I'm an LA Actor giving you the REAL DEAL!
Modeling Schools are SCAMS! You do NOT need modeling classes to get an agent! You just have to have good pictures and mail them to Ford, Elite, or Wilhelmina. They will hire coaches for you.
Here's the cliffnotes version of what you need to succeed in LA:
1.EDUCATE YOURSELF FIRST!
READ (check Samuel French, libraries, and bookstores):
*=If you're on a budget
Acting business:
*Acting is Everything: Gold Edition-Judy Kerr
*How to Be a Working Actor-Mari Lyn Henry and Lynne Rogers
*Self Management for Actors-Bonnie Gillespie
-How to Get Arrested-J. Wallach Michael and Paul Thurwachter
*An Agent Tells All-Tony Martinez
-One Less Bitter Actor: The Actor's Survival Guide-Markus Flanagan
-So You Want to Be in Showbusiness?- Steve R. Stevens
-Acting Truths and Lies (purchased at www.info4actors.com)
Acting:
*Book the Job-Doug Warhit
*Intent to Live-Larry Moss
-Acting for the Camera-Tony Barr
-Acting in Film-Michael Caine
-Acting Class: Take a Seat-Milton Katselas
Method Acting:
*Art of Acting-Stella Adler
*Sanford Meisner on Acting-Sanford Meisner
*A Dream of Passion-Lee Strasberg
-Actor's Art and Craft-William Esper
-The Power of the Actor-Ivanna Chubbuck
-No Acting Please-Eric Morris
-Respect for Acting-Uta Hagen
-Challenge to the Actor-Uta Hagen
-You Can Act!-D.W. Brown
-Strasberg’s Method-Lorrie Hull
Comedy
-8 Characters of Comedy-Scott Sedita
-The Sitcom Career Book-Mary Lou Belli
Improv
-Anything by Viola Spolin
-Steve Book on Acting: Improv
Auditioning/Cold Reading:
*How to Get the Part Without Falling Apart-Margie Haber
*Audition-Michael Shurtleff
-Secrets to Successful Cold Readings-Glenn Alterman
2.GET TRAINING!
Regardless of how "talented" you might be, you NEED training, PERIOD!
Best schools in LA:
Cold Reading/Auditioning
-Margie Haber
-Brian Reise
-Amy Lyndon
Commercials
-Hey, I Saw Your Commercial!
-Chris Game
-Stuart K. Robinson
-Stuart Stone
-Killian McHugh
-Francine Selkirk-Akerman
-Carolyne Barry
Improv (All four are great)
-Groundlings
-Second City
-Upright Citizens Brigade
-Improv Olympic
Scene Study/Acting (It varies. Some schools are not for everyone. Chubbuck, Eric Morris, and Howard Fine are not for people who aren't fans of Strasberg or Uta Hagen (ie. affective memory and substitution.) Playhouse West, Joanne Baron/DW Brown, and Acting Corps are more Meisner oriented. Try to audit these places and make sure if they're for you or not.
-Doug Warhit
-Diana Castle
-Stephen Book
-Kimberly Jentzen
-Beverly Hills Playhouse
-Howard Fine
-Stella Adler
-Ivanna Chubbuck
-Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown
-Tom Todoroff
-Playhouse West
-Aaron Speiser
-Acting Corps
-Eric Morris
Comedy:
-Scott Sedita
-Lesly Kahn
3. Get GREAT headshots
Here's is a good place to start:
http://bbs.backstage.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8011031/m/110106342
4. Build Your Resume and Reel Doing Student films and Indie Films. Also do plays to build your acting experience.
Sample Resume:
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww80/ELDORADO59/scan0002.jpg
How to make an ACTING resume:
https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20091011203729AAkQetj
The ONLY LEGIT Online sites that you can find jobs on your own through:
ALL SITES NOT LISTED BELOW ARE SCAMS!
-ActorsAccess.com
-LACasting.com
-Nowcasting.com
-Backstage.com
Free but proceed with caution:
-Castingcallsearch.com
-Mandy.com
-Craigslist
5. Networking
Here are some of the best places in LA to meet casting directors and theatrical agents:
-Reelpros
-Network Studio
-Casting Network
-Actorkeys
-Talent to Go
6. Get an Agent
To get an agent, you need to get GREAT headshots, a good resume, and training from the best. These are enough to get you a commercial agent at least. Getting a GOOD theatrical agent (Film/tv) takes longer. Most good theatrical agents won’t see you unless you’re SAG, have a polished resume, and a demo reel. Commercial agents are more lenient about that. What the best Commercial agents want to see on your resume are good commercial classes, improv, and cold reading.
You can get an agent multiple ways. Here are a few common ways:
-Mail in an unsealed manilla envelope with a CONCISE coverletter and headshot with the resume stapled on the back. If you have a demoreel include that too.
-Attend a showcase and impress them. By showcase I do not mean scammy conventions like IMTA, IPOP, Proscout, or Best New Talent. I mean legit ones like at Actor Connection, Reel pros, Network Studios, etc.
-Get a referral from a friend who is with the agency that you’re interested in
DON’T
-Email them unless they tell you to. IT’S UNPROFESSIONAL!
-Call unless they tell you to. ALSO UNPROFESSIONAL!
-Walk in and ask for a meeting. UNPROFESSIONAL THREE!
-Sign with them if they ask for upfront money, make you take new photos with THEIR photographer, or take THEIR classes. Agent’s ONLY make money when you do. Agents usually make 10% on film/tv and commercials and 20% on commercial print.
Here are some agencies that are more open to taking developing actors:
Top Youth Agencies:
CESD
Osbrink
Coast to Coast
Abrams
Daniel Hoff
Amsel, Eisenstadt, and Frazier
Savage
Top Commercial Agencies(*=definite winners):
KSR *-Alicia Ruskin
Abrams *- Mark Measures
CESD *- David Ziff or Adrienne Berg
Diverse *- Wendy Morrison
Coast to Coast * -Hugh Leon
Daniel Hoff * - Daniel Hoff
Commercial Talent * - Neil Kreppel
Commercials Unlimited - Richard Reiner
Innovative Artists * - Marcia Hurwitz or Cher Van Amburg
Independent Artists- Jenine Leigh or Laura Fogelman
Bobby Ball-Mike O'Dell
Flick Commercials- Tina Kiratsoulis
DPM - Daniel P. Mulheran
DDO - Marlene Sutton
Venture IAB - Noel Palm
Sutton, Barth, Venari * -Pam Sparks
Arlene Thornton and Associates - Tracy Mapes
Pantheon * -Patricia Dawson or Pierre Gatling
Beverly Hecht -Teresa Valente-Dahlquist
Don Buchwald and Associates *- Kristy Dax
M. Greene and associates - Jim Lighte
AKA * - Doug Ely
Amsel, Eisenstadt & Frazier -Gloria Hinojosa
Brady, Brannon, and Rich * - Judy Rich or Pat and David Brady
Brass Artists - Jack Ianacci
Aqua - John Kolinofsky
Special Artists Agency - Alexandra Gucovsky
Amatruda, Benson, and Assoc. -Kimberly Gola
Angel City - Gwen Davis
BiCoastal - Greta Hanley
Clear Talent Group - Tim O'Brien
Lemon Lime - Robin Harrington or Chaim Magnum
LA Talent - Pam Loar or Mike Casey
LW1 - Sean Robinson
Mavrick - Brad Diffley
Momentum - Garry Purdy
NTA*- Nancy Luciano
Up and Comer Commercial Agencies:
-Talentworks (Emily Hope from ACME is here)
-House of Representatives (Top theatrical agency that now has a commercial department)
-Sovereign (Top theatrical agency that now has a commercial department)- Annalisa Babich
-Hollywood Select Talent-Mike Sutton of Baron Entertainment is there.
Theatrical Agents (Minus the Big 4 (William Morris, UTA, ICM, CAA) and the B Agencies(Gersh, APA, Paradigm, Innovative) who do NOT take beginners) :
Buchwald
Abrams
David Shapira and Associates
Diverse
Domain
The Glick Agency
GVA
IFA
Kazarian Spencer (KSR)
Metropolitan
Michael Greene and Associates
Pakula King
Peter Strain
SMS Talent
Sovereign
Stone Manners
SDB Partners
Talentworks
AEF
AKA
Chasin
Coast to Coast
Daniel Hoff
Defining Artists
Gage Group
Geddes
Hervey Grimes
Henderson Hogan
House of Representatives
Osbrink
Pantheon
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