New York City is the land of dreams, opportunity and the concrete jungle that if you make it here you can pretty much make it anywhere.
The big city of New York contains a ton of pretty lights and to make it as an actor there you need to shine the brightest. That’s why we created this post to help you navigate the city of New York on your journey to becoming a professional working actor.
How To Make it as an Actor in New York City – The abundance of the city that never sleeps New York City
Every city provides its abundance and its challenges and New York City contains a plethora of both for an actor.
On the positive side, there’s plenty of opportunity as an actor as there are tons of films, tv series, Broadway stage plays and musicals, and even off-Broadway plays you can be a part of. At the same time, so much abundance can cause plenty of confusion for a beginner actor or actress navigating this big city.
Always have your finger on the pulse in New York. Be on the lookout for the latest projects through deadline.com or imdb.com.
Stay on top of the casting projects in your area using websites such as actorsaccess.com or castingnetworks.com
Every time you meet another actor within the industry inside or outside of the film set make sure to always network. It’s important you make friends within the industry so you learn from their wins and their mistakes and at the same time stay plugged in with the latest and greatest projects you can audition for.
How To Make it as an Actor in New York City – Be a delight to work with
Nobody likes working with a pain in the behind, so don’t be one.
Always be delighted to be on set because it’s an opportunity not many people get to have. The more approachable, kind and grateful you are at the job, the more the doors open up for you to work even more on familiar sets. People will forget what you say, forget what you do, but they will never forget how you made them feel.
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Download the Free BlueprintHow To Make it as an Actor in New York City – Rejection in acting will only make you stronger
As you become an actor you will face rejection quite often. Just understand this is part of the process and nothing to worry about.
You can always improve your skillset and grow as a human even through rejection.
The biggest takeaway that I would share is that rejection isn’t something to be feared. It will roll over you with time, but it’s a part of life. You should always try and see what happens- it won’t happen overnight, but at least you tried.
I would say that perseverance is what sets you apart from other people. If you don’t give up, you’ll see the fruits of your labor.
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How To Make it as an Actor in New York City – Keep building your demo reel of acting clips
An actor demo reel is a video mashup that showcases an actor’s skills.
It can be used to promote oneself as an actor and to get more auditions. Actors can showcase their acting skills in the demo reel by performing different scenes, improvising, and showcasing their different ranges of abilities.
Some actors also include thematic sections or have one option of each in their reels.
For example, one actor might have a section that shows they are strong fighters and then show another where they are playing a gentle giant.
The Demo Reel has evolved to meld into the modern forms of social media (such as YouTube) where actors can showcase their reels without the need for traditional demo reels.
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How To Make it as an Actor in New York City – The learning is in the process you adopt
Every experience in the journey to make it as an actor in a big city like New York City is to learn and grow from every experience.
Even if on the day you only have one audition, booked a job on set or are trying to get called back for a commercial every process is a learning and growth process.
The more you can adapt your mind to not get faced or emotional about not getting a part, the better you’ll be able to go to multiple auditions and just give it your all regardless of the outcome.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the size of the city and everything that goes on, but this is your moment and you just have to remember it. Be a good person, it doesn’t matter where you are, everyone has the same emotions and feelings.
If you’re going to be in this industry, it’s important to have a heart filled with love and positivity. Make everyone around you brighter because they will make your day better, too. And as always: be a good person!
How To Make it as an Actor in New York City – Always Network!
You need to start Networking as an actor to grow your acting career opportunities and leverage those for more acting jobs.
The best way to do this is by attending local acting showcases and volunteering for theatre companies, either as an actor or as a production assistant. or backstage crew member. As an actor, you can also make a website like this one where people sign up, and then you share the events that you’re attending and work in exchange for free tickets to performances or television productions!
When it was low season for acting I always managed to still work on set as a production assistant or any other way to have paychecks still coming and keep expanding my networks during the low times.
You must always have an always-ready mindset because it is what it takes to be successful in a big city like New York.
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How To Make it as an Actor in New York City – Conclusion
New York is a place that many aspiring actors and actresses pursue to make it.
Even though it might seem confusing at first, New York does provide plenty of opportunities for young and experienced artists. Follow our blog posts, free resources and our premium programs to maximize your career as an actor.
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Before you go…
Knowing how to make it as an actor in New York City is just one step of the process and in order to learn more stay tuned. Our next article will give you even more education and knowledge on how to navigate the acting industry.
Steve Dez
I am the founder of Dezperate Actor® and I have been in the acting and entertainment industry since 2011. Since then, my mission is to make acting and breaking into Hollywood easy for everyone. And each year, I continue to help more people with acting tips, resources, coaching and online courses.
Download this blueprint to optimize your career and break into the Acting Industry.
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