I’m not a subscriber of New Year’s resolutions, mostly because I can’t seem to retain the “resolution” part of that practice. I’m way too excited about planning and imagining; way more than about actually doing the work. But I like to ask my kids these four questions at the beginning of each year:
What is:
1) One skill you want to be better at;
2) One characteristic you want to be known for;
3) One habit you want to change
4) One way you can make the world a better place?
And then, what is one thing you can do to move towards each of those four things?
This is great on a personal level, AND on an acting level. At the beginning of the year, our manager asks her clients to write a list of goals (“book a national commercial, book a guest star role, take an improv class” etc.) Putting goals and dreams down on paper, forces you to think about how to get there. As the kids are writing their goals, I research classes and ways to help them gain the skills and experiences they’ll need, to keep them ready and also engaged. Do they need to take a commercial audition class or workshop? Do they need to go to see more plays, or get involved in local theatre? Would continuing in the same acting class be good, or do they need to experience a different style of class? Are they getting enough physical exercise, and do we need to add a dance class?
Obviously there is no end to the amount of $ you can throw at this career, and if you are like me, there is a definite end to your budget! Here’s how I handle this:
- Remember that you can’t do everything all at once, and taking those classes is NOT going to guarantee you get a booking.
- Look at your budget for the year and decide how much money you can afford to spend on classes. At this time of writing, after several years of trying different things, I’ve found that a budget averaging $300 – $400 a month allows for a minimum of classes and/or private coachings. Some months you might not take any classes, other months you might have time and enthusiasm for more.
- Prioritize the classes. Perhaps you spent all last year in a scene study class, and even if you really loved it, now you really need to do an improv class, so put that at the top of the list. If you can, audit classes for free so you know what you’re getting into, before signing up for a full session.
- Look at your list and do a ton of research on where to go for those classes, and what will work for your money budget AND your time budget. Perhaps there’s a one week spring intensive, rather than a once-a-week-whole-semester commitment.
- Plan the year out and don’t over commit. For example; January & February we’ll take a weekly pilot audition class with a casting director, because it’s pilot season and we need to audition well. March and April let’s try a new acting class for scene study and technique. Towards the end of April, we’ll take a wire-working/stunt class for fun, and drop the acting classes for a little while. In the summer, let’s do a summer intensive improv class, and then go back to an acting class for a couple of months. We’ll take a month off, but have a list of movies and tv shows we’ll watch that month, so we can understand the tone and pacing of those shows. In August, we know there will be more commercials, so we’ll see if there’s a one day workshop with a casting director that we can use as a brush up. September we need new headshots, so that’s where the money is going. October we’ll start a stunt/combat class, and we’ll take an acting class with a showcase in November/December.
If your budget works differently, adjust for that, but don’t burn your child or yourself out. Casting directors aren’t just looking for skills and talents; they’re also looking to see who would be fun and easy to work with – parents AND children, and you can’t give off that vibe if you are stressed and burned out.
As we waltz into 2020, take a minute to assess you and your actor’s personal goals, and be realistic about what’s doable. Don’t bank on booking any work, just be confident in taking your classes and moving towards becoming the best actor/singer/dancer/model you can be in this year ahead. Hard work and careful planning will open doors for you that you’ll be ready to walk through. I believe you can do it, and I will be right here, cheering you on!