Expert: Gina Boykin - 1/15/2008

Question
hi gina, i really want to have a job in acting because its who i am. i cant go to an acting school cos ots too expensive, please help me!!!!! i dont know what to do!!

Answer
This isn't really an investing question, but I will try to help as much as I can.

Everyone has a purpose in life, and it is great that you believe you have found yours.  You have a goal, now you just need to develop a plan to work toward it.  What job can you do to save up for acting school?  Are there any scholarships available?  Can you get experience by working for someone in the industry for free? What about trying to be an "extra" for movies?  Your goal is to become an actor/actress, not to attend acting school.  There may be other ways to stardom that you can begin right now.  Do a brainstorming session and write down as many ideas as you can. Don't worry about how "reasonable" it sounds.  Just write.  Ask for help from others for your list. Get ideas from anyone you know in the business or call some acting agents and ask them for suggestions.

Then, you can narrow your ideas down to your "best" 3-5.

For each of these, write down the first step AND a deadline.  Anything more and you may get overwhelmed.  A first step for "get a scholarship" would be to find out if there are any.  A first step for being an "extra" is to find out what casting calls are in your area.  Be specific and stick to your deadline.  Once you've completed the first step, come up with the next.

If you get a job to save up for school, you should be able to set a timeline (how much you can save each month vs. how much you need in total).

I wouldn't suggest getting a significant amount of loans, but you can possibly shorten the time by saving up for part of the cost, and getting a loan for the rest.

Above all, don't give up!