Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing/I just wanted to know

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Expert: - 6/15/2009


Question
is there any place i can audition near or where for my age. I'm 12 years old  i live in clover SC near gastonia,lake whyle,charoltte. thx i wanna be in an acting carrer allot please let me know thx

Answer
Hi Asia,

I'm not sure on this one. Maybe Charlotte? I know they do some work there at times.

Thing is, you don't just find an audition and get a job.
You don't just decide to be an engineer and look in the paper for a job and sign up. There is schooling involved.

Basically, you take acting classes, then once you have spent a year or so getting to learn the ins and outs, you look for an agent and submit a resume and headshot by mail to several of them and wait for a reply. If they want to see you, your parent takes you to meet with them and if you are lucky, sign with them. THEN the agent sends you to auditions they know about, and hopefully, you get a job.

Look around your area for acting classes or sign up for drama in school if they have it. Sometimes there are summer classes in communities for kids.

Best to you!

Taylor

Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing

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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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