What Acting Venue is Best For Me? (Part I)

Lets talk now about which area of acting you would like. Options include anything from what you would usually consider, like TV shows and feature films, to some venues you may not have even known existed, maybe industrial films and student films. Actually, its a great idea to try them all. Youll learn things in each arena, and become an all-around actor. Let's look at the acting venues that are widely known first and in a later article, talk about the others.

Episodic TV

"Episodics" are shows shown weekly, such as shows about detectives or sitcoms. A little role on an episodic may lead to more episodes, or even a recurring role. A permanent role on an episodic show is almost as close as it gets to have a "regular" job. The hours are good, the pay is awesome, and most of the time you get Saturdays and Sundays off. What I dont like: you usually need to be in New York or Hollywood to even audition. Sometimes, there are episodics that are shot in other towns, like Las Vegas or Miami, and if youre in one of the different towns, you are lucky.

Soaps

Soap opera shows make a class alone. The pay is good and the hours are steady. Theyre also a good way to hone your acting skills. The downside of soap operas is you need to be in New York or Chicago, they may be a tiny bit more difficult to land than an episodic.

TV

Many TV shows are a one-time deal, which means that the show is filmed once and showed on TV one or more times. These might be more easy to get a job with, and are often filmed in medium sized markets. The pay can be decent, but not usually stellar. A job of this type doesnt last long, sound familiar?

Acting on the Stage

Many of the greatest actors of our time learned the craft on the stage. It can be tons of work with grueling hours, weeks or even months of rehearsals and performances. A part in a great Broadway performance could take a couple years. Personally, I dont like doing the exact same part over and over, although it is a wonderful way to get good at it, and a steady paycheck. I DO like the instant feedback from a live crowd. You are given the information whether what youre doing is good or not. Stage acting is the easiest to get a job in, even in a smaller city. The paycheck is not very good but overall, I would recommend stage acting for everyone, especially when building experience and confidence.

Feature Films

There is something undeniably magical about working on feature films. For me, you can not beat dressing up in a period costume and stepping on to the feature film set. It is close to transporting in time, to have fun AND get paid. It is in feature film where you are a part of something that is more big than any one person could do. The time can be long, often with 12 or 16-hour workdays, which may start well before the crack of dawn.

Usually a non-union film won't pay very good, between $100 and $300 per day, depending on the size of the role. An "indie" film, or any film on a smaller budget might possibly pay little or nothing, with just a promise of meals, credit and your own copy of the film. A union film will usually pay alot better, though still dependent on the part you are given. Of course, the A-list actors get millions for a feature film, but even not as widely known actors can get paid very well.

Your work on a feature film could be measured in hours or weeks. Some few last as long as a couple of months. There are always deadlines, mostly because of budget or scheduling conflicts, so shooting is often rushed. Often films are shot on location, which results in the need to travel to that location and many times staying in trailers or hotels during the production's filming.

So, weve explored the more well-known acting venues, the less-obvious ones we'll cover in the next installment. And, these topics are also covered much more thoroughly in my ebook, but I do strongly recommend that you try all the avenues to get the greatest variety of education and experience. Stay tuned for the next article and well see you in the movies.

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