How do you become a member of SAG?

The short answer: Get hired on a SAG project to say something on camera.

Sounds simple enough, right?  Well, if you win the lottery and are lucky enough to have this happen to you then yes…it is simple.  For the remaining vast majority of the non-union actors out there it is generally a much more difficult thing to do.  More on that later, but let’s back up a second to discuss another important issue – and that is, when should an actor become a member of SAG? Start your Acting Career today! See our many success stories in our actor testimonials!

Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse…

It is true that almost all television shows, and most feature films with significant budgets are produced under union contracts.   Moreover, many Industrials, Commercials, and Webisodes are also made under union contracts.  So should every actor join the union as soon as possible?  Not necessarily.   Let’s look at what SAG has to say about it:

The SAG website states the following:

“Screen Actors Guild membership is a significant rite of passage for every working actor. However, don’t be in a hurry to join unless you are sure that you’re ready to compete as a professional. Prepare yourself by studying, performing in plays and non-union on-camera projects in order to build your resume and gain valuable experience.”

Source:  www.SAG.org

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So when is the right time to join?  That is a question every actor must decide for themselves based on their individual goals and objectives.  Since it generally takes awhile (i.e. years) to become eligible to join SAG, it is a good idea to take SAG’s advice and work on your skills as an actor while gaining valuable experience on the best non-union productions you can find.   When the opportunity avails itself to join, you will be prepared to work as a professional at the highest level.

It’s Time

You’ve studied and practiced in the classroom and built your resume working on non-union films – it’s time to get serious and be recognized as a legitimate professional.  How do you get into SAG?   How do you qualify to join the union?

Referring back to the SAG website:

“A performer becomes eligible for Screen Actors Guild membership under one of the following two conditions: (1) proof of SAG employment or (2) employment under an affiliated performers’ union.”

1) Proof of Employment

Principal Performer Employment
Performers may join SAG upon proof of employment. Employment must be in a principal or speaking role in a SAG film, videotape, television program or commercial.

Background Actors

may join SAG upon proof of employment as a SAG–covered background player at full SAG rates and conditions for a MINIMUM of three work days

2) Employment Under an Affiliated Performers’ Union

Performers may join SAG if the applicant is a paid-up member of an affiliated

Performers’ union (ACTRA, AEA, AFTRA, AGMA or AGVA) for a period of one year and has worked and been paid for at least once as a principal performer in that union’s jurisdiction.

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The Bottom Line

Simply stated, if you work as a principal performer on a SAG project, or work as an extra (aka Background Performer) for three days at full SAG rates (for which you receive vouchers) you are eligible to join SAG.

You are also eligible if you have been a paid up member of, for example, AFTRA for at least one year AND have worked and been paid as a principal performer (i.e. you said something).

Things to keep in mind:

- It costs $2,335 to join SAG initially.  Annual dues are $116 plus a percentage of earnings.

- The three vouchers for background (extra) work are difficult to get.  There are a limited number of these vouchers available to background performers on any given project.  Not all extras get one, even if it is a SAG project.

- Commercials are a great way to earn SAG eligibility because they often have ample budgets to Taft-Hartley (a fine paid for hiring a non-union worker) any performer they like for a role.

- Producing your own web series or other “New Media” content under a SAG agreement can be a way to earn SAG eligibility.

- You don’t have to join SAG until you book your second union gig (in some cases your third).

- You may not perform in a non-union project once you attain full SAG membership.  This is part of what’s known as the “Global One Rule”.

Remember, until you have gained sufficient acting skills and built a respectable list of credits (i.e. experience) it’s not a good idea to join SAG.  You will only be cutting yourself off from potential money making opportunities, and more importantly losing the chance to get some good material for your acting reel.  When you are going on more auditions for Union projects than non-union projects…that is the time to start saving for your SAG initiation dues.

Important links:

Why Actors Need a Coach

How to make an Acting Reel

How to become a working actor in Los Angeles

How to get a good headshot

Until then keep working on your craft and remember…you are enough!

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

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!

Why Actors Need a Coach

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts”.
-John Wooden

A:  When he retired.

Whether an individual is an aspiring neophyte in the acting world or seasoned veteran in Hollywood, there is one thing that is always present:  a coach.  Acting, like dancing or playing a musical instrument requires constant training and coaching in order to achieve and maintain a high level of competency.  Sometimes people have the impression that if an actor is a professional he/she has developed the necessary level of skill and mastery, obviating the need for a coach.  The truth is that coaching is a requirement for professionals as well as amateurs throughout their careers.  It’s just that the specific needs and challenges vary based on the level of skill and experience.  Learn more about Acting Coach Nancy Berwid!

Since the term P-R-O-F-E-S-S-I-O-N-A-L is generally associated with competency in a given field, an acronym of the word itself can help define some of the main roles a coach plays throughout an actor’s career:

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Polish – Your coach helps you stay polished in the roles that fit your specific look and character type.  It’s the stuff that is right down your alley and that Casting Directors can easily see you doing.

Reinforcement – Your coach continually reinforces the fundamentals upon which your work is based.  It’s the system, method, or way of working.  It’s easy to slip away from the fundamentals if there is no grounding force.

Objectives – Your coach is aware of your objectives and what you are trying to achieve and won’t let you forget them when you sometimes lose your way.

Focus – Your coach holds you accountable for the work you do and don’t do.  When there is no structure in an actor’s routine he/she can lose focus on what’s most important – becoming the best actor you can become.

Essence – Your coach knows what makes you special, your unique qualities, and helps nurture that essence.

Support – When you have bad days in class or suffer the pains of an audition gone wrong, your coach reminds you of what you are capable of and encourages you to move forward.

Shape – Your coach is the equivalent of a personal trainer who helps you get fit and stay in shape.  If you are not in shape, you can’t play the game. 

Invested – Your coach knows you as an individual and shares in your victories and defeats.  A coach is on your side and is committed to your success as well.

Open – Your coach is open and honest, quite possibly the most valuable part of having a coach.  It does the actor no good to go to class and be told how good they are week after week.  It’s neither helpful, nor conducive to growth.  Rather it leads to atrophy, laziness, notions of self grandeur, and ultimately great embarrassment.  When you are not on your game, you need good information so that you can correct the problems as quickly as possible.  Someone has to let you know when you have a blind spot.

Normalcy – Your coach helps you understand the stages of growth and development, giving you a contextual backdrop for what you are experiencing.  In this way the actor can move forward confidently with the knowledge that they aren’t going through something abnormal or strange…it’s just part of the process.

Audition – Your coach helps you prepare for auditions, often providing that little bit of information or extra confidence that can make all the difference.

Limits – Understanding when you are not ready to audition, or which roles may be too far of a stretch to attempt at a certain stage in your development are very important things to know.  Going out to audition before you are ready is a good way to burn up the town and set back your career.  Moreover, your coach helps you push your limits in an appropriate way so that you can successfully stretch and grow as an actor.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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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!

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!

What do Casting Directors really want?

It is not uncommon for a newer, or even more experienced actors to over think the audition process and spend too much time thinking about the wrong things.  In order to execute the perfect audition and win over the Casting Director, many actors go through a familiar and common list of questions.  Should I wear this shirt or that dress?  Should I pull my hair back or leave it down?  Should I wear make-up or stay natural?  These are all perfectly legitimate questions to ask, in fact making the appropriate choices may give the actor the right feel for the part they are auditioning for…maybe even instill additional confidence.  It’s all part of the product being presented, but is this what Casting Directors base their decision upon?  Is this what Casting Directors really want?

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To answer these questions it is important to understand what Casting Directors do.  The primary function of a Casting Director is to get the best actors who are suitable for the roles being cast.  No Casting Directors are responsible for getting the actors who knew exactly how to dress and do their hair and make-up.   Think about it.  CD’s spend their lives auditioning actors for every type of role imaginable under the sun.  They can often tell within moments of an actor walking into a room whether or not they are suitable for the part.  What they really need to know is that you have the chops and will be a person who they can trust to put on set.  So, the objective of every actor should be that they are remembered for their performance, not their wardrobe or fashion sense.

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To summarize: Casting Directors really want actors who are skilled, professional and know how to present a put together and professional package in the audition.  First and foremost good acting needs to happen in the room.  Looking appropriate for the role you are auditioning for is a good idea, but not the actor’s main concern.  Don’t dress up in costume, don’t overdo the make-up (unless the role is that specific),  and don’t think for a second the person sitting across from you in the audition can’t smell fear, guise, ruse, and any other trick that deigns to mask the unmistakable stench of bad acting.

Remember…you are good enough!

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!

A picture can be worth a thousand words, but for an actor it must also tell a story and reveal the essence of a human being.   It can open doors and provide opportunities or it can relegate an otherwise talented individual to languish indefinitely outside the doorway of fortuity.   The years of hard work and training to become a film and television actor must be paired with an equal amount of business acumen in order to maximize the number of opportunities to showcase ones talent.   To that end it is imperative that the aspiring actor pay considerable attention to ensuring he is properly represented by his calling card…the headshot.

If you consider it well, there are arguably fewer things that actors have in their marketing tool box of such significance and importance as the headshot.  Why is that?  Casting Directors are continually bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands of submissions for even the very smallest of supporting roles.  They must decide in very short order which small group of actors will be coming to their office to audition for the part based on a bunch of postage sized pictures on a computer screen.   In this competitive universe there is no room for amateur photography, ridiculous poses, odd costumes, or wimpy facial expressions (unless that is your specific type).  Actually, those headshots make it easy for the Casting Director to pare down the list, removing the riff raff from the real candidates.  The latter category is the one you must always be in.  Obviously, the importance of having the right headshot cannot be underscored enough.  But what makes a good headshot?

What Makes a Good Headshot?

A good headshot captures your essence, your uniqueness, your personality, and your specific type.  It makes it easy for a Casting Director or Agent to see what roles you would be right for.   A good headshot looks like you.  It should not be overly glamorized, and you should look like your headshot when you walk into the casting office.  If your headshot has been airbrushed to make you look ten years younger and you can’t produce the same look in the audition, the Casting Director will not be amused.  In their mind you just wasted their time and took a time slot another actor could have filled.

A good headshot shows your face but your entire face doesn’t fill 100% of the frame either.   A good headshot has good lighting, is in focus, does not distract with odd clothing, costumes, patterns, accessories, or any other potential oddity that could take the attention off of you.  The headshot should be pleasing to look at and convey information about the actor, such as a specific type that could be easily cast right now.  The goal should be to move the Casting Director to say something like, “I could see her playing______”.

When Should an Actor get a Headshot?

When they are trained and ready to audition in the market they intend to work in.   Train first, then get headshots done only when you are truly ready to work.

How Often Should an Actor get new Headshots?

A good rule of thumb is every two years.  There are three primary reasons for this.  First, people change all the time, often times without realizing it.  Obviously, any physical change an actor consciously makes to their look is also cause for new headshots to be taken.  Hair length/color, weight changes, and anything else that distinguishes you from the old headshots need to be reflected in the new ones.

Second, the style of what is considered industry standard for headshots changes, albeit sometimes in subtle ways.   Professional photographers working every day in the industry are aware of this.  Keeping with the times is part of being competitive and relevant in the market place.

Third, an actor can and should go through growth and discovery in understanding what their character type is; that is to say, the product they are selling.  As stated earlier, the more specific the actor is with the product, the easier it is for a Casting Director to see where to put them and the easier it will be for the actor to deliver the goods.   The headshot should sell the character and your strong audition should aim to close the deal.

Children and young adults need to get headshots retaken more often due to growth and general physical changes related to the maturation process.

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Who Should Take the Headshot?

A professional photographer who makes a living at professional headshots for actors should take your headshot.  Moreover, this working professional should have clients who are booking work now in the market you want to work in using the headshots that were taken by the photographer.   Given the importance of making your headshot the best it can be, it’s not to be trusted to a family member, best friend, or amateur who will gladly exchange a studio session for free prints.   No thanks.  No amateurs. No arguments.

Technically Speaking

Headshots should be produced as color 8”x10” prints with a matte “pearlized” finish.  Lithographs are not currently recommended.  Again, due to the fact almost all submissions are done electronically, headshots should be very close up to fill the frame with your face.   Otherwise Casting Directors will not be able to actually see what you look like on the small picture they see on their screen.  Professional photographers who specialize in headshots will know the right composition.

Take Control

There are many things that an actor has within his control and many things he does not have in his control.  The important thing to remember is that it is your job as an actor to take it upon yourself to do the very best you can with what you can control.  Acting is a business, and like any other business it requires a significant amount of planning, marketing/PR, as well as backing up the promise with a seriously fantastic product.  Of course, with enough time, experience, and a long list of credits, you may find you will get by with word of mouth advertising and buzz.  In the meantime do your best to make sure your calling card gets you in the door so you can blow them away with your acting chops!

Always remember, you are enough.

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

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!

A 20 year old college student and aspiring actress walked into class the first week and shared that she was moving to LA in a couple of months and wanted to get a little bit of additional training and add to her resume before making the move.  She felt her experience in high school drama productions, and some community theater provided a solid foundation to work in film and television.  She had been told by her friends and family that she was born to perform and with her undeniable good looks would surely go far in Hollywood.  After a few weeks of class it was clear that although the student displayed some good solid potential, she was not trained and still very much a novice actor.  This scenario is common and the perception of this individual is shared by many who are considering an acting career.  But is it realistic?  How much training and experience is required?  How long does it take to become an actor? Watch this testimony of one of our students who recently booked a co-star on a major TV show.

Some hard facts and common sense are needed to answer this question.  First, let’s examine the above scenario with regard to another profession.  Let’s say for example you knew someone who wanted to be a concert violinist.  Suppose this individual played two years of violin in the high school orchestra (averaging 5 hours a week during the school year), and then played about twice a week (an hour each time) in the two years since high school graduation.  In all, this person spent about 650 hours total practicing and playing the violin.  If this individual announced they were moving to England to play in the London Philharmonic wouldn’t you stop them and try to encourage them to reconsider?  Possibly suggest a bit more training was in order before making such a big move?  Wouldn’t we all agree the individual’s perception of their skill set was not matched to their ambition?

Psychologist K. Anders Ericsson conducted a study of violinists at the Berlin Academy of Music in the early 1990’s.  The results revealed a direct correlation between the level of success each musician had achieved and the hours spent practicing their instrument.  Moreover, in Ericcson’s study there were no “naturals”, individuals who seemed to rise to the top seemingly without the amount of practice others required.  The truth is the top violinists practiced a lot more than the other musicians, about ten thousand hours (versus six to eight thousand hours) by the age of 20. Find one of our classes in your area, acting schools San Jose, acting schools San Francisco, acting schools Los Angeles.

It’s been said that it takes 15-20 years of continuous work to master anything.  Professional athletes, concert musicians, ballet dancers, and opera singers generally begin at a young age and don’t reach their peak until their twenties or even thirties.  There are always exceptional individuals that exhibit genius from an early age, but for the most part it takes years and years of hard work to achieve the elite status of these professions.   If it takes ten thousand hours to master a musical instrument, why would anyone think it takes just a small fraction of that to become an actor?  Such misperceptions of the acting profession as a whole are material for another discussion.

The fact is that there are no short cuts when it comes to mastering the art and craft of acting.  It’s a complex and challenging endeavor requiring years of training, dedication and commitment.  However, by embracing the journey leading to mastery the student can find untold opportunities for growth, reward, understanding, and artistic expression along the way.   The really great thing is that you can begin this journey any time and at any age!

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

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!

Acting is hard.  Contrary to what a lot of people think…acting is hard.  If this wasn’t true, the minimum pay rate on a union film or TV project probably wouldn’t be $800 a day.

Because acting is hard, it requires a lot of training and hard work.  If you want to be a good actor, you have to be in a good acting class.  Being good at acting, just like being good at any form of art, requires training, practice, and skill. If you wanted to be a ballerina, you wouldn’t take one ballet class in middle school and then go and audition for The New York City Ballet.  No.  You would find a school that could give you intensive ballet training and prepare you to work as a professional dancer.  First Take offers multiple, on-going acting classes in the Bay Area and acting classes in San Francisco & Los Angeles that prepare and train students to be professional actors.

For some reason people have this idea about acting that if you’ve taken a few theater classes, have the desire to succeed, and you look a certain way, you can just move to LA, get an agent, meet the right people,  and become a movie star.  This just isn’t true.  You have to be good at the craft.  You have to understand the business.  You have to be patient.  Becoming a working actor takes time.

First Take acting school offers a holistic approach to studying acting.  The classes at First Take encourage and help students establish a good work ethic which is required to get good at the craft of acting.  The classes also offer students a supportive class environment, knowledge about the business side of acting, including, how to market yourself, how to interact with agents and casting directors, how to behave on-set, how to maintain good business relationships, and even how to take good headshots.

If you are looking for a great place to study acting, and learn how to succeed as an actor, then First Take is definitely place for you!!  Contact us today and come check it out!

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

Check out our YouTube Channel with feedback from our Students.

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

For an actor, auditioning for a film or television show typically goes something like this…

You walk in to a small, usually drab room with blank walls.  In the room there is a desk, a chair, a camera, and a casting director.  They say “hi,” and ask you if you have any questions about the scene.  If you’ve done your homework, the answer is probably “no.”  They ask you to say your name for the camera, and then….it’s time to start the scene.

You are a witness for the defense being grilled by the prosecution.  Or perhaps a nurse, comforting a patient who has just been told she has six months to live.  Or maybe, you are terrified, crouched in the corner of a dark warehouse, hiding from a psycho-killer.  Or having an intensely romantic moment with the love of your life.   In reality, you are in a small drab room, reading the scene with a casting director who may or may not come close to resembling the other character in the scene, and who may or may not be reading the scene well.  You have no props, no set, and no other actors to help you.  Because of this, being able to imagine these things is key.

This is the biggest challenge an actor faces when auditioning.  It is the job of an actor to play the scene realistically, convincingly, and compellingly under these circumstances.  It is really hard to do!!  This requires an incredible amount of training, skill, and, of course, imagination.

Imagination is an actor’s most important tool.  To be successful in an audition situation like the one described above,  an actor must master using this tool.  Acting classes (San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angles) at First Take provide actors with the training they need to make this happen.  The method of scene study taught at First Take not only teaches actors how to break down and understand a scene, but how to use their imagination to put themselves in the circumstance of the scene and play it authentically.  This is hard to do.  The more “grown up” we become, the harder it is to use our imaginiations.  The things we imagine become more dull and less vivid.  First Take helps students keep their imaginations alive and imagine situations more vividly.  Students who are committed to the First Take method WILL get better at it and WILL learn to audition more successfully.   First Take is the only bay area acting school that has students working in film and television in the LA market.  This is a result of those students being committed to the First Take process of growing their imaginations and bringing the reality of who they are to every scene.  In class at First Take every actor recieves time and personal attention from their teacher to help them grow and become successful in this proccess.

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

Check out our YouTube Channel with feedback from our Students.

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