Going to college in NYC and building a career at the same time?

Question

I want to start an acting/dancing/singing career in NYC, and am currently not very close to that location (I don't want to divulge my location, but it's very Midwest) and want to transfer to a college in or around New York City and build a resume at the same time (look for agents, go to open calls, etc.) Is this a feasible goal? What colleges would you New Yorkers/actors recommend?

Answer 1

If you are serious about becoming a profesisonal actor, audition for Juilliard. It's the best in NYC and will be of more value to you than other "acting" schools in NYC.
It is prestigious and you will "meet the right" people," to help boost your career to level you need to be a working actor.

Like most actors, you will find it very difficult to to build an acting career in NYC.

I don't know of any professionals that recommend NYFA - it's not a "serious" school. Don't waste your money on them.

I would not recommend NYFA, if you are serious about film enroll in classes at Columbia or NYU (New York University)

If you can audition and get accepted by Juilliard, that is your best bet.

It's better if you build your acting resume in the city where you live, with lead roles, in regional and local theaters.

Once you arrive in NYC, its better if you network, meet and talk with actor, audit some of the acting classes/schools here and see what resonates with you.

Answer 2

NYFA for sure the top notch acting school there.

Answer 3

Hi!

NYU

Julliard

School for film and television

Stella Adler

Actors Studio

At any rate find out what their reputations are, where actors usually get work when they have left those programs. My advice is not only to talk to the people who manage the schools, but also to some students at different levels of the program.

Don't forget to create your base. Find out what life will be like as a working actor there. There are many great resources for you to check out:

Find out a little about the different acting methods that there are.

If you do your homework, you can also put together your own program as a combination of different schools. There are many studios as well that teach their methods and that are very reputable:

www.esperstudio.com
www.ward.studio.com
http://www.hbstudio.org

to name a few.

With regard to getting an agent, here is some information you might find useful:

How can I get an agent?

There are several different resources you could use to get in touch with agents. Rather than talking about how to get in touch, I would rather talk to you about what your strategy could be.

Consider the following when it comes to getting an agent:

You can find agents that specialize in many different areas, but big agencies will have different people within their agencies that handle different areas. You are interested in acting/dancing/singing so you have narrowed it down.

Do you know your type? If you don't, find out. And then find out which agents cater to your type.

To find out who are the agents that cater to your type, get a copy of the Ross Reports, Show Business weekly, New York Agencies. The Agencies booklet which is updated quarterly shows what kind of actors agencies are looking for (what kind of talent in that particular period).

It goes without say that you need a headshot and résumé. But find out first how to put together your résumé. There is a standard industry format with three columns and usually the eyes go immediately to the third column, because that’s where the credibility lies. It’s not only about what you’ve done, but also about with whom you’ve done it! Also besides your acting experience, agents and casting directors will also look at your training, where you train, the frequency and consistency with which you train and with whom you train. There are many professional services that can help you if you need help.

Carefully select the agents you want to target, and do a mass mailing that is TARGETED to specific agents that cater to your type. Send out a headshot and résumé and don't forget a cover letter, which must be very brief and to the point and state why you are looking for that agency to represent you. Remember that there are thousands of actors who are sending mail to that agent so anything you can do and say that will make you stand out from the rest is a good thing. Just keep it within the realm of what’s “acceptable”. You might want to think of using envelopes with a big window, so that the agents’ offices that receive your packet see your picture even before they open it. From what I gather, still the majority of actors still don’t use those kinds of envelopes. It could provide you with a slight advantage. Maybe. Every little thing you can do differently than the rest could be of help.

You will need to find out how to write a good cover letter. Like I said, short, sweet and to the point. There are lots of books about it. One good one is by a guy named Brian O’Neil and it’s called Acting As A Business: Strategies For Success. I think it’s a must read for any new actor. He also has examples of résumés depending on what kind of credits you have. And he also tells you how to build the résumé, which is very important.

It’s a numbers game, so send out a lot of packages, but expect to get back a low number of responses: anywhere from 5 – 10%. It really depends on a lot of things; how good your headshot is, how good your cover letter is, whether you targeted the right agent, whether your agent is looking for your type in that moment, etc. If you don’t hear anything back, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re not interested. It could just mean that they’re not interested in that moment.

So once you have made initial contact, you will need to follow up. Timing is important as is the way you follow up. One way is to use post cards with your headshot on it. Use the postcards about once every three months to report what you’re doing and to keep in touch or even more often if you have something to report, like a show you’ve been in, movie and industrial, commercial or whatever. Don’t send them to say hi or have a good summer. Report what you are doing. Even report close calls, meaning call backs or on-holds even if you didn’t get the job. It means that you got close and agents and casting directors like to hear that as well.

Once you get that far, you should start getting some responses and some meetings. Like I said, it’s a numbers game though, but be focused and don't think that if you just send out mass mailings that you will be successful. Target your mailings and you will have greater success.

This is just part of your strategy though. There’s got to be more…

There are also schools like Actors Connection (www.actorsconnection.com) where you can go and meet casting directors, agents and personal managers. It will cost you a small fee to audition for them and sit through a most of the time valuable Q & A session, but it can be worth it. I have gotten agents and auditions through them. It is also a place to go and take classes with casting directors and agents, which gives you the chance to not only meet them, but also to work together with them for anywhere from a few hours to an entire day or more. That in itself can be very valuable. More on that another time.

Lastly, you can submit yourself for jobs online: Here is a list of websites through which you can submit yourself. It's not as good as having an agent, but I have gotten some audtions and jobs this way. I use nycastings and actorsaccess mostly. I have found that with two or three of these sites, I'm pretty much covered with regard to the important auditions that are out there. Once you start checking too many different sites, you find that there is a lot of repetition.

www.actingdepot.com

www.exploretalent.com

www.actorsaccess.com

www.backtoholding.com

www.bigbreakny.com

www.castingnewyork.com

www.easycasting.com

www.actormarketing.biz

www.nycastings.com

www.backstage.com

Hope that helps,

Tony
http://www.actingcareerstartup.com