Expert: Taylor Sheppard - 11/13/2007

Question
I don't have any experience in acting, but i have a great interest in it. I don't live anywhere near California or New york. im possibly going up to Colorado for some acting classes. im not intrested in doing live stuff like plays. im wanting to build up to doing movies. How do I get started? im still in high school.

Answer
Hi Haleigh,

While I respect stage actors and have even done a few plays, I too, am not devoted to theater. I have always loved movies and like the ability in film of the "do-over" -repeated takes until you get it exactly right. Plus, you can tell your story to a much wider audience than you could ever reach in the run of a typical show. Also, stage and screen acting are quite different in nature. Your movements, voice and gestures are exaggerated on stage to reach the back rows. In film you are trying to be as natural as possible and the camera and microphones will catch it all without effort on your part. In stage acting, you are trying to convince the audience of your emotion and situation. In film, you only need to convince yourself deep down that you are experiencing what is happening in the scene. That is your challenge. It is easy, but it is hard. It only took me 20 years to figure that out and I work VERY hard to "get there" when I perform. A lot of it is about "getting in character" -concentrating on the feeling, the emotion of the character...and staying there for long periods of time. I have seen Dennis Quaid on several ocassions go all day without breaking character. He even stayed in character during lunch one day!

To get started you should definitely get started with those classes and keep doing them non-stop. I still go to classes when my schedule allows and I wish it could be every day. I am my best when I stay "in the groove". Once you have taken begriming acting, intermediate, advanced and acting for the camera, I would look for an agent in a big city close enough to travel to on a regular basis. You didn't say where you are located, but New Mexico gets a lot of films right now. I spent a LOT of time signing up as an extra for movies and although it can be tedious waiting and waiting to film, I paid attention to the crew, directors and actors and learned a lot! This helped me get used to the atmosphere of film sets for when I was the one stepping in front of the camera.

Pleas read my previous answers for info on getting agents and headshots....

Best,

Taylor