IAmAnArtist.com Blog

Alot of people believe that acting is all about being or portraying someone else and that it can only come from within you. They believe that you are born with it. The truth in the real world is that you can learn it by proper training and constantly practicing. There are millions of actors across the globe but only a handful of them are true exceptional people that let out their talents. And those that do are easily grabbed by hollywood. You're probably asking your self, do you have it in you? If it's in you and you have the determination, then you have what it takes to be grabbed by hollywood.

There are some that will take the short cut but most will fail miserably. You need to be focused and keep at it because persistence will pay off at the end. How do you think most people in hollywood made it? Not everyone is lucky to have their first break in a huge budgeted film. How likely is that for the every day person? Not so. So what you have to do is keep trying and if you read further you'll see how to achive this.



Where should you start? Well, for the most part, a good education in arts and theatre helps. If you're short on cash, there's other ways that you can still get an education as well as learn the basic techniques. Do some reasearch on the internet for your local areas. Don't start by buying a ticket to LA and expect to find something there right away. There's thousads of people already ahead of you. By going local, you get the experience, the knowledge, and a few contacts.

One of the things that came across in my years is: "The Learning Annex" I came across many actors/actresses that were trying to make their big break but didn't have the money to learn different things in respect to the film industry. So they dished out $25-$100 dollars to get some basic knowledge through the learning annex and met so many contacts through that. Now many of you might not have the resources like that in your area, so you should try to go and find something locally.



A great place to start is craigslist.org . You can find many casting jobs and auditions to what you see here on IamAnArtist.com as well as find training facilities that teach you the basics of acting and the film production industry. By far if you have the resources to get a formal education, you should certainly take that into consideration first and foremost. This type of education will teach you the fundementals of acting and history of acting and the various types of techniques. It not only provides rich history but gives you the formal training to perform in front of a live audience. You don't need to move to LA :) You can simply start by local performance houses or your local church. It's a great starting experience and will give you enough confidence.

You may not get the money upfront but that's not what it's about in the begining. You need to get your foot in the door. Talent agents, casting agents, are people just like you and me and they all attend church and local community events. You never know who you might run into one day. Go get your local news paper and start looking for opportunities. But before you do, you need to understand the auditing process as well. You can't simply walk in and try your luck. It's tough because they'll be hundered others like you trying out for the same part. So be prepared and have yourself a good auditioning tape/DVD/resume. A demo reel is important when lookig to be casted. You might find that there aren't any local art houses or theatres in your area. This might lead you to move else where, if you have the resources, that would be great, otherwise you'll need to get yourself a camera and a few friends of yours to help you shoot your dramatic scenes.

As you continue to practice and keep that effort going, you will see yourself improve. After you gain a little bit more confidence, you may try moving to bigger cities like NY and LA. You will find jobs easily as long as your talent is kept up to date. You'll soon learn the ins and outs of the industry as well as establish new contacts. At this point, you should think about joining a Union, such as the Screen Actors Guild. These guilds have higher wages for their members so it certainly helps you out.

Best thing to do at this point, is to keep look out for casting calls, auditions in your local newspaper, or website. And continue your efforts along this route and you will be on your way ...

Good luck on your success in becoming an actor.

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