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About Taylor Sheppard
Expertise
I can answer questions: on starting a career in acting, mistakes in acting, etiquette when dealing with industry contacts, finer points on how to act, and things to avoid in the field.
Experience
I have been a professional actor 21 years, with appearances in TV, Film and commercials. I have made good decisions and potentially damaging mistakes. I believe anyone who has a dream deserves to explore it, and I take their aspirations seriously. That being said, I do not pull punches. I try to be tactful, but I will not lie to someone, honesty is more effective. My last film role was in "Teeth" which was picked for Sundance in January 2007. It was sold to Lionsgate and Weinstein Co. for somewhere over 2.5 million. The role was "Mr. Griffith", a sex-ed teacher.
Organizations
Ciao Agency-Austin/Georgetown, Texas. (Formerly known as Donna Adams Agency. Matthew McConaughey was a good friend and fellow member. I also have belonged to agencies in three other Texas cities, but they have since closed.) TXMPA -Texas Motion Picture Alliance. Various other internet networking web rings as well as Actors Access. I was instrumental in advising actress Krista Allen on getting her career in acting started in Austin,Texas (we worked at the same Health Club in the early '90's).
Publications
Previously wrote on a now defunct website such as this one. I enjoyed helping new actors.
Education/Credentials
I have acted for 21 years. I studied under James Nelson Harrell as well as other talented actors at Southwest Texas State University. After college, I have taken classes with Julliard graduate Mona Lee, Bill Johnson, Van Brookes, Marco Perella and others in Austin Texas. I am constantly attending classes to maintain my edge and explore new directions. In addition to attending strictly acting classes, I have also taken business workshops with respected casting directors, such as Shari Rhodes ("Jaws","Close Encounters", "Raggedy Man".) Barbara Brinkley, Jo Edna Bolden and Donise Hardy, (Castingworks LA).
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You are here: Experts > Arts/Humanities > Performing Arts > Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing > acting classes
Expert: Taylor Sheppard - 10/26/2009
Question
In my search for acting classes in the DC metro area, I have found many expensive classes ($200+)that focuses on individual aspects of acting. Of couse it seems as if i'll need all of them, but I could never afford that. What types of classes should I consentrate on in order to get the most out of my money?
Answer
Hi Tracy,
It's a little hard to say, given that I don't know what classes or training you already have.
There are sometimes more affordable classes you can find if you shop around a little. Ask at your local live theaters for recommendations. There are lots of starving actors who will work out the money issue.
I know of some that take payments as you go. I realize you probably have quite a few rich men's wives that will pay big to take classes as a hobby in DC, so that doesn't help to keep the prices down, though.
I'm going to advise you as if you haven't taken classes and say for you to start out with beginning acting, then intermediate lessons. From there, you should take character development classes (so you can learn
to create a history for your character based on the script information and fill in the pieces.) It's also known as a "back story". You may hear someone say: "What's the character's Backstory?".
Even though the character may be a small role in the show, you need to think of them "flesh them out" as a real person with a real life that began before their appearance in the scene and continues on (unless they die in the show)
. You learn to ask: "Where are they from?" "How did they grow up?" "Did they have parents?" "Is their life hard or pampered?" You don't want to brand them "bad" or "good" because no one is either. There are degrees of good and bad in everyone
and even "bad guys" don't believe they are bad. If you go into a role with the mindset that your character is bad, it won't be a good performance. You have to learn how to rationalize why your character does the things they do.
Beyond character development or character analysis, you should definitely take a class in auditioning, because it is a different kind of acting skill, just as stage acting and film acting are very different.
Really and truly, you shouldn't look at classes as a one-time thing or even "inconvenience" because you learn so much and even known Hollywood actors keep taking classes to get better and stay sharp. There is alway something new to learn and a good actor
enjoys working on their craft.
Best,
Taylor
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