Forums

Quote from rosemary on April 2, 2011, 13:34
I recently signed on with actor's access website. I notice a ton of auditions for student films which offer nothing much in the way of compensation (obviously). Does anyone know if these projects are worth doing?

If you're just starting out, I would absolutely recommend trying them on for size. My philosophy is you can never get enough experience. Even if you don't get parts, it's worth getting into a habit of going out on literally hundreds of auditions to get your reps in. It's all about repititon, to get seasoned with the process of standing up and performing and showcasing your talents and getting feedback from as many different people as possible, all with the idea of getting better each time.

So, even if there is no monetary compensation for projects like student films, they are still worth their weight for the experience you get from them, good or bad, you can still learn from it. You also can use them as avenues to network and build up your web of contacts, which is critical if you expect to make it in the business.

Quote from rosemary on April 2, 2011, 13:50
Thanks kalel! I never thought of it that way. What about extra work? Like being a background dancer in a music video or something like that? Are those worth doing?

As you mentioned in your original post, there are a ton of student projects out there looking for actors, so as long as those opportunities exist I think it's more worth your time doing those, no matter how small, than doing extra work. If the idea is that you think you might be "spotted" or "discovered" while doing extra work, you might as well play the lottery if you think you're going to be that lucky. It's much more rewarding going the hard work route and honing your skills and talents in the right way.

Well, I finally did a few student projects over the summer. Not anything you'll see at a theater near you (or even on youtube hehe) but still a great experience nonetheless!