Okay, you’ve taken 1 class and three seminars.  Now what?

The first thing would be to look into more training.  Training will be on-going.  Therefore assume that taking more classes will be a given with all lessons.

First – you do not want to attempt to contact an agency until you are ready.  Second – You must be confident in your ability to execute the craft.  Third – Your focus should be on getting your resume together.  Meaning, you need to find work!  It’s a catch 22 – you have to have something on your resume before you can get work.  Makes sense, right?  So, how do you go about this magical trick – EXTRA EXTRA!!! 

If you are over 18 and totally new to acting then you do not have those high school productions to put on your resume.  Yes, you can start a resume with your high school work.  Your ACTING resume must include acting gigs – high school plays and musicals, kindergarten production of “I’m a little Teapot”, church Easter pagent, your role as baby Jesus in your churches Christmas production.  It’s acting.  But that is the stuff you list if you are still in high school!  If you have graduated high school then you will need to get gigs via the route of community theater or as an EXTRA!

Now, in respect to getting gigs as an extra.  I got my first extra gig after taking a class at Beau Bonneau’s studio in San Francisco in 1995.  Sure, I had high school productions to list on a resume.  But I had been out of high school for quite a while at that point.  Actually, I was still fresh out of the military.  My high school info would have been a joke on a resume at that point.

After the class, I signed up with the Bonneau studio and booked my first extra spot on a commerical for a bank.  No, it was not necessary to take a class to get registered with them.  But it just made sense to take classes with a casting agency (not to be confused with a talent agency – lesson coming soon) that casted extras! 

So, here’s what you need to do.  Type CASTING AGENCIES and your city or state into a search engine.  You should get a list of casting agencies that are in close proximity to you.  Most agency’s prefer that you be within a 100 mile radius of their office.  This is mainly so that you can be on set ON TIME if you are booked. Many agencies now allow you to register on their website.  For example: Check out Glorioso Casting in Sherveport, LA.  The “get into the sene” tab is the link to registering as an extra.  Follow the guidelines listed on the casting agencies page.

ALERT ALERT ALERT – –  NEVER pay a casting agency, talent agency or anyone claiming they can make you famous!!!!!!  IT IS A SCAM!  Reputable agencies are normally listed with the Better Business Bureau, have a list of credits on their website – Heck, HAVE a website!! and legitimate contact information on their site.  DO NOT CALL THEM!!  Follow the instructions for the registration.  This will be your first test with them.  If you can’t follow basic instructions, trust me on this, they will not want you on their set.  And should you happen to get on a set and act as if you were raised by wolves, you will never be asked back.

Here’s your homework:

  • Study actor’s resumes.  Check IMDb, ActorsPage and other sources to see how resume’s are formatted.
  • Start compiling your work in the correct format.
  • Never done this before?  Search for CASTING AGENCIES in your area.  Hopefully you are near a major Metropolitan area.  Most small towns just have community theater.  I’m in the Dallas Market.  Dallas has gotten a lot of work lately.  Over the past 3 years we have had several major network shows (The Deep End (Fox), The Good Guys (Fox), Chase (NBC), GCB (ABC) and the newly revamped Dallas series (premieres June 13 on TNT).
  • Find an acting class and start building relationships

Until next time . . . Break a Leg!