So, I've been acting for 3 years now.

I've built a pretty decent resume of (mostly non-union) student, short & feature films, a few commercials and a number of webseries. Very few paid parts. About 35 productions in all, and a fair number of them on IMDB. And the work has allowed me to put together a pretty good demo reel.

I became SAG-AFTRA in 2011, and have been sending agent submissions, with very little luck, since then.

I'm torn.

My question is, when, if ever, should I stop submitting for the stuff on LA Casting and Actors Access? Most of us know that, for the most part, projects on those two casting sites, are low to no budget, a lot of student films, and, no offence to anyone who's posted breakdowns on those sites, a lot of these projects will never see the light of day, and/or propel my career in any way, shape, or form.

I'm (almost) of the mind that most of these projects would be a waste of time for me. 3 lines here, a line or two there, production wraps, and I never hear from the filmmakers again, the project is never completed, and I'll never get footage. A number of projects that I've shot in the last year, for instance, would've been great for my reel---had the filmmaker completed the project. That's a pet peeve with me, filmmakers not completing their projects.

So, do I keep doing this stuff just for the experience in spite of the fact that, for all intents & purposes, nothing will ever come of the project? And as far as networking and making contacts, most of these projects are so amateur, that the filmmakers, if they achieved success, wouldn't even remember who was in any of the films they made when they were starting out.

Am I being too cynical? Should I continue to do anything and everything out there?

Should I continue to audition for low/no budget shorts, webseries & features, student films, under 5's, trailers for features, etc?

Well, it does sound like such projects would be a waste at this point. Whether or not you keep doing them depends on other stuff we don't know-how you are getting your income, etc.

You have to step up your efforts to find representation. I would include managers in your search. I know it's a catch-22 because you need real credits to get an agent but you need an agent to audition for those credits. You're correct in that the things you've done to this point don't mean much.

OK, what doesn't make sense to me here is the fact that you're SAG-AFTRA. Only about 20 to 25% of the Projects on AA, LAC, and NowCasting are Union. Most of them are Non-Union. So are you still submitting to Non Union stuff ?

The answer to your Question is simple. Keep your subscriptions to AA, LAC etc and Submit to SAG-AFTRA Projects only. If those Auditions/ Callbacks come up, take them. Do your best work, and if you get an offer... evaluate the Opportunity. Is this going to be good for my Reel? Do I need the Credit? Is the Producer/ Director someone who I want to work with etc ??

Spend the rest of your time focusing on getting either a strong Theatrical Agent and/or a GOOD Manager. This means you need to have a Good Photos, Reels, Resume etc, and be able to hold your own in Interviews. The "Key" to getting in the Door to Legit TV and Film work is through Good Representation. Workshops also cannot Hurt... the more CD's You know the Better. Even if you don't get called in by them initially, if You do (eventually) get in there, You are already familiar with them and vice Versa.