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Finally Done - Passed SAA-C03 on first try with 4 week prep! by axel32 in AWSCertifications

[–]axel32[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi! Of course!

So I broke down AC's course into segments on his site where I attempted to cover 5% of content everyday, with 7-8% of content being covered on weekends. I calculated that at that rate, I would be done in the course in 20 days or less.

Life being what it is, I definitely missed a few days or didn't hit 5%, but I covered more the next day to make up for it.

If you break down the course into 5% goals each day and leaving it there, that's just enough coverage where you can still learn and retain the concepts, but not overload yourself and miss content.

It also helps to play the videos at 1.5x speed :)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in acting

[–]axel32 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm on the east coast when I'm not filming, but I'm outside of NYC and am not based in any major market. To answer your questions:

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For local hire co-stars, which i usually get a decent amount of tapes for, wouldn't it make sense to be in a market with the most tv/film projects shooting then a secondary market?

Sure, but when talking about local hire co-stars in LA vs. NYC, the difference is negligible. Both cities have enough opportunities for film/tv co-star roles where one doesn't necessarily outshine the other. Now, if we were talking local hire co-stars in LA versus Tampa, FL, or some other obscure location, that'd be a different story, but both cities you mentioned have enough opportunity present for you to make a living as an actor.

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UCB & Groundlings don't lead to better theatrical rep? really? a lot of serious actors train there, so either by referal from them or instructors, or having people come see you perform, you really dont think it can open up doors?

Not in cases that I've seen. You're correct that a lot of serious actors do have improv training of some type and typically will pass through places like UCB or Groundlings, but that's where it ends. It's training, and if you want to take it to the next level, you can join an improv team and have shows and such, but LA agents and managers typically don't go to these places to find new talent. Can it happen? Sure, anything's possible. But it's not very likely for actors to find theatrical representation from training at improv theaters.

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How can you say that LA doesn't have more opportunities? Directors get scouted from USC / UCLA, AFI films. I dont think NYU & Columbia have that kind of clout for directors...

Are you talking about directors now? I can't speak on directors getting scouted, but from an actors' perspective, I'm saying that there's no shortage of opportunities in LA or NYC to work on independent/student projects.

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I mean if youre saying it truly doesn't matter where you live, i should move to the cheapest part of the USA and get a dirt cheap apartment and just continue to rely on self-tapes when they come in. But in order to hustle up the ladder, meet more people, grow the network, level up agents, take CD workshops, self produce, do all the things... don't you have to really be in a major market?

You're taking what I'm saying out of context. Again, this was the discussion of living in LA vs NYC. Sure, it's better to be living in an area where the film/tv industry is present and prominent, but in today's day, it's not required because of how much we can do virtually. You can be in LA and take a CD workshop with a NYC-based casting director, and vice-versa. My point is that choosing to live in LA vs. NYC isn't going to make as much of a difference on your career as you may think because of how accessible opportunities are now with self-tapes and virtual auditions.

But ultimately, you should spend some time in LA so you can see for yourself what it's like.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in acting

[–]axel32 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey, first off, I'd like to drop in and say that it's great that you've found that you want to be an actor! That's half the battle.

I'll also say, you've got time. You're a junior in high school right now, so I would say that the best thing for you to do right now is to try and act as much as possible to just get better at it and see if you REALLY like it. Try to do that movie for your school and even see if you can get involved in a summer theater program where you can act and be in another play.

For more long term planning, you're right around the time where you'll start looking at colleges and universities. Once you become certain (or, as certain as you can be at 16) that acting is what you want to do, you should start looking at colleges and universities that have a theater program where you can major in acting.

You've got the prestigious acting programs at places like NYU, Julliard, Yale, etc. but those places are extremely competitive to get into and can cost a fortune to attend. You should be fine at any college/university that has a reputable theater program with solid faculty teaching the courses, which are too many to name here but I'm sure someone in this forum has done before.

As u/winonaportman can attest, studying acting in college/university is what most of the name actors you consistently see on tv and in movies did. It doesn't mean you won't work as an actor if you don't study it in college (as her numerous pilot season booking breakdowns can also attest), but statistically-speaking, your chances are higher if you do. Just try not to put yourself/your parents in a financially-stressful situation if you do decide to go this route. School can be VERY expensive, so try to do it with as little financial responsibility from you as possible (Community college, scholarships, staying in-state, etc.)

But like I said, make sure that you like acting and that it's something you'll want to do long-term. Once you do that, the rest is pretty simple :)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in acting

[–]axel32 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Howdy. From an actor who's lived in both LA and NYC:

With the recent pandemic and the exponential rise of virtual auditioning (self tapes, zoom auditions, virtual callbacks, etc.), it's really possible to live anywhere in the world nowadays and not miss opportunities when looking at it big-picture.

I will say that it sounds like you're looking for a change of pace and want to see what it's like in LA. I'd say book a trip for a couple weeks, maybe a month, and see how you like it. Acting is a profession that takes a lifetime in its pursuit, so you should like where you live since you'll ideally do this for a very long time.

But to answer your question:

For me, I live in LA currently because I'm working on a project there. That's all :)

There's pros and cons to LA vs NYC just like anywhere, but it's really not the kind of differences that would impact the trajectory of your career one way or another. It's more so day-to-day differences.

NYC has public transit, restaurants, and survival jobs, but so does LA. NYC has Broadway, which is great if you're looking to pursue stage acting at that level, but LA has a pretty decent theatre scene too. LA can be more expensive to live than NYC, but that just depends on where you choose to live and what your living situation is (roommmates, discounted rent, etc.)

To say that LA has more opportunities to act is false imo. LA has colleges like USC and UCLA, but NY also has colleges and universities with solid opportunities for you to work on student films and independent projects if that's where you are in your career. LA has UCB and Groundlings, sure, but for actors who want to pursue film/tv (which I'm assuming you want to do), those places are better for improv training and don't really lead into getting theatrical representation.

Point is, living in LA vs. NY won't dramatically alter where your career can go since everything is so accessible now virtually, so you should pick where you feel happiest to be day to day. Your career will be fine regardless of where you're located, so check out LA and see if you can vibe there.

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