AboutPeter Messaline Expertise Career advice for high-school students and beginning performers.
Canadian tax advice for artists of all sorts.
Research resources for those looking for performance-related answers.
Experience I am a Canadian performer, tax preparer and writer.
I have supported myself as an arts entrepreneur for thirty-five years.
I am the most-published writer in the business of being a Canadian artist.
I have written on arts tax matters and prepared performer taxes for fifteen years.
Organizations belong to ACTRA, CAEA, AEA, British Equity.
Publications CAEA Newsletter
ACTRA Branchline
The Agents Book
Actor's Survival Kit
Tax Kit 2000+
Making It (Federal government career management for culture workers)
Expert: Peter Messaline Date: 1/11/2008 Subject: How to get started
Question QUESTION: I am 17 years old and I would like to get into the business of acting. I have no type of qualifications or any experience in acting at all. I would like your advice on what I should do to get started or am I to late already.
ANSWER: Not a lot to go on here!
Whereabouts do you live?
Are you still in school?
Do you read a lot? Are you good at sports?
Do you drive?
Do you plan on college?
Why did you think of being an actor?
It's not too later, but your odds will be better or worse depending on your answers to my questions.
Work with me here.
Peter M
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QUESTION: I live like 20 minutes outside of Los Angeles. I am a senior in high school. I dont read at all. I am decent at sports, but I do have a passion for sports and I am very knowledgeable about them. I do drive.I plan on going to community college. I thought of being an actor, because it was always something I was interested in and I have always been told that I would be good at acting.
Answer Here is one column by a LA casting director. Look at the material she has on there advising people about starting in the business in LA. http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/2004_10_04.html
In short, she says you need to have a stunning résumé from elsewhere before coming to LA, or you're wasting your time and money.
The problem is that everyone who wants to act piles into LA, and although there's a lot of work there, there are thousands of people for each job. SAG members aren't allowed to work in theatre except at Equity rates, but the LA actors needed somewhere to showcase their work so badly that they persuaded Equity to allow small theatres to hire them for car fare. Now there are small theatres all round LA, with high production values, with paid crew and paid director, but where the actors rehearse for nothing and get five or ten dollars a performance day.
If you are interested in acting, but have no special skills or knowledge, you had really better stay with community theatre. The standard is often very good, and you'll work much more often than you would as a professional in the shark pool that is Los Angeles. You'll get your creative kicks much more easily than you would by waiting tables in LA and being hysterically pleased because you got an audition for something.
