JUST FOR THE ACTORS
While the other posts on this blog have good general information for anyone moving to Los Angeles, I thought I'd make at least one blog entry specifically for those of you thinking about moving to L.A. to pursue your acting careers. Below are some facts, suggestions and other info that might help you further your career, keep your sanity and avoid some of the dangers that are out there in La-La-Land.
SO YOU'RE AN ACTOR, EH?
The downside of being an actor in LA, is that anyone with good abs and a headhsot calls themselves an actor (or "actor/model"...kiss of death). So unless you are actually making a living on tv or in movies plying your craft, no one is going to give you much attention when they hear you are an actor. But the upside of being an actor in LA, is that it's where most of the paying acting gigs are. So if you are talented, professional, driven, savvy, well-connected, a specific "type" and a bit lucky, you can make a living as an actor in Hollywood. Now talent you can't teach and luck is just that, "luck"- but the rest you can certainly work on. Be a "professional" actor- meaning you keep your skills, your body, and your mind in good shape. You study and understand the "Industry"- how it works, what is happening now and on the horizon. You keep your headshots, resumes, websites, business cards and other materials up to date and of a professional level. You "network". You stay positive. And you make sure you keep the idea of pursuing an art form like Acting on a separate plane from the day-to-day, ins and outs of being a professional worker in an Industry. How? Well I can't adequately answer this in a blog post. But here are few things to know:
1. WHO ARE YOU?
Now we all know that any actor can play any part. acting is acting, and finding the truth in a character and bringing that truth to life through your instrument is what every serious actor trains to do. But that doesn't mean you are right for every role. And knowing your "type" to use a horrible word, is particularly important in Los Angeles. What no one ever told me(and what hindered my acting career) was that no one really cares about your "range" or all the different kinds of characters you have or could play. Hollywood doesn't value a "jack of all trades". They want to know the one type of role/character you "perfectly fit." My strength as an actor, the one thing I had over most other actors, was my versatility. Regional theaters loved me because I could be fit into almost any play- I could go from Shakespearian tragedy to Neil Simon comedy to rock musicals with just a wig and a costume change. But when the camera is 6 inches away, they don't care how versatile you are. I spent two years "almost getting the part" but losing out in the last stages of call backs because while I may have acted better than the actor who got the role, an could play 10 other roles better than he could, that other actor "was" that character. It was a bitter pill to swallow and no one took the time to tell me this. I had to learn it the hard way and do a lot of remedial "image" work- really figuring out how I came off to Casting Directors- what were my "signature qualities" my "essence." So make sure you know how the Industry sees you. And then tailor your career accordingly.
2. YOU WON'T BE DOING MUCH SHAKESPEARE
You want to do interesting roles from classic plays? Do regional theater. You want to tackle challenging roles in new american dramas? Go do theater in New York. You want to play a young lawyer with five lines on Scandal, or a waiter with one line and a funny eye roll on The Big Bang Theory, or a drug dealer or a cop with one expository scene on a CSI (insert city name here)? Then come to Hollywood! The jobs that are available for actors lie mainly in episodic television. So you won't get much rehearsal time, if any. Your job will be to come to set prepared, hit your mark, say your lines, do not upstage, annoy or be better in the scene than the show's regulars/stars, and do not cause the production to run over schedule. If you are a "pro" you will get work and become a "working actor". If you are a prima donna, star-struck, late to set, don't have lines down cold, or otherwise unprofessional, you will soon be ignored by the entire city. But the plus side is that unlike much of the theater work in New York or regional theater, the work in L.A. (when you get it) pays well. So if you know this and do not expect the roles you get to be meaty, deeply dimensional, challenging work that embrace all the wonderful aspects of your art and craft, you can be happy as an actor in L.A. Go do your deep challenging acting work in classes and in theater (which there actually is in L.A....just very few people actually go to it).
3. ACTING CLASSES ARE A MUST
This is true for any serious actor in any city. But since L.A. is a "networking" town- meaning you get along and get ahead by "who you know" then you need to get to know people. And acting classes, on top of being vital for keeping your skills sharp, are a great place to meet other actors (and even sometimes directors) who can become friends, colleagues, and resources for you to find agents, hear about auditions, get day jobs, etc. They are not competition, they are colleagues and a support system. Don't be jealous if someone got a role. Be happy for them. They'll be happy for you. Find your peers and engage with them with respect.
So you must find the quality classes and teachers in the area. There are thousands of classes and teachers in LA. Some are great, and many are crap and some are literally crooks taking advantage of desperate young actor wannabes. Be methodical in how you choose a class. Ask yourself and answer for yourself "What exactly am I looking for in a class/teacher?" Research the classes and instructors. Who teaches there? Can anyone go or do you have to audition? (FYI- If "anyone can go", then chances are you are gonna be in a class with anyone who could not get into a class they had to audition for.) Ask other actors you like and respect where they study.
I personally will recommend just a few places only as I have personally witnessed/experienced them to be of quality. Check them out but ultimately you must find the school/class/teacher that challenges and fulfills your own specific goals.
Lelsie Kahn: This is the one name every trained actor knows (or should). She is the "Bob Krakower of the West Coast" (If you do not know who Bob Krakower is, check out our NYC sister blog at http://wolfefilm-lifeinnyc.blogspot.com/2016/02/jobsjobsjobs.html )
She is hard to get to and get appointments with but if you can, you should.
http://www.leslykahn.comShe is hard to get to and get appointments with but if you can, you should.
William Cowart/WCI Studios: I have known William Cowart for 25 years. He is a fine actor and dedicated teacher. His students support each other and they find work. http://www.wcistudios.com/instructors.html
Scott Sedita: voted best acting teacher by Backstage West, there are classes in various areas of the craft. http://scottseditaacting.com
Howard Fine Studio is a name most actors in LA know. Been around for 25 years. A good place to start out looking for classes. http://www.howardfine.com
Upright Citizens Brigade: Improv classes. It's becoming a bit of a factory in how it's run, but teachers are trained there and advance classes well worth the time if you can get in. http://losangeles.ucbtrainingcenter.com/faq
4. GET TO KNOW THE CASTING DIRECTORS
More important than an agent or manager, Casting Directors are who actually cast movies and t.v. They keep files and call in/request specific actors they know and like. So if they know you and like you, then you work. How to make them know you and like you? Well for starters- when you are at an audition, be prepared, be professional and be "easy to work with". If you are these things and give a quality reading, they will take note of it (because there are soooo many actors in L.A .who do not do this). If you are a pest or unprofessional or- excuse my vulgarity- an ass, they will make note of that too. Now this won't happen in one shot, but as you continue see them in a few auditions, and make friendly reminders there that you auditioned for them before, you will start to build a professional relationship with them, and they will remember you and what you bring to the table. And there ya go. It's a "long game" strategy you have to employ. It's not quid pro quo. It's not "what have you done for me lately." Be a pro and you'll get treated like a pro.
5. YOU DON'T WANT AN AGENT...YOU WANT THE RIGHT AGENT
An agent is not some magic ticket to stardom. An agent is a lawyer who does contracts and makes deals. And if they are "good" agents, they love actors and the craft, and have a desire to help actors they like and respect fulfill their creative and professional goals. But even if you are lucky enough to find a "good" agent, you will still have to do all the work. Your career is just that- your career. You are the CEO of your acting career. You have to find the jobs (again why knowing casting directors is so important). You have to tell your agent what kind of actor you are and what kind of career you want. You have to be pro-active. Only after people start asking for you, will an agent start making calls for you. Agents are not managers anymore. The business dynamic changed with Mike Ovitz a few decades back, and the reality is, signing with a big agency may be a big mistake, if you are not yet at a level to swim with the big fish. You want an agent that understands you- where you currently are professionally and what you want out of your career, and who believes that they can help you achieve it. For newer actors, it's often better to have an agent at a boutique agency, with fewer clients vying for their time and focus, so you get more personal attention. When you are big enough for CAA, or William Morris/Endeavor, don't worry. They will find you.
6. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY YOU
I know you know it, but it needs to be repeated. The best actor does not always get the job. And being good often times has little or nothing to do with whether you get a role or not. So much of that decision is based on parameters that are out of your control. If you start basing your sense of "success"or worse, "how good you are" only on if you are booking the roles or not, you will become bitter very soon. And no one likes to hire a bitter actor. So cherish and respect the craft. Keep it pure. Go to class. Work on scenes, observe others.
Prepare for auditions as much as you possibly can i.e. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. then go in and relax and breathe and listen and do the job...enjoy it if possible. I once heard a casting director say "You do your work at home so you can play in the audition." That's a good way to approach it. And know going into the room and out of the room that it will not be the last/only audition or job you will get or lose. It is one line the narrative that is your professional life.
7. TO USE SENSE MEMORY, YOU NEED MEMORIES
I say this in another section of the blog but I'll restate it just for you thespians. Do not become so consumed with your work and career that you forget to live your life. You are young and vital and in a big city. Love being young and vital and in a big city. Take advantage of the experiences this time and place afford you. The cliche "you are only young once" becomes more and more true the oder you get. So don't waste all ofyour youth trying to short cut a career path. Create memories with friends and lovers and family. They will make/keep you happy and more centered as a person, and will give you lots of wonderful emotions and memories to draw from in your acting career. Cherish your life experiences. They will last longer than your money and your fame.
BLOG CATEGORIES:
These categories can be found at the bottom of every page so you can navigate your way from one to another.
No comments:
Post a Comment