Breaking back into the business
Huh. I had given up on participating in the 48 Hour Film Project and now I’ve heard from two teams in the past day. I’d still love to be part of it, though I now have a conflict that Friday night (we’re taking Kid to see Weird Al Yankovic). The rest of the weekend is still free.
One of the people who wrote asked if I had any online clips of my acting. Nope. Most of my experience is onstage and way back then, even VHS camcorders were really expensive. Way back then. Ha! My husband suggested that I offer to scan some daguerreotypes for her. Technology, especially video technology, has advanced so quickly in the past 14 years that a time without clips probably seems like the Stone Age.
That’s my catch-22 situation now, though. I have acting experience — not horribly impressive, but a fair amount — which took place over a decade ago, in another state, and without video capture. My filmed experience was either as an extra (invisible in the finished product) or in a movie that was never finished. So, I’m starting from the ground up again.
I’ve been giving it a good shot over the past weeks as I’ve been getting my feet wet, though. I’ve been contacting lots of people and trying to get a shot at an audition anywhere I can. Today I’ll attend an open casting call and hopefully pick up audition materials for another opportunity. I’ve been studying (from books) and trying to get my voice back into shape. Plus, I’ve started seeing exercise and eating right as something I’m doing not just for my health, but also for my benefit as a performer.
What I haven’t done yet is invest any real money. I haven’t taken any acting classes since high school. The Motion Picture Institute of Michigan has a course of study in film acting that looks terrific, but we can’t afford $10K when we’re a one-income family and have a teenager to send to college in a few years. My “headshot” was taken by myself at arm’s length before we left for the Duran Duran concert. I haven’t contacted any agencies who might help me find opportunities, but would undoubtedly insist that I get a comp card or at least a professional headshot. One step at a time. If I can get a couple of small roles, even as an extra, I’ll have a lot more confidence that I can work my way back into the business and then I’ll find some money in the budget for photography.
