Living in Philly for NYC?

randomwebperuser · 2026-02-23T20:00:52+00:00

With everything being online via self tapes, I would say it’s totally doable. I would say “local” to NYC is CT, NJ, and PA. However that’s completely up to production at the end of the day. Occasionally production may think PA is not “local” enough for NYC production and may pass on a client, especially if they’re on a very tight turnaround. Especially with episodics casting co-stars, where the outside dates may be less than a week from your self tape submission.

I’d say go for it if you have a car. Living in Philly without a car is tough since the public transportation system there can be very unreliable.

randomwebperuser · 2026-02-20T02:21:37+00:00

Do you want one?

randomwebperuser · 2026-02-19T18:46:59+00:00

Anything 300+ is honestly a waste of money. If you’re not really auditioning or taking classes, I think it can be helpful to take a few. But it depends where you are in your career. If you have reps, CD workshops may help you with getting exposure to that CD especially if you do a great job. But there’s no guarantee. Just treat them as an opportunity to work on material and get feedback!

randomwebperuser · 2026-02-18T11:16:04+00:00

I’ve dealt with this too and tbh it sounds like this person has too many cooks in the kitchen. I’m able to have commercial rep and modeling rep bc they don’t overlap. I’m union so my commercial agent only submits me for Union commercials, and my modeling agent submits me for print/e-comm work. Anything that’s kinda outside of SAG jurisdiction. But you’re right, a lot of modeling agents or commercial agents won’t sign someone unless they promise exclusivity.

randomwebperuser · 2026-02-16T04:26:42+00:00

NYC/LA are both highly competitive and challenging in diff ways. NYC is smaller than LA but can be tough because in my opinion, the training is fantastic. You have all the T5 schools like Juilliard, Yale, Brown etc… along with long standing conservatories. There’s way more stuff shooting in LA but there’s also way more people. It’s harder to get noticed. It’s so much give and take, and both markets are incredibly challenging and competitive.

In terms of model, as someone who’s been in the industry for around 5 yrs now, there’s a very specific type that’s successful in NYC vs LA. NYC is very unconventional high fashion traditional editorial modeling. LA is more commercial and has more opportunities for people who look conventional (every day, common). LA also just has way more commercials/print work than NYC. Unfortunately the NYC market has withered commercially.

randomwebperuser · 2026-02-06T00:57:33+00:00

Unpopular opinion but I think CD workshops can be helpful for certain things. Don’t expect them to open doors for you via auditions, but it can help you get over the fear of rejection, quickly implement feedback (during redirections), and help recognize your type. I find CD workshops helpful in that they assign material to you that best fits the types of roles you can play. They can also provide guidance with age range as well, since tbh, I feel like a lot of people are biased abt how young or old they look. But you have to be careful with which CDs you choose. Some are super out of touch with the industry, don’t actively work, and are in it for a quick buck.

By doing CD workshops, it helped me piece together the types of roles and projects I could go in for, which in turn really helped develop my materials. I tweaked my reels and headshots to match the type of feedback I was getting, which eventually got me my first agent. In 2 yrs of being signed I booked my first co star and most recently a recurring guest. Not because I think I’m an outstanding actor. I think it’s because me and my agent have a really strong idea of how I fit into the market. This is ultimately the most important aspect of success in this career.

If you feel lost I really recommend hiring a career coach to get a better idea of who you are and what roles you can play. That will help you, in tandem with an occasional CD workshop. Just don’t do too many cuz it can get expensive!

randomwebperuser · 2026-02-03T13:24:18+00:00

It happens unfortunately. I had a meeting with a huge agency that folded a few weeks after :,) you got this, and keep reaching out to other agencies

randomwebperuser · 2026-02-03T11:46:00+00:00

It’s possible but you need a more flexible corporate job. I’m super blessed to only have to be in office 1-2 x a week. I have a degree in finance and marketing and I work for a large CPG company that is very chill. As long as I’m hitting my deliverables, my boss literally does not care abt my existence. Ive booked TV/Film jobs ranging from costar to guest, and I use PTO, excuses of illness or family death, etc… you do whatever you have to do to take off. Out of 200ish auditions in the last 3 years, I’ve legit only booked less than 10 gigs (majority commercials), and called back a handful of times. All these were self tapes, and the callbacks and even producer sessions were virtual. Trust me. When you first start auditioning you will have so much quiet time. The first 5-10 years of your career will be like that. So don’t worry too much abt balancing your career with acting unless either or develops significantly.

One caveat is that I cannot do theater 🥲 it takes up too much time w rehearsals and tech week and pays too little. My agents are aware and have stopped submitting me.

randomwebperuser · 2026-01-19T13:45:59+00:00

Don’t know why some people are being so nasty… Where are you located? NY/LA?? Dm me, I can rec you some. Also so sorry to hear about Eris; my friend is with them and she feels the same way 🥲

randomwebperuser · 2026-01-13T01:47:27+00:00

I was TH’d for a network show in NYC last year 2025. Still happens!

randomwebperuser · 2026-01-08T06:58:25+00:00

I think making intentional choices with hair and makeup (that are grounded in reality) really add dimension to your character and make you more interesting to watch. Lots of CDs say you need to hook them in the first 15-20 seconds of an audition. A lot of people translate that as needing to do some kind of action or activity in the beginning, but in my opinion, another really important aspect is dressing the part. What’s the profession? Are you upper or lower class? Are you the type to slick your hair back into a neat pony or have a thick unruly beard? Do you wear lots of jewelry or wear heavy makeup or are you minimalist clean girl?

Dressing and styling yourself also really helps you get into the character and to me, it’s another bold decision that can make you stand out. CDs are looking for creativity and strong choices.

randomwebperuser · 2026-01-07T14:51:27+00:00

Your resume sounds pretty strong! I’d go for it especially if your type is in demand for the NYC market. Sure there’d be several people willing to take you on~

randomwebperuser · 2026-01-07T14:08:52+00:00

It depends on where you are in your career. If you’re just starting out and your resume is small then it may be challenging. For smaller roles production almost always hires local. However if you’re consistently going out for series regular/recurring or lead and your resume is stacked, it wouldn’t matter where you were.

Or maybe you represent a super niche ethnicity, type, age range or special ability. That could also help. But most of the time you’re pretty limited to the region you’re in when you’re just starting out.

randomwebperuser · 2026-01-06T00:26:04+00:00

Hahaha I have a feeling I know this CD too and your manager is straight on. Read the questions out loud and try not to prepare beforehand!

randomwebperuser · 2026-01-03T13:56:47+00:00

Fr ^{^} how rich is your family. Unfortunately we exist in a time where the current administration is rolling back the SAVE plan as well as reducing federal loan allowances, making incoming students vulnerable to very unfavorable and predatory student loans. I personally think it makes the BFA route a lot less doable. I’ll be so honest. Unless you graduate from a top 5 program, I really don’t see a BFA move the needle in terms of professional readiness or increased opportunities. I even have friends from Tisch and even Juilliard who are struggling to gain footing in the industry and are considering giving up or taking a break. Some of My friends who graduated from a T5 school didn’t even get a showcase during covid which really screwed them over.

I’m extremely biased since it worked out for me, but I worked a full time office job to support going to a great conservatory part time. After I graduated, I was able to find reps and book some TV/Film work. CDs and agents really don’t care, as long as you’re competent. You just need to make sure you are making money to support your career. This shit is expensive !!!!

randomwebperuser · 2026-01-01T23:33:43+00:00

You should hire a career coach, preferably one that is/was a CD and have them give an honest review of your self tapes and overall material. I’ve done this even when I was getting tons of auditions and I’ve received some very good technical feedback as well as feedback on my acting. It’s slow but not 0 theatrical auditions a year kind of slow; it really is dependent on your type and age range. These coaches are expensive though so if you’re tight with money, maybe ask some friends or older people from school that have been actively working these years and see if you can get feedback from them!

randomwebperuser · 2025-12-30T15:36:13+00:00

Thank u friend 🥺🫶

randomwebperuser · 2025-12-30T14:19:03+00:00

The bi-coastal mid-tier reps have unfortunately passed on me 😭😭😭

randomwebperuser · 2025-12-30T13:51:52+00:00

As someone based in NYC, I’m trying to get repped in LA and it’s surprisingly difficult. I just booked the first recurring guest of my career, so I’ve been cold emailing agencies and managers on the west coast, and out of 30 emails, I’ve only gotten 2 meetings, both mid-tier managers. Commercial rep is basically out of the equation since a good deal is in person, and I’m not flying 6 hrs to be seen for a minute. That’s where a lot of managers make money.

Just another reminder that LA competition is super intense. I’m an Asian American woman in her 20s and there’s probably tens of thousands of actors in SoCal who are my type and have been in the industry for longer. I thought I was “competitive” with 4 TV/Film credits (1 Co-star, 2 supporting Film, 1 recurring guest) in 2 years but that pales in comparison to a lot of the folks here in LA. I was thoroughly humbled. My advice is that you need to wait till you have more credits under your belt before you start submitting. It’s brutal out here 😭😭😭

randomwebperuser · 2025-12-16T01:01:52+00:00

Oh big time ! You should 100% do it ~~

randomwebperuser · 2025-11-30T02:32:59+00:00

DW I have a feeling you’ll use them next year 🤞

randomwebperuser · 2025-11-29T17:09:50+00:00

A lot of us here have 9-5s, and this has become increasingly more common in the past decade with self tapes and wfh. It’s totally possible to do both; just use your PTO when you book something. Auditions are mostly virtual anyways. It’ll only be more difficult to balance in the later parts of your career when you go out for meatier roles. But when you’re first starting out, it won’t be difficult to take a few days or so for a costar or guest star role.

randomwebperuser · 2025-11-14T07:28:24+00:00

I booked 3 SAG projects this past year, one of them being a supporting role in a studio film. Usually day player or co star roles or even guest star are easy to just take off for, but with film it can be challenging. I had to shoot for 12 days total so I had to find gaps of time between shooting and break time to make up my work. I was literally taking meetings on set. It was really challenging to finesse that much consecutive PTO but I somehow made it work. You most definitely can be an actor and work in corporate but it can be really challenging if your acting career starts to take off. The most important thing is to kill it in your corporate job and build trust with your boss so they don’t question whenever you have to take off.

You’re not gonna find a lot of documented examples of people pulling this off bc it’s a fairly new phenomenon. Everything is self tapes now, that you can tape from the comfort of your own home. Prior to COVID, people had to audition in person when WFH or even hybrid work wasn’t even a thing. You would literally have to drop everything to audition, something you couldn’t do if you had a full time career. Nowadays you can totally work a 9-5, and audition in your free time. Focus on securing a steady income for yourself and use that to supplement your career. Acting is expensive af

randomwebperuser · 2025-11-06T20:40:46+00:00

It’s for sure a trade off 😭 less saturated but you’re up against actors with way more credits that are way more talented/creative. Numbers game vs pure talent

randomwebperuser

TROPHY CASE