Expert: Taylor Sheppard - 9/24/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi,I am Nada.I am 13 years old and i ,love acting.its has always been my life.I have always liked to act in my school plays and such stuff. Recently I was surfing the Internet to try to find some auditions open.after I did it said I had to send my resume and headshot.I had a little problem with that.I didn't have a very good headshot and when I tried to get a nicer one,I didn't find any good photographers where I live.So i send my headshot and my resume and I am sure they wont accept it because I didn't look good in the headshot but,Anyway, I want to become an actress on disney.I can also sing and dance very good.I have tried everything but I always keep thinking of the fact that I wont be accepted because of my headshot..My dad made an arrangement to take me to a very good photographer that could help me but that going to take 2 weeks and i want to audition for a special role in Disney's upcoming TV show "J.O.N.A.S!" and I am just afraid i wont get time to even audition.If you could give me any tips and information about how I can pump my career and land the role.Please ,I need your help.I want to be an actress because it is so much fun being an actress or a singer.I could travel the world..see many things I would have never saw if i was someone else.So please help me
your sincerely
Nada

ANSWER: Hi Nada,

You seem like a young woman in a hurry!
One of the things about acting is developing patience, because in this business you need it!

If you went online to find auditions, chances are they are a scam. 99% are. They will ask you for money.

A real agent NEVER asks for money upfront. They just submit your headshot and resume to the casting directors when there is a project that fits your "type" and then wait to see if you are asked to audition. Once you have auditioned, or auditioned several times for the role, and you get the job, you act, then at a later point, get paid by your agent who takes out their percentage, which is typically 15%.

You will have to have a real agent, which means they want to see that you've taken classes. Your resume will need to only have your name, your experience and your education and special talents. Special talents can be twirling, yodeling, dancing, horseback riding, gymnastics, juggling, whatever...

You mail the headshot and resume to talent agents in the big city nearest you (in the yellow pages under "talent agencies") and wait to hear from them. If they don't contact you, either you forgot to put your phone and address on the letter, or they just aren't interested.
Don't call them! Please do not put phone, address, age or height and weight on your resume.

Good luck to you!

Taylor

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks a lot for the help Taylor.I am going to get professional acting dancing and voice classes,until I am ready.I don't live in America.Next year I am moving to LA ,is it going to be a trouble that I am not American?I mean I will try to get an agent but when I audition ,is it going to cause a trouble that I am not a native American?
And you said when I hire an agent ,He/She wont ask for money? Since I don't live in America I cant obtain The yellow pages,which means that I wont be able to look up for agents, can i search for agents online?
thanks a lot for the help Taylor

ANSWER: Hi Nada,

You can access yellow pages online, so that should be easy. Finding an agent in LA will be hard, but if you are persistent, it may happen.

You may have to keep re-submitting at regular intervals to achieve that goal.

The question of not being an American, I get it a lot and these days it isn't a big deal anymore. They use, and welcome people of all origins. Although many roles aren't written for different races, often, things change between the script and the finished project.
Don't worry about that, just concern yourself with being really good by working hard at your classes and paying attention to everything. If you just get a job as a background extra, you can still observe and learn while on set. Try to be patient!

Be sure to read as many books as you can on acting, sometimes it takes a while to "get it". The more you read, the more you learn about what you want to do!

To get real auditions, you need an agent.

Yes, real agents don't charge you in advance, they only collect their money when you make money. They won't have you take classes or buy photos from "their" favored people. (In Texas there are laws against that).

Again, Good Luck!

Taylor

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks a lot Taylor.It feels real good knowing that there will be someone like you out there helping me whenever I need help.Just one little question.I know it is going to be hard to find an agent in LA but what is the BEST place that holds auditions AND it will be easy to find agents there?

Answer
Hi Nada,

I think you are confused...the only "open" auditions (open to people off the street, are generally for extra work. Sometimes they are used as a gimmick to promote a movie as it is being made! But real auditions that are NOT fake, are done by Casting agents speaking to agents who send their talent to audition. Casting does that to filter out non-actors and save time. Otherwise it would be like "American Idol" where they have to sit through hours of untalented and crazy people auditioning.

As I said, it isn't easy to find an agent in LA, especially if you are not SAG eligible or an actual member of the Screen Actors Guild.
SAG membership requires you have performed in a project sanctioned by SAG to be eligible. (kind of a hard thing to do).

I am eligible, because I have qualified in Texas, but I did not join, because things are different here than in California.

Taylor