Things I Wish I Had Done

For the most part, I'm a steamroll ahead kind of gal, but every now and then I think, "I really wish I had done such and such when I first moved to Los Angeles."  And I can't say that nobody told me so, because they did.  But for whatever reasons, I didn't allow myself to listen to their advice.  Well, hindsight is 20/20 which doesn't do me any good now, but it might do you some good if you're a new arrival and you aren't too busy putting your fingers in your ears like I did—well, that combined with the fact that I think I'm half deaf sometimes with the way I selectively choose to listen.  Huh? What?  Do the dishes?  I-can't-hear-what-you're saaaayying!

1.  Get New Headshots

Unless you're moving to Los Angeles from New York City and you shot with a reputable photographer there, you're going to need new shots no matter how good you think they look and how much money you spent on them.  Headshots from smaller markets just don't cut it in Los Angeles.  Oh believe me, I wanted them to.  I shot what I thought were "gorgeous" shots in Chicago before I moved to Los Angeles, but you know what?  They were black and white.  And everybody else had color.  I tried to convince myself that a good shot was a good shot and that color was a trend.  I was sure my individuality would shine through and my black and white shots would "pop."  Umm...no, they didn't.  My teachers told me they didn't.  My friends told me they didn't.  Casting directors told me they didn't.  And yet, I wanted to hang onto them because I wanted to get my money's worth.  But what good is hanging onto that money if your headshot can't get you into a room where you have the potential to make more money?

2.  Take An On-Camera Class

The medium of Los Angeles is not the stage, so modifying your acting technique for the camera is a necessary skill if you want to work in TV/Film.  I'll be honest, it took me way too long to tackle this beast.  I can't tell you how many commercial auditions I went to when I first started out where the camera person would say, "Stacey, be smaller."  Every.  single.  audition.  Be smaller.  Talk Softer.  Tone it Down.  I am finally figuring out how to act for the freaking camera but I'm still learning and improving.  On-camera skills are rarely taught in drama universities and schools and it is a whole different technique to master.  Contrary to popular belief, it is not all about keeping your head and neck still and trying not to blink.  It takes time and patience and chutzpah and money.  I can't tell you how many of my friends and colleagues would echo what I'm saying right now--take an on-camera class right away!  We all wish we hadn't been such boneheads and sucked it up long before we began putting our sub-par work out into the world.

3.  Intern/Work for a Casting Director

Why didn't I do it?!?!  Yeah, yeah, there's still time but not really cuz I have a job.  BUT, I didn't have a job when I first moved to Los Angeles and a friend of a friend offered to let me sit in on one of her casting sessions and get me a gig (albeit low-paying and infrequent) running casting sessions for her.  I was too worried about the money to take advantage of a situation that would have been a great opportunity to learn and to get my foot in the door.  *Slapping hand on head*  Just watching a single session would have opened a whole new world for me on the do's and dont's of auditioning.  So...if I were you, I would NOT follow my footsteps and see about interning with a cool CD.  Plus, I can't tell you how many actors get gigs that way.  It's great for networking!

4.  Get a Reputable Manager

You may disagree with this last tidbit, but hear me out first.  I used to scoff at managers.  Seriously,  I wondered why anyone would choose to pay someone 15% or more on top of their agency 10% commission to manage a career they don't yet have and money they worked so hard to get.  Uh huh.  Not me.  I thought managers were useless to the beginning actor.  Well...that isn't exactly true in Los Angeles.  In LA, managers operate like agents.  They submit you for jobs even though, technically, they aren't supposed to and many actors who don't have theatrical agents book reputable work through their managers.  A few years ago, I hit a wall:   I couldn't secure a theatrical agent which made it nearly impossible to gain access to TV/Film auditions.  I decided, begrudgingly, to seek a manager  FYI, managers aren't governed in LA and anybody can say they are a manager, so you must be selective and do your research.   I made a list of 20 managers I liked and mailed my materials to them.  Of those 20 mailings, I received one interview and she signed me!   And I credit her with getting my career moving in the right direction and, again, kick myself for waiting so long to pursue it.  She sets up theatrical meetings for me, she submits me for jobs, secures auditions, pitches me, gets feedback from CDs and just encourages me to go out and do my best.  I am definitely her developmental client, but I like that because I know that with her help we can achieve the same level of success as her series regular clients.  Just something to put on your plate to consider...

If I close my eyes and ears to what the industry is telling me, I do a huge disservice to my career.  Scrounging up money and time is tough, but sometimes it's the only way to move forward.  It's still a learning process for me, but I've finally figured out that the longer certain things sit on the back burner, the longer it will take me to get where I want to go.  Fortunately, I'm just not that patient anymore.

--Stacey Jackson

Comments

[Amber Estrada]

Stacey, thank you for your insightful article. I wish I would have pursued management more aggressively when I was in Los Angeles. I am now in Napa Valley performing as a singer-songwriter. Most of my time is devoted to music now but acting is definately my first love. Seems you are very focused on the direction you are going in and I amg going to apply that as inspiration in my own life and career.

Thanks!

Amber

[Dan]

If you send anything casting related or want this blog linked to our Film Industry WebSite, please let me know.

[Bon]

Awesome post, Stacey. :) I hope many new-to-town actors take heed!!

Keep up the great work!

[Stacey Jackson]

Amber - thank you for the note! My goodness you are gorgeous and so is your voice! Keep on keepin' on and all the best to you. (And everybody else should check out her site)

Dan - huh?

Bon - You SO rock! Bon is one of the sweetest most actor friendly CDs around and she writes a fabulous column and blog, so click on her link in your free time!

[simone]

Amber,

great post! I just happened upon in while googling. I am moving to LA very shortly and was wondering where to start. Thank you so much! Best of luck!

Simone