First Steps

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How Do I Become a Working Actor?

Here are the 12 basic steps to consider as you make your way into an acting career. These are things to do before you reach out to a manager or agent for representation.

1. Learn How To Act. Get GREAT at it. Attend as many acting classes, like scene study, on-camera acting, and improv, etc, as you can. Check out the classes we offer here. Get into theater. Act as much as you can and get as good a possible before you do anything else. Please, I beg you, watch this before you move on to Step 2.

2. Accept that the entertainment industry, and especially Hollywood, is a “type” driven industry. Typecasting is a real thing. You need to know what types you play and how you’re going to be cast in order to make the best use of your time and efforts. Knowing your types allows you to market yourself in and to get work in the most efficient way. Once you know your types all of the steps below will fall right into place. To find out what types you play, and what makes you unique from others in your category you might start with our Type Class Materials here. But, we can’t stress enough how important it is to get an Image Consultation with Mark. It is what he is known for and the best way to nail down your type, image, essence and niche. Check it out here. 

3. Get professional headshots from an established, top notch headshot photographer. See our list of photographers here.

4. Create your acting profiles on these three legitimate online casting sites:: Actors Access, Casting Networks and Backstage. Then, set up your page on IMDb. We highly recommend you subscribe to IMDbPro.

5. Get your work on camera. If you don’t already have existing footage of your work that is professionally shot then record one, two or three short HD clips of your acting. Please make sure your skills are at a professional level (see step 1 above!). If necessary, you can “self-tape” a scene or a a monologue with another actor. Make sure you use good lighting and good sound. You can even shoot it in front of a blank wall, if you want. For example check out here and here. Better yet, have your scene professionally shot by a company that specializes in shooting scenes for actors. Check out our lest here. 

6. Upload your footage to YouTube, your IMDbPro page and your casting website profiles. If you are good at social media feel free to post it here as well. This will allow agents, casting directors and others to see your work. As you work improves and you get more footage, continue to update and post your footage.

7. Create a professional actor’s resume. List your credits, training and special skills in industry standard format. An actor’s resume is very different than a regular business resume. Print it out and put it on your online profiles, if you haven’t already. For more more info on putting together a professional actor’s resume check out our helpful resume page here. You can download templates there as well.

8. Submit yourself everyday on those 3 casting sites we mentioned above.

9. Book 5-10 short films, student films and webseries. Extra work doesn’t count and it DOES NOT go on a resume!

10. Continue to update your resume as you book work. Make sure casting knows what you’ve been up to. Add your bookings and acting classes each time you do something new.

11. Put together a rocking 1-2 minute acting demo reel from the scenes and clips that you received from all your hard work in Step 8. Edit together two, three or at most four 20-40 second scenes featuring you with your name up front and at the end. If you need help editing your reel or want more information on how to put a reel together check out our helpful demo reel page here. Finally, put your professionally edited demo reel on YouTube, IMDbPro and the casting websites mentioned above.
12. Get representation. Contact agencies and mangers in your area and submit your materials (headshot, resume and links to a reel and/or footage). Check out each one’s website to see how they prefer that you submit. For a list of legitimate agencies click here and click on the “Franchised Agents List” or “Affiliated Managers List.”

*If you need specific advice on how to get started as a working as a professional actor, to find out your types or if you have questions not covered above, we can help. We offer affordable Private Consultations, conducted both in-person or via Zoom. For more information about our consultations click here.

WHAT YOU MUST HAVE IF YOU WANT TO WORK IN LA:

– An agent and/or a manager. Sadly, only agents and managers get to see the best roles being cast in the big films and TV shows. The general public does not.
– An Actors Access account. This is the primary source for most of the theatrical casting notices.
– A Casting Networks account. This is the primary source for most of the commercial casting notices and Indies.
– A GREAT headshot. One that captures “you.” For more on headshots click here.
– A professional resume. For help making one see here.
– A strong demo reel and/or clips on Actors Access and Casting Networks. For more info about demo reels see here.
– Confidence. A belief in the phrase, “You are enough as you are!”
– A strong knowledge of the Entertainment Industry and how it works.
– A place to practice your skills. Acting class, theater company, etc. For more on our acting classes click here.
– Cold reading/audition skills. A good class helps.
– A decent source of income. That and a flexible schedule is a must!
– A dependable car. It’s doable but tough to make it in this business without one.
– A network of industry friends. We need others on so many levels!
– A passionate love of the art! You will never survive all the rejection and painfully hard work if you don’t have a deep love of acting.
– A good plan of attack and solid goal setting system. Actors are spontaneous people by nature but without a plan of attack you’re just shooting in the dark.
– A fan base. It’s largely about fan bases and how many people will pay to see you.
– A computer, laptop, iPad or cell with great video capabilities and Zoom. And Google Maps, if needed.

WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE IF YOU WANT TO WORK IN LA:

– SAG-AFTRA card. It’s true, Hollywood is primarily a union driven town.
– A Backstage account. This is a secondary source for casting, especially Indies, student films, commercials, etc.
– An IMDbPro account. It’s your secret weapon for researching the industry and figuring out who is worth knowing and who is not.
– A CastingAbout account. This is the most reliable list of casting directors, their contact info, what they are currently casting and if they are active at any given moment.
– A Great Sizzle Reel on IMDb (especially if you are looking for a good agent). For more info on demos click here.
– Improv experienced. This is especially helpful if you want to do commercials or have a problem being spontaneous.
– Several specific character headshots. One for each of the types you will most likely play.
– Effective marketing materials and plan. Postcards, fliers, plays your in, red carpet appearances, etc. Needed to remind the town you’re out there still working.
– A proper wardrobe, appropriate for the types and roles you naturally play.
– A personal website, easily readable, with your photos, demos and your resume. It helps if people want to find you fast.
– Social media presence. It’s all about fan bases. Actors have booked roles based on their social media numbers alone.
– Strong skills in self-taping your auditions. The right equipment and knowing the techniques and tricks help greatly.
– Stand-up comedy experience, especially if you’re funny and want to do comedy.
– Audition class for a working knowledge of what to do in audition. A good audition and/or on-camera class can help as well. For more info on our classes click here.
– Ability and/or connections to make your own content. Shorts, films and content for festivals, YouTube, Vimeo, Funny or Die, etc. This alone has made many a career in Hollywood. Remember, it’s all about fan bases!
– Amazing business sense and entrepreneurial skills. The more you know about running a business, the better. If you want to geek out on business skills and ideas check out the SBA. 

WHAT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE IF YOU WANT TO WORK IN LA:

– An Equity card (AEA). Not only is theater the best place for actors to hone their craft is also a great way to be seen. And, if you’re lucky, it can also be a nice source of income.
– An audition and work tracking system. A way to keep track of your auditions and your work, who you met, what you wore, etc. You’d be amazed at how much you miss without one. A well known one is Performer Track.
– An Agent and Manger email contact system. We love Repunzel, an email system that helps you reach the right person at each of the legitimate agencies.
– A good publicist. They’re only needed when you have something to publicize.

PLACES YOU SHOULD TARGET YOUR MARKETING:

– Casting Directors. Especially for the shows you are right for. Check out Casting About or IMDbPro for that information. 
– Assistant or Associate Casting Directors. They will be the casting directors of tomorrow. Check out Casting About or IMDbPro for that information.
– Agents. See IMDbPro for ones that fit you best.
– Directors. Ones you’ve worked with or who direct the shows you’re right for. See IMDbPro.
– Writers. Especially the show-runners on the shows you would be cast in. See IMDbPro.
– Ad Agencies. For commercials and voice-overs. Check out LA411.
– Producers. For indies, TV shows and features. See IMDbPro.
– Video Game developers. For Video Games and such. Check out Studio Hog.

PLACES YOU CAN NETWORK:

– Theater companies. Check out StageAgent.
– Film festivals. Sundance, Slamdance, Hollywood Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festivals and many more. For more ideas check out FilmFreeway.
– Social Media. Instagram, FaceBook, X, TikTok, Snapchat, etc.
– Film Independent. A renown film-making and networking group.
– Greenhouse Arts & Media. A non-profit networking and skill building group of filmmakers.
– Acting classes.
– Improv groups.
– Stand up comedy clubs.
– Showcases.
– Cold reading workshops.
– Writers groups. Especially where you act the parts for the writers.
– Sports leagues. Softball teams, hockey teams, etc.
– Happy hours.
– AFI and other Universities. Especially for student films.
– AA, charities or church. Only if appropriate and your heart is in volunteering! I hesitate in even mentioning it but…
– SAG-AFTRA events and SAG-AFTRA Foundation. Plus, you can take a ton of free classes and seminars.
– Industry clubs and hangouts, like the Soho House, etc.
– Start your own acting groups. Form your own groups to practice, make films, do plays, etc.

MARKETING IDEAS TO CONSIDER:

It’s up to you to shop around and find out how best to spend your money. Every actor gets something different out of each of these activities. Figure out which ones work best for you. Do things that will best keep you on the radar of the industry and focus on your strengths.

– Produce Your Own Short Films (I can’t stress enough the value of this one!) – Perform in Showcases
– Produce Your Own Plays
– Do Your Own One-Person Play
– Email or Mail Marketing Materials Regularly, Whenever You Work
– Do Casting Office and Agent Drop-Offs (as possible)
– Attend Casting Director Workshops (especially the free ones at SAG Foundation)
– Get On Red Carpets and Get Interviews
– Do Mass Mailings of Marketing Pieces (postcards, flyers, promo pieces, etc.)

And, it’s very important that you, a unique actor, put a ton of effort into designing a good marketing plan. Meet people who have done whatever it is you’re considering doing and ask about their marketing plans. Ask them about their experiences. Knowing that may not be enough to determine whether it’s going to be the right fit for you and your needs, but it may sprout new ideas.

Everyone is a unique individual, therefore, people will get different results by doing the same things as others. No two people ever do all of the same things the same way anyway. There’s no single recipe for success. What works for one actor doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for every actor. Design a marketing plan that works best for you and your style. Keep trying new approaches until you find a list of things that work best for you. That’s the way to find your own recipe for success.

WHAT WILL HELP YOU TO KNOW:

1) Trends – What is going on now in the industry? What are the “trends.” How can you meet them head on and take advantage of them? How can you change them?

2) How to Meet the Needs of the Industry – One of the secrets of building, a great business is to find the holes, the needs of the current market. Once you see what’s needed, you then provide the industry with the solution to that need. Where do you fit in? Where are you needed? Are you filling that need? And, by the way, we’re always looking for something new, something exciting. Chances are, that’s you!

3) What Is Happening in the Industry and How To Address It – Right now the business is redefining itself. Certain things are being pruned and tightened up. That’s why it’s so difficult to find an agent. Become lean and mean. Focus, focus, focus! Those who persist and buckle down will be the leaders of the pack when it’s over.

4) The Secret of a Self-Marketing Actor – Be the actor who makes their own work and builds their own fan bases! That’s the secret most don’t get!

SOME LAST WORDS ON BRANDING:

Branding Is Action. It’s About Doing.

In his book “Culture Making,” Andy Crouch makes the premise that people talk a lot about changing culture, but ultimately, to change the culture, we have to make better culture. In other words, stop talking about it and start making better stuff – movies, TV programs, online projects, books, music, art, etc… Think about it in the context of branding. The COO of branding at Jack Daniels Whiskey was asked how long it took to rebrand the company. She said, “It’s been six years so far, but we’re getting close.” It is a long process. Invest yourself for the long haul.

Branding isn’t what a company decides it wants to be – it’s what others say it is. In other words, while we try our best to shape the message and story that surrounds a person, project, or organization, it’s ultimately what happens in the mind of the audience or consumer that matters. So, the big question is: “What comes to mind when they think of you?”

Most companies that specialize in branding corporations often do a brand evaluation first. This evaluation consists mostly of finding out what other people say about that corporation. The evaluation is most effective at discovering what’s wrong with the existing brand, if there is one.

Next, they create a whole new story by creating things like a new logo design, a new website, television spots or programs, new digital media, and more. Obviously, they shape the story as they go, but the truth is having a “brand” doesn’t matter if you don’t have a presence in the marketplace. Sometimes, developing that brand story takes a long time and happens as a process.

Thinking that branding is a “strategy” is a limited way of thinking. Today, branding is action. It happens in the process of creating new projects. It’s the residue of innovation. One non-profit organization spent $250,000 developing a “brand strategy” and ended up with a 400 page report they had absolutely no idea what to do with. Branding is not a religion – it’s a tool.

Which would you rather have? A compelling presence in the marketplace, or a 400 page report? Branding is about doing. It’s organic and can only be discovered through listening first and then creating new products, ideas, and projects.

Branding is what you do and WHY, not who you are!’