Paying Your Dues…
I was wondering the other day — When it comes to getting into acting or modeling, what does it mean to “pay your dues”?
I meet hundreds of people each month who have various levels of interest and/or passion for being in the spotlight, acting, modeling, performing, etc. I absolutely LOVE meeting people and hearing their stories. I feel an instant bond with people with whom I share this passion. It’s a desire that many who don’t share it, don’t understand.
All my young life I was very clear with my family and friends that I wanted to be a performer. I learned guitar, bass, keyboards, I liked to sing and write songs. I was in drama, wrote plays and made little movies with our super 8 movie camera. Almost everyone I knew was very aware that this was going to be in my future, and each of them had a similar opinion of how my future was going to look.
Here are those opinions:
“Oh, well — you’ll have to take tons of lessons, practice everyday and then it’s so competitive there’s no guarantee that you’ll make it. Plus, it’s so dangerous!
“Be prepared to work for free and starve as you work your way up from the bottom. You have to pay your dues, because the big money doesn’t come until you get “discovered!”
It seems to me that people think that the only way talent gets paid is to “make it big!” Well, if you think of commercial acting/modeling, who do you think is making all the money? Is it only the actors who play Lily from those great AT&T ads? Or Flo the Progressive lady? Or The Old Spice Guy (“I’m on a Horse!”)?
Think about all the actors you recognize from regularly appearing commercials. Now think about all the other actors in those commercials you don’t remember seeing, but you know are there. Think of the voice-over talent who are needed for commercials. Now, think of all the commercials you never see, hear or the ones that are shown on the Internet. National SAG/AFTRA commercials can pay principle talent up to six figures, depending on how many markets it’s show in, and how long a spot/campaign runs. For every commercial actor you can think of making “all that money”, there are thousands making a very handsome living. You don’t need to be a “star” to make a living in acting. I”m not saying it’s easy — I’m saying it’s being done. How many famous big-time celebrity lawyers can you think of? Well, we all know that there are a million lawyers out there who make a great living, even though we don’t know their names.
It’s often a big surprise to hopeful actors that, just like a lawyer, an actor need to be fully prepared for the industry he or she is choosing. As a hopeful actor enters the world of showbiz, they need to know that their responsibilities include: ** Being a consummate professional. That means:
1.)Know the business of show business — how the business works, the roles of agents, managers, publicists, directors, producers, editors, etc. 2.)Know Your Brand! It’s a business and the actor is a product. An actor needs to purchase marketing tools (like head shots, resume, monologues, etc.) that will be impactful and of a high quality that will land them an agent. Those same head shots, etc. is what the agent uses to try and get you auditions. It’s your business — you provide the marketing tools. 3.)Know your craft! Be great at what you do! Constantly train, learn, improve and seek perfection. Pay for acting classes that match your goals! Stage, Television, Film and Voice are all VERY different and specific skillsets. If you’re only in it for the money, it will be a short and unfulfilled career. Improving and refining your skills is your responsibility to your audience and especially yourself.
~Steve
@cozartphotos
