How to Gain Acting Experience

Video Transcript

"SCOTT DUPONT: Scott DuPont, welcome back on behalf of Expert Village. Now, in this little segment here, we're going to talk about how to get experience. How do you get experience? Well, how do you get an agent? Because the agents usually want to see a little bit of experience. Let me give you a few things you can start out. We've just talked about in the last segment about acting schools. Some sort of training, they really want to see you make that commitment and you really - that's a must. You need to learn through acting schools or an acting coach, some of the basics of the business. Now, the second thing you can do, this is very simple, you don't need experience to get this kind of experience and that's extra work. And I would suggest, if you're a parent and you have to drive your kids, if they want a mom or a dad along with your kid and you're out there anyway, jump in. That way you got a pay cheque. They get a pay cheque and your both getting experience onset. And the only requirement for being an extra, you need to walk and breathe. Oh, not look right down on the camera and yell because that upsets the director. But it's really simple to get extra work and you'll really learn. You'll really start getting some experience by doing a little bit of extra work. You can also do some school plays. That's part of most school curriculums anyway, great way just to get your presence up on the stage. And then, another thing you might not have thought of, see if your town or the closest metropolitan area, if there's a college, university or even a community college, if they're teaching -- if they have a film and video program. They're probably doing a lot of student films and they're always needing local actors, there's usually no pay but a great way to get experience and put a little - few little items on your resume but we'll get back in to the resume and that stuff in one of our next segments coming up."