Catch That Star: A Guide to Breaking into Hollywood
Have you always dreamed of breaking into Hollywood? You and about every other person on the planet. Despite all the fierce competition, your dreams of stardom aren’t beyond your reach.
It is tough though so you’ll need to prepare yourself like the fine weapon that you are. Start gathering up experience, get all the gigs you can even if they are little home projects you find on the internet, and stay diligent. We know, it’s easier said than done.
That’s why we’re going to go over all of this in finer detail. Keep reading for a complete guide on how to get yourself into Hollywood.
1. Resume Building
Before you can get to staring in or writing for the big pictures, you’ll need to gather up the necessary experience. While you can skip over some of these things, it’s not recommended.
Attend Workshops
It’s hard to become an actor or writer without some basic skills. That’s why even if you can’t take classes, you should at least enroll in workshops. It gives you the chance to sit in a room with other people like you, critique their skills and have yours critiqued in return.
You must go into this with an open mind. The point is to find your mistakes so you can work toward fixing them. These workshops are also a good networking opportunity because you’ll get to build relationships with fellow actors, writers, and professional coaches.
Take Classes
Not everyone can take classes, and there have been many actors and writers who have broken into Hollywood without attending formal ones. It’s still a good chance to finetune your skills.
This doesn’t mean you have to go off and attend a 4-year university, however. You can find classes around your community, depending on where you live. You’ll have to pay for these out of pocket, but it’s cheaper than college.
Expose Yourself to Opportunities
There are plenty of opportunities around you. All you have to do is seek them out. For example, you can go act in student films. In some areas, you’ve got film festivals.
You can write a screenplay for these, act, direct, do some tech, and pretty much go through a quick version of being part of a movie.
2. Get Yourself Noticed
Now that you’ve gotten all the necessary training that you need and buffed up your resume, it’s time to get yourself noticed. As an actor, you can do this by well, making stuff.
For example, you can start a web series for people to follow and share on social media. It may not get all the way around to the big Hollywood heads, but it’s something you can do while you wait on auditions.
If you’re a writer trying to make it big, you should think about writing a book before you start sending out movie scripts. This will show Hollywood that you’ve at least got an idea of how to construct a story, and it looks good on your resume.
3. Learn How to Pitch
If you’re going to write scripts for Hollywood, you’re going to have to get comfortable with pitching your ideas. We know your story has complex plot and characters, but you’re going to have to summarize it in only a few sentences. You never want to try and stuff the entire plot in.
Make sure that you leave whoever you’re pitching the idea to in suspense. You don’t want to reveal the ending.
Start your pitch with a brief rundown of how you got the idea instead of your title. Lastly, have a question prepared for your audience at the end of the pitch.
4. Learning How to Audition
Auditioning is sort of like giving a pitch for an actor. It’s how you’ll get your roles anyway. We’re going to briefly go over how you can get an audition and prepare for it.
Getting Auditions Yourself
It may take you a while before you get an agent. That’s why you’ll want to take to the interwebs. Many acting websites have information for local auditions and casting calls. All you have to do is get your resume and headshot and show up.
Do be careful when you’re looking at these sites. If any of them ask for payment in advance, turn in the other direction.
Getting One From Your Agent
Due to sketchy websites, it’s a good idea for you to get an agent as soon as you can. Their job is to research roles and suggest them to you, so it’s less likely that you’ll get cheated.
Also, sometimes casting directors post up auditions without much information on them. Your agent will be able to get this inside information and give it to you, which will put you ahead.
Getting Prepared
One part of the job is memorizing the script. If you’re off the book, it shows the casting director that you’re serious about what you’re doing. Other than memorizing lines, you’ll need to sell yourself as that character with your unique acting ability.
Practice at home in front of your mirror or in the presence of your family and friends. This will help you build the confidence you need to crush the audition.
See Your Name in Lights With These Tips for Breaking Into Hollywood
No matter if you’re trying to get into Hollywood as a writer or an actor, it’s important that you stay diligent. Keep sending out scripts and don’t stop going to auditions.
Use any extra money for classes and workshops. Above all, don’t let your dreams slip through your fingers. It can be a hard and bumpy road, but you’ve got this if you use these tips for breaking into Hollywood.
You can get into any career you want if you try hard enough. Don’t believe us? Visit our blog for more job tips and tricks.
