Today, I’m answering a question from Sagoon, who writes:
"Hi Erin, Thanks for taking a moment and reading this. I am pretty much new to the acting world, I want to try it, I feel some sort of an attraction towards it. However, I do not have enough money to move to LA and or take classes. Where can or do I start in NYC? Thoughts? Thanks!!"
Yes, I definitely have thoughts, and I’m very happy to help! As I mentioned briefly on Twitter, the first thing I always recommend to someone who wants to become an actor is to start looking for a place to get training. Like any profession, if you want to make acting a career you’ll need to have good training to build the skills necessary to being an actor. There are classes than you can take in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate your work schedule, and there are affordable options for just about every budget. For beginning classes, I often recommend taking a look at one of your local community colleges, which often have 10-20 week courses for a fraction of the price you’d pay to a professional studio. This will allow you to “try out” acting before making a large investment of money.
I’d also suggest starting now with researching what it means to be an actor:
• Start reading blogs by actors & teachers, like mine: Bite-Size Business For Actors or The Erin Cronicals.
• Read blogs by groups of actors who give different perspectives in one centralized place, like The Green Room Blog, Daily Actor and Playbills Vs. Paying Bills.
• Read books on the business and craft of acting (see a list of books I recommend here: Books on the Business & Craft of Acting.
• Watch as many movies, plays, musicals and TV shows as you can , and start thinking about what kind of career you envision for yourself.
• Read biographies on respected actors, directors, writers, and producers. Read plays & screenplays.
• Subscribe to professional publications like Backstage to start getting to know the industry.
I am sure there are lots of other things I can recommend, but the options above are a great way to get started. Thanks again for writing, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
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Erin Cronican's career as a professional actor and career coach has spanned the last 25 years in New York City, Los Angeles and San Diego. She has appeared in major feature films and on television, and has done national tours of plays and musicals. She has worked in the advertising & marketing departments of major corporations, film production companies, theater magazines, and non-profit acting organizations. To learn more, check out http://www.theactorsenterprise.org.
3 COMMENTS - Click to READ:
Great suggestion about taking acting classes at a community college over perhaps a professional students. Fledgling actors are notorious for having limited budgets...
Hi Erin!
I just want to say that I love your blog and I am finding it to be very inspirational! Here is my question... I am not new to acting however I have taken a 5 year hiatus to get married and start my family. Now that I am "settled" I am feeling my creative itch come back. Where is the best place in NYC to start "tuning up" my craft again. And Also, If I can afford it do you recommend joining AFTRA now so that Next year I can join AEA and audition for Theater? I am familiar with LA and did musical theater, music video's and commercials but am new to the New York Scene. Any help would be appreciated as I jump in to my dream again....
Sincerely,
Juliane NYC
Hi, Juliane. It's hard to answer such great, detailed questions in a simple blog response. But here are some thoughts:
The tune up your craft again, you want to find a technique studio that also has scene study, so you can brush up your technique and then transition into scene study when you're ready. Depending on your schedule, you can try Art and Soul Acting, Alan Gordon Studio, or Larry Singer Studios - they are very accessible studios that have various classes throughout the week. I also know all of them, so if you tell them you found out about them through my blog, they'll be delighted. :)
As far as joining a union, if you're getting back into the business 5 years later, chances are that you're in a different type category and you need to get your resumed retuned to the new type. Therefore. I'd hold off on joining AFTRA and focus on building your resume again. Keep in mind that when you join one union you are no forgoing work in ANY jurisdiction, so if you join AFTRA you won't be able to do non-AEA or non-SAG work.
I hope this is useful - it's a little hard to give good advice without knowing you more fully. I do coach actor one-on-one on this very thing, so email me at erin@theactorsenterprise.org if you'd like to set up a free consultation over coffee. :)
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