Classes and Studios

First things first. To get anywhere in this densely populated, highly competitive entertainment hub, you must "know" people. I have one school friend and one distant family-ish friend. Aka, I am a nobody who knows no one.

This is a problem because referrals and recommendations are what move you forward in this world. Coupled with that, I am admittedly rusty on auditioning, impressing producers/directors and whoring myself out. A lot of the work I've done in recent years has been through referrals and friends which on most occasions bypassed the audition process.

Now, as much as I would LOVE to go on an auditioning spree, there are certain factors to consider...

1) I am not a union member. I have no affiliation with SAG, AFTRA or AEA. This means I won't be able to get legitimate studio work without paying the fees and dues associated with them.

2) I do not have a current headshot. I have recently lost weight and gone back to my natural hair color. Not only is the picture out of date, it is also unimpressive. To really entice people, I will need to shoot better ones.

3) I don't know anybody. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the analogy is a highway covered in speed bumps. Yes, you can still move forward and get to where you're going, it's just going to take a while - a LONG while.

4) I don't have an agent. These people can often find you work, but they won't sign you to their agency unless you're full of incredible (something "fresh" and "unique") or you've independently proven yourself to be employable.

Taking these things into consideration, I realized taking an acting class would be a good first step. It puts me into an environment where I can start meeting people as well as train in the ways of LA acting. Learning is never a bad thing.

Research time.

Perusing the web I stumbled upon several legitimate looking studios with both east and west coast locations. The first one I happened upon was TVI. Now, I actually found them because of a long a convoluted story that involved a casting agency I heard about by word of mouth and one of casting assistants holding a workshop at TVI Studios. Unfortunately I don't know the casting director or the agency, but reference's always seem to be the place to start.

TVI Studios though not having the flashy "Look who we've taught!" publicity, the casting director workshops seemed to have enough names/tv shows to entice me. I filled out the information questioner and got a phone call a day later from one of there lovely representatives.

And here's the scoop:

Membership

• Membership is $365 a year (it drops to $250 after your first year)
• You DO NOT need to be a member in order to take classes
• Membership is most helpful to actors just starting out because you essentially get a personal counselor which will advise you on the logistics of finding photographers for headshots, getting union status, picking headshots and whatever else you need
• Membership will also reduce the cost of classes by $50-$100
  

Classes

• Cost ranges from $15-$520
• Duration ranges from 1 night to 7 weeks
• Classes include casting director workshops to genre specific commercial/soap/primetime classes to auditioning classes. (Basically, the classes are ongoing and change every few weeks)

To Apply

• Come into their offices for a 30 minute one-on-one meeting/audition
• Bring a headshot and a resume (or whatever you have)
• Be prepared to read two scenes, one comedic and one dramatic (Cold reading)

The woman on the phone was extremely friendly, but I waited on making any commitments or appointments. My impression was that TVI Studio's isn't much of a teaching school - I mean, yes, they do teach - but I think they're geared towards experienced actors who are looking to meet people (who will hopefully hire them). It is not a "method" studio.

The Acting Corps is the first site Google comes up when you type in "LA acting classes". Rainn Wilson's picture shows up, Leonardo DiCaprio name shows up as one of the "previously taught actors", and the bolded, self-proclaimed statement that it is Los Angeles' best acting studio.

The scoop:

Classes

• Cost ranges from $199 to $1499
• Duration ranges from 4 weeks to 6 months
• Classes are Actors Boot Camp I & II, an Advanced Class, a Master Class and ongoing Workshops (Note: Boot Camp II and Advanced classes require an audition. The Master Class is by invitation only.)

To Apply

• Depending on the program, admission will either be granted by audition or completion of Actors Boot Camp I
• Actors Boot Camp I requires an interview at their office
  

It's definitely structured like a conservatory experience. They boast about the Meisner technique. They also stress the 90 minutes of acting a day, being up on your feet doing something instead of just listening to a professor blabber on.

Stella Adler Studio of Acting was the third place I checked out. Stella Adler is a biggy in the acting world, so I'm going to assume there's a high standard at the legendary teachers studio. Here you can chose between weekly held courses or a two year program.

The scoop:

Classes

• Cost ranges from $300 to $1050 for individual classes (or $29,150 for the two year program)
• Duration ranges from 4 to 16 weeks (though most are 8 weeks long)
• Classes are structured like college courses (Acting for the Camera, Improv I & II, Dialects, Stage Combat, Script Analysis, etc); there's a lot of variety here

To Apply

• Contact them to set up an appointment to interview with the Director of Admissions. (Must be 18 or older and have a high school diploma/or equivalent)
• Bring current resume/headshot to interview and be prepared to fill out the application in their offices
  
• Advanced classes require an audition (It's not clear which courses are "advanced")

I liked the diversity. Most of the individual courses were $700 for an 8 week class. Again, the name is something to remember, she trained Marlon Brando. This felt like a place to learn skills for a solid foundation in acting.

Who won out?

TVI Studio's did. For my budget and time, they offered the best stepping stone (pebble). My concern regarding The Acting Corps and the Adler Studio was the commitment. Having a limited budget and the 2 month window of survival based on those savings, spending $700 to a $1000 seemed...reckless. I think I need to get settled and find some semblance of permanence before I embark on those lengths and costs.

I also realize there are bazillions of acting schools out here. There are probably more intense ones, more focused ones, cheaper ones, etc. I looked at others (thanks Google!), but these three schools seemed to offer a good range of diverse options/approaches.

I'll discuss my TVI experience in later posts, so stay tuned!