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Photo by Debra Lopez
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What are your struggling with in your Film and TV Career? Please leave your questions in the comments below and I promise to answer them.
23 Comments
Adam William
3/27/2015 11:45:32 am
Jumping into a potential no-income situation!
April Yvette Thompson
3/27/2015 11:46:37 am
Hey Adam: then only take paying jobs or projects that are high-visibility (like a Sundance film w/names in the leads) that will get you seen and lead to big budget projects
Adam
3/27/2015 11:47:16 am
It can be challenging to get paid work when just starting out. I'm hoping to jump in soon and give up my day job! 😓😅
April Yvette Thompson
3/27/2015 11:48:35 am
Training is the key. Start studying privately or in intensives with NYC coaches/teachers with great reputations and preferably with strong TV/Film credits. If that person's reputation is really solid, their name on your resume will get you a meeting w/an agent/manager. There's no way to play in the paying world of TV/Film w/out impressive training which leads to impressive agencies repping you. Never give up your day job, just turn it into a company u own that can earn u income year round and is related to entertainment...tv shows get cancelled all the time, u need a plan in place for the life of ur career, not just until u book the first job.
Wesley Green
3/27/2015 11:52:45 am
Finding a project that gets you national, if not, world coverage.
April
3/27/2015 11:53:25 am
Hi Wesley: If you have powerful agents/management team, they can do that. Most big agencies package their clients that way. If you don't have that, then it's time to put a strategy in place to get it done. One way to go is to option a solid short and cast big name leads opposite you and then submit to festivals. The other road is to get impressive training w/a NYC coach/teacher with strong film/tv credits. Their reputation and name on your resume will get you some much coveted mtgs w/agents and managers. Hope that's useful... ☀️☀️☀️
Lin Stanley
3/27/2015 11:55:13 am
A survival job
AprilYvette Thompson
3/27/2015 11:56:35 am
Lin Stanley the best survival job is runig your own business ...an online business teachig what you know or providing a service. It gives you flexible hours and steady income and can be done from anywhere...even when ur on set. Check out Jeff Walker's "the Four Hour Work Week'...It changed the way I do business and freed up my time to audition and write.
Christabel Bella Roseau
3/27/2015 11:58:21 am
Having done street improv for so many years its really hard to reign it back in. I am so used to performing 100 feet out from myself that its hard as hell to keep it inside as it were. Something comes over me when action is called and inspite of my best intentions (plans) a character appears that I am unfamiliar with. Its unsettling - sometimes its great others - not so much -.... I am working hard to pull it close - but what do you recommend?
Dan McGlaughlin
3/27/2015 12:59:59 pm
I could use a lot more work. - said every actor ever.
April Yvette Thompson
3/27/2015 01:00:37 pm
Hi Dan McGlaughin: Tom's right, get in class. I made the move from Theatre to TV/Film by studying weekly with a private coach for 9 months. And I stayed in the city so I could get facetime with network execs. I started getting called back after 3 months if weekly practice w/a coach and started booking 6 months later. It works...and my first gig paid for all of my private coaching. It was totally worth it.
Christabel Bella Roseau
3/27/2015 01:02:32 pm
Having done street improv for so many years its really hard to reign it back in. I am so used to performing 100 feet out from myself that its hard as hell to keep it inside as it were. Something comes over me when action is called and inspite of my best intentions (plans) a character appears that I am unfamiliar with. Its unsettling - sometimes its great others - not so much -.... I am working hard to pull it close - but what do you recommend? 3/27/2015 01:03:51 pm
Hi Christabel: take a look at the video:
Michael Ney
3/28/2015 08:19:18 am
"WOW WOW WOW"!!!...THANK YOU... Michael.
Dorianne Hennessey
3/28/2015 08:22:23 am
I'm 13 and5'9. I'm too talk for everything!!! 3/28/2015 08:22:57 am
Hi Dorianne: i'd start looking for breakdowns for parts that you're right for best on your personality, your emotional center, instead of roles based solely on your physical type. Danny Glover's role in lethal weapon was originally written for a white woman, but he talked casting into letting him read for it bec it fit his personality...and he booked it
Nikki Chawla
3/28/2015 08:23:43 am
Not enough work for brown people like me, most casting calls are for "Caucasian". 3/28/2015 08:33:47 am
Hi Nikki Chawla: You might want to think about a strategy to get your agents to send you out more according to your emotional type as well as your physical type. The last 2 film/tv roles I booked for were originally written for a Chinese man in his sixties, a 50-something brassy Shelley Winters type blonde and an Asian woman repressed 20 something woman. I'm none of those things, but I got the audition and they re-wrote the role for me. Check out this video to hear some strategies to get your agents to expand what they send you out for: http://www.thedreamunlocked.com/.../emotional-type-vs.../3
Taty Mott
3/28/2015 01:58:26 pm
Before watching the video, I was going to ask something along the lines of "how do you get an agent?" Or "how do you submit yourself for film & tv?" ..but I realized I may be going about this and even my existing theater career all wrong. This was hands down the best video I've seen so far this year, and I'll be tuning in so I can get those 5 sessions. I'm inspired! Thank you so much for posting!
Kelley
3/29/2015 04:45:13 pm
Great video April! You mention an actor who has formed a production company LLC can look for roles for themselves. Can you give a little more clarity around the process for doing so? Does this mean a production company LLC has access to breakdowns?
April Yvette Thompson
3/30/2015 08:03:44 am
Hi Kelley: Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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