Photo Credit: Andrius Petrucenia via cc
About Sanna Haynes – I’m an actress and I teach acting. I write screenplays. I paint, draw, dance ballet, I sing, I am horrible at tap dance (trying to work on that one), I visualize films in my brain, I yoga it up most mornings, I like to organize.
Actors Need to Keep Fighting
No, I’m not a big fan of violence.
However, regardless of whether you agree with fighting or not, I think we can all agree that a more “metaphorical” fight is at hand.
…but how much do we really grasp that we gotta keep fighting?
Ok, ok. Back up.
I once heard a statistic about Los Angeles. AAAAND here I go butchering said statistic in an awful paraphrase:
Most young people who move to Los Angeles for a Hollywood career last an average of two years before moving back home(or away).
I apologize if you are, indeed, the statistician who originally crunched these numbers and I am WAAAAY off. I couldn’t find the study online.
After relocating to continue working in Atlanta, I began seeing something similar happen in my city.
People would quit. And people still quit.
With our chunk of Hollywood here in the Southeastern United States, many people take a stab at their dream career, and then… jump ship. When times get tough, and the phone stops ringing.
I don’t blame them. Maybe a career in this industry isn’t worth the headache.
If you are an actor, so much of what we do is a numbers game. Yeah, sure, they are trying to find the right person for the part.
Overnight success?
Ha. That’s a myth.
Photo Credit: Brenda Clarke (background) via cc
There are many actors/writers/crew members/etc who develop a weird idea in their heads: the belief that there are malicious people out there who seek to hold down their respective careers.
Is that scenario impossible?
No. However, here’s the thing: most people working in this industry are too busy to commit to that passive aggressive mindset.
Here’s the cool thing about this industry:
Most contacts(that I’ve met, anyway) for whom you audition, interview, etc. — they WANT you to succeed!
They aren’t trying to hold you down – well, perhaps one or two have that sort of attitude, but most do not.
If you are good at what you do, they want to give you a chance. They just need the right “fit” for you.
And that is why you need to keep fighting. Be seen. Work to get to the top of their lists.
Other Guest Posts from Actor Hub
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Everyone artist was once an amateur – everyone started somewhere. The acting business is full of its own little systems and methods and here are five tips which I hope will make your journey into the industry a little easier. -
Do I need to know every line of the sides when you are auditioning? Is paraphrasing acceptable? Can I hold the script when I am casting? All the answers can be found here: -
From Guest Author – Marci Liroff – You’ve prepared. You’ve rehearsed. You’re all charged up and ready to go and you turn the corner to find 10 people sitting in the waiting room for the audition. Aargh!! -
From Guest Blogger – LA actress Shanice Kamminga – Famewhore, attention seeker, naive/delusional, unstable, childish – If you want to go to LA to become an actor you are obviously either one or all of these things. Part Two – Attention Seeker -
Acting is a business afterall so you’re allowed to claim tax deductions for some acting expenses that you incur from the acting income you’ve earned. Always consult your tax advisor about tax deductions and always keep accurate records of your acting expenses. Here is a quick guide on the expenses that you can claim for. -
From our guest blogger Prof. Palmer – Here are some sayings that you just won’t hear uttered when you are working in the theatre industry! -
Actor Hub readers and followers share their favourite pieces of acting advice and acting tips. -
From Guest Blogger ‘Bitter Gertrude’ – Many actors sabotage what would otherwise be an excellent audition with easily avoided mistakes. Here’s what NOT to do at any audition! -
We all love the thrill of trying on a costume – but you need to treat your costume and the wardrobe guys with a certain level of respect.
