6 Reasons Why It’s The BEST Time To Pursue Your Acting Career!
Ok so it has been a tumultuous time for our industry with pandemic related shut downs and restrictions— but I STILL think that it is a better time than EVER to start pursuing your acting career. Enjoy my list below (in no particular order) of some of the wonderful elements that our current world has brought to our wild and crazy industry.
- Streaming created TONS of new opportunities. There is more work being produced now than EVER before. Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Peacock, Hulu, Netflix, Disney +– the list of streaming services acquiring and producing new works goes ON and ON. With such a need for content, more projects are being produced more than ever. Sure, they are all not big box office releases with mega budgets— but that is why it is good for YOU. All these projects can’t afford A listers, so they are discovering new talent left and right– making lots of room for you in features and recurring roles on new episodics.
- Covid made self-tapes the new norm, opening up new opportunities. Once upon a time, if you couldn’t make the audition, you lost your chance. Now everything starts out via tapes! Traveling? Bring your self-tape equipment! Sore throat today? Tape it tomorrow! Self-tapes allow you more time to perfect your audition, more time to squeeze an audition into your schedule, and EVEN SOMETIMES the ability to participate in projects outside of your local area.
- Equity membership is OPEN. Equity JUST announced that membership is now OPEN to those who have received compensation for theatrical work. New professionals can now join the union and avoid the strict joining guidelines that used to be in place. Check out the Actor’s Equity site to learn more.
- Numerous online resources. You can find information about auditions, casting directors, agencies, self-tapes, voiceovers– YOU NAME IT– just a quick google search away. You can find all sorts of blogs, podcasts and info on career strategy and know-how so you can get your most pressing career related questions answered as they pop into your head.
- Diversity is embraced. Our industry is embracing and celebrating diversity and we are HERE for it! All looks, shapes and sizes are being brought to the table for projects and it is truly exciting! Finally our industry is catching up to what is actually represented in our worlds!
- No need for tons of printed color headshots. I miss opening up that box of pristine pictures but– boy oh boy are we all saving LOTS of money! It’s good to have a handful of hard copies always at the ready— but in our virtual lives these days, emailed files are preferred and used MOST of the time.
It’s a good time to be you. It’s a good time to be here. It’s a good time to show the world your talent! Don’t forget— if you are craving training by top notch Casting Directors— we’ve got you covered. Check out our list of upcoming classes and events HERE!
Colleen Finnegan Kahl is an accomplished Theatre Arts Educator, author of this article, and President of Actors Connection. Colleen is an expert dealing with online casting especially in regards to New York. If you find yourself wondering how to meet casting directors, Colleen can help. Photo kindly by Danielle MacInnes.