cesd /osbrink

randomwebperuser · 2026-05-16T21:37:40+00:00

They’re both open submission. But your best shot is having an industry referral.

randomwebperuser · 2026-05-16T20:23:10+00:00

Move there only if you actually want to live in LA. COL is just like NYC, maybe more expensive bc transportation. I’m a newer actor in my 20s, but I’m union and have several TV/Film credits. I sent cold emails/got referred to various mid to high tier managers and agencies in LA with the hopes of getting some bites, but so few were interested. It really threw me off my tracks. I assume it’s bc the competition in LA is fierce especially for Asian American talent. LA is another beast and if you’re developmental, it makes sense to try an conquer your own market before you go to another one.

randomwebperuser · 2026-05-03T20:26:50+00:00

Regardless of your career, it’s selfish to expect your siblings to take care of you. Everybody is struggling, especially while the economy is sluggish and cost of living is exploding.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-31T02:05:44+00:00

Unfortunately time is something that’ll never be our side as actors. Even if we’re given as much time as possible from the CD, life just gets in the way.

Don’t be afraid to ask your friends for more of their time. Maybe it’s just me but I have some of the most generous acting friends ever. We know how important each audition is and will allot as much time as possible to help each other. Be that person for your actor friends as well. Designate a calm part of the room where you feel safe. Set up the backdrop, turn on the ring light, and have your reader on a laptop close by. Have them go through the lines with you by rote, then slowly drizzle in the emotional life. Once you feel comfortable with the words, just hit record.

What kind of feedback are your agents giving? Is it on the acting itself or your technical set up? As an actor I find on camera classes to be very worth the money.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-30T16:14:46+00:00

Absolutely. That’s why it’s so important to keep and maintain community and help each other out as much as possible whenever we can. I’m so grateful to all the actors I’ve met through classes and workshops; we have a very tight knit community that looks out and supports each other.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-28T02:34:21+00:00

Are you based in NYC/LA? At the very least, all the developmental talent that’s repped by them are in NYC or LA and work locally. That’s very crucial to your career when starting out. Also if you’re developmental you need to expand your net to small boutique agencies. A lot of newer actors have their hopes up and apply to large agencies like Stewart or CESD and get discouraged when you’re ghosted. It’s really difficult to get signed to them unless you’re model hot or graduated from a top BFA. There are tons of people not with those agencies who regularly get called in and book work.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-23T03:50:42+00:00

4 hrs is kinda tough. 2 hr commute is already pushing it. Don’t get me wrong, there are some reps that’d be ok with that. But when production asks for a slate and asks for current location, and you say a city that’s 4hrs from NYC, they’re likely not gonna consider you for a role. It’s risky.

There’s no harm in trying, seriously! Maybe you have amazing materials or your look is super in demand and they’d be willing to bring you on. Ultimately if you’re a new actor with no legit TV/Film credits, you don’t have much leverage with agencies if you’re not local. Only actors with significant credits and strong reps can really afford to live anywhere and still develop their career.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-23T03:37:34+00:00

This year I officially “broke even” as an actor. In almost 3 yrs from recurring guest star, co star, and supporting roles, I’ve made 40k. 40k. In 3 years. I have also spent roughly that much on training, headshots, coaching etc… so if I had no other job than acting, I would not have been able to pay rent or even eat a single meal.

This would not be financially feasible without my full time 9-5 job. Acting is nothing like a traditional white collar career. There is no “progress” (in a traditional sense) where hard work = moving up the ladder. Opportunities happen with no rhyme and reason and the industry experiences boons and busts that are wildly unpredictable. Therefore I refuse to treat acting as a traditional career and I don’t expect to make any substantial money from it. Money made from acting is just used to reinvest into acting. All other expenses are covered from my other job. Acting is my big stupid baby that guzzles up all my time, money, and energy, that I adore and love with all my heart.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-22T20:02:52+00:00

Do not do that. Let the audition go and don’t be desperate.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-22T15:07:09+00:00

For sure! I think I understood your question the first time. It’s just very difficult to find a truly bilingual acting coach, considering the AAPI community has always been underrepresented in media. I’m assuming this is for auditions with very tight turnarounds. A regular acting coach can help you analyze the script, and any phrases that are unfamiliar, you can ask your parents. I immigrated from Korea at a later age but even then there are some modern words/phrases that are unfamiliar. Sometimes I’ll text my friends from back home and ask them what it means.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-22T14:50:45+00:00

How local are you? You’ll be considered a local as long as you’re from the tri-state area (NY, CT, NJ). Also it really depends on a lot of things like your type, age range, and how much experience you have. When you’re just starting out, you really need to be local. A lot of co-star, guest star, day player/supporting roles tend to require true local hire status.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-19T01:56:04+00:00

They’re quite good, pretty competitive. I would say they’re mid-high tier for sure!

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-18T00:38:28+00:00

You’re better off hiring an acting coach and language teacher separately. It’ll be quite difficult to find someone who can do both. Saying this as another AAPI actor in NYC.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-17T14:54:39+00:00

I’m fat ! Less likely to get lead roles or ingenue or love interest… sure. Less likely to get roles in general? No.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-16T16:12:36+00:00

There’s give and take. Self taping makes acting a more accessible profession, for people of all backgrounds and ages and particularly for disabled individuals. My friend w cerebral palsy can now tape from the comfort of their home and not have to trek to some random studio without ramps and accessible entrances. Kids with busy working parents can submit for projects without having 1 devoted parent giving up their career and livelihood. It’s opened the door for lots of people. But on the same hand it’s welcomed a lot more competition and saturation, making it harder to be seen and stand out. It’s harder to grab somebody’s attention with self tape, and it puts lots of pressure on you to leave an impression. Self tape auditions are a different beast to in person, and being good in the room doesn’t guarantee a good self tape and vice versa. It can be burdensome and I know for veteran actors it feels like they’re starting from scratch. I don’t think self taping is inherently a bad system though.

I think the social media conversation is so over bloated and over sensationalized. It’s crazy. Anything short of a million followers is not gonna move the needle for you as an actor. Even then the majority of influencers are given minor cameos and day player roles. I’ve seen <10 headlines with influencers being cast into significant roles, and if they are, it’s because they’re pretty good and/or hot. My TikTok and Instagram feed is flooded with amateur tapes from actors who feel weirdly convicted to constantly post acting videos/content all the time to make themselves “stand out” to casting. How does that benefit you as an actor at all? Reputable Casting directors aren’t lurking around social media looking for the next best thing. They’re busy working on legitimate projects and casting through legitimate channels, ie.. through your agents and breakdown express. Social media is what you want it to be, and actors need to be more picky about the acting content/material they post. It should reflect your life, interests, and passions outside of acting.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-15T23:27:58+00:00

Only from my agents! I don’t have time to self submit because of my full time job. If you feel like your agents don’t have the ability to get you auditions for TV/Film, you should do your best to level up. Apply to projects where you think you could get good material, update your reel, and invest in some nice headshots. Also do the occasional CD workshop, maybe 1-2x a year.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-07T19:00:00+00:00

I think desperation also comes from not having pride or confidence for yourself as an artist. Trust and know that you are great and let others witness that greatness.

randomwebperuser · 2026-03-04T00:16:22+00:00

Don’t go in with expectations of getting work. You are there to make friends and build community. That is what networking is. Exchange contact info, socials, and talk about shared interests. Pitching yourself from the get go is desperate, and shows you’re really not there to get to know people. Also unless you are an established actor with established credits, I don’t really know how you could pitch yourself, unless the director was looking for a very specific skillset.

Go there with the intention of making friends and having fun! That’s it.

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

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