Acting on a Budget

OK!  Its been a while since I have posted a new topic.  But life was a callin' and I had to answer the phone! But thank you for continuing to support The Workingman's Actor Blog.

Being an actor has a lot of rewards and a lot of heart ache.  When you finally get the ball rolling and start making money, the checks still can come far and few in between.  Balancing a mortgage, bills, and life expenses, it can be very difficult to think you can continue to persevere in an industry that most don't make a ton of money in.  As I have been trying to not spend so much money because of my finances, I realized I have come up with some money saving tips for actors.  Now, its not a revolutionary list, but it is things that have helped me and will hopefully help you.

Before I get to my frugal list, I want to stress and give a list of things that you probably shouldn't skimp on.  This is a business and you are the entrepreneur.  You must have the proper tools to sell yourself as the right person for the job.  


Splurge:

Acting Classes - It is rare that anybody is a natural.  If you are, usually you could use a class here or there to hone in on your talent.  But it is a MUST that you get the proper training.  If you don't have great credits on your resume, the next best thing is your training credits.  Some will pay the beaucoup bucks for a big name acting school.  That is fine, but, most people are paying for the name and not an ongoing study with the named school.  So, don't be intimidated by someone who has BIG NAME SCHOOL on their training because more than likely they took the intro class and ended there just to make their resume look good.  But the flip side of that is, if you do stay with them and study for the long haul, it could benefit you greatly.  But do your research.  Get word of mouth advice from your peers.  You can definitely find a very good acting teacher and class that wont break your savings account.  There are a lot of hidden treasures out there.  You can find them.  Many of those teachers have studied under the BIG NAME teachers and want to pass down their knowledge and may even have a better understanding of it and verbiage to teach you in a way that may be very nurturing and not so intimidating.  And most of them are working actors, so they can really help you out with a lot of the business side of things that are current.  Here are 2 acting classes I took that I had a great experience from and I learned so much that made me a stronger actor and their prices are very reasonable.  These two teachers are very passionate and are current working actors.  A very welcoming and fun environment that I stayed for a while and learned so much from.

The Sport of Acting taught by Vinny Guastaffero

Adler Improv taught by Rob Adler

  

Headshots - It's your calling card!  You need to have a great picture that makes you look like you.  It is often the very first impression you give to anyone that will hire you.  So you MUST have this be outstanding.  Research and you will find some hidden gems that will give you the most bang for your buck.  Again, word of mouth from your peers, actor forums, conventions, etc.  Be careful of being attracted to those that have celebrity photos on their page.  They may have taken their picture, but it certainly isn't their headshot and is used to have reason to bump up their prices.  When you go to auditions and you see someones headshot you like, ask them who took them and what the experience was like.  Sometimes you can find a photographer who wants to make a portfolio and will take your headshots for next to nothing.  But be careful about using so and so's friend who has a camera and takes good pictures.  Really do your research on photographers and spend some money with the people who have the experience.  

Home Equipment - With technology now a days, a lot of auditions can be done from home.  A lot of DIY filming, self produced reels, self made Voice Over reels and auditions, etc are being done.  You can find a lot of really good equipment for reasonable prices.  If you have a smartphone, you already have a great camera for filming in HD.  Your laptop or tablet may already come with some editing software that is pretty decent for DIY'ers.  I have an H4N Zoom Mic that is perfect for voice overs and sound, easy to use, easy to transfer files, and is relatively inexpensive for an all-in-one sound recorder. If your serious about doing some at-home-work, then invest in some good equipment.  There are a lot of excellent options for great prices out there.

Self Casting Sites - It is how you submit yourself for auditions.  If you don't have an agent this is how you do it and is a must.  Here are the top legit three:

http://www.actorsaccess.com
http://home.castingnetworks.com or http://home.lacasting.com (for Los Angeles)
https://www.nowcasting.com


Now for the money saving tips...  

Frugal

Websites - Another must have now a days.  But sometimes it may be an item you might pass on to save money or because it's to technical that you don't have time to work on it.  But there are many sites that make it easy and are free!  The best thing I recently found was about.me.  It was so simple to use, almost like a facebook or twitter account.  Here is an example of my about.me page.  Actors are also using social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Blogs as their acting website.  Easy to use and FREE!

Clothes - When ever I felt like I needed audition clothes I started to go look at high end stores.  Then I started looking and buying at Khol's and Target. Though less expensive than designer clothes, it still can add up very fast. May I suggest thrift stores?  Now, before you scoff at the idea, let me tell you, I have found some really nice looking clothes for really cheap that have been my go to audition clothes. Try it, you might be surprised. Also, my favorite secret that many don't really think about: shop the on set wardrobe!  I have been put in some really nice clothes with wardrobe and they usually offer to sell it at half the price they bought it for.  The best part is, is that they usually buy their clothes at a bargain.  That means you get a really nice deal!  I one time bought a pair of designer jeans at half their price for $11!  Now, always ask before hand because sometimes on bigger sets, they don't do this. But I have only ever had them tell me they don't resell once.  

Printer Ink - We are constantly printing our resumes and scripts at home. Before you know it, that darn printer blinks like crazy telling you it is low on ink.  I used to automatically go and buy the Costco pack of ink for about $60 and I would replace all the cartridges wether they were low or not. What a waste!  I finally did the ink cartridge refill service at Costco (or anywhere else that offers it) for between $6-$10 depending on the type of cartridge. I mean, usually it's only the black ink at goes empty anyway.  So instead of wasting money and cartridges, you are only filling up what you need and saving some plastic and some green!

Self Editing - If you bought a computer or laptop within the last 3 years or so, it more than likely came with a movie and sound editor.  It's kinda standard now a days since the rise of the YouTube generation. Take the time to learn the programs as at home auditions are becoming more and more.  They are pretty user friendly and offer a lot in terms of what you can do with it.  This way you can edit your reels and audition videos without having to pay an expensive editing service.  Here is a link to a free sound editing software that may seem complicated, but when you learn it, its quite easy.  I use this one more than Garage Band on my mac.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/

Acting books - I'm all about supporting your favorite author.  But it's hard to buy every book that is recommended to you when you are a starving actor.  Get a library card and check out the books from the library.  If the library doesn't have the book, they can get it from another library within their system.  There are so many acting books that people and acting coaches tell you to get.  Check them out at the library or borrow them from your friends.  And if you really like the book, the you can buy it.  I checked out Self Management for Actors by Bonnie Gillespie ( http://www.amazon.com/Self-Management-Actors-Getting-Down-Business/dp/0972301968 ).  I found it to be a wealth of information that I ended up buying it because I knew that I would refer to it a lot.  By the way, that is a book I HIGHLY recommend for actors!

Business Cards - I gotta be honest, when I first started, I bought like a million of them from a high end printing place.  Everyone said "you must have business cards as an actor..."  And before I even gave out 5, my information changed.  And since then, I have never given out a card, nor have I often received them.  Yes, they are quick and easy to give but usually you ask if they are on Facebook and you connect that way or you exchange numbers or something.  If you get them, don't buy so many of them.

Post cards - "You need to have postcards and send them via mass mailing to Casting Directors and Agents!"  Yes, BUT, do you have anything to tell them?  When I started I bought a ton and mass mailed, but all I had on there was my name and info.  I had no news or reviews to make them have an interest. I think you can hold off on these until you start getting noticible work or reviews that you can quote.  Also, do some specific targeting of who you want to send them to so you don't fall into that heavy expenditure of mass mailings.

Paper - When I realized it, I couldn't believe how much paper and money I was wasting printing sides for auditions.  I started finding papers that where already printed on, or already used script pages that I didn't need and started to print off the backs of them.  I have a stack of used one sided paper ready for printing my sides.  

Receipts - Save them!  Parking for auditions, clothes for wardrobe, printer ink, home equipment, etc.  these are all things that are expenses for our business.  This will help come tax season.

Well that's about it.  If you have any other money saving tips for actors, please comment on this post!  I would love to here from you.