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Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing/How to start acting in a small town

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Question
I am a 15 year old teen who wants to break into acting but lives in Milwaukee, WI. I am a good actor but I live in a place where not a lot of people "blow up" What should I do to get my name out to people?

PS I am not a very good singer because I have an adult like voice so theater is not good to me.

Answer
Aaron,

Thanks for writing. My guess is that there is probably some good professional theater in WI that you can get involved with. You need good training, so enroll in some good acting classes. But if you want to "blow up" as a performer, eventually you're going to need to move to either LA or NYC to pursue your career. That's where 95% of all TV and film is cast.

Good luck!

Phil

Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing

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Phil Nemy

Expertise

I am a motion picture and television producer with over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry. I am also the author of the book GET A REEL JOB: Finding Your First Job In The Motion Picture Industry In Los Angeles. I can answers questions on a variety of subjects about careers in film from acting to directing to crew work, getting into the unions, successful strategies for networking, etc.

Experience

Former VP, Production for The Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group Supervised production on such films as ARMAGEDDON, THE PRINCESS DIARIES, REMEMBER THE TITANS, PEARL HARBOR, CON AIR, ENEMY OF THE STATE, THE ROCK, CRIMSON TIDE, COYOTE UGLY, A CIVIL ACTION, ROMY & MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION, NOTHING TO LOSE, EDDIE and others. Worked as an actor, stage manager, director on broadway and regional theater as well as L.A.' Equity-waiver scene. Former Associate Artistic Director of Los Angeles Equity-Waiver theater.

Organizations
Director's Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, Actor's Equity Association

Education/Credentials
BFA in Acting/Directing from Carnegie Mellon University.

Past/Present Clients
I've worked with such filmmakers as Jerry Bruckheimer, Tony Scott, Steve Zaillian, Scott Rudin, Garry Marshall, Frank Marshall, Michael Bay, etc.

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