Acting
in
Hollywood:
A
Newcomer's
Guide
Stanislav Meiner
Copyright © 2010 Stanislav Meiner
Published by Mull Foon Books at Smashwords
mullfoon@aroma.com
All rights reserved, No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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Introduction
Hollywood is a state of mind, a state of mind whose home is Los Angeles, California. Tourists can also visit a place called Hollywood where handprints in concrete and stars in the sidewalk give them some glimpse of the glamor associated with the word. But those who come here to act will spend little time in that place. The “Hollywood” they have come for is spread out in multiple locations and takes many forms. It can be very confusing, if very exciting too.
This is a book for the adult actor who is planning to move to that Hollywood or who has recently arrived. It should also be of use to others, even if parents of young actors, for instance, should also read specialized books (and Web sites) on that subject. It covers everything from whether you should move to how to get settled in, find representation, and look for work, to navigating the city of L.A. itself.
Much of this will become second nature once you are here; some of it may be a good reminder even if you have been here for a while. No doubt you will find others who disagree with some of what is said here – people disagree about just about everything in the acting business. And little attempt has been made here to address the issues of more established actors or anyone whose career is at a point where they are surrounded by advisers.
It is unlikely, after all, that they are still reading books such as this one.
Simply put, this book is intended to facilitate your move – if indeed, you decide to move – and to guide you towards what is useful and positive in getting started in the business and the city and to warn you away from some of the many traps which await a newcomer. It won't tell you how to be a star, but hopefully it will make your first few years here easier, more productive and somewhat safer – leaving you free to at least have fun.
Because if you can't do that in Hollywood, where can you?
Planning Ahead
Presumably, if you're coming to Hollywood, it's for a career. Which hopefully means you have a career plan. So before you even decide to move, you will already have done a lot of work.
Are you ready for Hollywood?
It's not unusual – in fact, it's far too common – for people to come to Hollywood and think that's all they need to do get work. Hollywood is “where the work is”, right? All you have to do is get there and if you... have the right look... know the right people.... were a hit back home... the work will come.
It won't. (That is, to the degree that anything is certain in Hollywood, it won't.)
How many people in the United States play basketball? How many people play for the N.B.A.? What's the difference between those who do and those who don't? A number of things, luck and natural gifts among them, but above all: preparation.
Yes, there is more acting work in Hollywood. But there are also WAY more actors. Which means you'll be competing, right from the get-go, against thousands of people. And probably thousands of people who fit your general type.
Never mind if you're “better” than your competition. Are you your best self? Are you in top acting shape? Have you done everything you can to arrive in town with a honed, professional “product” that has some chance of standing out among all that competition? Have you tried every opportunity where you already live and had more success than not?
First of all, have you ever acted? A silly question, one would think, but “actors” arrive in Hollywood all year round who have done little or no acting. Many more arrive who have no training.
If you have acted, how's it been going? When you send out your headshot (you DO have a headshot?), do you get called in? When you get called in, do you book at all (no one always books)?
What kind of acting have you been doing? On stage? In tiny half-empty theaters? In larger ones? In Equity productions? And on-camera? Have you worked in front of a camera at all? Do you have some footage of yourself?
Have you “worn out” where you are – that is, gotten to where you're booking all the different kinds of work available there, partially because you've identified and overcome all the obstacles to your getting the part? Or do you still have a ways to go, right there, where you are now?
How about your knowledge of the business? You're reading this book, which is a good start. Have you read a few others? Do you go on-line and follow the message boards where actors in L.A. post? Do you know the difference between an agent and a casting director? (There's no such thing as a “casting agent”, though unfortunately you will see that term.) The difference between a manager and an agent?
Do you know how to tell the difference between legitimate industry people and the innumerable posers out there, some simply trying to score, some with more sinister agendas? And monetarily, how do you plan to survive? Have you saved up some money? Do you have a good day job solution worked out?
Have you ever been to Hollywood? Do you know the difference between Hollywood and North Hollywood? Hollywood and West Hollywood?
If you're young and good-looking, yes, there is a chance you can just land, blindly, in LA. and have some luck. But there's an even better chance you'll get taken advantage of. In any number of ways. So anyone, of any age, should be clear about what they have to get them off to a good start in L.A. before they even think about moving out here.
First of all, you should be an actor. That means acting, not just telling people you're an actor; for most people it also means training. Before you even think about coming to LA, you should be experienced enough as an actor to know what your strengths and weaknesses are, to have some idea of what your type is and of what work you most easily get, to know what work you typically WON'T get.
Theater is good and it helps to have a strong background in it. But you should also have done some on-camera work and hopefully even have a reel showing your work.
If you're not getting called in where you are, or getting called in and not booking very much, if at all, that's a problem, and one to solve before you move to a far more competitive market.
You should certainly have a headshot and a resume – even if you may need to redo both when you get out here. And that resume should have some solid credits, credits that show you're really acted, not just walked about in front of a camera (yes, casting directors can tell the difference).
You shouldn't necessarily be in a union (we'll discuss that later) at first, but you should certainly be at a level where it would soon make sense for you to be in one. (The ideal these days is to be SAG-eligible without being SAG until you have more shots at SAG work than at non-union work.)
You should know how you'll live for the first year you're in Hollywood. (If you're thinking, “Why from paid acting work of course”, you're already in trouble.) You should certainly have savings, but you should also be clear on what you'll do to earn money. This will very probably be what you're doing right now. If you're afraid your current job would interfere with acting opportunities, then think long and hard about what else you'll be doing (and read the section here on this subject).
You should have some idea of what life is really like in Hollywood. These days, with the Web, that's much easier to get. You can “listen in” on message boards. You can ask questions. You can read blogs by industry professionals. You can even '”stroll” various neighborhoods virtually and get some idea of where you'd want to live. You can also browse local papers and see what issues are coming up day to day in the place you plan to make your home.
Hopefully, if you're planning to move here, you first will come out and spend a week to a month here just seeing what the town is like, what people are like, etc.
No, you don't want to wait forever (though if you're getting professional work where you live, you may find you're better off staying there). But if you have little acting experience or training, no reel, no clear idea of how to survive and only the vaguest idea of how the town really works, then you are, in a word, not prepared to come here.
Which doesn't stop innumerable people. But at least you've been warned.
Are you a parent of a young actor?
This book is mainly targeted towards adult actors. However, most of the information in it will be of use to you as well.
The biggest thing you need to know is that parents are some of the biggest targets of come-ons and scams in the acting world. Has someone come up to you in a mall and told you your child could be a star? Has someone offered you a “chance” to participate in some convention where your child might be “discovered”? Has a school whose walls are covered with pictures of stars tried to get you to pay thousands for courses?
These are only some of the more popular approaches made to parents. Someone will act very excited to represent your child, then, once you're in their office, stick a contract in front of you requiring you to get new headshots, to pay for various marketing materials.... whatever it takes to make you cough up thousands of dollars.
Every parent thinks their child is special and it's not hard to validate what they already think, then nudge them towards “investing” in their child's future. Which usually ends up costing thousands of dollars.
It's almost impossible to warn parents against every scheme out there, but a good general rule is to be very suspicious of anyone who just approaches you, whether in person, on the Net or by phone. If you think your child has potential, the best thing to do is take control from the start, doing research on the industry in your area and in general.
Before you sign ANYTHING, be an expert. Read the actors' boards listed at the end of this volume. Ask questions. Learn the terminology. Then approach the right professionals. If every agent you approach in your area passes on your child, but someone in the street tells you how much potential they have, don't listen to what you want to hear – listen to the people whom you've researched and who you know are legit.
If someone who is trying to sign your child keeps pressuring you, saying, “But you need to act NOW!”, that in itself is a bad sign. If your child really does have something special, it won't go away in a month or so, which is all it should take for you to do some basic research.
Always check the Better Business Bureau's site. It's amazing how many companies with complaints on it manage to keep signing people up. Why? Because people don't bother to check it and learn from other people's mistakes.
These days, too, there are a lot of parents helping parents, with posts full of stories about “My DD” (Darling Daughter) or “My DS” (Darling Son). Read through the posts on message boards dedicated to parents and their children. The BizParentz Foundation also maintains a site (bizparentz.org) filled with good advice and resources for parents.
Getting ready
So you're not ready to move, but you have Hollywood in your sights. What should you be thinking about?
First of all, working as an actor - you want to be an actor when you come to Hollywood. Then doing research on Hollywood.
What about “seminars” with industry people from Hollywood, whether they come to you (locally) or you go to them (on a scouting trip)? Are they a good idea? Are they scams?
“Scam” is a fluid word – one person's scam is another person's oversold opportunity, and more than one person who thinks of themselves as upright and honest has no trouble exaggerating the value of a product that they're selling. So let's put aside the strong terms for now.
Many of the opportunities offered to actors outside Hollywood are sold in ways that suggest that, by paying a great deal of money, you'll get opportunities with agents or casting directors you won't get otherwise. It is not unheard of for companies to ensure, too, that a certain number of actors DO get called (where that is even feasible) so they can advertise that these opportunities are real. (That is, according to at least one casting director, when they hire the industry guests, they ask them to agree to call a few people in. Not necessarily hire them, mind you, just call them in.)
This is not the place to criticize specific offers, sight unseen. Simply be aware that it is very unlikely (to put it gently) that someone who does not live in Los Angeles will be called in on projects there. Period. Even if you fly out to L.A. and blow a casting director away in a showcase, if you're not available for the long term, it is unlikely to help you in any concrete way.
In other words, every dollar you lay down in the expectation of that happening is, in effect, gambling. If you pay $5000 to spend a few days in a seminar with (supposed) Hollywood players and do so because you think you (or, often, your child) might get cast, you are basically gambling with $5,000.
(Note that if you have local representation, they might be able to submit you by video in some cases. But that is still relatively rare and it should not cost you a cent.)
On the other hand, is there nothing to be learned from those who work in Hollywood? No. If you're paying something comparable to what you would pay for a local teacher, with perhaps a small premium for the person coming from out of town, it might be worth the money. If, that is, you're being honest with yourself and actually paying for the information, not the implied opportunity.
The other aspect of such seminars is the inflated claims for the guest. One teacher, unknown in Hollywood, was teaching in other cities saying he was the top children's coach in Hollywood (where he appears to be unknown). It seems that casting directors, more often than not, are advertised as “top” Hollywood casting directors, even if they are legitimate but modest figures here.
These days, with the Web, there really is no excuse for taking such claims at face value. One can easily do a search on any professional and information should be readily available on anyone with any real reputation. You can also go to the message boards and ask specific questions.
One school here regularly offers seminars for people out of town using the name of a famous actor as a guest. But if you look closely at their marketing materials, you'll see a session with said famous guest is NOT guaranteed. A few years ago someone investigating the same school discovered that among the “important” guests out-of-towners were paying to see was a relative of one of the organizers (and otherwise unknown).
Does this only happen beyond California? No. There are people in L.A. who make exaggerated claims and get local business too. All it takes is a few people not checking credentials and – voila! – customers.
Basically, don't, while you're waiting to come to Hollywood, be seduced by the magic of the word. Once you're here, there'll be lots of work to do and it will take time to do it. Until then, use your money to better equip yourself for living in this city, not to buy a bit of its glow as glimpsed from afar.
Finding work where you are
Let's start with the most difficult case: you live in a small town with no theater or training opportunities. You might in that case have to see what is available a drive away. But consider also initiating your own shows, if only a monologue night at a local coffeehouse. If any place in town has an open mike, go to it and do anything to get used to being in front of people: tell jokes, read poetry, do monologues. You can also try producing something simple for the Web, say a short skit or yourself as a character. (Do this under a pseudonym – you're a beginner after all. You don't want someone doing a search on your name when you've become a bit more experienced and finding your early work. But if nothing else, if you can get anyone to watch it, you might learn from the comments.)
If there's any chance to do extra work in your area, grab it. Extra (background) work can be horribly boring and worse, but if you've never been on a movie set, it's as good a place as any to start. Just realize that that old adage “Be seen and not heard” applies double for extra work. Don't interact with the principals unless they initiate a conversation. Don't ask for autographs. You're there to observe and learn what you can.; to be a professional, not a fan.
You may not want to do this for long, but for a complete beginner it can be very educational.
You should also start reading books on basic acting technique as well as books (like this one) on the business. Even if you won't be moving to Hollywood for a while, it's useful to read all the way through these so you can get an idea of what you'll need when you are here and see what of that you can prepare while you're not.
If you live in a place where training is available, first, read up some on the different acting techniques. You might also read interviews with your favorite actors to see where they studied. If you can audit classes, do – among other things, it's a good way to start meeting other actors. If you can look on-line or ask around about people's experiences with local schools or teachers, do so. If the school is part of a national chain (unfortunately, sometimes this is a bad, not a good, sign), check the Better Business Bureau site (www.bbb.org) to see if there's anything about them. Then sign up for a class or two. Start with a class that focuses on acting (scene study, etc.) first – don't be lured by promises (implied or explicit) to give you a shot at becoming a star or by classes that are more about selling yourself as an actor than they are about learning to act.
At some point, if you start looking for work, you'll need a headshot and a resume. Check the relevant sections here on those items. Once you have them, you might want to start looking for an agent, though be careful about doing that too soon. AVOID any agent who tries to charge you any sort of fee at all – agents are supposed to make money from commissions on your work, period. If the agent wants to send you to a specific photographer (in LA, that's a no-no) or school, be wary and check each out.
If there's any colleges near you, see if they have film departments. They may even be looking for actors, if only to keep their headshots on file.
As you get more knowledgeable and confident, try to audition as much as you can. Auditioning itself is performing, so you'll already be getting experience. If you become a professional actor, you'll spend a lot of your time auditioning. The more you do of it early on, the better.
Commercials are now shot in some smaller markets. If you can go out for those where you are, do – after reading the sections here on auditioning for them.
In some places outside Hollywood, work is nonetheless available on TV shows or films that originate there. If any such opportunities exist in your area, you certainly want to find out who casts them and if they use “local hires” (that is, actors who are based in the area). Be realistic about your own level, however – if you're completely new as an actor, or still working on some major weaknesses, you might do better to hold off rather than present yourself for professional work to someone who might remember you later when you get to Hollywood.
While some places offer more incentives for film productions than others, films can be shot in any place in the world. In America, see if your local film commission can provide lists of current or upcoming productions. If they can, you may still have to do some detective work to find out who is casting each film, or even if they are casting locally at all. Basically, work as much as you can, wherever you can, as an actor. Learn what you're good at, learn where you're weak. Learn how people see you. Get used to dealing with nerves (everybody gets them). Build up confidence in yourself as an actor, confidence that will even let you fail without doubting that this is what you are meant do to. That it is what you do do.
When should you come?
This is a natural enough question, but it typically includes a dubious assumption: that you'll be able to strategically arrive at a certain time of the year and get going within a defined period after that. The reality is that it takes most people years to get a career going in Hollywood, so the best and most honest answer to the question is: whenever you've got all your ducks in a row. However you personally define said ducks.
You might intentionally come when things are slow in hopes of getting meetings with agents, for instance, but then find that you're too busy getting a place to live, a day job, etc. to start that process. It might be more intuitive to come when things are busy, but if you don't have an infrastructure set up to help get you in doors, all that activity will pass you by.
Seasons
When are things busy? Pilot season, certainly, to the degree that there still is one (typically from late January into the end of April). Episodic season, starting in June and going into the fall. (Pilot season is when producers produce pilots – sample episodes – of new series to present to broadcast and cable companies; episodic season is when new and existing shows are produced.) And whenever else some project is being prepared. With all the different outlets (broadcast, cable, Internet, theaters, etc.) these days, it's dangerous to think that work won't become available during the non-busy times.
Still, things are certainly slow as the holidays approach and tend to be so just after pilot season (during “hiatus”). See “TV Seasons”.
Should you come for pilot season?
Certainly not because it is pilot season (unless you already have representation here, but in that case you should try to come before pilot season and be set up to go.) If you're not represented, pilot season is probably the worst time to look, since any agent you'd want to be with should be busy trying to get their existing clients into pilots and many casting directors will be busy casting pilots.
On the other hand, the very fact that you can't do much business-wise might make it a good time to come and get settled. Again, this may not make much of a difference since you should be thinking in terms of years rather than just part of a year. But if you're determined to be impatient, it's a thought.
New York vs. LA
A lot of actors, even if they're not from New York, will have spent time there and will be coming from New York to L.A.
The cities are different in innumerable ways. But here are a few of the main ones for actors to know:
You can't freelance with agents in Los Angeles; you can in New York.
New York (famously) is a theater town; L.A. is all about on-camera (each of course has the other, but to a lesser degree).
Public transportation is standard in New York; it's exceptional in L.A. (i.e., yes you DO need a car).
You can get to most of New York (in practice, most of Manhattan) quickly; Los Angeles is very spread out.
New York has a lot of open calls, so you can audition several times a week just by showing up; these are very rare in L.A. and auditions are correspondingly harder to get.
In New York, lots of people do lots of different things; in L.A. there's a very good chance the person next to you is an actor (no matter what else they do).
Most of the big studios are in L.A., not New York (which doesn't mean you can just waltz into them; oh no).
New York is a real city (it has a center, suburbs, etc.); Los Angeles, the real, functional Los Angeles, is an amorphous collection of suburbs and small cities with no center.
New York has weather; L.A. is sunny, very sunny, or extremely hot; and every once in a while it gets gloomy or rains.
New York has Central Park; L. A. has scattered parks and good places to hike.
New York is laid out logically (for the most part); L.A. is filled with unexpected dead ends, duplicate street names, etc.
Many New Yorkers are actually from New Jersey; many Los Angelenos are actually from New York.
What if you're coming from...
Chicago
Chicago is known to have good theater and is especially well-known for improv. This can be a plus for you when you come, but only if you've done some of that while you were there (preferably with a few of the best schools). You also have more opportunities to do professional work than you might have elsewhere. But, to the degree that industry people care at all, Chicago does not have the importance that New York does; in other words, you're coming from a major, but not top, market.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia has one obvious advantage – it's near New York. So before you consider coming to L.A., you'd do well to at least get your feet wet with visits to New York. The city also has its own film office, at least one major casting agency and enough production for you to try your marketability before you head West. You also have a shot of getting credits that actually mean something in Hollywood.
Atlanta
For a small market, Atlanta seems to have more opportunities than one might expect. A number of people have come here from there and were able to come with a decent amount of experience and credits. By all accounts, these opportunities are only growing. If you're there now, be sure you've taken advantage of all those before heading out here. You may find you have far easier access to roles that will help you build up your reel for instance. In fact, more than one L.A. actor has mused about going TO Atlanta from here.
Boston
Boston is not often mentioned in terms of acting, but those who live there say that you can sign up directly with CD's, rather than having to go through agencies. This is unusual in itself. There are also on-line casting services that focus on that area. Boston itself is a very cultured, youth-oriented city and so can be an emotionally supportive place for an artist to live. Some people manage to work background in New England on a steady basis as well.
San Francisco
Actors who arrive from San Francisco often cite it as more of a theater town than a film town. If you're a beginner, however, that's not a bad thing and you should use it to your advantage before moving. There is some film production there as well. It's also near enough L.A., of course, that if you subscribe to the casting notices here and see something closely suited to you, you can zip down for a few days easily enough if you get called in.
Texas
Austin, Dallas and Houston all have enough going on acting-wise that a beginner should be able to get some traction before heading to the Coast. Austin in particular has a reputation for independent film (and a good arty vibe overall). One actor complained that you can't earn a living acting in Austin, but don't kid yourself – most people don't in L.A., either. Dallas and Houston apparently have more opportunities.
New Mexico, Louisiana or Michigan
What do these states have in common? Subsidies and growing film industries. Yes, some of what they shoot is cast out of LA, but if you're living in any of these, find out as much as you can about your local opportunities before moving here. Some are finding work there. Even if you only get a few guest star roles, that is probably far more than you would get in LA in the first year or so and it can help you once you get here.
Most other states
If you're not from any of the above places and your own state is not in the process of trying to attract production, at the very least you may have to travel to one of the above if you're anywhere near them. If you're in or near a city of any size, chances are there are opportunities to at least study and do theater. Your credits, once you get them, won't count for much in LA, but you will have some and the experience to back them.
Otherwise, you might especially want to come to LA simply because you'll be able to train here and at least try out for theater work. Still, you might consider one of those other smaller markets first, always because there's less competition and you might be able to build a resume faster.
Most states and large cities have Internet sites dedicated to local film and acting. That's a good place to start before you head out to Los Angeles and unknowingly pass up opportunities closer to home.
Canada
Anglophone Canadians have the advantage of fitting in seamlessly with people from the United States. In some cases, too, a Canadian actor might actually have worked on American shows (which are often shot in Canada). One Canadian actor was surprised how many sleazy agencies there are in Los Angeles, so if you're not used to having to watch out when dealing with industry, come prepared for that.
Otherwise, a lot of the issues are like those for any other foreign actor (see below). Some people have the impression that Canadians have a slightly easier time getting visas than other foreigners. But evidence either way is anecdotal.
Another foreign country
Every year a certain number of actors come from England, France and other countries, often without much acting experience or even a work visa, hoping that somehow they'll get to work.
The simplest thing to say is: don't.
You really, really do need working papers or citizenship to work here. And no, no production company is going to go through the trouble of getting papers for an unknown. Not to mention you'll be competing with people from your own country who have dual citizenship or are married to Americans. So simply being a native speaker or having a genuine accent is not going to be enough of a selling point to get a company to help you with a visa.
You will also have trouble surviving. Getting work under the table (off the books) is difficult and dangerous. One Italian actor got caught in his work uniform and now can't come back for a very long time, because he was caught working illegally.
Add all these obstacles to that of simply being an actor competing with thousands of other actors and you're placing a bet against very bad odds. The situation is different if you have a sufficient reputation in your home country to attract the interest of a production company that can sponsor you for a work visa; but if that's the case, you are presumably already receiving the proper advice from that company and its lawyers, and will arrive with both papers and employment. For the average foreign actor, with no established reputation and no work visa or American citizenship, it is extremely unrealistic to try to start a career in Hollywood.
Does that mean you should give up on working here? No.
First of all, become an actor back home. In many countries, you can study for far less than you can here and even the productions themselves get help from the government. Then try to work in your own country. If that proves tough, there's a good chance it would have been much tougher here.
Do you speak fluent, unaccented English? Yes, some roles need an accent, but there are lots of native speakers of most of the major languages here who can also switch to standard American English at the drop of a hat.
In the best case, if you do well in your own country, you might attract the interest of a production company here that will sponsor you for a visa. At the least, you'll actually be an actor – as opposed to a hopeful taking their chances. Otherwise, you might get a visa over time (that's a whole other subject) and then come, not as a famous actor, but as an actor at least. One woman who had done well in a foreign country came here and was working within a few years. The odds were against her, but she came prepared.
Above all, bear in mind that if you try to work illegally or get married just to get a visa, you risk being barred from the United States for ten years. This is not something you want to take lightly or handle carelessly.
What if you're older, heavy, ethnic, etc.?
Casting opportunities in Hollywood have improved for whole categories of actors who once had at best slim chances. Exceptions have always appeared, but in recent years, things have markedly improved. Still, you have only to watch TV to know that it portrays a world where people are still largely Caucasian, youthful and on the leaner side. This is a changing reality, but a reality still.
To put it simply, if you don't look like most of the people you see on most shows on TV, you can expect to face more of a struggle than those who do. This certainly does not mean you should give up from the start, only that you should come prepared to have a slightly harder time in a town where few have an easy one.
When it comes to age, there is no doubt that it is tougher for women than for men as they get older (this includes some very well-known actresses). Yet there are women who have arrived here after turning thirty, even after forty, and established careers; in rare cases, extremely visible and successful careers. An important trait most of them share is the willingness to be the age they are – artificially prolonged youthfulness is more likely to be a detriment than an aid.
Older people in general will be competing with people their age who have been acting since they were children.
For people of color, there are a number of diversity initiatives which offer some help. Casting directors in some cases go out of their way to do non-traditional casting. The down side is that everybody, no matter what their origin, tends to get cast to some degree in stereotypes and the stereotypes for minorities and foreigners tend not to be flattering. The good news for an Arab-American for instance is that they have a better chance of being cast than a few decades ago; the bad news is the role might be as a terrorist. Forget, too, nuances between groups. Two Hungarian actors have done well here – playing Russians, and anyone else vaguely Eastern European. Some of this is changing, but don't expect it to have changed much when you start your career here.
The problem for heavy actors has not necessarily been that they don't get cast, but that they have tended to be cast in comic or stereotypical roles. Among other things, this means that if that's your type, it has to clearly be your type (being just a little overweight will generally make you less, rather than more, castable). Among other things, this has implications for your health (several actors who made their names playing heavy characters have very publicly lost weight since). A handful of prominent roles on hit shows have also helped expand expectations for actors of all body types in dramatic roles.
The list goes on. In some cases, very visible efforts are being made on behalf of certain groups, for others it's a quiet struggle. If you're in a group that is rarely seen on-screen, you might make all that much more of an effort to get footage and experience in a smaller, less commercial market before coming here. If you do decide to come, it's best to be aware from the outset that these obstacles exist, rather than slowly discovering it and possibly becoming embittered by something that is largely beyond your control. But they are not in themselves reasons not to come, only elements to factor in when making realistic plans.
Why not come?
In a book about coming to Hollywood, it might seem perverse to tell you why NOT to come here. But if you do, sooner or later you'll hear many of these same things. At which point, more than one person says, “No one ever told me that....”
If you're reading this book, you won't get to say that.
Probably, Life was always difficult in Hollywood and many a hopeful left with their tail between their legs. Even when actors could look forward to becoming contract players with a big studio, they didn't necessarily have the security that implied. Not to mention they had way less freedom.
Still, there was a time when film meant Hollywood and if you were going to find work, that was where. If you were going to work in film, you had a shot at being a contract player. If you were going to work on television, there were a handful of stations and at a certain point the union made sure those who worked for them did well.
Here's how things stand now:
Many films are NOT made in Hollywood anymore, partially because it's gotten very expensive, partially because other states or countries are offering seductive inducements.
Because stars demand such big salaries, there's less left for unknown actors.
For various reasons, stars are now doing TV and voice-over work that used to be the bread and butter for unknowns.
For the preceding two reasons, at least, many working actors who used to negotiate a higher rate now take the minimum (scale + 10% - the latter is for your agent).
Commercials – once a big potential moneymaker – are increasingly being produced as non-union (meaning: none of those lucrative residuals).
All the new outlets (cable, etc.) mean more possible work but also lower pay.
The unions grow weaker every year (partially because of the changing context and partially because of internal squabbling).
To put a human face on some of this, one character actor (you've probably seen him more than once) said, “For the first fifteen years of my career I kept making more; for the last fifteen years, I've kept making less.” Another actor, having advised a number of younger actors on how to have a career like his (very successful, relative to most people's) announced he was moving back to New York (he's not the first to do this). Do you watch television? Notice how many shows now feature stars who only used to do movies? Listen to commercials and see how often the voice is familiar. In both cases, that's work that used to pay the rent for obscure but working actors.
There are also things that haven't really changed, but should be factored in: the cost, not just of living here, but supporting an acting career (it's expensive); agents who take one look at a person and say “you're too old”.
One tall, beautiful young woman in her late twenties asked her agent why she wasn't sent on a certain call. “They were looking for hot women,” he said. Translation: younger and hotter than her. Yet in most parts of the country, she would have been considered a looker.
And there's always the simple question of competition. No matter what your type is, no matter how unique a look you have, if you go to a casting call, you'll see a roomful of people, most of whom have have what you have. That thing that made you special back home.
Does all this mean you should give up now? Maybe, if you were counting on things being, not easy, but about as they've “always” been (whatever “always” means in a town as young as L.A.). And if you've tended to give up early where you already are, rather than fighting through whatever obstacles exist ithere, don't be too optimistic about suddenly doing better out here.
But if all this bad news for you is just working information, something like planning a trip to a country where the toilets don't work and there are no paved roads, but a place you'd really like to see anyway; if you've already confronted whatever issues you had to just to act where you already are; if you're really and truly ready to this for the long haul and not make any practical plans based on hopes of easy success; then that's all this is: information.
Use it accordingly.
Why come?
There are reasons some people should come to Hollywood – which is to say, there are reasons some come to Hollywood and, whether or not they succeed as actors, thrive here:
This still is the film and TV capital of the world, even if that status has been much diluted in recent decades. If you are to be one of the few – and they are few – who finds enough acting work to live on, this is the place where that is most likely to happen.
Even if you never make a living acting here, you may have more fun doing what acting work you do do, and doing it (sometimes) on a real set, that you'll still be happier here than you would have elsewhere.
If you want to train with top teachers, many of them are here. This may matter less if you're from Chicago or New York, but it can be very important if you're not from a major market.
There are some excellent theater companies, despite the fact that this is an on-camera town.
There's a lively music scene and one that often intersects with the acting world. (Several well-known actors also have their own bands.)
Creativity is a given here, in a way that is probably not true in any other American city. If you meet someone who is not an actor, they're probably a writer or a filmmaker – or a musician (or a mix of any of these). Yes, some are lazy or out-and-out posers, but many are truly trying to make something happen.
The health and outdoors aspect of Southern California is often satirized, but it is real and at its best encouraging to those who want to thrive physically.
Life can be easier here than in, at least, New York. (If you're from a small city, you may find it tougher – but then any big city will be.) Apartments, on average, tend to be cheaper and it's not unusual to have a swimming pool in some parts of town.
There's always something to do here – art openings, concerts, street fairs, etc. If you're not in a big city, you may find your life gets more exciting just by moving here.
Seeing stars or just recognizable actors can be a superficial reason to be here, but it does have the advantage of making you feel that you're “closer to the flame”. (It helps that this tends to happen when you least expect it and in otherwise unglamorous circumstances, as in the supermarket or while hiking.)
Maybe you just have to give it a shot, so that, even if it doesn't work out, you won't wonder for the rest of your life if it would have.
To put it another way, if you're likely to be happy here just because you're here, because the town, on any number of possible levels, works for you, or because you just want to have this experience, win or lose, whether or not things work out as you'd hoped, then come.
Come give your dream a chance.
Your Two Top Tools
You can get away with a lot in LA and almost anyone might have different priorities than most others. But two things are essential tools: your headshot and your resume.
Can you get booked without either? It's happened. Can you get booked with a bad example of either or both? Ditto. Is either very likely? Oh no.
No, no, no.
These are the essential tools. This book veers from acting concerns where practicality demands it – as in putting an emphasis on getting a “money” job and finding a place to live, for instance. But it is only slightly exaggerated to say you would have a better chance of getting booked if you were homeless and broke, but had an excellent headshot and resume, than if you were well-housed, well-paid and had a bad picture and/or resume (presuming of course you could get copies of said items to provide to others).
“What about training?” some will ask, and perhaps with some heat. Yes, most actors should have training, absolutely. Preferably before they market themselves, which is what the headshot and resume are for. But the truth is some people somehow work without it, fairly or not.
No one works for long, if at all, without a headshot and resume. And so we begin by considering the two top, essential tools. So should you.
Headshots
Your headshot should look like you.
Does that sound obvious? Ludicrously simple? One would think. Yet industry professionals continue to complain, quite regularly, about people whose headshots look younger, more glamorous, thinner, etc. than the person who walks in to a meeting. In some cases, the problem isn't quite so definite. The picture just doesn't... quite... well, LOOK like the person.
The other not so simple aspect of the statement is this: it ain't that easy to get one that does. That is, does, and yet makes you look professional and present. The real you, immediately recognizable, completely natural, yet... just a bit more compelling somehow.
There's a world in that “somehow”. Because it can't be obvious, it can't be an overt attempt to stand out. To take a common case: a CD looks at a headshot for a sexy young woman whose cleavage takes up the lower half of the frame and says, “What are you selling here?” (Hint: not her personality and presence as an actor.) Yet that same person probably would want her “attributes” to be visible. What shouldn't be visible (or at least too obvious) is the attempt to make them so.
Same thing with a broadly comic actor. If you've got a face that reads as funny, it should be possible to show that without overtly clowning in the shot. Etc.
Really, however, such examples are getting ahead of the game. Because the simple truth is, it usually takes some doing to come up with a clean, straightforward shot that shows you as you are.. As you may already know, since most people who come to Hollywood to act already have a headshot.
Before taking a look at the process itself then, let's consider the headshot you may already have.
First of all, is it in color? These days, it has to be.
Were you sending it out back wherever you came from? Were you getting called in from it? If not, that's a pretty good indicator you need a new one.
If you did get called in from it, were the parts appropriate or did you find casting directors expected you to be a different type than you were? And did those CD”s call you in again? If not, one reason (there are many of course) may be that your headshot made them expect someone different.
Stand by a mirror and hold your headshot up next to your face. Or, better yet, have a friend photograph you holding it up. Are the two faces the same or is there a distinct difference between them? If the latter, you need a new headshot.
Let's look at how you go about getting one.
Finding a photographer
For many people, this will be a matter of a compromise between quality and price. Strangely, those who can afford any fee no matter how high might be at a disadvantage here. While there are respected photographers who do indeed bring out the essence of an actor and charge a high price for doing so, there are others who have their own style and will impose it on the sitter, rather than discovering what's unique about them.
Here's a slightly extreme story about how little price can matter in this area. A young African-American woman went to a department store that had a deal where you could take your own headshot for a minimal fee. The results were about what you'd expect. But when she sent it out, she got called in. Why? Because a lot of the parts for people of her type were (and, to a lesser degree, still are) for gang-bangers, etc. By sending a cheap headshot, she looked that much more “real”.
That's an extreme case and not necessarily one you want to imitate. But it does show how much more important it is to look like what the casting director needs (and to be that when you walk into the room) than to have a “good” photograph.
The first thing to look for then is a photographer who brings out the individuality of each actor, even if some stylistic elements mark the photograph as this person's work. How do you find photographers to consider?
First, by asking friends. Especially friends whose headshots you like (it doesn't hurt to ask the names for those you don't like either – so you can avoid them). When you're on auditions, too, you can ask other actors where they got their shots done.
Then there are several places where you can look at portfolios for a number of photographers. One photo reproduction company has books with the work of numerous photographers. The periodical Back Stage has (at this point) a link on its site listing several photographers. Etc. And of course you can simply do a web search for “headshot photographer Los Angeles”, for example.