Acting : I am a brand new actress looking for advice! by Franchesca Edhlund

Hello Franchesca! First of all, nice to meet you, it is very nice that you finally decided to dedicate your life to what you love to do. Our lives are short, we have to make the most of it! As far as I am concerned, I started to take dram lessons, I think it is a good way to start and practice. I also learn some texts that I perform alone in front of my camera, so I can watch my performances and juge it myself. You can eventually take some acting classes, but in my opinion starting with drama lessons is better. Hope it will help! :)

I see you're in San Fran. I'm in LA, and I don't know that market. Regardless, some ideas are to Google SF casting directors and see if they offer classes and workshops, and ask if they recommend any acting schools. Build a reel and audition for university student films. And take a reputable improv class. I know LA managers who say they have better luck getting auditions for actors who have taken classes at The Groundlings or UCB, but I realize SF doesn't have a home base for those 2 orgs.

If you're thinking of rushing to LA think twice. No, 3 times. Build a resume where you are and in 5 years or so then consider a move. Or not. Many actors are abundantly satisfied acting in their cities or regions. If you want a theatre career then I'd recommend focusing on getting accepted to a great school such as Carnegie Melon, Yale, NYU, etc. Improv training is over blown in LA. It's a commercial casting director's safety net. But it's better than not training. Do theatre, do theatre, do theatre!!! It's where real actors start and finish.

It is possible to be a good (or great) actress without any training—there's many who are. I certainly don't discourage training though, as long as you think you need it. I would say start looking for some gigs. There's a ton of local filmmakers in the SF area, no reason you couldn't easily be in a few short films. I think experience is the best way to learn.

start with the time that you are in look for Place theaters comedy groups improv groups you can get into around your town go to the local colleges and sign up with their film departments to be an actress they're always doing student films for their college credit and constantly need actresses. build your resume first and in the meantime have good headshots and be working on creating a demo reel.. also find some acting classes improv classes and anything else affordable that you could get into to continue your training while building your resume

Franchesca I am a firm believer in that life experience is worth so much when it comes to acting. I have taken classes and sat through lectures but none of that, in my mind can touch life experience. Find yourself first. Know what your emotional boundaries and comfort levels are...then throw it to the wind and exceed them. Good luck, i am sure you will be great.

Hi, Franchesca. I'm an acting coach and director. You are about to embark upon a fascinating, and sometimes crazy, experience. And it's something you should not experience alone. Even if you're the most gifted 'natural talent' on the planet, I highly recommend good actor training. Classes are great, private coaching is great, too. BUT - like many actors who have come to me after working with bad teachers for some years, you can also waste a great deal of time, energy, and money if you don't have the right teacher. The number of times I've heard, "God! THAT'S what it's supposed to feel like!" after they've been training for a few years then had a one-hour session with me...I can't even count. You need someone who is highly skilled, but also who you connect with and trust. Acting is a very personal thing, and to reach great heights you must be able to let go, be free and impulsive, become truly absorbed in what the character is doing moment-to-moment, rather than looking at yourself from the outside-in. It requires some faith to get there, which is harder to do if you're working with a teacher or other actors who are not artists. So don't settle! If it's not feeling right, move on. Feel free to contact me if you're like more info, or if you'd like to do a Skype session. And by the way - you don't need to wait to go to LA. Unless you have zero money. :) I coached a 'new actor' for 6 months, we then shot a demo reel for her, she moved to LA and had a manager and top 10 agent in 2 weeks. But she had a nice demo to send ahead. :) Best of luck in all you do! Steve Anderson 520.981.0145 www.steveandersonacting.com Email: steve@steveandersonacting.com