Actors should train like athletes

Wanna be a professional actor and work in Hollywood?  You better train like an athlete!  I’m not talking about doing endless squats, crunches, and sprints mind you.  I’m talking about routines, repetition, and muscle memory.  I’m talking about raising your level of consistency and using each and every day to prepare for the big game.  I’m talking about applying the methods of practice given to you by your coach, leveraging the knowledge and experience of someone who knows and can be objective about your progress.  Use the mindset of an elite athlete and grow your skills while striving for a high level of performance as an actor.

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Too much is made of “natural talent” in this business.  Everyone has talent that can be mined, honed, and presented.  It’s not a matter of having it or not having it.  Some of the greatest professional athletes in history were considered average collegiate players.  Jerry Rice became one of the greatest receivers in NFL history through his voracious appetite for hard work, and a single minded dedication to consistently achieving high performance.  He honed his craft and elevated his game through constant and never ending improvement.  In the off season when many of his team mates went fishing, Jerry would be fine tuning some aspect of his game or executing his off season training regimen.  It was not by accident or hand of God that Jerry Rice became one of the greatest in the history of the game.

So it is with actors.  It is true some actors are more photogenic than others, and some are more physically attractive, and others have some unidentifiable charismatic feature that is difficult to pinpoint.  Some may even have “star quality” from birth.  This may all be true – the playing field is not level and life is not fair.  However, there is always a project that needs to be cast, auditions are held all the time and anyone with the skills can try and make the cut (get the part).  There are many parts to play and a diverse group of people are needed to play them.  The key is to treat your art form as an elite athlete treats his or her sport, so when opportunity comes knocking you are ready.   Set a goal, get a coach, develop a plan, and work with a single-minded dedication towards achieving it and you just might find yourself in the big show!

Remember, you are enough!

Sign up for acting classes in Los Angles, acting classes in San Francisco or acting classes in San Jose.

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Check out our YouTube Channel with feedback from our Students.

Nancy Berwid‘s First Take Acting Program provides a holistic approach to acting. (Los Angeles acting coach, San Francisco acting coach) Along with a Method that students can use to hone their craft, Nancy provides a keen eye for logic, a sensitivity to human behavior as well as the human heart.

If you are interested in becoming a a working actor, sign up for acting classes at First Take today!

How to make an Acting Reel

Everyone knows the age old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words”, but what about many animated moving pictures…the reel?  If the actor’s headshot is his calling card and the potential ticket to an audition, one would think an actor’s reel would be a very important weapon to add to his arsenal.  This is quite true, but beware the double edged sword!  A reel will work against you if some basic rules are not adhered to.

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The Cardinal Rule

With regard to acting reels, there is one cardinal rule that should never be broken:  only use footage for your reel that has great acting in it. If you don’t have some really great acting on film or tape yet, don’t make a reel.  Wait until you do have that footage.  It’s better to have 15 seconds of solid acting on your reel than 3 minutes of mediocre footage.  If your reel has bad acting on it you are advertising to Casting Directors (and Directors) that you don’t have anything worthwhile to show, or even worse you thought your bad acting was in fact good acting!  Make sure you have your acting coach, Manager, Agent, or someone knowledgeable look at what you are planning to use and have them give you honest and objective feedback.

Something IS NOT Necessarily Better Than Nothing

• Don’t use footage that has poor production value, produced by amateurs without the skills to create a professional product.  If you can’t be seen and/or heard it will detract from your performance and project the image that you are an amateur.  Worse yet, you didn’t know better than to avoid using this type of footage in your reel, which makes you look bad.  Just let go of it and move on, even if you think the work you did was amazing.
• Don’t use footage that mostly features somebody else.  Sounds obvious enough, but having a 60 second reel featuring 5 seconds of you and somebody famous who gets all the screen time really isn’t going to impress anybody except perhaps your friends and family.  On the other hand if you are in a scene with a known actor that features you at least half of the time (and your acting is good) by all means that goes in.
• Put your best stuff first.  Most likely, if you are lucky enough to have a Casting Director look at your reel, he or she will decide in the first 10 seconds if they are willing to even watch the rest of your reel, let alone call you in for an audition.  Make sure you catch their attention (in a good way) up front and don’t make them regret having watched the entire reel.  Again, quality over quantity is what matters most.

Reely Good Things to Keep in Mind

• Use work you did on a major SAG film/TV project.
• If you did an Indy project only use it if your acting was really good and the production value and other actors are decent.
• Do NOT use videotaped theater pieces.
• It usually doesn’t work well to video tape your own piece.
• You don’t need anything fancy or a variety of montage sequences. The reason for the reel is to show your acting chops, not to display your artistic editing capabilities!

Reel Simple

Remember, quality over quantity is your foremost concern when creating your reel.  The best stuff first, high production value, and try to include some work that has high commercial value if possible.  Don’t worry about fancy editing with rolling credits and an original John Williams score.  Follow the rules and the double edged sword won’t hurt you, rather it will help you on your conquests!

Sign up for acting classes in Los Angles, acting classes in San Francisco or acting classes in San Jose.

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Check out our YouTube Channel with feedback from our Students.

Nancy Berwid‘s First Take Acting Program provides a holistic approach to acting. (Los Angeles acting coach, San Francisco acting coach) Along with a Method that students can use to hone their craft, Nancy provides a keen eye for logic, a sensitivity to human behavior as well as the human heart.

If you are interested in becoming a a working actor, sign up for acting classes at First Take today!

How to Become a Working Actor in Los Angeles
Part 1 – It’s a Marathon

“I will either find a way, or make one.” – Hannibal

With regards to becoming an actor, the one universal truth that resonates in the film and television industry is that it is competitive…extremely competitive.  Every day new faces arrive in Los Angeles with the hope and dream of becoming a movie star.  On those same days an exodus of disillusioned, would be actors leave town abandoning their dreams for a steady income or the security of a profession which provides predictability and normalcy.  Of course there are rare exceptions; that occasion when a young, beautiful talent shows up and gets cast in the next blockbuster without so much as a credit on her resume.  She is catapulted to stardom in the blink of an eye, flying high over the long, emotional process (the trenches) that most actors inevitably must endure and progress through if they are to succeed. Those are rare exceptions however, and not particularly useful to discuss for those who desire entrée into this exciting, sometimes prestigious and even lucrative profession.

The reality is that the decision to become a professional actor in Hollywood is not one to be taken lightly.  Not only does it demand tremendous skill and ability to execute under pressure, but also a level of commitment and perseverance only a small percentage will ever be able conjure up.  In a word, it’s a marathon.  It’s an Olympic level marathon in ninety degree heat, one hundred percent humidity, and some arduous terrain climbs.  The frontrunners are well trained and want to win more than anything and anyone who endeavors to be a part of that elite group will need to be absolutely committed.  That’s also the good news!

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Why is it good news?  Because the challenging nature of this marathon means it will not be completed by all that enter this race.  Moreover, those who train, empower themselves, remain mentally and physically tough, learn how to market themselves the right way, gain skills in networking and relationship building, and above all persevere until the end will have a chance at tasting the glory of winning the race.   By its very nature the competitive business of acting culls out the majority of aspiring actors from the herd.   It is often said that once an actor has done everything in his control, he is only competing with about ten percent of the talent pool.  Even some very talented and promising individuals will fall out of the race due to the myriad of obstacles they are unable to overcome.  It is unforgiving and is indiscriminate in the evenhandedness with which the business of Show Business tests the fortitude and metal of each artist who endeavors to play in the game at the highest level.   On the flip side, for those who endure and ultimately succeed, the rewards can be extremely satisfying.

Once you understand what you are working with and the challenge that lies before you, it is possible to make informed decisions on how to move forward in the most logical and reasonable manner in an effort to attain your goals as an actor.  In this regard an examination of the qualities, habits, and actions of the dedicated individual who stays in the game long enough to actually become a working actor in Los Angeles is worth doing.  It takes the mystery out of the process and allows an actor to mobilize their initiative by taking positive steps towards building their career in film and television.

Sign up for acting classes in Los Angles, acting classes in San Francisco or acting classes in San Jose.

Towards that end, this discussion will continue in future segments on how to become a working actor in Los Angeles by covering the following topics in more detail:

• Training
• Professionalism / Marketing / Networking / Presentation
• Auditioning (it’s your job)
• Getting an Agent / Manager
• Be Strong (mental, physical, and spiritual fitness)
• The Winning Mindset

Until next time, enjoy the journey and remember…you are enough!

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Check out our YouTube Channel with feedback from our Students.

Nancy Berwid‘s First Take Acting Program provides a holistic approach to acting. (Los Angeles acting coach, San Francisco acting coach) Along with a Method that students can use to hone their craft, Nancy provides a keen eye for logic, a sensitivity to human behavior as well as the human heart.

If you are interested in becoming a a working actor, sign up for acting classes at First Take today!