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Need a little inspiration? Our Backstage Experts are full of amazing advice to help move your career forward, and we wouldn’t want you to miss one drop of it. Here are five tips to keep in mind during the week ahead!
Make sure you’re safe on set.
“Filmmaking is an incredibly powerful art form. It has the capacity to shape thinking, generate groundswell on monumentally important social issues, and even change lives. But unless you’re filming a covert documentary exposing the genocide of thousands of children by the government right under their parent’s noses, filmmaking is not worth dying for.” —PAUL BARRY
Stop defending abusive teachers.
“I hear actors rationalize abuse-based classes all the time. They claim there’s something to be learned or some form of development that goes on when an acting teacher will “cut someone down” or “put them in their place” or mock, deride, or otherwise make an example of other actors. That is complete BS. These actors are simply making an excuse for bullying, and are thus enabling it.” —JOSEPH PEARLMAN
Collaborate in the audition room.
“Think of your audition as collaboration with the room. You are offering your take on a character, and may be asked to adjust certain parts of your read to accommodate the vision. Embrace the opportunity to take direction.” —CAROLINE LIEM
Go all in.
“So, step up. Pursue the creative exploration of the work with abandon. Lust for it. Explore, explore, explore. Take every opportunity to act. Hitting a creative wall? Fill the creative tank with another element of the work—a different way in. Keep jumping even though there’s no emotional safety net. That’s what we’re seeing successful actors do.” —RISA BRAMON GARCIA AND STEVE BRAUN
Find a supportive community.
“Nobody succeeds alone in this business. Acting is a collaborative art form. We need each other in every aspect of our personal lives and our craft, from prep and rehearsal all the way through final performance. If you don’t have a supportive, family-like community of loved ones that have your back, you need to prioritize it ASAP, because those who do have a huge advantage over you.” —SHAAN SHARMA
Like this advice? Check out more from our Backstage Experts!
Risa Bramon Garcia
For the past 40 years, Risa has worked as a director, producer, casting director, and teacher. Having directed two features—including “200 Cigarettes”—she has also directed for TV and dozens of plays in New York and Los Angeles. Her casting résumé includes more than 80 feature films and shows, and includes “Desperately Seeking Susan,” “Fatal Attraction,” “JFK,” “The Joy Luck Club,” “The Affair,” “Masters of Sex,” and the original “Roseanne.” She is a founding partner of The BGB Studio, known for revolutionary acting training.
See full bio and articles here!
Joseph Pearlman
Joseph Pearlman is a celebrity and on-set acting coach for Hollywood’s top actors, musicians, and comedians. He works with clients such as Zooey Deschanel, Skylar Grey, Michael Welch, and Julian Sands, and he also coaches presenters for all the major award ceremonies. Pearlman Acting Academy was voted the best acting studio in Los Angeles by the Backstage Readers’ Choice Awards.
See full bio and articles here!
Steve Braun
Steve Braun is an acting coach, teacher, and communication consultant, drawing on years of acting, Buddhist practice, and martial arts training to help his clients discover and express their unique emotional truth. When he pursued an acting career, he starred in movies, was a series regular many times, and guest starred on numerous TV shows. He is a founding partner of The BGB Studio, known for revolutionary acting training.
See full bio and articles here!
Shaan Sharma
Shaan Sharma is a session director, on-camera acting teacher, and author of “A Session Director’s Guide to Commercial Acting in L.A.”
See full bio and articles here!
Paul Barry
Paul Barry is an L.A.-based Australian acting teacher, author of “Choices,” and a Backstage Expert. Barry runs on-camera classes in Santa Monica as well as online worldwide and conducts a six-week program called Dreaming for a Living, coaching actors, writers, and filmmakers in how to generate online incomes to support their art.
See full bio and articles here!
Caroline Liem
Caroline Liem is a casting director, teacher/coach based in Los Angeles. For the past 20 years, she has cast films, studios features, television pilots, and TV series. She is faculty at Pace University and UT Austin and teaches locally at the Village.
See full bio and articles here!
