(continued from part 1)

If you find there just aren't any local theater, film, or drama departments in your area that suit you, you'll have to go at it alone. Buy, borrow, or rent a camcorder and start making your own performance videos. Start shooting yourself acting a scene from your favorite movie. Then move on to classical theatrical monologues you'll find online and in books at the library. After taping several quick video clips, move on to making your own short films. Ask your friends to participle in them with you. And have your friends and family critique your acting ability. Keep making them and you'll improve.


Actor Vin Diesel started performing on stage when he was seven years old. But as he grew older he longed to be in feature films. The problem was, he just wasn't getting the parts he wanted. So he did what he had the power to do - he produced, directed, and starred in his own short film titled "Multi-Facial." Steven Spielberg saw his short film and based upon his performance, he was cast in the Oscar-winning film "Saving Private Ryan." From there Vin went on to become the action super-star of many Hollywood motion pictures.

The next step you should plan for is to build a sound acting resume. With each new acting project you'll have one more entry to add to your actor's resume. And each time you add to your resume you'll have an easier time landing that next acting role. The larger, and fuller your resume, the easier it will be to find acting jobs. And once you have a resume completely filled with your list of acting experience, skills and talents, you can flaunt it and begin marketing yourself. Call up ad agencies for casting in their TV commercials and don't forget to get the contact of the person handling casting for their productions.

Eventually, after you've performed in countless community, school and church productions and successfully appeared in local broadcast and cable television commercials, you might consider making the move to bigger cities, like New York for theater or Los Angeles for film and television productions. You may also consider applying for a membership in the 'Screen Actor's Guild or the Actors' Equity, after you have been hired for a few union productions. Enrolling in these unions makes sense as these unions demand higher wages for their members.

Above all, the best way to get experience and education is by continuing to act as much as possible. Constantly be on the lookout for casting calls and audition notices in newspapers, on web sites, and posted to community notice boards, etc. If you work hard and are dedicated and devoted, you will soon see opportunity come knocking your way.

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Copyright © Sarah Bennett. All rights reserved. Used with permission of the author. Not to be reproduced or distributed.

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