Will someone, anyone, teach me the fastest way to become a Cal resident and qualify for stare benefits?

[highlanderfil]

Originally Posted by boulder2015

Well said, but you wasted it on a troll who hasnt been on the board in five months and claims to have a family, but wants to live in a group home. Ive learned its a good idea to check dates before posting on this board. Cant believe people went for this guy for 12 pages! Lol...

Aw, damn it.

[426HemiCA]

Originally Posted by Vary

You cannot be an actor in Los Angeles without these things:

Training.EVERYONE here who's in serious contention for roles has studied either at university or an acting school. If you haven't, you don't stand a chance.

Money.Acting is a business. You're founding a startup company, you're a freelancer. That takes LOTS of capital. Apart from the expense of training, there's money for marketing--website building/hosting, profiles on pertinent casting websites, demos/reels, headshots, resumes, business cards, clothes, hair, makeup--if you aren't presenting yourself as a pro, you and your headshots will be thrown in the dustbin in no time. Then there's subscriptions to multiple important trade publications, office supplies and equipment, and plenty of other expenses. Let alone the high cost of living here.

Knowledge.You can not just show up and suddenly start acting. You have to know the industry inside and out. You have to learn who everyone is, you have to know the proper way to behave and what gets you tossed as an amateur. You need to know where everything is, the gatekeepers, the proper etiquette, and a lot more. You won't be acting "in no time." You live across the country. You know nothing of what the industry is like in LA. If you don't learn about the biz first, you'll look like an idiot, and the industry has a long memory. Look like a jackass, and they'll remember you. And NEVER cast you. It's one thing to have a bad audition, it's another to appear clearly ignorant to the CA, CD, Agent, etc. Then there's skills you have to obtain: web building. spreadsheets. Research. Graphics. Writing. Managing client database software. Bookkeeping. If you don't have the money to hire an assistant or web designer, it's all you, honey. You are a fully functioning marketing department.

Connections.You have to know people. It takes a couple of years of hard work to get anywhere near sustainable in the industry, and a big part of that is getting to know people personally, and getting them to know you. And not in a pushy, jerk way. Through events and channels that don't put pressure on them, like networking events, screenings, organizational meetings, etc. where you can connect and get to know each other without pushing them to cast you/read your screenplay/whatever. You need to know a lot of people before you get going. Yes, you get cast along the way, but you won't be sustainable until you are known to enough people in the industry that they know you are a reliable actor they can call in for an audition. And if you are cocky, they will toss you. Aside from ability, the most important thing an actor needs is to be HUMBLE, TAKE DIRECTION WELL (meaning when they ask you to it a different way, you do--immediately), and BE EASY FOR DIRECTORS AND ACTORS TO WORK WITH.

Work ethic.Being an actor involves many, many hours doing things that aren't acting. Bookkeeping. Maintaining a (proper) presence on social media. Emailing. Internet research. LOTS of internet research. You are your own marketing department. Your agent(s) get 10 percent. That means YOU do 90 percent of the work. If you aren't able to spend many hours doing the mundane chores, you will never succeed as an actor. This is a BUSINESS. PERIOD.

Ability to write with correct grammar and spelling.Or else have someone review and edit everything you write before you send anything out. I know several agents who will delete your email or toss your packet if they see grammar and spelling errors in your submission. They. Hate. That.

Perspective.An actor's job is to audition. Bookings and roles are merely icing on the cake. You will audition hundreds of times for every few bookings. It's the way it is. You will be rejected constantly. You have to audition, record your info on that audition, file it, and forget about it unless you get called back. If you live by your auditions, you'll go nuts and fail in this industry. You have to always study and train. You have never "made it." The industry changes in a heartbeat, and if you don't study constantly, you will be left behind. You have to be skilled enough to evaluate your own work so that you can know what needs improving. If you can't honestly look at your own work and find things to improve upon, you will never get any better. You have to be willing to work very, very hard at many boring, mundane things to get to enjoy the fun and amazing part of your career. You have to be fearless, but not reckless. There is a difference between looking at your training, skills, etc. and believing that you have earned your right to participate in this industry, and thinking you're a great actor and people will be falling all over themselves to cast you. The latter is a sure sign you know nothing and will, in fact, earn their scorn, not their admiration.

You have a very long way to go before you are even ready to come here, let alone become an actor.

Interesting read, I have no desire to be an actor and never thought about it, but I did enjoy reading that.

[Lovehound]

You can stare any place you want, but don't stare obviously at a woman's mammalary glands if she has a big boyfriend with her. You might find your lights punched out.

[highlanderfil]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

You can stare any place you want, but don't stare obviously at a woman's mammalary glands if she has a big boyfriend with her. You might find your lights punched out.

TF is wrong with you?

[Lovehound]

Read the topic title.

[highlanderfil]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

Read the topic title.

You latched onto a typo to go off on a nonsensical rant. Quality.

[Vary]

Originally Posted by boulder2015

Well said, but you wasted it on a troll who hasnt been on the board in five months and claims to have a family, but wants to live in a group home. Ive learned its a good idea to check dates before posting on this board. Cant believe people went for this guy for 12 pages! Lol...

Ah, well. I have the consolation of being able to refer people to it instead of having to say it repeatedly.