CHARTING A COURSE FOR HOLLYWOOD
Moving to LA on spec can be fraught with disappointment, not to mention breaking the bank. Instead, Australian actor and author Kym Jackson suggests you lay the foundations of a Hollywood acting career before you leave home by following these 10 steps.
1. IMPROVE YOUR CRAFT AND PERFECT YOUR ACCENT
Whether or not you book a role is out of your control, but booking the casting office by consistently doing great work is how careers are built. Ensure any tapes you send to the US are excellent quality. For this reason, it’s vital to consistently be in a class with actors who are better than you — no matter which stage you are at in your career. Part of booking the room is having an impeccable standard American accent. A common issue when Aussies use a US accent is that their performance becomes stiff as their personality and spark is stifled by the accent. The solution? Use it in real life. Use it any time you talk with strangers so you have to get it right. It’s the fastest way to have it feel completely natural.
2. MEET USA CASTING DIRECTORS (CDs)
Don’t wait for your representation to do all the heavy lifting to get you into rooms. You can build your own relationships with high level casting directors and their associates. CDs in LA rarely take general meetings, so introducing yourself to casting requires some investigative work to write a bold “Hi, this is me” email. Though, often these just land on a pile of other emails. The method I’ve always used is to find a workshop company running a class with a top CD or associate. These days, they are often held via zoom, so you can make huge Hollywood contacts no matter which country you’re in.
3. BUILD HOLLYWOOD-LEVEL MARKETING MATERIALS
Actors only really need three great marketing materials: headshots, a resume, and strong footage (displayed as a demo reel, then also separated into individual character scenes) so, invest in them. A low budget headshot makes you look like a low budget actor. Don’t be cheap; it’s the first thing anyone sees when you’re submitted for a role. You’ll need a reel with a great American accent as the opening scene. If the US accent scene is later in the reel, they may hear mistakes that aren’t there. If you don’t have much footage, use a [well-lit with great sound] self-tape. Just make sure the performance is stellar. If you have solid credits but no footage with a US accent, it may be worth using a taping service to film a scene so it matches the quality of your other work (rather than a self-tape).
4. GO TO TOP AUSSIE FILM FESTIVALS, SCREENINGS AND PLAYS
In Australia, the three Academy Award qualifying film festivals (for shorts) are MIFF, Sydney Film Festival, and Flickerfest. Top filmmakers from around the world submit and attend, so you can make some great contacts without crossing the pond. In fact, with or without an international guest list, there are plenty of wonderful film festivals in Australia where you can meet top Aussie filmmakers (who often helm US / Aussie co-productions). You don’t need to have a film in the line-up or a friend involved to attend — just go! Another great way to network is by attending theatre — the film and TV community are heavily involved and you can meet or reconnect with some wonderful people in the audience. AACTA also hosts industry screenings.
5. GO TO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALS
It’s hard to express to an actor in Australia who hasn’t been to Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, or SXSW just how incredible these events are for your understanding of the sheer scale of the industry, your confidence, and your ability to exponentially grow your global network in the space of a week or so. Thousands of filmmakers are just walking around enjoying themselves and often open to a chat with a friendly Aussie. PLEASE go to one of the top film festivals in the world every couple of years, even if you have zero credits. You will make so many connections and if you’re feeling bold, you can even reach out later to filmmakers you didn’t get to meet while you were there.
6. CREATE YOUR OWN CONTENT
We are storytellers. It doesn’t have to be an award-winning short film (though, that’d be great!), but consider writing something. Anything. Read iconic books like Save The Cat. Create bad stuff until you learn how to create great stuff. Even just skits for social media or putting on a short play in a festival like Short & Sweet (they have a Hollywood based event) or Hollywood Fringe Festival. If nothing more, just film a few moments from each day for your story or a reel on Instagram! Take ownership of yourself as a creator, and you’ll be shocked at the doors that open. Creators would rather see someone trying and failing than not trying at all — and trust me, creators are some of the most forgiving people and in my experience, they’re the ones least likely to criticize other creators… especially when they’re first starting out.
7. BUILD A FOLLOWING
Legit casting directors and filmmakers will NOT hire an actor simply for having 10 or even 50 000 followers. But, if you can create engaging content (regardless of production value) that highlights your talent as an actor and use it to establish an engaged fan base and build a brand, industry folks will respect it. You can use it to gain the attention of representation, filmmakers, CDs and create opportunities to audition for legitimate work.
8. GET A MANAGER
There are over 900 management companies in LA and NYC (At Secret Actor Society, we built our own private list of them — in order!). If you’ve emailed 50 managers and haven’t gotten signed, get some feedback on your email from your career coach to make sure your approach is solid, then keep reaching out until you sign with one! What’s a few hundred emails to make your dreams come true?
9. DO A RECONNAISSANCE MISSION
Head to LA and check it out before you move there. You can visit on a 90-day ESTA tourist visa. Before you go, join the ‘Australians in LA’ and ‘Aussies in LA’ Facebook groups for accommodation and advice. Join the “Australians in Film” membership society. Sign up for casting workshops and acting classes before you go. Try to plan your dates around a big film festival — or even a medium sized one in or near LA and get tickets in advance. Email managers before you go to take meetings while you’re there.
10. OBTAIN A VISA, CONSIDER CANADA OR GET A LOTTERY TICKET
If you seriously want to work in Hollywood, it’s important to find out what the requirements are to gain the various visas… long before you’re ready to go. This way you can start building evidence of your eligibility and ensure you don’t miss any visa opportunities. If a visa to the USA seems daunting and you’re under 36, Canada may be an easier option to build your legitimate credit list. There are so many films & TV series shooting in Vancouver and Aussies can live and work there under the Working Holiday Visa. Another option is to apply each year for the Green Card Lottery. It is FREE and should only be done through the .gov website — if a site is asking you to pay, they are not the legit lottery site.
BONUS: RAISE YOUR VIBRATION
LA and the acting industry is a rollercoaster ride. Find a regular practice to look after your mind, body and soul. Figure out where you can work on yourself and seek to heal past wounds. Practices like meditation, Ho’oponopono, Chanting, EFT Tapping, EMDR, or even books like The Healing Code or the Tools can change your life. If you have subconscious blocks stopping you from allowing success in, it’s vital to keep working on them to clear the way for the greatness you deserve. You can achieve anything you dream of with a clear strategy, consistent work ethic, and talent — there are thousands of actors booking work every week in LA and you can absolutely be one of them!
Kym Jackson is an Emmys voting member, author of The Hollywood Survival Guide for Aussie Actors and founder of the Secret Actor Society − a database and coaching program designed to help you become a working actor. She offers a free 32-minute class, ’10 Steps to Revitalize Your Acting Career’, at https://secretactorsociety.com/become
