Actress in da making

Hey

I'm a 13yr old girl, with a passion for acting. I am in two acadamys for acting, and have been in lots of plays (usually a main role). It used to just be a hobby, but I want to step it up as a possible career, because I love it so much. Even if I am not sucessful, I will be happy coz I am doing somthing I love. I want to try an audition for a movie so I can really see my potential as an actor, and decide whether to become really serious about it, or keep doing plays as a hobby, and get a proper career. My acadamy teacher says I have massive potential, and the ability to be sucessful, but I really have to decide while I still have my future ahead of me- a hobby or career- hence the movie audition. Problem: I dont know where the hell to find out about auditions! My parents are prepared to get me an agent, but is that really necessary?

Thanks
cc: Zaz

Zazzie wrote:

> Hey

> I'm a 13yr old girl, with a passion for acting. I am in two acadamys for acting, and have been in lots of plays (usually a main role). It used to just be a hobby, but I want to step it up as a possible career, because I love it so much. Even if I am not sucessful, I will be happy coz I am doing somthing I love. I want to try an audition for a movie so I can really see my potential as an actor, and decide whether to become really serious about it, or keep doing plays as a hobby, and get a proper career. My acadamy teacher says I have massive potential, and the ability to be sucessful, but I really have to decide while I still have my future ahead of me- a hobby or career- hence the movie audition. Problem: I dont know where the hell to find out about auditions! My parents are prepared to get me an agent, but is that really necessary?


Hi Zazzie

Couple of quick points - then read all the other posts here for worthy discussion.

Your future is ALWAYS ahead of you. Acting is one of those careers that has potential at all ages...you don't have to rush to get into it, in fact, from my observations, good actors don't start to appear until they have spent time gaining experience in LIFE. That's not to say you shouldn't start early trying to get experience, and there will certainly be roles for 13 year olds; but this panicked rush I sense, from many people your age, to become an actor ought to be tempered by allowing yourself the time to explore many skills, emotions, experiences and observations...these will all take time and often have nothing to do with 'acting' but with personal growth.

(On the flip side, I remember there being a lot of pressure at school to choose the 'right' subjects and decide on a career path at a very early age...my experience after school, uni, etc, is that life offers a lot more flexibility than that. You don't have to be 'stuck' with a decision you make at school, there is always time to change your studies, your career, your life...and the time you've spent pursuing one plan of action only to drop it all to move on to a new and better decision should NEVER be considered wasted.)

I would suggest, to find out about professional movie opportunities, that you DO seek out a good agent or casting agent in your area. That will be by far the best way to find out about such auditions...You may be required to audition for the agent; but you shouldn't be required to pay the agent anything until they secure you work.

Just ONE movie audition is not necessarily going to determine or indicate your potential...you'll probably learn a lot from the experience, but don't treat it as the be all and end all...because speaking statistically, you'll probably fail. What you learn from a 'failure' is what will determine your potential.

..."a proper career"...If you are going to treat it seriously, acting IS a proper career. Regardless of what you choose to do, the only "proper" career is to find something you enjoy and are fulfilled by.

"Successful" outcomes appear to those who can spell it. :-)


Cheers
Craig

Craig,

I agree with your response. However, I must say that it is my belief that Zazzie, when describing an acting career, did not mean anything negative by stating it as improper. What we do is unusual and different in comparison with most other occupations.

Also, I would like to say that your obssession with people's spelling is most disturbing. Everyone knows that we (you and I) like to write essays and post messages to perfection, but others do not, nor do they really care for it. If someone out there would like spelling and grammar lessons, I'm sure you'd be the first person they'd call. Then they would call me because your excessive use of the comma and ellipses are not grammatically correct.

Cheers,

Justin.

Justin wrote:
>
> Also, I would like to say that your obssession with people's
> spelling is most disturbing. Everyone knows that we (you and
> I) like to write essays and post messages to perfection, but
> others do not, nor do they really care for it. If someone
> out there would like spelling and grammar lessons, I'm sure
> you'd be the first person they'd call. Then they would call
> me because your excessive use of the comma and ellipses are
> not grammatically correct.
>
> Cheers,
> Justin.



Thanks Justin.

I can't deny that I'm happy to disturb people about their egregious errors if it makes them more aware. But you're right, there's probably not a lot of evidence that it actually does.
I certainly don't comment on EVERY error I read; I wouldn't have time for anything else! The ones I draw attention to virtually always involve a fair degree of irony, which is actually more the element I am obsessed with.

I'm surprised, actually, that no one else has been bold enough to tell me to lay off! I don't quite agree that those who need spelling lessons would ever call; without me pointing out the error first, how would they know they needed to?
But I'm happy to cop it back whenever I deserve it. Thanks for warning me of my slips with the ellipse.

Poor language skills are abundant everywhere, and generally do not warrant such focussed attention. But on a website about the art of theatre, where the most popular type of post seems to be, "How can I make myself noticed and convince you that I am an employable thespian?", one of the best answers I can think of to give is, "Improve and demonstrate your ability with language".
Irony is abundant in all their poorly-articulated pleas for advice: poor grammar does get them noticed, but not in the way they'd wish.

It truly is a shame that no one, as you say, seems to care for it - because I honestly rate it one of the highest skills you could attain if you want to achieve success in this (or any!) field.



One final irony before I shut up about it for a while: shouldn't your final sentence read, "... your excessive use of the comma and ellipses IS not grammatically correct"?

Don't expect the phone to ring hot. :-)

Cheers,
... Craig

Hi I'm 14 and I really enjoy acting but I have trouble finding parts in musicals and plays due to the fact that I am not a fantastic dancer. I was wondering I can't afford an agent and I really love acting, so where would I find out about auditions????
Thanks

PC wrote:
>
> I was wondering I can't afford an
> agent and I really love acting, so where would I find out
> about auditions????



There are agents and there are agents....all of them should be working for YOU, not the other way round.

Yes, okay, often the good agents have so much talent listed on their books that they can be picky as to who they will represent, and often ask you to audition to establish your qualities so they can represent you accurately. This feels like they are employing you but that's false.

You shouldn't have to pay an agent, if they agree to find you work - until they DO find you work. Then they take a commission percentage of what you earn. It's in their best interest to get you the best pay possible, because then their percentage is higher.
You probably can't afford NOT to have an agent.


Craig