You’re probably serious about this acting thing and really want to book your first professional acting job, right? We thought so. But guess what? Without an audition, you have zero chance of booking your first acting job. Whether you have a talent manager or not, there are two very important things you need in order to get an audition. Number one: A great 8X10 photo/headshot of yourself. Number two: A decent resume. Yep, a good headshot and resume’ are the only two things you really need to get you an audition. We can’t reiterate enough that you must see yourself as not only an actor but also a business person. You want an acting job and the steps for preparing your acting resume is no different from any other job.
But what happens if you don’t have any experience and can’t put anything on your resume? Or what if you only have a few things that you’ve done? Good question. The first rule of thumb in a situation like this is to never lie on your resume. Never make up things you’ve haven’t done.
The answer is simple. You’re just gonna have to BUILD your resume. Just because you haven’t done anything in Hollywood on television or in the movies doesn’t mean you can’t build your resume. We’ll cover the structure of your acting resume on another article but for now know that you need to gain acting experience so that you can build and add to your resume. In most cases, the more you have on your resume, the more impressive it looks to casting agent. However, it’s WHAT’S on your resume that’s really important as well. So, just because you’ve done a lot of extra or background work (a person in the background of movies, television, commercials, etc., where they are not speaking) doesn’t mean you should list every extra work project you were on. This won’t cut it. If want want to be a successful actor–you need “speaking roles” and that means you have to start building your resume with “speaking roles”. Here are a few things you can do to get started. Don’t worry, we’ll cover more of resumes and the audition process in other articles. You will be well rounded with a wealth of knowledge!
1. Do school plays or local theater. This is an excellent way to build your resume quickly. Audition for local school or college plays. Make sure it’s a speaking role. Enjoy the process. Add it to your resume as soon as you’re done with the project. Repeat, and do this as much as you can.
2. Get in some student films. A lot of film students are always doing film projects as a class project. They usually don’t pay but will provide you with a meal and a copy of the film. This is great because you’ll need a copy of the film to make your demo reel later on. Get the role and you’ve got another credit! Make sure it’s a speaking role.
3. Take acting classes. Casting directors love to look at your resume and see that you’ve been working on your craft. It shows you’re serious about your craft. Don’t be afraid to try out a few acting coaches as well. Spend some time learning what you may or may not like about each class or coach. If you decide to move on, don’t forget to add the acting class or coach to your resume. You should be continually working on your craft even after you’ve booked a few professional jobs.
This should get you started. We’ll cover more aspects of an acting resume in other articles. Keep us posted on your progress.
