Welcome to a true operations manual for the aspiring actor and musician. You are receiving all the secrets I have learned over the years marketing theatrical and musical talent.
Nothing worthwhile is easy. If you are willing to learn and work your behind off you will succeed. The most important thing to remember is:
THE RULES ARE:
THERE ARE NO RULES!
THE BAD NEWS
Perhaps you are surrounded by adoring people telling you how cute and talented you or your child is. Telling you that you should get an agent. You’re thinking about it. Several have told you about agents to call.
Then one day you get a call from an “agent”. They tell you that you have been selected for an “audition”.
Perhaps you have seen an ad in the newspaper, “Audition: Actors needed, all types”.
In the back of your mind a small voice tells you it’s a scam (99.9999% chance it is), but you know you are talented, and you agree to go to the audition despite your qualms.
When you arrive, you are horrified to see there are dozens of “actors” present. The audition is a “Cattle call”.
After the “audition” you are told that you have “great potential”. You are told that if you will take classes and have pictures shot, there is no doubt that you will get bookings.
The cost for the classes and pictures seems to range from $1500 to $6000 dollars. A sliding scale directly proportional to your willingness and capability to pay.
Strictly speaking, the company is right on target. In order to get work an actor MUST take regular coaching classes and have pictures taken. But these companies are in business PRIMARILY to sell poor unsuspecting actors as much as they can in the way of classes and pictures.
This is their main business, not getting the talent work.
These companies have no intention of limiting selection to actors that are truly gifted. They will take pretty much anyone who will come to an “audition”.
They will then fleece the actor for as much money as they can. When the money runs out so does their interest. They “file and forget” the actor.
THE EXCEPTION
For the aspiring actor, companies such as John Robert Powers has become very aggressive in bringing in scouts from industry to do workshops and scout for talent.
Though John Robert Powers is known to take all comers, they provide an extremely valuable beginners training ground with their “On camera” workshops and other coaching classes. These are available at some of their locations.
For years known as primarily a modeling school, Powers and others like them have expanded the scope to provide very high quality TV, film and commercial training for the beginning aspiring actor.
These workshops are crucial, as an actor cannot attract better coaches, high-level agents or managers without preliminary training.
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