Top 10 Tips for Aspiring Actors

Here is a message I got recently:

Hello Rebekah!
I'd like to get involved in Christian Independent Films, specifically acting. 
Do you have any advice for an entry level actress?

So you want to act in Christian films? I heartily welcome you to the growing ranks!

If you haven't done so yet, I'd suggest listening to the two interviews whose links are at the top of this page. 
They provide a good overview of how I got into acting, with some advice interwoven throughout for aspiring actors/actresses. 

On the set of #Championthemovie, getting last looks for hair by Ashton Ballinger

My Top 10 Tips would boil down to:

• 1) Seek God to know if this is a calling to a career or hobby level endeavor for you. Be open to his guidance on this; don't assume it has to be all or nothing. Purpose to obey, in spite of your fears or doubts, and trust Him for wisdom each step of the way.

• 2) Anchor your identity in Christ, not in what culture tells you it should be. This will give you the needed foundation before diving into different roles. Also, settle in your heart what your performance boundaries will be, and inform your family/support network so that they can help remind you when the pressure's on to compromise.

• 3) Treat acting as both a craft (to develop your skills) and a business (to promote those skills) -- because it is. Read great books about acting. One I highly recommend is "Acting And How To Be Good At It" by Basil Hoffman. Educate yourself about actor business tools (headshot, resume, etc.).

• 4) Educate yourself about as many facets of the industry as you can. Don't ignore "non-performance" opportunities. They could be the key God is providing to unlock some doors.

• 5) Watch Christian movies. Not only does this support the industry you desire to become a part of, but you'll develop your taste, and get to know what sort of stories you want to help tell. 

• 6) Watch mainstream movies (with caution, and filters as necessary). Most of these are made with much higher budgets than independent films are made for, and so can afford to do "bigger" scale stories and pay more experienced/recognized actors (whom we can often learn from).

• 7) Get to know who's who in the Christian side of the industry. Watch the credits of those Christian films and see which names pop up a lot. Research the various production companies around; a fairly comprehensive list can be found here: http://www.christianfilmdatabase.com/production-companies-3/

• 8) Check out the great tips and articles to be found on CFDB.com: http://www.christianfilmdatabase.com/christian-actor-actress-resources/ 

• 9) Follow Christian actors/actresses on social media to find out about new films and possibly auditions (I often share casting calls on my Facebook page, for example). Finding the similarities and differences you have from these actors also helps you discover the "twist" you alone can bring to the table.

• 10) Start developing your own online presence, through casting profiles, social media, and your own actor website (even if you don't publish it quite yet). Keep your branding, or unique look/flavor true to you, consistent across all platforms. 

Comment below if you have any questions, or have any tips you'd like to share! 

Also, don't forget that I offer individual actor coaching/mentoring, which you can apply for at any time. 

Stay tuned for my next post, about FINDING AUDITIONS. :)