How to Make Money as an Actor

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Adam_J._Wahlberg]Adam J. Wahlberg
The gloomy fact is that a lot of us are scrambling to bring home the bacon, much less carry on with our acting careers.
I often would jest that my overpriced bachelor of fine arts degree prepared me for only two different vocations: acting and serving tables. Yet you aren't required to auction off your soul to the food and beverage industry, or any other industry. Because I'm gonna show you 3 simple ideas for making money if you are an actor in these dark economic days.
1. Be an extra:
For those who haven't done it, head over to Central Casting and apply. They are the best firm in America in regards to casting extras in films, TV shows, and television ads. (And they have existed over a hundred years!) All you will need to do is fill out the enrollment papers, get your picture taken, provide a simple interview, then go home and await the phone to ring.
Central Casting has office space in both NYC and LA. But what happens if you live anywhere else in America? Does that mean you cannot become an extra? Do they, in fact, make pictures in other cities?
Sure they do. In the last 10 years, the price of filming has shot up dramatically, about 519 percent to be exact. Because of that, producers are escaping to more inexpensive urban centers: Boston, San Francisco, Phoenix, Montreal, Vancouver, Philadelphia, and Toronto.
You can easily find casting bureaus in all of these metro areas. Simply perform a quick internet search and research when they will be holding open calls.
Now, what are a few of the rewards of doing work as an extra? Good thing you asked...
To start with, your age doesn't make a difference. So long as you can stand, move, jog, and sit down, you are employed! On top of that, your appearance doesn't matter much either. Everybody knows the camera favors a pretty face, but my face isn't all that beautiful, and I get along just fine.
Oh, and they'll feed you. Nibbles, hot dinners, and all of it catered. Some of the best dishes I've eaten happened to be on a picture shoot. All I was missing was a chilly glass of Pinot Blanc.
And it's fast money. Almost the whole day, you are just hanging out inside the holding area, going through the daily news, working on the crossword puzzle, and calling your granny. But if you're shrewd, you will take your computer and hunt for forthcoming odd jobs. Or you can network with all the other extras near you.
Once, I shot a Carnival Cruise Lines television ad which paid me 150 dollars for eight hours worth of work. Nearly 20 dollars per hour. Show me any temp job in Manhattan that doles out anything more than twelve to fifteen. (And that is certainly being kind.) The hardest aspect was making it to the five AM call on-time.
2. Training:
Maybe you have overheard the old saying, 'Those who can't do, teach.' Well, I personally subscribe to an edited variation of that tragic saying: 'Those who can't make money, teach in the meantime.'
The answer to securing work as a trainer or private coach is to decide on a narrow topic. You do not merely teach acting, you instruct scene study. You instruct monologue methodology. You train young adult actors. Pick a particular area in which you shine, and share it with your local area.
In marketing, this is what's called positioning. Chances are, you'll be able to list six or seven acting instructors where you live. So in the minds of your intended customers, you are merely another to throw on the pile. Simply put, the category of acting teacher is already filled up.
But if you create a brand new category such as monologue tutor or acting consultant, then you'll utterly dominate in that category as well as in the heads of all your potential prospects.
Make a few spiffy flyers, post them around the area, and pow! You'll have a successful part-time business.
3. Read at auditions:
Casting agencies require actors for a lot more than just filling out projects. Additionally, they require us to read with other actors who are coming in for a role.
I cannot under-emphasize the gains of reading at auditions. The primary reason, as expected, is that you get paid for your time.
The second reason, and most obvious, is that you are in the audition room with a director and his or her personnel. Commonly for hours and hours. It's kinda like an continuous audition. If you do well, they won't have a need to spend more time casting the role, they will merely use you as a replacement.
Of the three, reading may well become the hardest to accomplish. You must know an insider who will vouch for you.
And finally, let me say that I've employed all three of these strategies to get additional work. That is the way it occurs in the acting business. Work begets work. Indeed, the more people you meet, the more work you may be brought on board for.
Adam Wahlberg is an actor and career consultant living in New York. Want to know how to use [http://www.ace-your-audition.com/open-casting-calls.html]casting calls to your advantage? Learn more at [http://www.ace-your-audition.com/]ace-your-audition.com.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Make-Money-as-an-Actor&id=6544405] How to Make Money as an Actor