How To Get Started In The Acting Business

Step 1

Your First Step to Becoming an Actor: Many guys graduate from college and head to LA to become actors because they think acting is easy and all they have to do is “pretend”. This is far from the truth… The sooner an aspiring actor enrolls in an acting class, the sooner he will be on his way to becoming a successful actor. Those guys who think they know everything and refuse to commit the time needed for attending acting classes are doomed for failure. Read what you can do in your hometown to help you become an actor.

Step 2

Actors Must Be Located in Big Cities: Yes, actors can earn money from television commercials and appear in motion pictures that are filmed outside of major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, but the opportunities may be limited If you are thinking about getting into acting, there is one thing you should do first and foremost, before a thinking about a headshot or before pursuing roles, etc.

Step 3

Sign up for an acting "class" in your hometown or in the nearest city as soon as possible. Now, before we tell you why you need to get into an acting class, you need to understand the different between an acting class taught by an independent actor versus a college course at your university.

Step 4

Choose an Acting Class that is not a college course: While your college may offer an acting class, your university may require you to meet prerequisites and take many other shitty classes before you even get to read your first line. They are concerned with teaching the "theory" of acting. This can mean waiting for several college semesters before you can actually get in the class you want. The trouble is, you need to find out if acting is really for you. So, sign up for a small, inexpensive acting class taught by an independent veteran actor in your city.

Step 5

This "class" is a not a "college credit" class. It is more of a small group that a veteran actor in your city organizes which meets every week in a church, meeting room or free space. These classes usually meet once or twice a week and cost $15-20 each. (So, if you sign up for a 6 week class, it will cost you $120 or more.) The instructor probably offers classes on his own and will not likely be part of a formal organization. The best instructors are a one-man shop and have the capacity of teaching only 10-12 people at one time. However, you may be able to sit in and observe one class (to try it out) for free or for only $20. This is called "auditing" the class.

Step 6

Steps to get yourself into an acting class in your city:

Step 7

1) Get a weekly newspaper or any newspaper that has an arts section that lists plays that are being performed in your city.

Step 8

2) Phone the theatre's box office and ask if they can give you the name and phone number of an acting teacher in town. This will likely be his cell phone or home phone. He will not have an office with a staff. The person answering the phone will likely be an actor who works at the theater to pay his bills. Don't be timid. If you cannot phone and obtain this information, you will never make it as an actor.

Step 9

3) Phone the class teacher to say you wish to either "audit" a class or enroll - whichever is possible. You want to pay the least amount of money because you do not even know if you want to become an actor. Now is NOT the time to invest $650. Remember, we just want you to get into one single class and make a decision after the class.

Step 10

4) Go to the class. And do not be late. Arrive 15 minutes early and talk to anyone else in the class. Try to get the email address of any guy or girl in the class who is your age.

Step 11

Acting Class is a Valuable Network: Think of this acting class as more of a network of everyone in your city who wants to act or is acting. This network will give you information and advice that you would not receive if you were not part of a class. Yes, you will learn much by attending several classes, but the "acting business" information you receive is very valuable. You will learn more accurate information about legit auditions, headshots, books to read and auditions, etc., through this network than you will through the Internet or on your own.

Step 12

Don't worry about choosing the best acting class or waiting to take a "better" class in a large city. Just get your body inside an acting class as soon as you can. You can always switch to a different class later. It is more important to experience what you need to experience as soon as you can. If you have a choice, chose one that requires you to pay the least amount of money. Paying a large amount of money is not going to make you into an actor. Getting your ass into a acting class will.