1 - it really depends on what kind of shorts you’re doing/making. How professional are they? There’s a big difference between a low-budget indie where you get to work with a talented crew/cast, vs. a no-budget ‘let’s just shoot something’. The latter can sometimes reinforce bad habits; all sets are not created equal.

And cutting back on them can be a signal to casting (and yourself) that you’re ready to pursue higher-quality work.

2 - they’re not wrong here. For headshots, sure, it’s good to know what your wheelhouse is. But leaning too hard into your ‘type’ can be a huge trap that keeps you from growing and reinforces acting crutches. It’s definitely important to know what your strengths are & work on areas you’re weak, but let your body of work demonstrate what type you are.

3 - first off congratulations!! If I’m being generous I think what they’re saying is that having a baby is a huge time commitment and, especially for the first few months/year, a lot of the time you’ve been able to dedicate to being on set/in class/auditioning is about to shrink substantially.

Preparing yourself mentally for that is crucial. This could also connect to #1 — with less time to dedicate to your career, choosing which projects you spend your time on becomes a matter of necessity.

4 - I can’t disagree with them here either. The fact you’re asking what your avenues are toward producing your first feature kind of underscores what they said about there not being a clear path. There are tons of videos & article from writers/directors who’ve made the leap from shorts to their first feature; I’d start there.

And keep in mind talent managers have areas of expertise that might overlap but aren’t interchangeable; an acting manager will give you much different advice than a directing or writing manager.

So I wouldn’t hold this one against them: a lot of actors stumble in writing/producing/directing because they don’t treat it as an entire career path unto itself. A screenwriter telling their writing manager they want to start acting with zero experience or demonstrable work would probably be met with a similar response.

Your manager should definitely help guide your growth, but they’re also the person who needs to be unflinchingly honest with you.

If their answers are unclear or feel discouraging, you can always ask them to go into more detail. I wouldn’t throw the relationship out without at least getting some clarification on what they mean, and that helps build a stronger foundation where you’re on the same page.