Hi Aliza, my name is Lesli. I am going through the same problem. Every time I tell someone about me wanting to act, they always look at me and say something like, "Don't get your hopes to high" or "Live you young life and maybe try when your older" or "Why don't you try something else?" No one except my mom and my sister is fully on my side. I am turning 15 in about a week and a half, I can't wait! People still tell me to wait till I'm out of school to decide, and trust me, I know how you feel. I want to act now! It's my passion, too! Because of this problem I have contacted Agents and Directors, and even some actors/singers. I asked them what I should do and if I should go for it now. You want to know what they said? They said, "What does your heart tell you to do?" When I answered, "It tells me to try to break into show business." They said, "Great! Have Fun! Don't get discouraged! And get ready for rejection!" I was like, "Wow, you think I should go for it?" And they said, " Yes but More importantly, you think you should go for it."
It was so cool hearing this from Agents and Directors and Actors!
So lets try it with you. If your heart is telling you to go for it, you should go for it!
Now to answer the question on how to break into show biz...
I am still working on this myself, but all of the Agents, Directors, and Actors have told me; to audition for anything and everything. The more auditions you do, the easier it going to be and the sooner you will get a role as something. They said to get some photos ready, 8 by 10 prefered. They said to always be looking for any type of acting (commercials, television, theatre, film, commercial print, voice overs, etc). Get yourself in an acting class. Acting classes are great and they can pin point what you need help with. Also, dancing and singing classes will help too! Even though you are going for acting, you never know when a role is going to be dancing or singing. So get started in this stuff now and get as much experience as possible.
The most important things to remember is...
never give up
always try
be polite to everyone
audition
be open to suggestions
don't go broke (make sure you look into things before you say yes. There could be something else cheeper thats even better than what you found)
rejection is your friend
have fun
work on being the center of everything (if you are shy or if you aren't really the center of everything.. make yourself the center. get out there and get yourself noticed, whether its bad noticed or good noticed. you never know where a director or agent will be and if you are being yourself but you are the center of everything. you could get noticed and it could help you in the long run.)

PS: I wish you good luck and maybe we'll meet each other when we are both stars. If you want to talk to me, just email me... my email is... ukgcfrog237@yahoo.com (all lower case)
ttyl..

hey darlin, my name's jenny and am also 15 years old. people have always told me that i should pick a different dream and sometimes that does puts douts in my head. and i start to think maybe i cant do it... but then it all comes back again and thats how i know acting is what i want to do.. because it doesnt go away. its in my heart forever and no matter what anyone says to me about picking a different dream,acting is always there.

i hope that makes sense to you as it does to me. Good luck
x x x

Aliza,
Now that I know you are a Londoner the way to go about things narrows focus. First of all find out which of the trade papers are available to you. I would buy the hard copy papers rather than spend the money on the online version until you know you are going to start working. If the trades are like the ones in the US there should be breakdowns for the sort of actors for the sort of jobs and whether you need union affiliation or not.
It's too bad that agents and agencies don't want truly fresh faces all the time but everyone started somewhere and don't forget that. You will need to have good pictures to send to these people and you will have to be able to afford to not get them back. The trades will have ads for photographers and you may also try placing ads up on the contact boards at art schools. In the US color photos are all the rage now but good black and white is always going to be with us I think. Some folks also have multiple pictures in their shots too. I don't know what the fees would be to send things to the UK but there is a company in the US, www.abcpictures.com that offers very good deals. The plus side is that you will get the photos printed as lithographs so you can custom print your resume on the back yourself. If there is a Q&A in the British trade papers find out about where you can get a good rate on pictures that you will own the copywrite on since most agents won't want the photographer's name on your shot.
The other good thing is that in Britain acting is considered to be a profession with a long and noble history. True, most acting shools anywhere are not inexpensive but scholarships do exist. The thing you need to do as soon as you can is to get back on stage again. Local newspapers should have notices about local dramatic societies, we call them community theatres, as well as professional companies who need younger actors for some of their plays.
You need to do a saturation bombing with headshots and resumes plus demo reels if you have them of all the acting agents and casting directors and yes, many do specialize in younger performers over here so I am sure the same holds true over there. What has to be understood is that there are expensive ways of doing that and usually one learns the hard way how to avoid wasted expenses. If only I had known what I do now my headshot printing would have been so much less money.
Be wary of any and all agents that ask for you to give them money. Their business is to make money from your work not from you before you get work. Do a thorough background check on every and all classes that an agency offers. If they are legit then there will be good word of mouth and if not that word won't be hard to find out.
I'm glad that so many people have been taking an interest in you and your dream. I didn't follow mine full time until in my mid forties and now at 52 I cannot imagine having to go back to doing an honest day's work again. Being happy in what we do is very important but if we cannot get that work we still have to pay bills and put a dream on hold if we must. The most important part of getting the dream to work into reality is to have drive and determination.
As I said before, if you have to ask if you should do this then maybe you shouldn't but if you cannot imagine doing anything else then give it a go. It is a long process calling for vast patience. I hope you get what you are looking for.
Again, broken legs and no prisoners, MJ

Wow, thankyou so much everyone - I was so pleased that my problem got in the newsletter! I've read every one of your replies and they've all been helpful, so thankyou very much. =D

Just so that you know, this acting dream has not just come on suddenly - I've been wanting to do this all of my life so I have had some experience. I've been in lots of school plays, often as a main part, and I've also performed in shows outside of school in theaters with a musical theater group called Songtime. My big prblem now however, is that I have a fair amount of experience and I have read lots of books and done my research, but I have nowhere to actually act.

As I said, I used to be in a musical theater group, but I quit when I was 11 (because of other commitments - secondary school and stuff) and now I can't find anywhere at all on the same par. Every acting group in my area doesn't do plays on stage and I really miss that. So, does anywhere know of any good acting groups? I live in London, UK, so sorry for thos of you that though I lived in the U.S., I probably should have said.

Also, does anyone know of any child agenices that take unexperienced talent? I have tried online agencies but none of them have got me anywhere, and so far haven't found a 'real' agency that takes children without professional experience.

Thanks again, I really appreciate your help!
Aliza (Alice) x

Hi Aliza

I am an independent film producer in Austin, TX. Here are some of the advice I give aspiring actors - and my own children aged 8 and 13:

1. Overnight discoveries are a myth and occur once in a million. Upon closer inspection, most "overnight discoveries" have been performing for years. The bottom line is: you must have talent. Were you ever in a school play where your acting teacher, fellow classmates, the audience - and yourself - were completely amazed at how well you portrayed your character? If that happened, then you possibly have talent. Talent and the desire will motivate you to succeed.

2. Educate yourself! Learn about the business end of performing and film making. The more you know, the more it will help you. Acting is a craft. It is something you spend your life learning. Read books on acting auditions, the right monologues for you; take acting classes; attend acting camps, acting workshops, audition workshops; watch DVD's on acting methods; go to seminars; get an acting coach. Do a certificate or degree in Film Arts at a university or local community college. Find the right monologues for you to prepare for your audition (not all casting directors require a monologue for each role; but if you have one prepared, great!). If you want an acting coach, find the one that is just right for you. Attend a film school.

3. Watch films! Different genres: comedies, drama, action, thriller, sci-fi. Watch movies from different countries. Watch critically: why did you find one particular character more convincing than others? What would you have done differently? Today you can have satellite TV, cable, movies on the Internet, movies delivered to your front door, movies that you can download directly on your computer.

4. Young actors can't handle rejection very well. All my son wanted to do was to be in movies. I allowed him to audition at age 6, but he wasn't ready. When he wasn't cast for the role he set his heart on he was depressed, sometimes angry. I tried to explain to him is was not that he was a bad actor, only that he was not right for the role that needed to be filled. You may even be offered a different role than the one you auditioned for or the casting director may want to cast you in another of his productions.

5. On the other extreme, while working as an extra with Lisa Kudrow and Vanessa Hudgens from High School Musical gave him a such a swollen head that he was a real pain in the butt!

I can go on and on; but I think you get the picture. For more advice and casting calls, please visit my website, www.usafilmproduction.com.

Break a leg!

At fifteen you do have time to make a decision. But the buisness is fast you must be quick, organized and ready to go. There is alot of work and responsiblities tied to the buisness. Remember first and for most It Is A Buisness. I do not want you to be discouraged but you should know first off that it is hard work and dedication. If it is what you truely wish to pursue then take classes and start networking. If you need any help or would like to talk feel free to contact me. If I do not have an answer I can find it out for you. Take care and good luck.

In the words of my Coach Cynthia Bryan : Be The Star You Are

Best Wish
Ron Bonomo

E-Mail: askiwillansr@yahoo.com

Follow your passion; follow your dreams. What is life worth if we can't at least try to fulfill our greatest desires!

Find all the acting outlets you can - they don't have to be professional jobs this moment - take classes, do plays in school, community theater, etc. Right now you don't have to make a final decision for your life's path; you're young enough to have the luxury of expressing your creativity and growing as an artist without worrying about how to pay the rent! One of the greatest acting approaches is to go "moment to moment" through the text, rather than anticipating or trying to force your character's emotions. This is a great tip for life too. Stay in this moment: pursue your current dream, and be open to where it leads you.

Gillien Goll, actor/acting teacher & coach
www.gilliengoll.com

hey Aliza, I got an account just for you, or I guess I must have had one because I got this in an email, but I got and account that I'll remember just for you. I'm 15 as well. I've been taking acting classes sice I was in 1st grade I think. I've been in multiple shows (with theater companies and my school) but not until 4th/5th grade. my advice, START NOW!!! Even if you don't do well at first it's tons of fun. I absolutely love it. Unfortunately part of my problem is that I don't have the look. I'm tall and my body looks like I'm older than 15 and my face looks like I'm 7... yuck. If you have the look, or get the look and you start now, i'm sure you'll do great. Talk to me whenever. You sound like your really into it, if it's a passion, eventually you'll succeed... I've finally started to (as my face starts to catch up). Good luck, lots of love, buggywuggy P.S. some day I hope to share the screen with you

I started acting when I was 12 and while I'm only 21 now, it has really helped me! I started in a community based workshop during the summer. It was a month long workshop and we put on an awesome show at the end of each workshop. I then started doing the shows at my high school and even in college. I have just broken into the professional realm and everyone I have worked with has praised me for my knowledge and maturity. I say if acting's your dream, get to it! The only thing you're doing is gaining experience and that has never hurt anybody! Feel free to ask me anything! GOOD LUCK!!!! reach for those stars!

I personally had a fabulous time going after my dreams at your age! I met incredible friends and had valuable opportunities that I still draw on today! I booked an Isaac Mizrahi movie recently using a small little task/trick I saw an actress do on stage when I was 15!

The other possibility is to sit around this summer and dream...but you'll probably have plenty of time to do that when you're 70! So go for it! Beware, though, of the pitfalls of this business- dont change your weight or worry about food, know there is plenty of work for Everyone and dont worry about competition, and always support your friends!

Break a young leggie!
Marni Angel
Actress/Photopgrapher www.angelshots.com