Acting Industry Information

Get the acting industry information you need.

You’ve hopefully by now already started to analyze yourself so that you will fully be able to capitalize on your strengths and improve on your weak areas so that you can rise to the occasion and win at the business of acting.

1. Study the Market

Get as much acting industry information as you can. Find out “the lay of the land,” how the industry works and who your competition is. Businesses and companies know the environment in which they operate. They know where they fit in, how big the industry is, what their market share is. They know who the big players are, who their competition is, and what they have to offer in terms of products, services, and prices. They know how the competition operates and what they provide to their customers. They keep abreast of industry developments and things that can change the effect that their efforts can have for the good!

Take Away

a. Know where you can get acting industry information about market demographics, breakdown by race, types of roles, trends in the industry, and so on.

b. Know what the industry trends are. This will help in your preparation for different types of auditions. For example, a couple of years ago I was told by two casting directors that for whom I auditioned for on-camera commercials, that I needed to be more conversational and not so over the top. They said that it was because of the effect that reality television was having on everything. Today it’s about real people and not some high-powered, high-energy sale of a product.

c. Know the right people—directors, producers, casting directors who cater specifically for your type, agents, schools, teachers, and so on. Learn about what they look for in an actor.

d. Know where you can get the acting industry information and resources you need with regard to résumés, head shots, technique classes, voice, diction, movement, classics, show reels, demo CDs, informational suggestions, and so on. For some of those things, there are industry standards to adhere to. They are good to know. Rèsumés, for example, have a pretty standard format that should be followed, otherwise you risk it being tossed out if the busy people who have to look at them have to search for your information on a page. Aside from that, there are certain elements of a résumé that are good to have.

e. Industry and trade papers. There are more than just one or two. Find out which ones are available and which ones give you the best and most complete information.

f. Know your genre. A casting director once told me that if you want to be on television, you need to watch television. If you want to be on soaps, prime-time, daytime, hosted programs, and so on, you need to watch them. Watch the shows, the movies, the television programs or soaps that you are particularly interested in and on/in which you would like to appear as an actor.

g. Know the issues actors are facing in any given moment, important union decisions that have been made, etc.

First Things First! Get your finances together so that you have enough money to be able to concentrate as much as possible on your career! If you overlook this, it will come back to haunt you!

Here Are Some Resources That Can Help You Get The Money You Need To Start/Fund Your Acting Career. Here are two programs I personally recommend, because if you work them, they will work for you. You earn money on your own time, which keeps you focused on the things that matter most to you. In addition, they help you help other people AND working this way really beats working a full-time job for somebody else!:

Here are some places to start gathering good acting industry information. There are certainly others, but these are the ones that I frequently referred to:

The 3 Major Unions:

SAG (Screen Actors Guild)

AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)

Actors’ Equity

Statistics and General Industry Information:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

General Career And Acting Industry Information: Information about the nature of acting work, working conditions, training, other qualifications, advancement, employment, jobe outlook, earnings, related occupations and sources of additional information.

Mandy.com: An International TV & Film Production resource, where you can find entertainment and production jobs, casting notices, production company listings and just about anything you can possibly imagine that has to do with the entertainment industy.

Acting Industry & Entertainment Tradepapers, Magazines, Information Booklets, Websites:

Backstage

Ross Reports

Show Business Weekly

The Hollywood Reporter

Time Out

Variety

New York/LA Agencies Publication: gives information about agents and what exactly they are looking for.

Actor Resources On The Web:

protalentPERFORMER: The Total Career Organizer for Performers. The only tool you need to organize every stage of your career. Available for Mac, Windows, PalmOS & Windows Mobile. Use code *ACS7J* for 10% off.

Holdon Log: The Standard in Performer Organizational Tools (Software & Log Books)

The Acting Website: a brand new free entertainment directory.

ActorPoint.com: Casting calls, free monologues, and more!

Actor Gateway: The easiest way to manage your acting career.

Actors Pages Link Directory: Provides a combination of many helpful tools offered for free and designed for professional actors and also beginners who want to break into the acting world.

www.actinginfo.blogspot.com: An excellent concise resource for those young actors aspiring to launch their acting careers on The Disney Channel.

ActorWebs.com: ActorWebs creates top quality websites for actors.

Thespian Net: Search for acting schools, submit yourself to their talent pool, search for info on your favorite celebrities and more.

Places To Network And Meet Casting Directors, Agents & Other Indusry Professionals:

TheNetworkNYC.com: A quality program in which, after an entry audition, you will be able to participate in seminars with casting directors, agents, directors and other industry professionals. You get one on one time with the industry professionals and a chance to audition for them.

ActorsConnection.com: A great place to participate in seminars with industry professionals like casting directors, agents, directors, etc. that can further your career. You get one on one time with the industry professionals and a chance to audition for them.

Places To Network And Meet Other Actors Near You:

MeetUp.com: A place to meet actors and performers in cities all around the world online and off.

Casting Websites We Recommend:

Actors Access: your starting point for taking control of your career. Uniquely tied to your representative's information about you. Update your photos, resume, and profile, and submit online.

Casting Networks: Submit for projects in NY, LA, SF.

Extras Access: Look for extra and background working opportunities.

NYCastings: Talent Casting Wire Services. Clean, clear and user friendly overview with reliable and up-to-date casting information in different acting and modelling categories. They have some real good acting industry information in general. Excellent service. Update your photos, resume, and profile, and submit online.

Coaching for Actors:

Brian O’Neil: Former actor, agent and personal manager, Brian O'Neil is one of the acting industry's leading experts. He conducts seminars on the business of acting and also provides invaluable one on one coaching. Also, Brian is author of the best-selling book: Acting As A Business: Strategies For Success.

Bernard Hiller Studio: Bernard Hiller is a Hollywood acting coach with more than 30 years experience. He studied with both Lee Strasberg and Sandford Meisner and teaches his technique in cities throughout the world.

Leslie Becker: Leslie Becker is an actress and author of The Organized Actor® and conducts success seminars and private coaching in New York City.

Janice Hoffmann: Janice Hoffmann conducts workshops for actors as well as one on one coaching to help actors achieve their personal and career goals. Janice has a unique, likeable, down-to-earth and results-oriented approach and she pushes her acting students to go out and gather pertinent acting industry information to further their careers.

Sue Porter Henderson: Sue is President of Henderson Enterprises, Inc., NY a company providing actor support services since 1983. She is also a publisher, career consultant and working actor.

Working Actors Providing Acting Industry Information

Amy Schulz: Working actor. See Amy's tips page.

General

Small business web directory by catagory and pages
Get listed under acting schools category. Also try at Beauty | Business | Education | Finance | Health | Insurance | Jobs | Medical | Real Estate | Travel

Black Professionals - AMightyRiver.com is an online black professional networking site that allows black professionals the opportunity to network and search for career opportunities.

College Essays - Cheat House is the biggest source online where you can find thousands of free college essays.

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Video Special Report!:


The Top 10 Reasons Why
Most Aspiring Actors Never Make It!

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What you’re doing is great Anthony. Whenever I read the things on your site, the interviews and even your book, I feel like if only everybody got to read this before they got started, they would be so much better off and everybody else (casting directors, agents, directors, etc.) would be so much better off too.
Personal Manager, Ingrid French

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Tony,
I want to say you changed my life. I want to be an actress so bad, but i began losing motivation when I couldn't figure out what to do. And then I found you! Thanks to you, I'm taking my first acting classes next month! Yippee!
Sara, Pasadena, CA

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Hi Tony
I would like to thank you for helping me with the monologue question I asked you. I went to the auditions for a Drama course and I am happy to say that I have been accepted as a first-year student at the Tshwane University of Technology. Please keep on sending me those newsletters and let me know where I can find books that will help me in my acting career. Thank you once more. Have a blessed day.
Sincerely
Edward Thaba -South Africa

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Dear Anthony,
Just wanted to thank you for bringing me in to [audition for the video], meet you and chat this Saturday. I was really excited to hear about your working on actingcareerstartup.com and even took a look at it today - it's awesome! You are very well-spoken, knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and it shows through the work that you do! I hope our paths in the industry will cross again and really enjoyed meeting you. Thanks, again and best wishes with your very important work!
Warmly,
Gretchen, NY, NY

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Hey Tony, thanks for the info, yours by far is the most useful, I am 30 years old, and I myself always (secretly) wanted to be an actress, but I never knew where to begin, so thank you. You have given me hope!
Ana C., Tampa, FL