Hi everyone. I'm fairly new to the world of acting --- working through my second year of Meisner training. I started acting on a whim, to explore whether or not I liked it, to deepen and enrich my emotional life, and to cultivate a new creative outlet. And, I harbored a secret fantasy of being on screen or in front of an audience, delivering an engaging and emotional performance. I learned so far that I LOVE it! My time working in class, on films, and on scenes is more real, honest and authentic than my work within the corporate world. One of the most profound secrets that I've learned so far is to not 'try to be good.' My best work to date is when I'm completely free and I strip away the need to be good, the need to achieve something, the fear of being bad, etc... When I'm most authentic and most grounded, I'm doing my best work. I'm wondering --- what lessons have you learned that you wish you knew when you were just starting out. It could be about the craft of acting or the business of acting.
Acting : What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were just starting out? by Michael Deutch
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Michael, I moved out to Los Angeles directly after graduating from college, where I studied acting. By that time, I had already been acting for nearly 15 years. When I got out to LA, I was overwhelmed and ultimately left after two discouraging years. All that experience and education did not prepare me for the practical side of the business. Like you, I took Meisner and all the other significant techniques. I was trained alright, but I did not know how to market myself. Of course, this was before social media. Now, you must have a 360 degree presence - on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc. plus a well-crafted website, exceptional headshots (probably one of your biggest expenses), demo reels, as well as resumes, composite cards, mailings, etc. The business of just getting your face out there is a full time job in itself. Then you have to flood agents with material, hoping they'll pick your pic out of hundreds. In LA, it's important to act in these small little showcases (oftentimes scenes or short plays), because there are almost always agents and managers there. When it comes down to it, I haven't mentioned talent or your classical training at all. That's because most of the people you'll be auditioning with have even less experience than you. They're just eager. ANd 9 times out of 10, they are better at playing the game and shamelessly marketing themselves. Theatre is a little less about the exterior package and social maneuvering, but even that is nose to the grindstone 6-10 auditions every week for the of chance you might book something. For every 60 auditions, you'll average one paying job. I'm not trying to be harsh or discouraging here, I'm just letting you know what I wished I had known then. It's about 60 or 70% self-promotion and 30-40% talent. Hollywood especially doesn't care what theatre you've been in. You could have played Hamlet off-Broadway, but they wouldn't care. They'd rather read the kid that played a body on Law and Order. That's just the reality. But if you're good at all that, you'll do great. It sounds like you've got the passion and the desire. That goes a long way. Best of luck to you!
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Jon, beautiful answer! Thanks for sharing, it was valuable for me to read.