Acting as a Profession: How to Start a Career in Film and TV

How do you break into the most competitive industry on the planet? Join actor, writer, and teacher Nick Maccarone in this 45-minute class as he shares all the lessons he’s learned on how to begin a professional acting career. Nick offers practical tips on everything from headshots to best practices for auditioning, while tying in the importance of perspective and defining success on your own terms.

Nick is a graduate of Columbia University’s School of the Arts where he received his M.F.A in theater before appearing on popular television shows like Law & Order: SVU, Scandal, and Elementary. Many of his insights come from his experience as a casting reader for Broadway and ABC and as a former contributing writer for Backstage Magazine.

This class is for any actor interested in pursuing a professional career in film and television. You won’t receive a formula to stardom, but you’ll leave this class with a framework on how to begin navigating a fiercely competitive industry. You’ll learn the importance of creating your own work and think differently about what success can look like.

• INTRODUCTION
• 3 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE COMMITTING TO AN MFA PROGRAM
• NEW YORK VS LOS ANGELES
• HEADSHOTS & RESUMES
• TARGETING AGENTS
• 5 TIPS FOR AUDITIONING
• 5 WAYS TO LET GO OF AN AUDITION
• THE VALUE OF FAILURE
• DON'T WAIT, CREATE
• 3 WAYS TO WRITE CONSISTENTLY
• 2 TIPS TO WRITE BETTER STORIES
• TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
• FOCUS ON WHAT'S IN YOUR CONTROL
• THE 6 NON ACTING PRINCIPLES THAT WILL MAKE YOUR ACTING STRONGER
• CONCLUSION