Window Envelopes

Kel writes:

Hi Lira!

Love your blog, and have a question.

I'm about to submit to several (22) agencies for commercial rep. I've heard a lot of talk about these envelopes that have windows in them so that people can see your face before tossing your unopened inquiry letter in the trash. (link here: http://www.theactorsphotolab.com/8x10-open-window-envelopes/)

When I first heard about them and saw them I thought," Huh, what a neat idea!"

however, when I brought it up to a couple other actor friends, some of them told me that agencies don't like them.

Which is true?

Also, I have naturally curly hair that I sometimes straighten. When submitting nmy photos, is it possible for me to have my head shot be with my natural hair but put a inset picture of me with straight hair as well? I'm asking because it might seem insignificant, but I look totally different with straight hair vs. curly hair.

Thanks!

Kel

Window Envelopes! They are such a great idea.....right? Right? I mean, they're worth the price because agents will get to see your headshots immediately........

Okay, here's the deal: I used them before. Once. I thought the same thing - I look different enough from everyone that they'll HAVE to open my envelope! Who knows, maybe they did. But I have a theory....

If they see what you look like before seeing your cover letter and resume, a window envelope makes it easier for them to throw you away.

UNLESS - you are a minority. If you're a minority, chances are an agency needs your category.

ALSO - if you're an 11 on the hotness scale, use window envelopes for sure. Me? I feel very comfortable saying I'm a solid 7 so I don't think the window envelopes necessarily worked for me.

Kel, you're African-American. If you look at commercials today, you'll see a lot of African-American young women with natural hair; it seems to be on trend. So send in the photo you love the most and make sure you'll do your hair the same way when you get called in for interviews. Once you sign with an agency, discuss with your commercial agent how you want to have your hairstyle for your new headshots (comm agents almost always ask for new comm headshots). Make sure you pick a hairstyle you'll be comfortable in and want to maintain for the next two years so you can match your pictures.

Now, you CAN add a photo of you with straight hair, but I can tell you from experience, sometimes your agent will send you an audition notification at 11pm at night and sometimes an hour from the actual call time. If they submit you with straight hair, you honestly might not have time to straighten it. (depending on how adept you are at a straightener/hair dryer/roller brush, whether or not you have stock in DryBar, and how curly your hair is.) Some cd's might care, like, if the breakdown specifically says, "only girls with straight hair will be seen!!!!!!!!!" but most often, cd's won't care.

If you don't have one already, you can always invest in a really good straight hair styled wig. (It's tax deductible!) You can cut your hair much shorter, fro it out, and still have long beautiful hair if you want it. Best of both worlds!

So go forth, Kel! Use the window envelopes! And let us all know when you sign with your new rep! Break legs!

xoxo
Lira

Lucas and Speilberg Wax Futuristic

Have you guys seen this Variety Article where George Lucas and Steven Spielberg talk about the future of movies? They beleive that soon, movie tickets will be as high as Broadway theatre tickets.

Although I don't quite think they're going to skyrocket to that price, I do think we will see an uptick in expensive movie theaters like iPic, where the movie going experience is paired with alcohol, meals, and no kids.

But Video on Demand is definitely where things are headed. We're getting so used to binge viewing and streaming, that movie theaters that just show movies might be a thing of the past in the next 20 years.

Food for thought, no?

Actors with Disabilities

Andra needs advice:

Hi Lira,

I recently found your blog when I was doing some research on the legitimacy of MZA.  Thank you for your words of wisdom on them.  I ran across too many postings that would just say,"they're a scam!" without really  qualifying that statement with a reason why. Your site gave a much more balanced view.  Thank you!

Also, I wanted to get your thoughts on something. I'm new to the acting scene and I have come across several helpful tips for new actors.  However, I'm in a wheelchair and I find that a lot of the advice given is (understandably so) for a wider audience. Do you have any advice for a actress with a disability? 

Thanks,

Andra

Hi Andra! Thanks for reading.

You are absolutely correct that your situation is going to be different. You have a very lovely headshot and I like it a lot, but there's one thing missing. Can anyone guess what it is?

Andra, it's your wheelchair. It needs to be in your headshot.

All actors and actresses with a disability need to highlight it because that's what makes them different and sets them apart. Casting won't be able to add you for diversity to the cast if they think you are like everyone else.

You might be under the impression that you have to hide your wheelchair and that it is going to hurt you in the long run. If you hide it and you're called in for an audition you submitted yourself on for an indie film, the building casting is in might not have ramp access. That sucks. Conversely, if you don't have the chair in your headshot and you look like everyone else, casting might not call you in because they already are going to be seeing 20 other straight haired brunettes. But hey! An actor in a wheelchair could definitely play the teacher in this role! And all of a sudden, you're another option to go.

It's true that the roles you will be able to play are going to be limited, but you can open up the options by showcasing the very thing that makes you different. So: highlight your chair. That's your thing, girl. Celebrate it!

There are some very good agencies out there who will rep you if you are a good actor. I Googled "los angeles talent agencies disabilities" and KSR and Affinity came up (They are NOT the only ones who will consider repping you). When you submit to your target agencies, make sure your headshot shows your chair, and write "Wheelchair" on the outside of the envelope. Not all actor submissions get open at every agency, but again, you are immediately another option and I'm sure your envelope will be opened because of this.

Also, because you offer something different, you can mail postcards to casting and they'll keep you in their files because they might only have a few, if any, in your category and they'll want to remember you.

I also found this article from Backstage from last year, and he says all the same things I am. Highlight what makes you different.

Now onto your reel: You might not have one at this point and you should probably put a few small things together. Write a scene of a teacher talking to her troubled student's parents. Film it. Write a scene of a woman on a terrible blind date. --Write whatever the heck you want! But your reel is going to be where we don't point out the chair. You don't hide it, no no. Make sure it's visible and obvious, but don't have your or any character mention it's new or unexpected. You're a teacher or a mom or on a bad date and your character happens to have a wheelchair, and I think that's going to be the majority of roles you book when you start out: co-stars and guest stars where casting says, "An actor with a wheelchair is another option."

There are, of course, going to be roles where casting will want an actress who really is in a wheelchair but those roles will be few and far between and you know this. But like I said, I think you'll be going out for a lot of roles that aren't specifically written for a disabled actress, which is kind of awesome. Be a good actress first and foremost, and the rest will fall into place.

Good luck!

xoxo
Lira

Your Friends Can Manage You

Struggling Actors and Actresses have to constantly reevaluate their skills and acting level and figure out what the next step is. Is it marketing? Taking new classes? Getting a new image?

You know what's hard? Going into ourselves and figuring all that stuff out. You know what's super easy? Asking your actor friends what you should do next. Shatera wrote me a very long backstory that all came down to two questions that I underlined below:

I’m kind of stuck in the “My career doesn’t have a 1, 2, 3 step path and I’m confused” mode. I lose focus because I don’t know where to go or what to do and in which beneficial order to do it. 

Here is my plan thus far:

-Find out what my type is, my brand, how to work my business which is me (I’m considering buying “The Savvy Actors Career Manual”, any advice/reviews on that?)

[Everyone is welcome to use the Google Search Bar I installed on the right sidebar. I HAVE written about The Savvy Actors Career Manual. -Lira]

-Get headshots that reflect my type

-Submit, submit, submit (I’m submitting to both tv/film and theatre opps, I want my union cards!)

-Take acting classes to grow and network

-Get a job that allows me the flexibility to audition while still working and saving (SCORE! But it wasn’t easy)
 

Last December I started freelancing with an agent in NY (I live in DC btw) and have auditioned for one feature film and I’m sure she’s submitting me (I trust her) I just haven’t been auditioning a lot through her or booking. Though I have an agent, I know that at the end of the day I AM MY OWN AGENT until my career gets to the level where I don't need to be. So I have gotten a lot of auditions on my own but I am very thankful for the agent in NY also working on my behalf.

My goal once I moved back from LA last year (long story short, it wasn’t my time to be there just yet) was to make a name for myself here in DC (stay here no longer than 1.5 years) then make the move to NY with the credits and experience (oh and money) I build.

I’m a singer actress with major film and tv dreams and NY is a better market for me and my type right now (I’m African American female, mezzo soprano belt, big curly natural hair, average height, curvy but thin build). My problem is that I’ve been auditioning but I haven’t booked. I’m still doing theatre because I once watched a forum where Denzel Washington was speaking and his advice to actors who want to be film stars was “Do theatre. Theatre will lead you into film. Do theatre.” Literally.

I figure since I have a theatre background (BFA Theatre Performance) and I am usually cast in theatre shows here in DC, I should work what I’m good at and perfect what I want to do (film, tv, commercial auditioning) by taking classes and auditioning for them when they come my way. I am pleased with how far I’ve come and the connections I’ve made since my move back from LA, I know it was the right choice for me in my journey thus far, I just wanted to ask you, from the information given, does my plan seem realistic? Is there anything else I could be and/or should be doing?

The only thing I can think of doing that I'm not doing enough of is taking classes. I’m a good writer but I’m not really interested in writing or doing anything outside of performing. It’s what makes me happiest, everything else always just feels like busy work…

--Shatera

[Everyone, please check out Shatera's website and see if you agree with me. If you can think of other things she can also do, please comment and let her know!]

Oh, Shatera, How I feel you! How Everyone feels you! You're right, there is no 1, 2, 3 step path and the worst part of it is: There will never be one. You will never get to follow any steps in any order that makes sense because it all varies from person to person.

I went to your website, and although you describe yourself as having big, curly natural hair (hey girl!) the headshot on your home page is you with your hair straight. Go ahead and nix that one. It's not you.

I'm not a fan of most of your headshots, and I don't blame you; I blame the photographer. It's pretty clear s/he is not a competitive LA headshot photographer and your photog didn't know how to pose you or frame a good shot. Also, you need to wear makeup so we can see the dimensions in your face. Your natural lip color doesn't pop against your skin. Hire a makeup artist next time. I think your pictures are definitely the reason why you're not getting more work through your agent. They're not competitive with the NY market. I googled Best NYC headshot photographers and look at what I got. Do you see the difference between the photos that pop there and how yours don't grab one's attention? Get new ones.

Women our age only really have two types to choose from for film/tv: Leading Lady or Best Friend. You have unconventional beauty, so you're the best friend. Easy, right? Half your work is already done for you. For the stage, though, you are everything you think you can play! (God, I miss the stage.)

And Shatera, don't do theatre because Denzel said you should. Do theatre because you effing love it. I know you know this. Still.

I heard you sing: Amazing voice. I think you should have a commercial jingles demo reel so you can also make money that way. http://www.edgestudio.com/archive/jingles-and-singing-how-do-i-get

But your main question: does your plan seem realistic? I don't know. I don't know the NY/DC market. I don't know anything there. The only thing I can do is offer suggestions. Suggestions from a fellow struggling actress! Ah, life.

The better question: Is there anything else you can be doing? Always!

Yes to taking classes. But not just acting/singing/dance classes. Take any and all classes. That's right, Shatera, TAKE ALL THE CLASSES! You'll get to meet fun, new people and once you make more friends, your world will open up. Someone in your vegan cooking class could have an aunt who's a talent manager looking for a legit actress with an amazing range. Plus, now you know how to cook a bunch of vegan things.

Keep uploading singing videos, but in ALL singing genres. Find a new song you love, buy the karaoke version and upload it. Make musician friends. Take a Justin Bieber pop song and turn it into a sultry jazz cover. Build Youtube followers and fans. Keep stretching yourself as a musical artist. Singing is your thing. SING. EVERY DAY. Do a new video once a week.

Learn accents. I love love love your look. Learn Jamaican, learn Dominican, learn Senegalese. You have a good ear for music and accents are just spoken music, right? I bet you'll pick them up super fast.

You say all the other stuff outside of performing feels like busy work. That's because IT IS. Are you postcarding and emaling and updating your website? You need to be. Get on people's radars.

And finally, if you're in a rut, ask your friends what else you can be doing. They will always have an answer.

Good luck!

xoxo
Lira

PS: Have you thought of dropping your last name? Shatera is badass. Maybe your singing persona is just 'Shatera'? Ask your friends their opinion. 

Tinkling Wind Chimes

"Do you want to turn the radio on?" My husband is in the back seat of my car, my mother riding beside me. My mother gets nervous around crowds so we took her out for a late lunch on Friday. On the way back to her care facility, I was peacefully sitting in the silence that accompanies my mother and me when she's busy talking to the voices in her head.

I was lost in my own world too. I was thinking how my mother -  schizophrenic, bi-polar, paranoid - is the only mother I know. There are pieces of her, like faded fabric, scrapped together in my quilt mind from before she had her first nervous breakdown when I was six, but the colors are dull, washed out. Was this really my vibrant blankie?

I remember her laugh, on the phone with her sister. We could always tell when Aunt Sira called: she laughed. Perfect, tinkling wind chimes caught on a summer breeze. A laugh she only shared with her sister. Never with us.

Mother's Day is difficult for me. Every year. It just is. I think about my mother's life, what's left of it. How if I could, I would climb into her bed with her and hold her, stroke her hair, kiss her forehead, while a doctor would inject something into her arm that would finally quiet the outside noises, the inside voices, her beating heart.

For Christmas one year, my mother expressed interest in keeping a journal. I was ten. I saved up my allowance and bought her one that had a woman staring out into the ocean. I found it a few months later. She had written one entry: her obituary. Her year of death was that same year. I carried the fear that my mother would commit suicide and I would find her one day after school, bloody and bloated in the bathtub or her body slumped over in the kitchen, her face blown off by her own hand. Violent an traumatic are the only options if you want to die. At ten years old, I was resigned to cleaning up her skull and brains off the cabinets so my dad wouldn't have to see all that when he'd get home.

She has wanted to die for a very long time. We don't allow that in our culture. We make our parents live and live and live and live even though their bodies are tired, even though their minds are gone, even though to keep them alive is making them live a life no one wants.

Our pets, however, don't die like that. They die with dignity. We let them go peacefully so that they don't have to tremble anymore in whimpering pain. We hold them, we stroke them. The last thing they see before their eyes are too heavy with sleep are our faces. They feel our hands on their bodies. Safe. Warm. Loved. Peaceful.

My mother suffers. She can't think of the words she wants anymore and gets frustrated. Her right eye follows slowly after the left. Her teeth are rotting and chipped. She can't see but is terrified of the eye doctor. She suffers.

The voices in her head are calm for now. Friendly. But for how much longer?

When we had arrived to pick her up, she told me she thought I was in jail. The voices told her I was. "I told you the last time I was here that they let me go because they had the wrong guy. Mama didn't raise no jail bird!" I laugh it off so she knows it's not a big deal. That everything is fine. To argue with her, "No, no, that never happened! I've told you!" makes the world scary.

In the car, after lunch, I thought how different life will be for our children. I don't know what my mother was like at my age, as a women in college, as a teenager. I can't imagine her getting ready with her girlfriends for a night out on the town. I can't imagine her in pigtails and flannel about to hike a mountain.

And yet, we all have pictures of that of us. Videos of us on YouTube and Facebook doing silly things. Our children will have pieces of us we didn't get to have with our own parents. They will see the connection, see the vitality, see our youth.

There are so many things I wish I could have seen about my mother. Instead, all I see is a very tired woman, ready to be done with the world.

And so: Mother's Day.

The best gift I could ever give my mother is a Final Goodbye. I'd bring balloons and flowers and cake. I'd say, "This is it, Mom! The day you've been waiting for!" I'd give her a cup filled with whipped cream and a spoon and let her go to town cause it's her favorite. Then I'd climb into her bed with her, and hold her, kiss her forehead, take her small hands into my much larger ones. I'd squeeze three times, and feel her squeeze me back. A doctor would take his needle out of her arm and let us have our final moments together. "Is this really it?" She'd ask me. "Yes. It really is." And she'd smile and close her leaded eyes. "Thank you," she'd sigh. I would place her hand over my heart, so she could feel that although it's breaking inside me, she knows I am doing the best I can to be strong. She knows the heart connection between us, she's felt my heart, heard my heart inside her own body. She gave me life, and I, in return, am giving her death. I would let my tears fall. Then, slowly, the voices in her head would stop chattering. Everything is peaceful. Everything is perfect. The only voice she hears is mine: "I love you." And she would let out one last breath and be still. Finally, finally, at peace.

But I can't give her that.

I can bring her orchids and say they're from all of us, and take her out for pancakes. I can make jokes and pretend that the gibberish she's saying makes sense so she's not frightened how her mind easily betrays her. I can hold her hand when we walk slowly together to my car. I can make sure the air conditioning or the heating is just right. I can make sure she knows I'm here.

And I can hope, with every single cell that makes me, I can pray to all the gods in the heavens, I can wish on every star and dandelion and eyelash, that she will die and that it will be soon. That everything will be nothing. And instead of worrying how how much pain she is in, I will feel her on the wind, see her in the stars, and hear her tinkling wind chime laugh over and over again in my dreams.


    

Need a Print Agent?

Hi Guys!

My modeling agent sent out an email I'd like to share with you:

Chic Models is always looking for New Faces for our Fashion/Print division.

 

Fashion Division: Must have a portfolio. Online or Book.

Males: 5’11 & Taller. All ages.

Females: 5’8 & Taller. 0-6 Dress Size. All ages.

 

Commercial Print: Must have smiley headshots.

Male & Female. All ages. All heights. All Size.

 

If interested, please submit current headshots, full length shots, and link to online port

if you have one to faces@chicmodels.com

Please limit pictures to no more than 5. Preferably, resized if possible.

SUBJECT: Fashion/Print New Faces

 

Please let her know that Lira referred you, and GOOD LUCK!

Wanting to Act When You're Young

One of the gals who was in my Interactive Theatre Show asked if she could take one of the monologues I wrote and shoot it. Hooray! I just saw the 1 minute edit of it for a film festival they're going to submit to and it's pretty cute. Once it's premiered, I'll be able to show it to you guys.

I've got a few other things on the back burner I also just can't talk about  yet, but I am Counting Down the Days, y'all.

In the meantime, here's a question from a reader:

Okay, I feel rather silly. But I want to explain my story, so you could maybe further help me. By the way, I love your blog! Found it day before yesterday, and been hooked ever since! Anyways... So, we live in Mississippi. My mother is on disability, and has had 62 operations on her kidneys but is a bit better. We've been in homeless shelters the majority of my life (I'm only fifteen). We barely make life by, but we live in an apartment with my 17 year old sister, whom I don't get along too well with. So, we don't have much money. For 11th and 12th (I'm in 9th) grade I am trying to attend Mississippi School of Arts high school (MSA). After that, I want to move to LA. I realize I'm a southern country girl, but I know I have talent and I believe if I'm persistent enough, I can make it somewhere In life and live my dream. As stated, I've had a hard life, and don't really have any money. How can I live my dream of LA still though? (:

Also, if I gave the impression somehow that I only want to act to be famous (one of my friends said that), that's not the case. All my life I've felt unwanted and like I can't do much right. Acting is were people tell me how good I am. Its where *I* feel I can stand out. When something isn't right in life, I act. Its the only thing that calms me down. I love doing it so much. It makes me feel like I have a purpose. Every chance I get, I act. Thanks, ~Mikailah

 Hi Mikailah!

When I was in fifth grade, I had two outfits. A sky blue sweatshirt and sweatpants combo, and a red shirt and pants combo. I had two pairs of socks. We were poor. We had a house, thank goodness, but my mother's health bills meant there were no frills like an outfit for every day of the school week. By Friday, my socks crunched when I put them on.

I understand what it's like to have no money. To have such little money that an extra outfit is out of the question. To be woken at night by mice eating your bedroom walls. To know that no matter what, no matter what it is, you can't afford it. I've been there.

In 9th grade, I was able to get a work permit and make some money. This is what you need to do as soon as possible, if you haven't already. Make money and save it.

Because as much as I want to say that it is perfectly fine to move to LA at 18 as soon as you graduate, with $20 in your pocket, it is not. Unfortunately, you are in a situation where if you move ANYWHERE, you will always need to have emergency money to get you back home so you can go to your mother's funeral. This is something I know you know. It is terrible, and awful, but you will need to go. You will never forgive yourself if you are so poor you can't get there in time.

I'm sure you've read my blog enough to know that you need $10,000 minimum to move out to LA. You need good headshots and you need to submit those to agencies and that whole process is very expensive. And then, what if you don't get picked up by an agent? That is a possibility. It happens all the time.

But that is all years away from you right now. We need to focus on what you can do now.

You need to get a job. You need to read as many plays as you can. You need to practice monologues. You need to do your best to act and make it look like you're not acting.

You want to attend the Mississippi School of Arts for 11th and 12th grade. Fantastic! So you need to prove it to them that the school wants you. If you don't have a device to record yourself (a friend's old ipod or iphone [without the phone plan] will both work) so you have videos of you acting. Get a group of friends together and record and edit small videos of play scenes. You need a folder filled with your favorite monologues and scenes. You need to watch all the film classics. You need to research, research, research and create, create, create, because if you don't do these things, you won't be fulfilled. Make the school see that you are serious about being an actor and you are acting and creating videos already, and just think what you could do with their guidance and resources.

Find out where there is a theatre within a decent distance of you. Ask if you can work or intern there. Box office, house staff, whatever, and put yourself in a group of adults who know about you. Who can guide you, who can help you. Actors and theatre crew are nothing if not incredibly generous and kind and just a teensy bit crazy. ;)

Do everything, EVERYTHING you can to get to the point where you are researching, creating content, interning at a real theatre, and making and saving money. Expand your circle within the theatre world that already exists around you. Do NOT leave your home state until you have at least $10,000 and a bonus extra savings so you can get home in an emergency.

And you know what? Check out Atlanta before you check out LA. It's way closer, they do hire smaller roles (the only ones you'd be getting for a few years anyways)  and you could be a big fish in a small pond over there. I strongly recommend going there before going to LA. Get your feet wet. Get representation. Get film work in Atlanta.

Work on your General American accent too. Watch clips of Californian newscasters to hear what that sounds like.

It's going to be a hard and tough road for you. It's unfair, but that's your lot in life. We all have to deal with different things. But keep your chin up, work hard, and know that eventually, things could be much, much better. As long as you're willing to work very hard.

I wish you all the luck in the world.

xoxo
Lira

Where to Live in LA

Every Struggling Actress needs to figure out where she wants to live in LA. I lived in Hollywood, across the street from West Hollywood when I first moved out here. I then moved to the valley in North Hollywood, then a mile over, on the Burbank border, and then to Studio City.

I liked living in Hollywood when I was 21 - the bustle! the tourist attractions nearby! the heavily chlorinated hot tub on the roof of my building! I did not like that I couldn't walk around the neighborhood by myself at night.

I grew up in a suburb of San Jose and am used to the plazas, the parks, the spread out everything, so when I moved to the valley, I felt right at home. I also love the warmer temperatures in the winter.

My aunt loves the Westside. You don't even need air conditioning on the Westside! And those in Santa Monica will never move elsewhere. Seriously, they won't: Rent control!

And as many actors and actresses graduate college, they try to figure out where they should live. Like Shelby here:

Hi Lira!

First off, thanks so much for providing a way for people to contact you and ask you what is likely the same question over and over! I'll try to keep this short and sweet so as not to waste your time. 

I'm about to graduate from Baylor with BFA (or degree in pretend, whichever) and my parents are graciously allowing me to move back in with them to focus on working. My goal is to have at least $10,000 saved up before I head out to LA. I also already have a car paid off, but might sell it to get something more full efficient.  

Ugh, the question! I've been looking at places to live, things I need to do, reading blogs, reading books, and I feel like I'm absolutely inundated with information. One thing I am wondering though, do you have any ideas where a single gal with a cat should look to live? I'd love to be on my own, but most of the places I've seen that fit my price range are in Koreatown/Mid-Wilshire. Would I be safe there? 

I'm sure this seems like an inane question, but I hope you won't mind me asking. Also I'm officially the creepiest of the creeps because I've been going through your blog the past few days and only recently noticed there's an app that shows who's looking from where. So, the person from Waco who keeps showing up is me, sorry 'bout it!

In case you can't tell, I'm the least succinct person ever. Your blog is a wonderful fount of information and I really feel like you've covered most anything else I would have asked, even if I want to ask again because I'm a worry wart and over plan. 

If you took the time to read this monstrosity, thank you! Best of luck in all that you're doing, break all the legs!

Shelby

 Hi Shelby! Thanks for reading.

I need a few more things before I can answer your question to the best of my ability:

1) What is your price point for apartments? Are you willing to live with a roommate?
2) What type of job will you be working in TX to save up for your LA move?
3) Have you been to LA before?

 Thanks so much for taking the time to answer!

1. At this point, I'm not sure about the price point. I'm looking at things that are 1200 or less for 1 bed 1 bath, but I would live with a roommate if there was that option. I would rather not live with someone I don't know, and I do have friends going/that are already there that I'm going to hit up when it gets closer to my move date, I just don't want to count on it if I don't have it. 

2. I'm going to be serving, as much as possible. I've served all through college at Mexican food places, and I'm going to try to get a job at a higher end place to give me more experience. 

3. I have not been to LA before. I'm going to go for a week or two this summer to really scope everything out before I move in the fall. I'm just trying to get some sort of idea of what would be the best place to look for in terms of price, availability for auditions and such, and safety. Most of the people I know who are there have been for five years or less, so I thought I'd get the opinion of someone who's had a little more stability in that sense.

Okay Shelby, here we go! 

You should probably have more than $10,000 saved up. Heartbreaking, right? I know, I know. But when you move here (and it IS expensive to do so, but save your receipts cause it's tax deductible!) you need to have enough for at least 6 months of living expenses, including rent, groceries etc, because most likely, it will take you that long to secure a job here. Okay, it probably won't take you THAT long, but have that money in your pocket.

You also need to be in an acting class every month for your first year here. It's networking I didn't realize existed, and acting classes are expensive. Take a few months here, a few months there, and broaden your circle. You'll meet people who are happy to give you free advice because they too are living the life. 

As far as the Koreatown/Mid-Wilshire district goes, I can't really help you there cause there are very few casting facilities there and I'm not there that often. Yes, the rent is cheap, and it is a neighborhood that is building itself up again, but I'm really not someone who can tell you whether it's safe or not because I don't live there and don't travel there.

That being said, I also don't have many friends who live there. I have one. He is a guy. A single gal on her own? No, my gut is telling you no. He complains about helicopters all the time; police helicopters.

This is an older article on where to live from Backstage, but most of it still rings true.

As for living alone - I honestly do not recommend it when you first move out here. Get a roommate. You'll want someone to bounce ideas off of, to go with to that new brunch spot, to get advice on where to go on a date. It's nice to have someone to watch movies with, to possibly borrow some clothes from, to go out with for midnight cravings of Animal Fries.

Also, you could find a really nice place for $1,800/month that you can split with a roommate for only $900. Safe neighborhood with plenty of street parking, and you'd still be saving hundreds of dollars on your ideal dream rent.

Okay, now onto your job: Serving! YAY! Girl, I done did that for 10 years and one of the girls I worked with was my Lady of Awesome at my wedding. You'll make some lifelong friends working in a restaurant and that's great. But you ALSO need to figure out another way you can make money that is not waiting tables. Something creative that you can do that will also create a bit of a side income where you won't go batshit crazy waiting on sometimes seriously rude people. It will be the happy counterpoint, and maybe, just maybe, a career that you will eventually get to make so much money off of, you won't have to wait tables anymore. Do you know how to build websites? How to knit Jayne hats? How to....um, I don't know! Whatever! But you'll need something creative that you can do so that you have another creative aspect of your life that isn't acting. Because, unfortunately, you won't be acting very much. You'll act a day here, a day there, maybe a week, maybe a few months in a play, etc, so find something that makes you feel creative, allows you to express yourself, and keep you sane.

I'm SO GLAD you're coming out here to scope out the town. Good for you! You should do quite a few touristy things while you're here, or otherwise you'll probably never do them because they're major traffic jams you tend to avoid as a resident.

You sound like you got a good head on your shoulders. Save as much money as you can (seriously, there are a ton of places for rent in the wintertime, which will give you more time to save money and more options of where to live.) and come out here knowing you're going to love LA, then hate it, then love it again, then hate it once more, and then come to peace with it.

LA can be a magical town filled with wonderful people who are surprisingly generous. Just remember that like attracts like, and you'll find them, no problem.

And like you said, BREAK ALL THE LEGS!!!!

and good luck!

xoxo
Lira

Stay the Big Fish

I'm a decent resource for our Neighbors Up North:

Hi Lira!

Just read your blog for the first time today, and I've been finding it helpful, so I thought you could provide a knowledgeable opinion on something that's been bothering me. I'm 20 years old, living in Vancouver, Canada. I've just returned from an amazing 2 year stint in London, England, and I'm thinking it's about time to sort my life out. I'm, taking a Screenwriting course at Vancouver Film school (a really great program) and am thinking about moving to LA shortly after to pursue acting and writing. I've been acting from the age of 12 or so, represented by a wonderful agent here in Vancouver for a year when I was 17 (just before the move). The industry here was generally taking well to me, and I was making steady progress with casting directors. Anyways, it's been a couple of years, and there have been a few changes.

Along with me having gotten a bit rusty, I also have two tattoos on the inside of my arm. One is tiny and just above my wrist, and the other is larger, about 3 inches in diameter, just below my inner elbow. They are not visible when i have my arms straight down, but I'm afraid they'll put me in a "bad girl" niche.. I feel that my range is much larger than that and was wondering if you think casting agents would find my ink difficult to overcome.

Also, considering the industry here in Vancouver, do you think it would be wiser to establish myself here, and then potentially make the move? Or just go for it? Vancouver is many things and one of them is BORING. I'd much prefer living in LA, but I don't think I'd be willing to risk my career for it. 

I know it's a pretty loaded message.. but any help or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. I've just come back into the real world after spending 2 years partying with the best of them, and am most definitely having a crisis!

Thanks so much! 

Kristina 

Hi Kristina! Thanks for reading. 

I'm going to address the tattoos first:  I'm glad you have found a way to express yourself with art. Tattoos usually are symbolic of something or someone who mean or meant a lot to us. I think they're great.

And a lot, and I mean thousands of actors have them. I once worked on a music video with Elton John (cause I be's fancy!) that took place in the 1950s with an all female band. The violinist had two full sleeves of tattoos on her arms. Was it a problem? Not at all. The makeup artists covered the art up with tattoo covering makeup and wardrobe added see through chiffon sleeves to her dress. Her tattoos were not an issue, and every makeup person and wardrobe stylist has tricks to erase them. They're expected.

I would suggest that you wear a character appropriate layer to hide them (long sleeves, cute sweater, etc) if you want to hide them, and when you're hired for a gig and you get the call sheet, call the makeup artist to warn them of your tattoos and placement, and when wardrobe calls you for sizes,  give them their heads up.

Bottom line: Tats are not a problem. Be proud of them. They're yours.

As for moving to LA...

It sounds like your biggest fear is coming down here and having no career. And that is a valid fear to have. My advice is to always, always STAY a big fish in a little pond. A ton of tv shows are still produced in Vancouver and it's wise to get on as many shows (either as an actress or writer!) in Canada as you can. Book your guest star roles, book your recurring and Series Regular roles up there, and eventually (if not now), you'll be put on tape for LA pilots, and they'll fly you down for callbacks and screen tests.

You're young. You're 20. You probably look younger. You probably pass for TV 16 or younger. So book those younger roles and work, work, work up in Canada for as long as you can. LA is a crap shoot. You already have credits up there, and the casting directors who come across your resume know the shows you've been on, and already know you. No one in LA knows you yet and don't know the shows you've worked on since we don't get much Canuck television. Work the relationships you've been forging since you were 12 and give it another five years to make your money and re-evaluate what you want. Write scripts and see if you can sell them in the Canadian market, or heck, make the stuff yourself.

It's hard to be patient, trust me, I know, but that's what I recommend. 

 

And is Vancouver REALLY boring? Maybe you haven't found the cool underground things yet.  Since you said you were rusty, get into a few acting classes and make new actor friends. Explore your community by yourself and with your new friends and live life to the fullest. Check this out and do some of those things.

Be a big fish in a market that already knows you're a reliable, talented actor. Moving here now means your starting at 0, and there's no need for that. 

I'll see you in a few years. 

The winters are marvelous!

You're Hurting My Heart

This is the first time I've ever gotten an email looking for advice that hurt my heart.

Dear Lira,

I happened to come across your blog (very interesting read) and was convinced you'd give me the best advice. I dont want to be an actor but would love to be in commercials. Thought would ask you what a good place to get a headshot done would be? I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks

-P

I'm not quite sure I understand where you're coming from. You don't want to be an actor but you'd like to be in commercials? Why? Because it looks easy?

There are thousands of actors who train, train, train their butts off so that they can book a commercial or a television show and make a living. They get a theatre degree, they take commercial classes, they study everything on tv and note what their type could realistically sell.

They spend thousands of dollars on the right wardrobe for the right headshots so that they can then submit those photo reproductions into manilla envelopes and mail them each for over $1 in postage to around 50 agents, hoping that one of them just might call them in and represent them. They will drive hundreds of miles and sit in hours of rush hour traffic to make their audition, their call back. They will spend over an hour waiting their turn where only their photo is taken. They will be on set and wait 8 hours before they're needed for ten minutes.

You want to be in commercials. Why not, right? The money is good. And sometimes it IS all about your look. But if you have no commercial training, no acting training, what makes you think you could book something? What makes you better than the girl next to you who has been training for years? What makes you more bookable than her?

Because commercial audiitons are hard. They're ridiculous. And if you don't want to be an actor, you probably don't know the lingo. You don't know how to slate. You don't know how to be real in front of the camera.

But heck, maybe you do. Maybe you're a natural. Maybe you'll book the first seven commercials you go out for.

But I think you're not seeing the whole picture: It's very Expensive to be a commercial actor. And you probably Will Not book an audition within the first six months.

You don't even want to do your own research to look at headshot photographers yourself.

Why don't you want to be an actor? Is there something wrong with being an actor?

Why would you go to a Struggling Actress and tell her that you're not going to put in the work to be an actor, nor do you have any intention of ever doing so, but can she help you do something you obviously don't understand the scope of?

P, if you really want to act in commercials, and you probably really can, you need to research that information yourself. You also need to understand that you will spend over $1,500 just to get the photos and put them up on the submission services.

You need to understand that you have to make money in the meantime with part-time night work, so that you can be available ALL day for your commercial agent who might get you an audition once or twice a week. You can't decline an audition if you're working at your "real" day job. Your commercial agent will drop you in one hot quick second if you don't take your commercial job (which is actually being available to audition at a moment's notice) seriously, because there are hundreds of actors with credits and more experience right behind you wanting in. So what are you doing to make money to pay rent? Are you waiting tables? Making coffee? Dressing up as a Princess on the weekend at children's birthday parties? Walking dogs? Are any of those jobs beneath you?

Research. You haven't done any of it.

Come back to me next year, show me your thumb on your nose, your residual paychecks, and how you thought I was so rude to you and look, ha ha ha, you did it after all!

And I'll congratulate you on your hard work, because P, that's what being a commercial actor is: very, very hard work.

And I'll be happy for you, honest.

But you need to do the work first.

xoxo