Are you an aspiring actor? Do you have a love for different characters and people? But you have never been told where to start? I am here to help. As once a child actress and acting coach for people all around the world, I have learned the ins and outs of the industry and know what is needed to put your best foot forward into this crazy industry.

Acting Lessons

Acting, like any other craft, you must dedicate a part of yourself to your training. Just like you want to be in a movie, athletes want to be in the NFL. It takes dedication and time. First you must know it doesn’t happen over night or in a few months. There are many acting coaches in Texas and even over zoom. They can be pretty pricey, so you have to try to find something in your pricing range that is beneficial to you. You’re training also must be for film, as much as your local theatre helps you learn, it isn’t the same as on camera acting. You must learns tips and techniques for how to act on camera.

Headshots

Having a professional headshot can make all the difference in your submissions to auditions and for open calls at agencies.  They are your number one marketing tool to put your best face forward for exposure. It is important to find a photographer that focuses primarily on acting and modeling headshots as there are certain looks casting directors except. A great Texas headshot photographer is Shea Anne Studios. Shea was a model for Ford Models for many years before switching to behind the camera.

For more information visit, https://sheaannestudios.com/.

Agency

Once you have your headshots and began your acting lessons, you can began seeking representation. Having an agent allows for them to submit you for projects to casting directors. Usually agencies will have open calls to come in with your headshot resume. They will typically give you slides to try with a reader since you are still a beginner and don’t have enough footage for a reel. Make sure to come in dressed like your headshot or similar, you want them to see what you would be like walking in an audition. Be comfortable and go with the flow and be open to new ideas. Try not come in with a fixed idea or outcome, be flexible. That is how majority of auditions will be.  Yes be professional and have questions but also remain true to yourself. You want an agent that knows you and will advocate for who you are and the roles you want.

Self Submission

Whilst seeking representation, you can get started on those auditions through self submission. There are many sites that allow you to submit for different projects in your area. The main ones for Texas is Casting Networks and Actors Access. These are great sites to began your journey as a new actor. Try submitting for roles you could see yourself in. A great way to figure out your cast type is finding actors who are similar to you (either look or vibe) and research their work. Try to become familiar with recent shows and commercials. Think about how you would try to do the role. I know you probably won’t hear this in any other profession but go watch more television. It is important to watch shows outside of your basic go-to or niche genre. You will began to understand the differentiating tone some shows expect. For example, The CW Network one hour drama vs a HBO one hour drama or learning differences of single cam vs multi-cam comedy. This will help you know how to dress for your audition and the tone of the show. So for example, the CW uses lots of greens and dark colors in their wardrobe. The acting is very intense and mysterious. While on the other hand, A CBS multi-cam comedy is going to have pastel sets and wardrobe with high energy fast paced acting. These are all things new actors will slowly began to realize and understand where they fit in that puzzle or what they can bring to their roles.

Have Fun!

The most important part of this career is to have fun! We cannot take ourselves too seriously as actors. It is our job to explore and understand human connection. It is so easily to get lost and try to mold yourself to what you can see on TV, but these are only tools of inspiration. Your creativity and art is what matters. Remind yourself that we are on a floating rock every time you enter that audition room. My favorite thing is to always have something fun planned after my audition. It keeps me grounded and reminds me that this isn’t the only thing. That I am doing this to experience life. You will find yourself less drained and also beating yourself down. This industry is full of rejection so don’t reject yourself. Let yourself fail in those auditions, let yourself explore scary characters, and remind yourself of your worth.