Hi Bonnie!
First of all let me start by saying that I am a HUGE fan of your columns on The Actors Voice. I stumbled upon them in January while doing some research for my headshot session and I have formed a habit of reading at least one month of your columns every night during what I call my “Career Development Sessions.”
I also love that you respond on Twitter! (@FrankSinaTRE here!)
I have two questions:
1. I’m currently in Raleigh, NC, and I’ve been working on moving to LA (for good) for a couple of months now but everything is finally in place for me to move in July. While I’m here in Raleigh, I’ve been taking various acting classes such as audition technique, Meisner technique, and improv to build on what I already have and to have a solid foundation when I get to LA. My question is: How do CDs rate out-of-state (outside LA/NY) training as opposed to actors who received their training in those markets with instructors that the CD might be familiar with?
My goal is to be able to hit the ground running when I get to LA and start submitting on projects and I believe that this training should prepare me for that. What’s your take on that?
2. I know there’s a succession of “events” in an actor’s career (most that you outlined in your column on Premature Moves), and I plan to take everything in stride, starting out with student films to build my credits and working my way up, building relationships on the way. But recently a conversation I had with someone made it seem as if actors without agents don’t get any real work and it got me concerned about the whole getting an agent thing, coupled with the fact that when I tell people I’m moving to LA to be an actor, their first question is, “Do you have an agent?” and the look that follows when I say I don’t is one of disapproval, for lack of a better word.
My goal is to get to the point where agents seek me out but it’s been made to seem as if I won’t even get the resumé-building work without an agent. What’s your take on that? I feel like I already know the answer to this question in my head though but fire away.
Again I am forever and eternally grateful for your columns because you have answered most, if not all the questions I’ve had about the business of acting and I feel more confident that if I can apply my training/experience and your advice, I’ll be okay.
I hope for the opportunity to actually meet you and thank you in person! Thank you so much Bonnie!
Sincerely,
Demi I. Olubanwo
Awesome, Demi. 🙂 Congrats on doing all the work to make your move to Los Angeles as solid as it can be. Obviously, there’s a lot of work involved in strategizing such a big move, so GOOD FOR YOU, doing as much as you can from where you currently are, to build a great foundation for your life in Hollywood!
Let’s get to your questions. As for local training, yeah, you’re hitting on something, there. Absolutely, getting some training where you currently are is a great idea, but there are definitely coaches here in Los Angeles whose names carry more weight on an actor’s resumé. It’s really just a “web of trust” issue. Casting directors, agents, managers, etc., know who the coaches are, in Los Angeles. When we see a particular name or studio on your resumé, we don’t just see THAT you have been trained, we actually know exactly what that training means, because we’ve had experience bringing in actors who have had that training. A particular coach’s name may indicate, to us, a certain level of talent or a certain style of acting.
Now, that’s not to say that LA-based training, on your resumé, cuts you to the front of the line! It just means that an agent or a casting director may feel there’s less risk involved, in bringing you in, based on their knowledge of the type of training you’ve had. The name of a coach in your current market — even if the training was spectacular — simply may not carry as much WEIGHT as the name of a coach here in Hollywood.
So, get that foundation going, for sure! But start taking a look at coaches in Los Angeles. Do research. Watch YouTube vids. Visit coaches’ websites. Post at Hollywood Happy Hour or other online communities, to ask about others’ personal experience with coaches that look interesting to you. And then get here and AUDIT. Sit in on as many classes as you can to determine if a coach’s style meshes with yours. Decide not only whose training lines up with your needs but whose ongoing coaching would feel like a good, long-term fit for you.
Next, about the agent thing.
Oy. I cringe when I hear people say that the first thing an actor needs, in Los Angeles, is an agent. I’ve written before about how many opportunities there are, out there, for actors without agents. Yes, even in Los Angeles! Sure, the highest-level opportunities require an agent or manager, and agents can help close deals at a higher level, even if the actor’s relationship is what led to the deal being offered. Absolutely. But until there is money to make, on commission, an agent’s head won’t be easily turned by a new-to-LA actor, and the kind of agent you could get, fresh off the bus, is probably not the level of agent you would ultimately sign with, when you’re looking to tier-jump from co-star to guest star, or from guest star to recurring, or from recurring to series lead, let’s say.
Certainly, starter agencies are awesome and they serve their purpose. For sure, sign with the right agent for your growing career, as you’ve done research and gotten clear on the right fit for where you are and where you’re headed. But don’t stress about the importance of getting an agent, when building relationships with student filmmakers, low-budget indie producers, and other folks with great ideas and a need for enthusiastic, talented, affordable actors who are building credits should be the focus. Remember that you’re at this for the long haul and you have decades stretched out before you. It’s not a race to “get repped” as fast as you can. The ninja move is to research the people with whom you want to do business for many years to come, and strategize when your career paths should intersect, organically and for the maximum benefit to all!
Finally, I’m thrilled that you’ve been devoting time to the archives of The Actors Voice! I get emails weekly from actors like you, who have just stumbled upon these eight years of weekly goodies. In fact, we’ve just started doing weekly emails via BonnieGillespie.com to remind readers about each week’s latest column, and to refresh a column from the archives, including open comments for ongoing dialogue and follow-up questions! Based on your awesome email, I’ve decided that our “refresh” for Tuesday will be Agent-Free Auditioning, because it’s such a good reminder of all the opportunities that are available to actors before an agent is in the picture. 🙂
Good luck to you, as you prep for your move! I look forward to hearing how things go for you!
Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!
Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/001488.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.