quote:

Originally posted by Justine:
P.S. No idea if they're hiring right now, but someone told me Kinko's pays fairly well. Not saying it's the most fun work...but a job's a job.

Too true!! Whatever it takes. I once dressed up as Catwoman on Hollywood Boulevard to try to make some cash- LOL.

Thanks for replying everyone.

Well I had a few promo type jobs lined up through friends and temp agencies and ALL of them fell through...I'm trying not to take this personally. I've gone on a few interviews and nothing...does anyone know how I can get in with extra work or promo stuff. I have a friend who is here for a pepsi promo and he's making $25 an hour! He's already made $3,500 just handing out pepsi for a few weeks...of course by the time he told me about it they didn't need anyone else. I want to be able to make a living doing extra and promo work, how do I that? It seems like all of the things I see online require a fee.

My b.f. flew up here last weekend (which is why I took so long to respond on here) he said he didn't want to break up and that he really wanted to work hard at keeping this relationship going because he loves me...etc, etc. I actually told him I didn't think it was going to work because I have enough issues on my plate right now and my first priority shouldn't be a relationship, it's not fair to either of us. He said he understood but would try harder to make things easier for me...so we're back together and all I want to do is go home and be with him and my family. I'm in, arguably, the most amazing city in the world and I can't even find joy in that.

As far as the roommate thing goes, I was staying with 2 girls and paying $500 a month through December. One of the girls left early and I got stuck having to pay her half of the rent instead of the $500 it's now $1200...I had to pay that for October and now it's getting really close to November and I have to pay it again on the 1st but I don't have it. The 2nd girl's brother is going to be crashing on our futon for a few months and he'll be paying 300 or 400 which will help with the bills but still....my parents had to help me with this months rent and can't help me with next months. They said I need to just suck it up and get a serving job again. It hurts my stomach so bad thinking about going back to a restaurant...it's just not worth it to me. Maybe I should just go home. I got my head shots made and they're all horrible...a friend did them for free but it was rushed and I was hung over and uncomfortable...they're awful but what can I do, I'm grateful she offered to do them at all. It's like when one thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong.

Someone told me that if there was a moment, a second, where I felt like maybe I could live without acting...I should. I love acting, but I don't like any of the hardships that come with it.

on a positive note:
I found a cute little cafe on the UWS that has free wi-fi called Cosi and it made me happy.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

Well, one thing you can do is not be hungover when you get headshots taken!!! That's just self-sabotage.

All right, it looks like you somehow got into a totally screwed up rent situation. Do not pay $1200 per month. That's just silly. I agree that it might be best to move home and take a break from this and save some cash! OR you could try to find a sublet--which can be do-able, sometimes, with luck. Pay a cut rate fee to live somewhere for a few months while another actor is off on a job somewhere and figure out what you want to do. If you hated the restaurant you were at, why do you assume you'll hate a different serving job!? Maybe it will be a better fit?

As for hardships. It doesn't have to be that hard. Why? Because you can be better prepared. Have you looked for an acting class or gone to ANY auditions? If not, you might not be in the right place at the right time. If you aren't acting or trying to get acting work, what are you sacrificing for? The idea that you will eventually be able to do those things, right? Well, you could be in that same boat at home, reading all manner of wonderful, educational books about the business and saving money.

I'm not saying "give up!" I'm just wondering if you need to rethink your strategy.

Jackie,

I want to thank you for being so honest with me. I think sometimes it takes someone telling me how it really is for me to realize that I'm the one in control. I'm so used to being babied and having people make excuses for why something doesn't work out that I forget that I need to try harder and be better prepared.

I definitely shouldn't have had a hang over before my headshots. Now that I'm here and see how expensive everything is I really should have had my headshots taken before moving here.

When I came I had some money saved up but it wasn't nearly enough and it quickly ran out. However, I think had I been able to find a job that I liked, it wouldn't have ran out, I think I could have made it work.

I also tried serving at three different restaurants, granted one was a bar (never doing THAT again) and one was a brand new restaurant and it was completely unorganized. I'll try again even though they all made me unhappy...as a matter of fact, I've been applying to cafe's near my apartment in hopes that I might be able to tolerate a smaller, slower paced restaurant. *fingers crossed that that works out*

I've also sent my headshot and resume to some adds on craigslist for auditions, but other than that I'm really unsure as to how to go about finding legit auditions without having to pay a fee or have an agent. I know I can look into Backstage, but even that costs money.

I'm definitely going to look into a different living situation, asap. A cousin of mine knows some friends in Astoria, Queens that might need a third roommate.

I just want to say thank you to everyone for letting me vent on here. I always feel better once I write, even though I feel a little pathetic that I'm so clueless. But seriously, it means a lot to me that there are people out there that are willing to listen, so thanks.

Not sure where to begin with my opinion on this. I have been in NY for many years and have been in the position to observe many people's journeys here both from being an actress myself and from having been a teacher in theatre schools.

First, I want to say that I think too many people make the mistake of thinking that the only way to be an actor is to move to LA or NYC. There is a lot of theatre and some commercial and industrial work all over the country. I don't think it is necessarily advisable or advantageous to go to one of the major markets before exhausting your local market.

Moving to NY these days takes a lot of money and breaking into acting here is extremely difficult. If I were starting out today I wouldn't come here without a respectable resume, an MFA from a well reputed program with a NY Showcase, and a nice amount of savings ($ 10,000?).

Here in Park Slope where I live a small one bedroom for $1800.00 is considered a good deal. And to get that apartment you would most likely have to pay a fee of 12-15% of one year's rent.

Sparkling Eyes I don't think I heard you mention whether you had any training or experience. Your story breaks my heart. Please know that backtracking a bit and not coming back until you are prepared may be the very path for you take to ultimately succeed here. Plus, you will be able to be with your boyfriend who sounds like a great guy who loves you.

i agree about smaller markets, i know many who moved to NYC didnt work and gave up, you can build up a good resume in DC/Phily/san Fran/ etc

Great advice about smaller markets!!!

On another note: Camille--I miss Park Slope!

Ok, I'm coming into this thread rather late but...see this as a learning experience, as somone here posted earlier. You have to go through tough times in order to gain experience and make smarter decisions the next time around.

If you truly want to stay put in NYC, suck it up and work a job that doesn't make you happy. Lots of people do it, you're not the first and won't be the last. This is what adult life and pursuing your dream is all about. You have to pay the rent, and you want to have a flexible schedule in order to pursue acting.

Whatever happened to the friends' couch that you crashed on? Can you crash there without complaint and save some money for better headshots and do go-sees?

You have amazing parents that help you out when they can. Mine didn't and I was on my own at 17. You have a boyfriend who wants to be supportive. My boyfriend was a little too self involved but looking back I don't blame him, he was young too. If acting is all you can think about and want to do and there's no theater and such back home, then you will have to develop a thicker skin and work for your dreams.

But it looks like you are going to have to make a decision. And by not giving 30 days notice, you are responsible for November rent already.

And the math you talk of doesn't make sense. If you are paying $500 originally and the other two roommies were paying the same amount apiece, then you would be paying the $500 plus $250 to cover the half of the rent of the missing roomie and that's that. that's 750. Where 1200 came from I have no idea.

view this as a learning experience. you are not alone and can always call home if things get really ridiculous. this is a time of testing your mettle. new york city is not a city for the faint of heart, neither is the pursuit of an acting career.

break a leg!

quote:

Originally posted by Jackie:
Great advice about smaller markets!!!

On another note: Camille--I miss Park Slope!

Why thank-you!

Jackie, you are always welcome in Park Slope. Come visit us next time you are here in NY.

Hi,
Well, I've been talking with friends and family and some moments I think I know what I want while other moments I feel even more confused than I was before, lol.

I like the idea of going home and saving, getting more experience, more classes, better headshots, etc. But I feel like, I'm here already so why not give it a go. I gave myself a deadline. If I'm not getting anywhere as far as a job and/or acting goes by the end of December, I need to go home (knowing that maybe in a few years I can come back and try again).

I broke up with my boyfriend and have this horrible feeling that I may have made a huge mistake. I just felt that the long distance relationship was taking too much of my energy and I wasn't able to focus on why I was really here. He was upset at first, but then he said he realized that I needed to do this and give it 100% with no distraction and as much as it hurts him he fully supports my decision.

As far as rent goes, I'll try to better explain that situation. I had two friends that lived together and let me stay on their couch. I was told that I would be paying $500 a month (they paid a lot more than that..$1200, but with my $500 it made their rent 950 + utilities). One of the roommates decided she was going back home and said she'd be here Through November. So I was under the impression that in November I would have to start looking for an apartment for Dec or January. Well she ended up leaving early. Because I hadn't even thought about looking for an apartment in September, I had no back up and ended up staying here but having to take on her half of the rent instead of the $500. This wouldn't have been so bad had I found steady work but I didn't. So I had to pay Octobers rent and now November is coming up quickly and I have to pay that too. On a good note, the roomie that I now live with (technically I'm just subleasing from the girl who left) this new roomie's brother came to NYC and is staying on our couch for $400 a month Nov and Dec. This will cut my bills to $1000 + utilities for two months but that is still too much for me while I'm struggling to find a job.


So what do I do...I'm gonna suck it up and get a waitressing job. I want you to know that I have been looking and applying and interviewing for jobs every single day that I'm not working for the temp agencies...I just haven't had any luck.

Acting experience- nothing impressive. Yes I have taken several classes, I also minored in theater performance in college, I've been in student films, an extra in a commercial, and participated in many many plays in school and for community theaters...but I know that my resume looks pretty green compared to other people which is why I moved here..I wanted to do everything and anything that I came across...I've just been so consumed with job, apartment, boyfriend drama that I haven't been able to focus on what really matters.

I had an offer to move in to a friend of a cousins apartment in Queens, but I couldn't make the rent because move in date was Nov 1st and I still owe this apartments rent for Nov...but I would like to start looking for a place in Queens or Brooklyn. But I won't do this until Dec once I have made some kind of decision on staying or going.

Part of me wants to pick up everything and run home as fast as I can. I'm wondering if that is a sign or if everyone goes through that at some point. I know that this is going to be easy and I am soo very thankful that I have the support from family, friends, and even strangers I wasn't expecting ti to be this hard, but I know that it has to get ugly before it will start looking good or whatever that saying is, hee-hee.

Has anyone heard of an extras agency called MTA? They called me to come interview for extra work but I felt like they might be sketchy. It's so hard to know who is legit and who isn't.

Submit directly to Grant Wilfley casting or Central casting or certain casting directors like Barbara McNamera...most of these places will let you submit H/R by email...free. Dont pay to get background work. I have never ever paid, auditioned or "interviewed" to do background work. That would be absurd. You obviously have computer and internet access, so do your research. Break a leg.

Don't give up. Keep pounding the pavement. It's always number is any game, it's numbers.

You need a job. It's numbers. Try indeed.com

As far as acting, there are excellent posts all over this forum. DO a search, here's one to get you started on place to submit your resume/headshot.
http://bbs.backstage.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=840105&f=91...=992109071#992109071

Don't forget Actorfest NY Nov. 15th. http://www.backstage.com/bso/actorfest/ny/casting-calls/index.jsp

Also, do a search on NY and see who is from there or if there are any posts for NY. Also, do a scour.com search for NY and remember to keep you eyes and ears wide open. It's NYC and it's the internet.

Be grateful your parents are there. I have a friend there who IDK what's up with him and I don't think his parents are doing that much to help him.

Drink your water. Get plenty of sleep. It'll help you think and not be all over the place. (And that will help you land your job and your gigs.)

quote:

Originally posted by Camille:

quote:

Originally posted by Jackie:
Great advice about smaller markets!!!

On another note: Camille--I miss Park Slope!

Why thank-you!

Jackie, you are always welcome in Park Slope. Come visit us next time you are here in NY.

Okay, see you soon! LOL.

Great advice about actorfest! It will be a good way to just be in the mode and with fellow actors.