HI! I'm [redacted, so let's say it's "Amy"] I just turned 17. I have been dancing since I was six and I am on the USA national champion [redacted] dance team. I started acting when I was 15 and I just loved it so now I am totally obsessed with becoming an actress! Yet, I have only been to a few auditions, mostly dance related and really haven't gotten any jobs (just dance things). So I think I really need an agent. I figured that my dancing experience could some how contribute to my acting career? By the way I absolutely love your blog, I just have a few questions.
First you said that when you signed with your first agent that you didn't know how to properly write a resume but what I was thinking was how did you get the agent if you didn't have a resume?? Second do you have any advice for me to find an agent? I am not with SAG or AFTRA but do I need to be at this time?Thank you and let me know!
Hey, My name is [redacted, so let's say "Lisa"]. I read your struggling actress blog, I need your advice on something if you are willing to give it. I am living here in Baltimore, Maryland. I am a struggling actress. I am so passionate about it. I have been doing theater for years, and I have done a few commercials and modeling here in Maryland as well. I dont know what to do. I find myself everyday googling the same things running into the same scams, trying to find stupid things on craigslist. I dont have an agent. I dont know how to get one. No one is helping me. I need advice. I am 22 years old and I feel like I am getting too old to do anything. I have been looking at actors access or backstage.com. I dont know what one to choose. Can you point me in a good direction?
AHHHHHH!
You guys! You seriously make me want to rip my hair out! What is wrong
with you?! I don't want to give you the benefit of the doubt because of
your ages, because honestly, COME ON. I know you're smarter than this.
I have spent FIVE YEARS writing about how to do exactly what you're asking. I even included a Google search bar so you can find answers to your specific questions within this blog. Ugg. Why didn't you try reading the archives? Honestly? Why not? Because you think you're the only one with your particular problem of not knowing what to do next?
Amy - you first.
You have gone out for acting auditions but only book the dance auditions, so you think you need an agent? HA! No! You need an ACTING class! Let's say you're choreographing a huge musical at your school and you need your leads to be fantastic dancers. So you audition 30 kids. Out of the 30, 5 are just as good as you, and have been dancing since they were 3, and placing in national competitions. Are you going to cast the 3 girls who required your time and attention for 5 minutes to learn a box step? No. Cause they need dance classes. And you have no time to teach them anything. You're gonna hire the 5 dancers who already know what they're doing, already have ribbons and trophies at home for their dance work, and who you know you can teach in seconds flat. Now imagine you're casting a commercial or television show. SAME THING. You hire the people who show you they know what they're doing.
Acting is a business. And no agent is going to take you on if you have no work experience. Not at your age while you're still in school.
Could you find a dance agent? Probably very easily! (And there are some out there, but I'm not going to tell you who they are.) Could you book commercials and music videos and theatre with your dance experience? Oh yeah. Of course! Do you need to take an acting class? Obviously. Just like you took jazz, tap, hip-hop, ballet and whatever else, in order for you to work doing what you love, you also need an acting class. It's just another facet of using your body to express emotions.
And now for your first question: How did I learn how to write an actor's resume? When I was an itty bitty girl around your age, when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth, I didn't have this thing called the internet. I didn't have Google. You know what though, YOU DO. And I am absolutely floored that a person of your age doesn't know how to use it to answer EVERY AND ALL question you have ever had. I mean, seriously. "Actor Resume Template" "Actor Resume Sample"
And you know what makes me angry? I'VE COVERED RESUMES IN THIS BLOG A FEW TIMES. Cause that is a very basic thing new actors need. So it shows me that you're lazy. And that you expect help without doing the basic research yourself. The problem with that attitude is that NO ONE will want to help you if you continue that first impression.
I mean, you want me to give you advice on how to find an agent? How about going back ONE GD POST and seeing that I gave out information on how to submit yourself to a manager who was looking for clients in your age range?? You understand why I'm upset, right?
And come on. You didn't even look up Sag or Aftra because the unions merged Two Years Ago!
Okay, okay, I know, I'm being super harsh but that's the real world. People will take advantage of your naivete. You can get yourself into very unsafe, expensive situations. I'm really mad at you because of that.
Okay, Amy? Do your effing research.
And now Lisa:
I have spent FIVE YEARS writing about how to do exactly what you're asking. I even included a Google search bar so you can find answers to your specific questions within this blog. Ugg. Why didn't you try reading the archives? Honestly? Why not? Because you think you're the only one with your particular problem of not knowing what to do next?
Amy - you first.
You have gone out for acting auditions but only book the dance auditions, so you think you need an agent? HA! No! You need an ACTING class! Let's say you're choreographing a huge musical at your school and you need your leads to be fantastic dancers. So you audition 30 kids. Out of the 30, 5 are just as good as you, and have been dancing since they were 3, and placing in national competitions. Are you going to cast the 3 girls who required your time and attention for 5 minutes to learn a box step? No. Cause they need dance classes. And you have no time to teach them anything. You're gonna hire the 5 dancers who already know what they're doing, already have ribbons and trophies at home for their dance work, and who you know you can teach in seconds flat. Now imagine you're casting a commercial or television show. SAME THING. You hire the people who show you they know what they're doing.
Acting is a business. And no agent is going to take you on if you have no work experience. Not at your age while you're still in school.
Could you find a dance agent? Probably very easily! (And there are some out there, but I'm not going to tell you who they are.) Could you book commercials and music videos and theatre with your dance experience? Oh yeah. Of course! Do you need to take an acting class? Obviously. Just like you took jazz, tap, hip-hop, ballet and whatever else, in order for you to work doing what you love, you also need an acting class. It's just another facet of using your body to express emotions.
And now for your first question: How did I learn how to write an actor's resume? When I was an itty bitty girl around your age, when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth, I didn't have this thing called the internet. I didn't have Google. You know what though, YOU DO. And I am absolutely floored that a person of your age doesn't know how to use it to answer EVERY AND ALL question you have ever had. I mean, seriously. "Actor Resume Template" "Actor Resume Sample"
And you know what makes me angry? I'VE COVERED RESUMES IN THIS BLOG A FEW TIMES. Cause that is a very basic thing new actors need. So it shows me that you're lazy. And that you expect help without doing the basic research yourself. The problem with that attitude is that NO ONE will want to help you if you continue that first impression.
I mean, you want me to give you advice on how to find an agent? How about going back ONE GD POST and seeing that I gave out information on how to submit yourself to a manager who was looking for clients in your age range?? You understand why I'm upset, right?
And come on. You didn't even look up Sag or Aftra because the unions merged Two Years Ago!
Okay, okay, I know, I'm being super harsh but that's the real world. People will take advantage of your naivete. You can get yourself into very unsafe, expensive situations. I'm really mad at you because of that.
Okay, Amy? Do your effing research.
And now Lisa:
Hi. I get your frustrations. But you're only 22. You feel like you're too old to do anything? Barf. Then quit NOW.
But see, I know you don't really want to do that. That's fine. But for some reason, you're not researching very well either because when I googled "Baltimore Talent Agencies" several names popped up.
And if you look at the left sidebar on this very blog, you'll see my top posts are about how to use Actors Access. So here's the deal.
STRUGGLING ACTORS EVERYWHERE:
Do
your research. Do your gosh darn mother frigging research and stop
being lazy. I have PERSONALLY spent DAYS writing information on how to
put your tools together to get representation and work all because I want strangers who were lost like me to have a free resource; an online mentor. And nothing
hurts me more than getting emails like yours where you find my blog,
find my email, and then prove to me that you honestly don't REALLY love
acting enough to truly need it in your life. If you did, you'd have read
this whole entire blog I've been writing since 2000-Freaking-NINE so
you could get as much info out of it as possible.
You want to be an actor?
PROVE IT.
You want to be an actor?
PROVE IT.
hahah this was amazingly harsh, but alas the truth! Keep it real girl.
ReplyDeleteOof. Well, at least it puts my struggling in perspective.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant post. I have actors ask me all the same stuff in the UK and I get soooo frustrated. From this point onward I will show them this one post. Well done for your truth and honesty.
ReplyDelete"Amy" didn't ask you how to write a resume. She asked:
ReplyDeletehow did you [Lira Kellerman] get the agent if you didn't have a resume??
Lira, I know you're super-busy, but you got to read more SLOWLY ;)
Hi Reaghan,
ReplyDeleteYou're right, although her literal question is how did I get an agent if I didn't have a resume, the fact of the matter is I have no idea how she got that impression. If I had just sent in a headshot with no resume, that's a huge indicator that I don't have the slightest idea what I'm doing. No agent wants to have to spend her time teaching a new actor everything when she could be spending that time submitting and pitching the clients who do know what they're doing.
When I wanted to submit to agents, I did my research and reached out to my uncle who was working in LA as a comedian and actor. He showed me how he did his, and I used that as a template.
You're right, though. I DO need to read more slowly. ;)
Thanks for commenting!