"Becoming an actor? If it's not a calling, don't do it. It's too hard."
- Sandra Oh

Every year thousands of people head out to Hollywood to become actors. And every year, thousands of people who move out to Hollywood discover it's really hard to be a working actor.

We don't have any secret keys that unlock the back doors of Hollywood. If you are serious about having a career in this industry it will take a LOT of work.

And if you are serious about having a life as a Christian in Hollywood it will take a lot of hard work to keep your life balanced and keep your relationship with God going strong. We are here to help you, to provide resources and direction, but the talent, the work and the follow-through all have to come from you. It's a tough road. But if it's the passion and giftedness that God has given you, then you won't be happy walking any other road!

How Do I start?

Our first word of advice: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Anyone promising you overnight sucess and exposure, for a small one time fee... is just trying to make money off of you. Use that as a guiding principal as you pursue your acting career.

There are lots of roads all promising to lead to a successful career as an actor some of them are:

 
1) GO TO DRAMA SCHOOL
The advantages of attending a reputable drama school is that you get three years of good training, and possible exposure and contacts. The key word here is reputable. While there are plenty of smaller drama schools run by dedicated professionals, there are also pleanty of people who just want to take your money (see note above about sounding too good to be true). The downside of Drama School is it's VERY expensive and VERY hard to get into.

2) GET IN A SELL-OUT PLAY OR IN AN AWARD-WINNING SHORT FILM
Much eaiser said than done. The first step to either of these is knowing people on the inside. If this is the way you're going to try to "get in" then you need to get out there and meet people. Fact: most actors are hired either because they look right or they look like they'll be easy to work with. You might not do a great audition. If the director clicks with you, it might not matter. They could give you another chance.

3) GET DISCOVERED
Everyonce in awhile we still hear stories of people who were in the right place at the right time and go discovered...we're still looking for the link that tracks the right place and right time... 

4) BE A CHILD ACTOR
Not really something you can do at this point. But if you were a child actor and you're looking to make a comeback. You have decent odds of sucess... 

5) HAVE FAMOUS PARENTS
Again, not something you can change now. But it sure did work for Kate Hudson, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Garner.

6) GENERATE YOUR OWN HYPE
Film people are so impressionable that if they hear someone say that so-and-so is hot, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. Be your own best PR: be inventive. But be careful. Bad press lasts a lot longer than good press.

7) WRITE AND PRODUCE YOUR OWN MATERIAL
The roll-call of actors who have ventured into writing/directing to get their mug on film is long and illustrious. Ed Burns, Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Sean Penn, Woody Allen, Quentin Tarantino, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, John Cusack, Tim Robbins, they've all written stuff for themselves. Why not write your own stuff? With the advent of digital video cameras so simple a child could use them, there's no longer any excuse not to get something good on your showreel.

9) GET AN AGENT
The problem with agents is you often can't get one with out a good resume of work... and you usually can't get good work with out one...

10) GET A GOOD REEL, RESUME AND HEADSHOTS
See below for info on headshots and resume's.

Headshots

Here's what other actors have told us about headshots:
"It's also important not to choose someone solely on price as you may end up taking photos over and over and spending more $$ than going with someone who costs a little more but you are comfortable with, etc. Make sure to meet with a few photographers to look at their work and see how you would feel about working with them and opening up to them. It's an investment"

"I have been here a LONG time and have taked a lot of headshots. I have tried the "saving money by just shooting with someone cheap" route and let me tell you it never works cuz you really get what you pay for with headshots. The more expensive ones are ususally the more experienced ones thereofre the picts come out better. Lorenzo is reasonablly priced and since it's digital you get a ton of pictures and I changed clothes and locations like 6 times. Expect to pay about $300-$400 for a digital shoot plus 100 or so for a make-up artist. I usually do my own but that's up tp you. If you aren't confident enough to do it for your self, save up and get a makeup artist. It'll be worth it in the end. Good pict's= good rep and more audtions! It's so important to take good one's!"

Mark Atteberry at Idyllic Photography is who we usually recommend for Headshots. He was recently voted one of the top 10 by Backstage West and has consistently been one of the top 3 recommended by casting directors. He understands actors and is a joy to work with. He is not economy priced, but his prices are not astronomical either -- they are just fair. If you tell him you heard about him from Hollywood Connect he will give you a slight discount.You can find his info at www.idyllicphotography.com

Resume

Your résumé is a one-page list of your significant theatrical and film experience-stage roles, film and television roles, training, education- plus your physical description andcontact information. Its goal is to help directors know more about you to help them decide if you should be cast. You attach your résumé to the back of your headshot so the person to whom you give it-a casting director, agent, whoever-will be able to keep them together. Most actors staple the two together back-to-back. Spend a moment or two to be sure the staple doesn't have hostile points. Yes, if you make the casting director bleed, you'll be remembered, but.... Instead of attaching a page to the photo, some actors have their résumés printed on the back of the headshot, but if you get a great role that you want to add to your resume you'll have to throw out all of the old ones. so you if you've got money to burn go ahead and get them printed on the back, if not staples are great.

Just as your headshot should be as professional as you can make it, so also you'll want to spend time on your résumé to make it look attractive, clean, clear, and complete. Think of your résumé like an audition, albeit an audition on paper, so be sure it is your best work. This is your professional introduction and is crucially important: Don't rush it. More details on how to create a quality resume are linked here.

Websites:

Industy Guides & Magazines:

Books:

• Acting Is Everything - by Judy Kerr
• Acting for the Camera - Tony Barr, Eric Stephan Kline, Edward Asner
• Acting Professionally : Raw Facts About Careers in Acting - Robert Cohen
• Acting in Film : An Actor's Take on Movie Making - Michael Caine, Maria Aitken
• The Film Actor's Complete Career Guide : A Complete, Step-By-Step Checklist of All the Things Actors Seeking Film Careers Can and Should Do, and When by Lawrence Parke
• Getting the Part : Thirty-Three Professional Casting Directors Tell You How to Get Work in Theater, Films, Commercials, and TV - Judith Searle
• How to Audition : For TV, Movies, Commercials, Plays, and Musicals - by Gordon Hunt
• How To Be A Working Actor: The Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs in Theater, Film, and Television - Mari Lyn Henry, Lynne Rogers
• Your Film Acting Career : How to Break into the Movies & TV & Survive in Hollywood - M. K. Lewis, Rosemary R. Lewis
• The Actor's Encyclopedia of Casting Directors: Conversations with Over 100 Casting Directors on How to Get the Job - Karen Kondazian, Eddie Shapiro (Contributor), Richard Dreyfuss
• Heart of the Artist - by Rory Noland

Quotes:

ACTORS ON ACTING

"Acting is experience with something sweet behind it" Humphrey Bogart

"Acting is just hustling... I don't put it down. But I resent people putting it up." Marlon Brando

"Acting isn't an intellectual art at all... it comes out of the animal part of the brain." Clint Eastwood

"There's not much to acting as far as I'm concerned." Roy Rogers

"Acting engenders and harbours qualities that are best left in adolescence: people pleasing;going on those interviews and jamming your whole personality into getting the job; ingratiating yourself to people you wouldn't fucking spit on if they were on fire." Carrie Fisher (Vanity Fair, 1990)

"I give myself to my parts as a lover. It's the only way." Vanessa Redgrave (Time, 1967)

"Blank face is fine. The art of acting is not to act. Once you show them more, what you show them, in fact, is bad acting." Anthony Hopkins