I went to college. Started as a Sports & Movement Science major, wanted to be a GM of a sports team originally, realized I hated Business, switched to Communications sophomore year, wasn't motivated that much about Journalism, took my first acting class senior year and loved it. Now I want to be an actor. I know they don't get job stability unless you've made it big. But I got loans coming up and my mom is really frustrated that I can't just work a journalism job or some kind of copy editing job. I'm not confident in a lot of Communications jobs like those and plus my professor for journalism was terrible. Most of the class dropped her course in a matter of two months, including me. I got two part-time jobs right now but they are so basic. Decent money but that's it. What do I do to start my acting career? Take acting classes? How do I join the Screen Actors Guild and get auditions?
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I guess I was never fully invested in any career until it was too late huh? I feel so stupid...
If you don't like business, you probably won't like a professional acting career. After all it is show BUSINESS - people are in to make money, not make your dreams come true. There are not a bunch of open auditions you can go to. For most professional work you have to be invited to audition, usually through an agent and you can't just join the union, you need a specific type of experience to be eligible to join.
Basically you'd be starting and running a business where you are the product to be marketed and sold. You'd need to understand the casting process (agents, breakdowns, casting directors); types of contracts ( commercial, theatrical, new media; television, music video, etc); legal issues (unions, taxes); marketing (head shots, resume, show reel, website, social media) and networking. It's not that you get an agent and they take care of that - this is YOUR career and YOU would need to be the CEO of it. Brian O'Nel has a good book about Acting as a Business and the Backstage website has articles about the industry. You can even check out the SAG-AFTRA website and take a look at the various types of agreements (theatrical, low budget, ultra low budget, short project); scale pay rates, rules about residuals, travel reimbursements, etc.
You need to be good at business because acting is EXTREMELY competitive. There are 100,000 professional, union actors just in LA. Tens of thousands more in other cities, thousands of more established interactional actors - all competing for jobs. That's not counting the hundreds of thousands of wannabe, nonunion actors like you. It's not unusual for an actor to book one job out of every 50-100 auditions. You need to research and keep on top of the industry and what projects are coming up that you would be good for. You need to know who the main casting directors are that cast the type of roles you'd be good in - and find out how to let them know about you, your skills and convince them to invite you to audition. Plus scams and rip offs prey on people who don't understand the business end of the industry.
As for what you should do for a career? I have no idea. Plus these days it's not like people have one career and stay with that their entire life. Maybe there are some career counselors in your area that you could talk to about options. Or maybe just focus on how you can make a meaningful contribution to your community and gain a sense of purpose while you work a job to get buy.
Good luck.
It takes, on average, seven years for anyone, even if they're very talented, to get enough training and experience to get an agent and any real auditions.
Even after all that, typically, a fully-trained, very experienced actor will never get more than ten days' paid acting work a year.
The money you'd need to put into a career in acting is always going to be hundreds of times more than you'll ever get out of it!
You'd also need a lot more basic education. Actors have to be really excellent at English, have huge general knowledge and high intelligence.
No-one is ever interested in beginners. And if you're hoping for 'decent money, acting is the last profession you should be thinking of!
Almost all actors have to work very long hours in their 'day-jobs' which they work alongside acting, just to afford a room to live in and food, clothes, etc.
I don't want to sound mean, but you evidently have no idea at all about what it takes to be a professional actor.
I'd suggest finding a more realistic career.
The good news, it's never too late to get into acting. The bad news, it's not that simple.
For starters, you can't go to auditions for professional work, they're not open to the general public. This is show BUSINESS. Productions invest TONS of money, they need to know it's in the hands of people who know what they're doing. So they use the best agents in town, who only take on highly-trained and highly-experienced people. You can't just join the guild either, you'd need *professional* and very specific experience.
So start by building a strong resume: training in the form of a TOP acting school, as well as workshops and such. In addition, non-professional experience in the form of indie and student films, and community theater. Land leading roles. Win awards. Take vocal and dancing lessons, as well as anything else to boost your resume (horseback riding, martial arts, acrobatics, dialects, etc). This takes about a decade! Then legit agents will be willing to consider you, probably through a referral.
Lastly, learn the business(!) side of acting. You need to be willing and capable (also financially!) of running a business where you are its product(!).
In order to be a good actor/actress, you need to have knowledge of business. There is A LOT of paperwork involved with setting up gigs and getting contracts. You're gonna need to know what you're getting into before you sign on the dotted line, otherwise you could get scammed. I suggest you go into Business Administration and minor in Acting. It's never too late to become an actor. Acting is different from modeling, where age DOES matter but age does not matter in the acting world. Actors come in many shapes, sizes, and ages.
All that matter is you have talent and are happy doing what you're doing. But you can't just break into acting blind. You need to have educational knowledge so you know what to do when faced with the paperwork. Definitely reconsider going back into business major. You don't have to "like" business but guess what? You WILL become a businessperson when you become an actor/actress! Instead of selling some invention you made, you'll be selling your talent. Good luck!
You don't just join SAG. You have to have 3 SAG approved acting credits to apply.
You have no clue whatsoever about working in the arts. I have made every single dollar in my life since 1973 as a full-time classical musician and teacher of music - classroom and studio. It was teaching SCHOOL music(both of us) that paid our bills - so we could perform as much as we wished. MAN UP and get a job at which you can work towards advancement and $$. You think we lived every day of teaching SCHOOL??? Want to act in local community theater - volunteer, unpaid, etc?? They might not even take you, after ONE CLASS in college. You are acting like a baby - and lucky that Mom does not kick you out.