Expert: Phil Nemy - 3/14/2007

Question
I have a sheer desire in becoming an actor, and a filmmaker, yet I'am stuck.  Do I go to university, major in the arts (acting courses, "filmmaking" courses, and the such...), and proceed to L.A., or Vancouver?

Or do I save twenty thousand dollars, or go in debt and such, and go to a filmmaking school like Vancouver Film School, and work directly from there?

I just don't know.  Or the final question:  Do I move DIRECTLY to L.A. and work locally at some joe job and go to audition after audition until I 'break" in?

Is it EVEN possible to work as a screen performer for the masses?  Or to you have to be well-off, really good looking, or go to some fancy school..like is there some formula?  What do you recommend that I do?  In regards to acting, do I get an agent locally, and expand from there?
Regarding filmmaking, do I work on independent films, and try to get noticed through film festivals, and thus an agent for that?  I'm just confused on my path.  Any ideas, or recommendations would be great for my road to being in the film industry..

Thanks, Sean

Answer
Sean,

Thanks for writing. I cannot tell you what to do, but I can give you a better understanding of how the industry works. First, you need to decide which career you want more: acting or directing? They are two entirely different careers and one approaches them in uniquely different ways. Let's look at acting first.

I cannot comment on whether you have the ability to make a living as an actor as I've never seen your talent and I have know idea of your look. If you've no training as an actor, you will serve yourself and your potential career better by studying the craft of acting. I believe that the foundation of ALL acting is training in the professional theatre, NOT film acting. The best actors in the world trained in the theatre and then moved on to film and television. So my advice is if you want to work as an actor and you have no training, start by training in the professional theatre. If you haven't been to college, you may wish to consider enrolling at a university that has a professional actor's training program, a school that offers a BFA degree in acting for the stage. If you cannot afford a university program, contact actors that you know who HAVE taken acting classes and see what workshops they can recommend. You can also contact your local film commission for recommendations for acting teachers.

Once you have the training, if you want to pursue a career as an actor, it is inevitable that you'll need to move to Los Angeles. 95% of all major motion pictures and television programs are cast out of L.A. They may shoot in Canada or other countries and cities, but they usually are cast in LA. So if you want to be available for an audition, you need to be in LA.

You'll also need good headshots and a resume. And finally, you'll need an agent. The best way to obtain an agent is either by a recommendation from an actor to his/her agent, or by inviting an agent to see you perform in a showcase.

The life of an actor is an often frustrating one. You believe you have the talent, the training, and the look but the reality is that about 90% of all actors living in Los Angeles, audition, audition, audition, and audition some more and NEVER get cast. The chances of you making an actual living from acting are 1 in 1 million. Most actors make a living doing something else just so they can continue to pursue the dream. You've got to LOVE IT to keep pursuing it because the odds are against you that you'll ever make it as an actor.

If you want to be a director, your approach is slightly different. Again, if you don't know the craft, you need to study it. Enroll in a college or university with a top-flight film program like NYU, USC, UCLA, Chapman College, Univ of Texas at Austin, Vancouver Film School, AFI, etc. Learn as much as you can about how to tell a story through the eyes of the camera. Learn everything you can about the camera and how it can be used to create emotion and tell a story. Study the craft of film editing because a good film can be destroyed in the editing room, and a bad film can be saved by a good editor.

Once you've studied the craft, it's time to pursue your career. The sad reality of directors is this: the only way you'll EVER be offered a job to direct is if A) you're relative is the head of a studio, B) you're married to the head of the studio, C) you're sleeping with the head of the studio, D) you're sleeping with a major film star who says they want you to direct their film, E) you've directed something already and the studio has seen it and loves it and wants you to direct their next film or F) you've written an amazing screenplay that a studio wants to buy and you insist that they let you direct or you won't sell them the screenplay. That's it.

Of these, the most realistic option for you is to direct something you can show them. So, you need to start working with writers to develop a short film that you want to direct. Then go out and direct it. If you don't know any writers, write your own piece and direct it. The more shorts you make, the chances are your directing skills will improve and eventually you'll make something that will impress people and THEN you will be offered a job to direct something for them.

With today's technology, you can make a pretty decent short film (provided you have a good script) for about $10,000, sometimes even less. So go for it if you want a career as a director.

That's my advice. I hope it helps. Good luck!

Phil