/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

>>8280539
I think background works a good way to meet new people. You won't always meet people who are fully pursuing acting, but they're usually the majority.

I'm get a lot of social anxiety so it's a bitch to approach people when going to events but it's something you have to do. I have a friend who's great at it; they go to an indie filmfest, introduce themselves to all the important people and end up at an afterparty with the actors, director and producers every time. I could never manage that, but it's certainly something to aim for.

Showing up is the most important thing. Go to local events, become a part of the community, and do your best to meet some people.

I had no training. I did a year of musical theatre in highschool and I didn't get a role. A movie came to shoot in my small town and was casting a few parts, and I got a role on that. A year later I landed another part on a TV show in the next city over.

In my case, our district had "Northern Ontario Film Community" and "Sault Ste. Marie Film Community" facebook groups that would update when open casting was happening, and when movies were coming to town. Look out for stuff like that, and again, mandy.com is great.

All that happened when I was 19, I'm 21 now and have only just begun taking proper classes. I wish I had done it earlier, it's a huge advantage. Follow backstage on facebook, they have a lot of useful articles (although some are stupid and you should take them with a grain of salt) one of the best I've read was "6 signs your acting class destroying your film career" it has very real points.

I got 'in' without formal training but looking back on the two years I went without it, I could have had triple the amount of work I've gotten if I had taken even a single core acting class, knowing the fundamentals is a huge step up. Classes are really expensive, but definitely worth the $800. If they get you a speaking role for one day, they've paid off their cost.