Fellow actors please lend me some advice my question is when does your resume have enough experience that you should begin submitting, do you need to show that you have had all the formal training in audition classes, cold reading classes, Meisner classes, on camera technique etc. etc. etc.

I do have a little experience but nothing to spectacular, in Northern California I have been in three high school theatre productions I was the lead in two of them, I has a major role in a community college theatre production, I have two awards under my from a theatre festival competition “best male monologue” I got a paying big at the B street theatre in Sacramento, I did a voice over for a radio commercial.

I then took a big break from acting for a few years and then started again last year doing over 12 months of scene study at Carolyn Barry’s acting school. The most unique specialized skill I have is I am a certified Hypnotist.

Nothing exceptionally impressive in the LA market, but do you guys think that’s enough to start submitting?

Naturally I will need to continue my education but at the same time a part of me feels like my break was so long that I need to get back into some hard core acting classes, but I fear I may be falling into the trap of “waiting for everything to be perfect” I suppose even if I were to go to take a two year program at a conservatory I would still feel like my resume experience is not ready yet because I will still have very few credits.

Any opinion/ advice appreciated

Thanks A LOT

-Jonathan

Dear Jonathan,

Good question.

When is "enough" acting experience, "enough"?

It's such a complex question that it's nearly impossible to answer. I think when it comes right down to it, it's a totally subjective thing...
some people feel ready to work with minimal training and experience, others take classes forever and never have the courage to take the plunge. Somewhere in between these two extremes lies the happy medium.

I cannot stress enough the importance of getting the absolute best training you can. Any competent acting instructor will be able to easily assess your level of ability with a single read-through, and recommend you the appropriate level of teaching you may need.

The simple answer is, you can begin submitting for acting projects whenever you think you're ready. That said, the more skill and experience you can demonstrate, the more and better roles you can consider. With your limited resume, your choices will be severely limited. I'd consider doing more theater to hone your instrument, then student films, commercials and independent films to build up your on-camera creds. Los Angeles is primarily a film/tv town, so eventually you'll want to get your SAG card once you've fleshed-out your resume, then begin to submit to entry level agencies to begin with.


The name of the game in booking work and succeeding in this business can be summed up in a single word: CONFIDENCE. And that particular quality only comes with time, experience, and training.

“Whatever works.”

www.robertkim.com
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0453647

thanks for your imput Robert I appreciate it

Robert hit the nail on the head, great advice.

I genuinely think that Carolyne Barry and her teachers enjoy doing a headjob on students by convincing them that they are 'not good enough', etc. Which teacher did have? Carrie?

Hi Tuscangirl,

quote:

genuinely think that Carolyne Barry and her teachers enjoy doing a headjob on students by convincing them that they are 'not good enough

I had Diana, I did learn a lot there but I can see what you mean with the headjobs, they encourage going out and auditioning, but yes they are still in the business of selling classes. I also don't like acting teachers who like to ACT like they are psychologists this was my experience with that school too. Teach me acting I'll learn human psychology in a book.

I had 1 extra job and 1 student film and college theatre, and traing:commercial, film, tv, and theatre. I sent them out to agents, except for 2 which people said to stay away from. It did get me in to see this one really big SAG agent at the time.