THE CLASSES YOU HAVE ALREADY TAKEN! Scene Study On Camera Techniques Cold Reading Improvisation Commercial Technique Audition Techniques Voice (Singing) Classes Movement Class Voice Over Classes Character Development You need years of training in various techniques. It could take years, but you do it as you go along. Eventually every box needs to be checked! WHAT KINDS OF TRAINING 1.2 YOU NEED List of Recommended Classes CHECK THE CLASSES YOU NEED TO TAKE. Scene Study Scene study class has actors take a scene from a play or movie, work on it in front of their acting instructor with constructive critiques that can help them improve their craft Cold Reading Cold reading class is training that teaches how to quickly prepare the text: how to read it, break it down and analyze it, memorize your lines and deliver them, with little or no previous practice or study. On Camera On-camera classes teach actors professional on camera skills, including how to control their vocal levels, how to know where to stand and where to go, and all other on-camera acting technicalities Improvisation Improvisation, or improv, is a form of live acting play in which the plot, characters and dialogue of a game, scene or story are made up in the moment. Improv is not only about comedy timing and being funny; it’s also about getting out of your head and being able to think on your feet, fast. Commercial Techniques Commercial audition technique class focuses on developing each actor's acting skills and on-camera commercial persona. Actors learn how to do Commercial Monologues, Scenes, Interviews, Product Handling, Improv and Cue Cards. On Camera Audition Techniques On Camera classes that teach an actor how to audition on camera for a project. Voice Classes Voice Classes teach an actor or singer how to sing in key, diction, correct breathing, enunciation, and performance. Voice classes are not just for actors. Lessons can open up the range of the actors voice, as well as protect from stress and incorrect use. Continued on Next Page WHAT KINDS OF TRAINING 1.2 YOU NEED Movement Class Great actor training focuses on the whole instrument: voice, mind, body and heart. While we can’t get far without vocal technique, intellectual dexterity, and text-work skills, a strong physical presence is crucial to the professional actor. Voice Over Classes Actors take voice-over classes because they greatly improve an actor's cold reading skills for auditions. Voiceover is another great way to practice the art of sounding like you're present, sounding like you mean what you're saying. Character Development The actor's job is to bring a scripted character to life. Character Development classes help you learn how to do that. Character Study is an essential part of any actor’s process, no matter how experienced. It involves creating and internalizing the details of your character’s life. These details can range from personality traits, to history and family background, to even the most mundane details like favorite color or favorite food. The more thought that an actor gives their character, the easier it is to “stay in character” throughout a scene. Audition Techniques Audition technique classes teach actors how to break down a script, understand the beats and intentions and your emotional choices. Acting Techniques Several of your favorite Hollywood A-list actors all employ different acting techniques in order to make their characters come alive. The following is a list of acting techniques many Hollywood actors use on a daily basis. THE TOP 9 Stanislavski Konstantin Stanislavski, the father of “method acting,” the Stanislavski technique - it uses conscious thought to impact the actors subconscious behaviors. Renowned & Award winning Practitioners: Lord Laurence Olivier, Sir John Gielgud, Marlon Brando Strasberg/The Method Lee Strasberg = Stanislavski’s technique v2.O. Lee created “The Method” which delves into specifically the psychological aspects. Which Lee dubbed “Emotion Memory”. The Actor ties their own similar emotionally charged memories to that of the characters. Renowned & Award winning Practitioners: Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Paul Newman, Scarlett Johansson Continued on Next Page WHAT KINDS OF TRAINING 1.2 YOU NEED THE TOP 9 Stella Adler Stella Adler = Stanislavski’s technique v3.O. She disagreed with the notion of bringing up emotionally traumatic memories and her version relies on the power of strong imagination, action, script interpretation and empathy. Renowned & Award winning Practitioners: Robert DeNiro, Benicio del Toro, Mark Ruffalo, Melanie Griffith Meisner Created by Sanford Meisner, the Meisner technique = Stanislavski v4.O. His interpretation and extrapolation of Stanislavski’s teachings led to “Meisner Technique” which encourages actors to “get out of his or her head” and empower them to respond to a set of circumstances based on instinct which can create moving and natural performances. Renowned & Award winning Practitioners: Diane Keaton, Christoph Waltz, Griffin Dunne, Jame Gandolfini, Grace Kelly Chekhov Michael Chekhov’s acting technique = Do not impersonate life, but dive into it to discover the deepest meanings and needs and present that to an audience though physical expressions of emotion. A lot of physical symbolism. Renowned & Award winning Practitioners: Jack Nicholson, Clint Eastwood, Marilyn Monroe, Yul Brynner, Anthony Hopkins Alexander Technique It is a method that empowers the actor to retrain habitual patterns of movement and posture, to become aware of the physical habits that may hinder performance, to assist the actor in being more natural in performance, promoting the easy creation of the character’s physical life and allowing more complete emotional expression. Renowned & Award winning Practitioners: William Hurt, Kevin Kline, John Cleese, Hugh Jackman, Kenneth Branaugh, Dame Judi Dench, Jeremy Irons Practical aesthetics David Mamet & William H. Macy created = practical aesthetics which consists of breaking down a scene in four-steps: the literal, the want, the essential action, and the “as if” relating the important action to the actor’s personal experiences: “It’s as if my Teacher...” using the actors own experiences to get them there emotionally. Renowned & Award winning Practitioners: Felicity Huffman, Rose Byrne, Jessica Alba, Camryn Manheim Continued on Next Page WHAT KINDS OF TRAINING 1.2 YOU NEED THE TOP 9 Uta Hagen Hagen = Realism. Bringing your own experience into a piece. Uta Hagen is responsible for some very wonderful books on acting: “Respect for Acting” + “A Challenge for the Actor.” Read them if you get the chance! Renowned & Award winning Practitioners: Matthew Broderick, Jack Lemmon, Whoopi Goldberg, Christine Lahti Viola Spolin Viola Spolin is the creator of “theatre games” which aid in the actor building the skill of making real-time decisions during performances as they would in reality. Renowned & Award winning Practitioners: Alan Arkin, Fred Willard, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner Actors Dictionary Scene If a script was a book, a scene would be a chapter Script The written text of a play, movie Improvisation (Improv) The written text of a play, movie Cold Reading Reading aloud from a script or other text with little or no rehearsal, practice or study in advance Breakdown 1) is the process/homework an actor does to prepare the script or scene that they will be performing 2) Itemization of all characters that will be appearing in a project Continued on Next Page WHAT KINDS OF TRAINING 1.2 YOU NEED Sides a select part of a script that is given to actors before auditioning or is given to you by a teacher to practice with in a class. Typically more than one person speaking. Project (Physically) Exaggerating your movement beyond normal Project (Volume) Speaking loudly. If you hear a director say “Project!” in theatre it usually means “Louder!” Read More CLICK TO GO TO LINK How to Choose an Acting Technique https://www.backstage.com/backstage-guides/how-choose-acting-technique/ 10 Types of Acting Classes (& what you must know about them) https://actinginlondon.co.uk/types-of-acting-classes/ 7 Movement Techniques All Actors Should Study https://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/resources/7-movement-techniques-all-actors-should-study/ Why Voice Lessons Are Not Just For Singers https://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/acting-teachers/why-voice-lessons-are-not-just-singers/ Why Are Voice Over Classes Necessary? https://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/professional-tips/why-are-voiceover-classes-necessary/ Character Building And What Makes A Truly Great Actor https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/may/09/character-building-great-actor How To Create A Character Study https://4thwallbackstage.com/2017/04/17/create-character-study-beginning-actors/ 38 Famous Actor’s Audition Prep Tricks https://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/38-famous-actors-audition-prep-tricks/ HOW TO FIND 1.3 ACTING CLASSES You can find a way to practice your craft anywhere. These are the ways we suggest to find classes you can attended Checklist DO EACH OF THE FOLLOWING Ask on your local actor FB groups & pages: “Hello Actors & other Industry Pros! I am looking for great local acting class recommendations, Scene Study, Improv, On Camera, Cold Reading & Commercial Technique specifically, in____ or near (place of residence). Thank you in advance for your help!” Ask Google/Search Engines: “(Type of Class) Acting Class Near Me” Ask SAG-AFTRA! Their Phone #: (855) 724-2387 or visit https://www.sagaftra.org/contact- us for other contact options Ask a friend for recommendations Ask actors & directors at your local community theatres Take them at your school! Ask your State’s Film Commission HOW TO FIND 1.3 ACTING CLASSES TIPS When you get class recommendations - Audit classes whenever possible (attend the 1st class free) Find classes where everyone is better than you so you will be challenged Find acting workshops and seminars in your nearest big cities Find an actress/actor who can give you private coaching TAKE ONLINE ACTING INSTRUCTION IN ADDITION TO YOUR IN-PERSON CLASSES iActingstudios.com MasterTalentTeachers.com (FREE) MasterClass.com IF YOU LIVE IN A REMOTE MARKET: Do Skype Coaching with an LA Acting Coach. Note: If you’re going to Skype, Skype someone in a major market like Los Angeles. We have some of our favorites from LA listed below. LA COACHES FOR ADULTS John D’Aquino Amy Lyndon Dan Shaner Gloria Garayua http://www.johndaquino.net/L http://www.thelyndontechniq Dan@danshaner.com http://gloriagarayua.com/less AClasses.php#Coaching ue.com//private-coaching- ons.html for-actors-hollywood Kimberly Crandall Wendy Faraone Marci Liroff Actors Edge http://kimberlycrandallactingc http://wendyfaraone.com/priv http://www.marciliroff.com/c Act@ActorsEdge.com oach.com/contact_1.html ate-coaching/ oaching/ Continued on Next Page HOW TO FIND 1.3 ACTING CLASSES Jeffrey Meek https://jeffreymeek.net/acting -online/ LA COACHES FOR KIDS/TEENS John D’Aquino Carol Goldwasser Dana Gergely Cheryl Faye http://www.johndaquino.net/L CarolGoldwasser@gmail.com DanaCasting@gmail.com DancerMomie@yahoo.com AClasses.php#Coaching Bernard Hiller Tracy Martin bernardhillerstudio@yahoo.com Tracy@yourhollywoodcoach.com Read More CLICK TO GO TO LINK 6 Regional Training Programs For Young Performers https://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/6-regional- training-programs-young-performers/ Best Colleges For Performing Arts In America https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges-for-theater/ WAYS TO BECOME 1.4 MORE MARKETABLE Make yourself invaluable. Learn new Marketable Skills. Stay Sharp in your craft! TIPS Practice all of the skills related to acting that you can on your own to start preparing and/or to stay competitive! Do not ever say “there’s nothing you can do” there is always something you can be doing to make yourself more appealing & valuable. It takes 10,000 hours to become a master at something. Get cracking. Exercise and get in the best shape of your life, unless you are an overweight type character actor. Things You Can Do at Home Tongue Twisters! http://www.uebersetzung.at/twister/en.htm https://www.engvid.com/english-resource/50-tongue-twisters-improve-pronunciation/ http://pun.me/pages/tongue-twisters.php Enunciation/Diction (Some more Tongue Twisters & Exercises to get you started) Tongue Twisting - Enunciation Exercises for Drama Teachers (Article) https://www.thoughtco.com/enunciation-exercises-for-drama-teachers-2712994 How to Enunciate (Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBDS6Li2WQM Voice Training Exercise | Easy steps to improve the sound of your voice (Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeyn3kLd1Y0 About the Voice tones & uses 0:00 - 3:40 Humming exercises : 3:41 - 6:22 Acting jobs 6:22 Resonance exercises & clarity 7:33 QEQR exercise 7:55 Improve Your Voice - Daily Articulation Exercises (Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qjr9nWh5cU Continued on Next Page WAYS TO BECOME 1.4 MORE MARKETABLE Cold Reading! ACTING LESSON 19: HOW TO SIGHT-READ A SCRIPT (Acting Coach NYC) Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a735gXXc6ac See our How to Cold Read Page Study Scenes Learn new Scenes on the app SceneBot.com. You can download it for free! https://scenebot.com/ Practice learning and memorizing lines with Rehearsal Pro https://rehearsal.pro/ Build your marketable and useful-to-career skills. YouTube is a game changer. You can begin to learn almost anything online. Here are some examples. 7 Easy Card Tricks to Shuffle the Cards Like a Pro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvXn5ppVB2c Learn German For Beginners The Complete Course (Level A.1) | Get Germanized https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9os9Q6t6Xc Tutorial - Learn How To Juggle 3 Balls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2_j6kMg1co 10 HACKS to UP your iPhone PHOTO game FAST | 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qx4dUTLh3c 7 Hidden iPhone Camera Features That Every Photographer Should Use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZNH8k7JlCo Making iPHONE Footage MORE CINEMATIC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyXQHPcBac8 Michael Bean Acting Teacher: How to make a quality self-tape audition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8frj5n49pao Learn to play the Piano https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vphWgqbF-AM Those are some examples of skills and talents you can learn without spending any money! Don’t stop there! The more you have to offer the better. Learn something new every month and get GOOD at it. Have fun! Learn basic video editing, how to read a teleprompter or social media marketing while you’re at it! WAYS TO BECOME 1.4 MORE MARKETABLE How to Cold Read & Master The Sight Read Learn about Speed Reading - Find a few techniques that work for you. The more words your eyes are accustomed to seeing, the faster your brain can comprehend them. Learn How To Speed Read - Best Speed Reading Techniques: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiTK523Ot5U Tim Ferriss teaches speed reading | Tim Ferriss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwEquW_Yij0 Learn to Speed Read In 7 Minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb9meR_0C9o Cold Reading Eye Movement Only your eyes should go down to get words. Your head should not tilt down to get words from the page. You do not want 70% of your audition/cold read to be the top of your head in the camera’s frame. Find the sweet spot for the your material in your hand so it doesn’t block your face yet is close enough so your eyes can flick down to retrieve new text. No head tilting down. GOOD EYE MOVEMENT Continued on Next Page WAYS TO BECOME 1.4 MORE MARKETABLE BAD EYE MOVEMENT Practicing Cold Reading at home (For the serious) Daily. Actors suggested 30 minutes. Voice over actors suggested 1 hour +. Read anything you want OUT LOUD. If you choose material that has smaller text and spaces (i.e. books/magazines) than the average script… Cold reading a script feels easier than heck. When practicing keep in mind skills from speed reading & cold reading. TIPS Try to glance down and pick up more than 3 words at a time (speed reading) LOOK UP and focus on a point ahead of you before reading them aloud (cold reading) MASTERS (3 years + daily experience) can pick up a sentence to a paragraph at a time. Start with more than 2 words at a time and work your way up. Read More CLICK TO GO TO LINK 10 Ways To Master The Cold Read https://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/10-ways-master-dreaded-cold-read/ WAYS TO BECOME 1.4 MORE MARKETABLE How to Break Down a Scene & Develop Character HAVE ALL OF THESE ANSWERED AND KNOWN. (THERE ARE NO WRONG ANSWERS.) Where are you? Who are you talking to? What are you talking about? What does your character want? Their backstory (Go into detail) What do they spend most of their time doing? What is their favorite thing to do? Their Family? How did they discover their interests? Any special interests? Where do they live? Any prized possessions? Any dislikes? Continued on Next Page WAYS TO BECOME 1.4 MORE MARKETABLE How does your character feel about... The other characters in the scene? The place they’re in? Any person, place or thing mentioned that is not present in the scene? Themselves? What they do? Their Family? Their special interests? Their living situation? Prized possessions. Why are they important? Their dislikes. Why don’t they like them? Drop it from your conscious thought before the audition so you can react in the moment! HOW TO AFFORD YOUR 1.5 ACTING CAREER: An Actor’s Career is expensive. “There’s plenty of money in the world out there, all you need to do is go get some.” – Wendy Alane Wright List of Flexible or Creative Jobs A 9-5 job will prevent you from becoming a working actor. You need a job with flexible hours so you can get to auditions. Try to get a job that directly relates to your dream, or a job that is entirely flexible in terms of time. Drive for Lyft or Uber Bartender /Waiter Babysit Sell Stuff On Ebay Affiliate Market (Sell other people’s products for commission) Drive For Instacart Become A Personal Trainer Freelance on Upwork.com Teach Music Lessons Tutor Students Related job ideas to gain more insight into the business NOTES ONLY sign up for short term projects 1-20 days. Set days are 8-16 hours long on your feet. You will have minimal energy after too long. Office P.A. Writers P.A. If you want to produce If you want to write Continued on Next Page HOW TO AFFORD YOUR 1.5 ACTING CAREER: Casting Assistant Agent Assistant Art P.A. If you want to design Assistant in record company Assistant at Studio Set P.A. If you want to be on set Background/Extra Work For set jobs The easiest way to get film jobs to build your resume are by working on Non-Paying Student / Independent Projects. https://www.backstage.com can have crew jobs in addition to acting jobs posted! Background/Extra Work Sign up at Central Casting https://www.centralcasting.com/register/ Get there EARLY, go with a friend and bring a blanket. Sprinklers come on at 5:30am. Most Casting sites also have Extra/Background work listed Look for postings on Craigslist TIPS Set up an IFTTT Applet with search parameters to receive email notifications on new job posting - this way you ARE the first person to see them. Example: Production Assistant, in a few different job categories https://ifttt.com/applets/79p-get-an-email-whenever-a-new-craigslist-post-matches-your-search Continued on Next Page HOW TO AFFORD YOUR 1.5 ACTING CAREER: Get on a boutique Extras casting email list. LOS ANGELES ONLY: Kevin Robert emails out primarily student/non-paying gigs but has the occasional paid SAG-AFTRA project. Only respond to the projects you want - it’s good in the beginning of your career if you want fast onset experience. Good for making friends/connections too. Send him an email at KevinRobertFilms@gmail.com including: You are interested in Extra Work You are in LA You have reliable transportation A headshot A Full Body shot Your Phone number You Email Address Basic Statistics: Height Height Weight Weight Ethnicity Ethnicity HairHair Color Color AgeAge Range Range Gender Gender Tell him “Corissa Baer referred me” Tell him “Thank you for your time Example Continued on Next Page HOW TO AFFORD YOUR 1.5 ACTING CAREER: Ways to Afford your Career/Education Get a job Get a 2nd+ Job Great jobs for Actors http://secretsofatalentmanager.blogspot.com/2014/02/great-jobs-for-actors-get-job-once-you.html?q=top+50+jobs Saving / Frugal Spending / Budgeting 54 Ways to Save Money https://americasaves.org/for-savers/make-a-plan-how-to-save-money/54-ways-to-save-money Passive revenue streams Invest in Real Estate in your 20’s https://fa.financialavenue.org/why-you-should-consider-real-estate-investing-as-early-as-your-20s/ 22 Ways To Create Passive Income: http://www.cityam.com/257114/earn-passive-income-22-ways-create-multiple-streams-income Asking to do work exchange at acting studio for classes Fundraising Bake sale Garage Sale Online funding: Kickstarter, Go Fund Me, Indiegogo + https://www.kickstarter.com/ https://www.gofundme.com/ https://www.indiegogo.com/ https://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/15/how-to-crowdfund-successfully-tips-from-experts.html For Kid/Actors at Home Chores in exchange for money – Relatives OR Neighbors Continued on Next Page HOW TO AFFORD YOUR 1.5 ACTING CAREER: Ask for acting classes for your birthday Youtube channel How to Start A Successful YouTube Channel for Your Business https://www.wix.com/blog/2017/03/how-to-start-a-successful-youtube-channel-for-your-business/ Instagram posts Monetize your page Become a product ambassador or reviewer https://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2016/01/12/how-to-grow-and-monetize-your-instagram-account/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/11/20/how-to-make-money-off-your-instagram- account/#46d4c3126af0 https://go.indiegogo.com/blog/2015/12/film-crowdfunding-statistics-tips-infographic.html https://nofilmschool.com/2014/08/film-finance-101-equity-pre-sales-gap-tax-incentives-deferred-crowdfunding Blog Monetize your Blog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve-Y9siRnDo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPM4e04AeCo Acting Expenses List HOW MUCH YOUR ACTING CAREER WILL COST YOU - 1 YEAR & START UP COSTS. This is not to discourage you! This is to empower you with information and give you realistic expectations so you know why you’re saving and budgeting: We suggest saving $6,000- $10,000 before you move to a big market like LA, NYC, or Atlanta! Classes (Consider how expensive college course can be. You’re buying educational credits) 1 class is $200-$500 a month for 1 day a week. We recommended to attend 1-2 classes a week ($400-$1,000 a month) Continued on Next Page HOW TO AFFORD YOUR 1.5 ACTING CAREER: Memberships to casting sites/job boards (without representation) Actors Access = $68/yr. & $20 to upload per photo, $22 per minute of footage that needs to be uploaded. https://actorsaccess.com/ Subscription site: https://www.showfax.com/ Casting Networks/LA Casting = $170/yr & $25 per photo https://home.lacasting.com/talent/pricing-details-la/ Casting Frontier = $76-96/yr. https://castingfrontier.com/ Backstage = $150/yr. (for job boards) https://www.backstage.com/ TIPS For 1st time members!: They offer a $99/yr if you buy in 17 minutes from hitting the “Join now” button. IMDb = $125/yr https://pro.imdb.com/ Marketing Material Headshots (Updated every 6 - 18 months) 1 Photo Shoot = $250-800 Makeup artist = $50-100 per look Wardrobe for shoot = $0-100 Reproductions = $50-75 for fifty 8”x10” prints Acting Clips $0-$349 Demo Reel Optional Cost: to pay someone to edited = $50-200 Resume Professionally Executed = $0-75+ Reproduction $0.02-0.15 per black & white copy Business Cards Reproductions $20-40 Having them created/designed $0-75 Continued on Next Page HOW TO AFFORD YOUR 1.5 ACTING CAREER: Postcards Reproductions $0.10 per copy. $23 for 500 Postage $0.50 per stamp Having them created/designed $0-75 One Sheet Reproductions $50-75 for fifty 8”x10” prints Having them created/designed $0-100 Social Media Professionally Executed Facebook Professionally maintained = $0-150/300 a month Instagram Professionally maintained = $0-150/300 a month Twitter Professionally maintained = $0-150/300 a month Website Unused domain name = $1-20 renews yearly Domain hosting = $48-150 a year Professionally Executed: $0-1300 Equipment Self Tape Gear Tri-Pod $8-60 Lighting $12-200 Mic $0-100 Camera $0-1,200 Smartphone $0-600 Printer $0-100 Printer ink $16-80 for 190 pages Transportation Car 0-10,000 Gas 150/month Insurance 30-150/month Public Transit 300/Month Emergency rideshare predicted usage on average $40/month Continued on Next Page HOW TO AFFORD YOUR 1.5 ACTING CAREER: Yearly Education $4,800 - $12,000 For all Online site subscriptions $489-$550 Site content (2 x 1 min clips, 2 paid headshots per site) $134 Marketing materials & reproductions $661-$3560 Transportation $300-$340 month Self tape set up $38-$2340 Entirely thorough Acting career expenses can range from roughly 6,422-19,624 per year give or take! Not including Monthly Living expenses on average. Monthly Living Expenses Rent $700-1,000 Food $200-400 Phone $50-100 Parking $30-100 Total = $980-1,600 Read More CLICK TO GO TO LINK FREE APP to track your finances https://www.mint.com/ GETTING EXPERIENCE 1.6 FOR YOUR RESUME Where you can begin gaining experience for your confidence AND resume. Checklist DO EACH OF THE FOLLOWING Local Theatre Research your local theaters online Search the internet for local theaters. Enter your city, state, and the words “stage theaters” in google. Visit local theaters, attend theater performances, ask questions, tour the theater, and find out what types of shows each theater produces and how and when you can audition. Scan the newspapers. Your local paper will list current theater productions. Ask the requirements for joining. Some communities theaters are free, some have dues. Background/Extra Work Sign up at Central Casting https://www.centralcasting.com/register/ Get there EARLY, go with a friend and bring a blanket. Sprinklers come on at 5:30am. Most Casting sites also have Extra/Background work listed Look for postings on Craigslist TIPS Set up an IFTTT Applet with search parameters to receive email notifications on new job posting - this way you ARE the first person to see them. Example: Production Assistant, in a few different job categories https://ifttt.com/applets/79p-get-an-email-whenever-a-new-craigslist-post-matches-your-search GETTING EXPERIENCE 1.6 FOR YOUR RESUME Get on a boutique Extras casting email list. LOS ANGELES ONLY: Kevin Robert emails out primarily student/non-paying gigs but has the occasional paid SAG-AFTRA project. Only respond to the projects you want - it’s good in the beginning of your career if you want fast onset experience. Good for making friends/connections too. Send him an email at KevinRobertFilms@gmail.com including: You are interested in Extra Work You are in LA You have reliable transportation A headshot A Full Body shot Your Phone number You Email Address Basic Statistics: Height Height Weight Weight Ethnicity Ethnicity HairHair Color Color AgeAge Range Range Gender Gender Tell him “Corissa Baer referred me” Tell him “Thank you for your time Example GETTING EXPERIENCE 1.6 FOR YOUR RESUME More Ways To Get Experience Improv/Comedy Troupe Improv groups, improvisational theatre companies or improv troupes, are the primary practitioners of improvisational theater. Modern companies exist around the world and at a range of skill levels. Most groups make little or no money, while a few, well-established groups are profitable. Start an Improv Troupe How to Start A Troupe https://www.gocomedy.net/go-u-blog/2017/2/24/how-to-start-a-troupe Improv groups in the United States https://improwiki.com/en/list_of_improv_groups_from/united%20states/us Stand up Comedy Find a local comedy club to perform How to Become A Stand Up Comedian https://www.backstage.com/backstage-guides/how-become-standup-comedian/ 6 Ways Not To Suck At Stand Up Comedy http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-ways-to-not-suck-at-stand-up-comedy/ How To Write Stand Up Comedy Material http://www.goldcomedy.com/resources/write-stand-up-comedy/ 13 Suggestions For Getting Booked As A Stand Up http://devincomedy.com/getting-booked-as-a-stand-up-comedian/ Community Theater Is a place where amateur theater productions are put on for the community. Find flyers around town announcing local plays Contact the community theater and ask to stop by or audition. Find Theater listings in your local newspapers How To Get Involved In Community Theater https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Involved-in-Community-Theater 1.8 RESUME FORMAT All you need to get your resume up to industry standard. True for your physical resume & your online profile resumes. How to Create A Properly Formatted Resume CLICK CIRCLE TO DOWNLOAD EXAMPLE RESUME FILE Do's Name along the top. Make it obvious/first thing you see. List your own contact info IN ADDITION to your representation. What if you switch reps and they want to get a hold of you? Cut resume and headshot to 8” x 10” Staple, glue, ATTACH resume to reverse side of headshot. Put Statistics: Height, Weight, Body Type, Eye Color, Hair Color Be consistent in font, font sizes & in capitalizations Don'ts No distracting design elements No Hard to read fonts No Awards/Accolades No Beauty Pageants No Extra/Featured Background Work. EVER. Continued on Next Page 1.8 RESUME FORMAT All you need to get your resume up to industry standard. True for your physical resume & your online profile resumes. No “Featured” title anywhere. We know it’s background No Dates No Cities (unless, Chicago NY or London) No misaligned columns No Attaching 8½” x 11” resumes attached to 8” x 10” headshots NO coming in to meetings/auditions with separated resume & headshot Order of Credit Categories TELEVISION FILM WEBSERIES/NEW MEDIA COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL MUSIC VIDEO PRINT (MODELING) THEATRE TRAINING SPECIAL SKILLS EXCEPTIONAL ACTING AWARDS* TIPS *When one of your films win an Award, put a * next to the title. At the bottom of your resume explain the award EXAMPLE * Won best supporting actress at the Sundance film fest First Credits to Cut: (KEEP A LIST OF ALL PREVIOUS CREDITS SO YOU DON’T FORGET) Assuming you want to be a film & TV actor: Those are the OPTIMAL/only credits you want on your resume eventually 1st Print/model & commercials/industrials (unless very Notable) 2nd Music Videos Continued on Next Page 1.8 RESUME FORMAT Example Resume: Name along the top. Make it obvious/first thing you see. Statistics: Height, Weight, Body Type, Eye Color, Hair Color List your own contact info IN ADDITION to your representation. What if you switch reps and they want to get a hold of you? Aligned Columns Continued on Next Page 1.8 RESUME FORMAT Billing TV/WEBSERIES SERIES REGULAR RECURRING CHARACTER GUEST STAR CO-STAR FILM LEAD PRINCIPAL SUPPORTING COMMERCIAL PRINCIPAL SUPPORTING Be vague about brands. You can always put = (Conflicts available upon request) OR = (Commercial Reel Available Upon Request). This prevents you from missing opportunities with competing brands and you do not have to list any credits THEATRE NAME OF CHARACTER You can always put in parentheses (Lead) or (Supporting) next to the characters name if the play is not extremely well known and you had a substantial role. If you have an infinite list of theatre do not list them all. Instead write Partial List in parenthesis next to the title Theater to indicate there’s more online. This makes room for all of your film & tv credits! TRAINING SKILL LEARNED NAME OF INSTRUCTOR WHERE YOU TOOK THE CLASS (NO VAGUE PROGRAM NAMES) SPECIAL SKILLS ANY MARKETABLE SKILL Examples: Dancing, balloon animals, weapons, bar tending skills, rock climbing, card shuffling, origami. 1.8 RESUME FORMAT BONUS TIPS List an additional headshot somewhere along the top of your resume. This is an opportunity to show range. Have a separate Commercial/Modeling resume that features your commercial work & any print / modeling you’ve done. Submit this to any APPROPRIATE (Commercial/Modeling) projects List out commercials Ambiguous Product Description ~ Your Billing ~ Prod. Co. /Dir. Major Food Brand - Supporting - Midnight Sun Prod. Co. Major Cellular Carrier - Principal - Orange Dream Machine Prod. Co. National Cereal Brand - Supporting - Dir. Matthew Drameter 1.9 HEADSHOTS Headshots are your first impression and having unprofessional ones can tell casting all the wrong things. Checklist TO GET THE BEST VALUE FROM YOUR SESSION CHECK THESE BOXES BEFOREHAND. Assess General Types https://www.backstage.com/backstage-guides/how-find-your-type-actor/ Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 How to assess your type See How to Page on Public Type Assessment Get your type assessed by a professional http://www.secretsofahollywoodtalentmanager.com/typecast http://www.beaworkingactor.com/consultations.html Attend A type Assessment + Marketing Class http://www.beaworkingactor.com/home.html Collect Wardrobe that is in Alignment with Types https://poyeyphotos.com/headshots/marketing-look-wardrobe-samples/ http://michaelroud.com/shooting-info/ Wardrobe Type 1 Wardrobe Type 2 Wardrobe Type 3 Practice Expressions at Home or FREE shoots Continued on Next Page 1.9 HEADSHOTS Find a Solid photographer https://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/how-find-right-headshot- photographer/ Book a Session! TIPS Put your headshot to the test! Rate your Headshot Tool - Barb Jones Photography http://www.barbjonesphotography.com/rateyourheadshottool.pdf Online Websites ratemyheadshot.com Is not as good as it once was, but you post 1 shot and rate 3 other people’s headshots. Then you get some feedback on yours! Online Groups Headshot Critiques https://www.facebook.com/groups/headshotcritique/ Casting Directors for Actors https://www.facebook.com/groups/CastingDirectorsForActors/ KEEP IN MIND: - It can be helpful if you have some awareness of your general types going in - Based on feedback ,take note if your headshots match your type. - You always want to be immediately recognizable from your headshots - No odd angles 1.9 HEADSHOTS How to Assess Your Own Type Collect 15-50 first impressions from the General Public Tools: ClipBoard, Pen/Pens, 15-50 copies of HWC Public Type Assessment Form Download HWC Public Type Assessment Form (click form to download) Go to public places to collect these. Suggested places: Outside movie theatres (When movies are letting out) Lines. In LA: Central Casting Line Sporting events Anywhere. Malls don’t allow “soliciting”. You can do it anyway but be discreet. Brand new classmates are good too (1st class or 2nd class w/ them) Words when approaching strangers: “Could you please help me with some homework?”, “Could I please have your opinion for 1 minute?” etc Stand 10-12 feet away Tally the results: Ta-Da Continued on Next Page 1.9 HEADSHOTS TECHNICAL NOTES Most common type cast methods ranked: 1st) in person i.e. From typecasting professionals & public surveys 2nd) through a video Analyzing video of you just being you = Talking straight to the camera, for roughly 30-60 seconds, sharing a story about you i.e. online professionals, online groups 3rd) through a picture i.e. online professionals, online groups if you do get type cast over a photo know that unless your photo is an exact representation is you… you could have a skewed type assessment. Continued on Next Page HWC Public Type Assessment Form WHEN YOU LOOK AT ME, WHAT DO YOU SEE? (CIRCLE ALL THAT APPLY) All-American Hottie/Eye Candy Artist/Musician Laborer (Blue Collar Worker) Athlete Lawyer Bad Girl/Bad Boy Nemesis Best Friend Psychotic/Crazy Bitch/Jerk Quirky One/Comic Relief Boss/Business Owner Rebel (Tough/Gang) Boy Next Door / Girl Next Door Regular/every day person Collegiate Seducer/Seductress Cop/Law Enforcement/Military Slacker Dad/Mom Socialite (Millionaire/Up-Scale) Doctor/Nurse/Medical Teacher/Wise One Intellect (Scientist/Philosopher) Victim (Innocent One) Hero (Leading Lady/Leading Man) Villainess/Villian CIRCLE THE AGE YOU THINK I AM: High School Mid 20's Early 30's Late 30's Fifties Seventies Early 20's Late 20's Mid 30's Forties Sixties Eighties
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