Tag Archives: acting career advice

The Importance of a Desk, Agent Meetings and Other Wonderful Things

Yvette-InufioHello all! It is live from heaven that I address you today. Yup! I have finally moved in to a new apartment. An apartment where I have my own bedroom, bathroom, living room…Where there is a piano, a guitar, a backyard with lemon trees and squirrels, a water filter on the faucet so I don’t have to carry around gallons of water from the supermarket anymore and last but absolutely not least: a desk.

And that desk has lead to not only a meeting with an agent next week and possible representation with another one, it has started my acting career! Before you think the California sun has gone to my head, let me explain… Continue reading

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Filed under Los Angeles

The New (Non-Wealthy) Actor’s Guide to LA: Finances

piggy bankI get a lot of questions about how the floosh I’m affording this move to Los Angeles. I guess people are hoping to hear a magical answer that will help them to move to LA, too. I wish there was one! The truth is, as most of you already know: I worked full-time for about a year and saved up a lot of money to be where I am now.

Unless you’re decently rich or have a sweet sugar daddy, moving to Los Angeles is going to take quite a bit of planning and mostly: saving. So how much do things cost exactly over here in LaLaLand? How much money do you need to have piggy banked approximately? Continue reading

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The New Actor’s Guide to the LA Jungle: Acting Classes

Indian Summer by Patrick DemarchelierWhen you move to Los Angeles, it’s kind of like moving to the jungle. There are scary creatures (plastic surgeried people), bulky bushmen (Muscle Beach much?), dangerous pathways (LA drivers are in a league of their own) and it’s hard to keep an overview of where to go and what to do.

Google is usually your friend but in this case I don’t recommend it. Try researching anything acting related in LA: acting classes, agents, headshot photographers… you’ll find thousands and thousands. Many of them are scams, just out for your money or just plainly not good. And it’s hard to find this out with the help of the Google lords, for trustworthy reviews are sparse.

But fear not, after my first month in LA I have garnered some very useful information that I hope will help you out. First order of business: getting acting skills! So I present to you here the first chapter of the New Actor’s Guide to the LA Jungle: Acting Classes… Continue reading

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The People versus the Aspiring Actor

girl-in-front-of-giant-stride“And, have you been discovered yet?” “Oh, you’re moving to LA? So you’re gonna be a big movie star?” These are just a couple of the things I’ve been “asked” by people around me when something about my dream to become an actress came up. It always stings. Puts a little kick in my gut.

It’s part of leading a life that not many people know, understand or choose. So with these questions I, and any other actor, will have to learn to deal. Along with many other things that are hard to explain to outsiders. So how do you deal with it? Do you give a full exposé on the intricacies of the film industry or do you leave it be? Here is what works best for me… Continue reading

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Filed under Amsterdam

Why Fear is A Good Thing

All my possessions are fitted into boxes and stored away on a farm. I have moved out of my apartment. I am in the visa procedure. I’m organizing my goodbye party…Moving to Los Angeles is not a plan anymore, it’s becoming more real every day. And for some reason my excitement is overshadowed by something. I mean, I

have no doubts about going. I’m happy to leave my job behind, I’m happy to go somewhere sunny and I’m ecstatic that I will finally get to work on my dream and don’t have to carry that rushed, uneasy feeling that I’m not where I should be every day.

About Fear
But big changes are scary, the unknown is scary. And although taking this big step is my own choice, I too find it scary. I will have to leave behind things I’ve become used to and value, like my social life and riding my bike near the canals of Amsterdam. I will have to miss my family, my boyfriend, my friends… Thinking about saying goodbye to them at the airport just makes me want to run away from it all. The last months I have been in a bubble of stress and fear. But one of my friends, The To, said this beautiful thing the other day. Or Skypetyped it rather: Continue reading

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Realizing Your Dreams: Three Dont’s

“Learn from your mistakes,” wise people say. ”Learn from the mistakes of others” even wiser people say. “Do both!” I say, because at 22 I’m obviously wisest! In all seriousness though: it takes time to make and recognize mistakes and not all mistakes are reversible. I’ve made quite some mistakes while pursuing my dream to become an actress. That’s why I want to share these little pieces of advice with you.

Here are three dont’s when trying to realize your dream… Continue reading

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Shorts: The Way To a Long Acting Career

I can be short about shorts: every starting actor has do them. Unless you were a child star or had your breakthrough in the very first project you did. In that case good for you! But if not: join the club. Shorts, and particularly student shorts, are the way to get experience and build a showreel without having done professional acting before. I just got home from the set of a short, and although it was no-budget and unglamorous I would still like to spill some words on shorts, hopefully helping your acting career while at it!

Continue reading

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