Where are the Acting Jobs?
Air Date: October 27, 2022
I am sure you’ve askes this question at some point. You’ve looked at Backstage, Actors Access and other online job sites, only to become discouraged and frustrated at the prospects for gainful employment. If you have an agent and they are not sending you out on auditions then your might be asking yourself, “now what!”. Although there is no magic answer to help you, I think it a good idea to, perhaps, add some insight regarding the frustration you feel when asking, “Where Are the Acting Jobs!”. I’m Jeffrey Dreisbach ant this is Casting Actors Cast!
Some things to consider:
There is work going on right now. The issue is where to find them
Checking one resource is less effective than exploring many avenues consistently
Word of mouth is still a great tool to use (fellow students/Casting Directors/teachers)
Make job searching part of your job description as an actor
Be consistent and constant with the process
Be leery of pay for play sights or job bulletin boards for money
Things you might not thought of…
Unions have postings (SAG/AFTRA & Equity)
Direct contact with theatre (seasons are posted on their websites)
Mayors’ office of film theatre and TV
Reconnect with your rep or use a prospective rep to inquire about submitting you
Casting Directors don’t publish what they are working on but IMDB is useful for research
What works for finding work:
Consistency
Research (agents’ movement/ Casting resources/ show and tell)
Look for opportunity and stay professional
One technique that works for many actors I know is to keep the business part of being an actor separate from the creative being you are. Business is essential and important but if you attach emotion to the process of finding work, you will soon exhaust yourself with discouragement. Constantly finding new ways to discover acting gigs can actually be positive and fruitful if you are open to it. Sounds cliché but forward movement will always create the right kind of waves. You won’t be afraid of storms if you know how to sail your ship. Metaphor’s over.