Greetings readers! After some time in the beautiful Caribbean for my 10-year wedding anniversary, it's time to get back into the blogosphere. I'm happy to introduce you all to Jessica Martin. She is a talented actor from the Seattle area who was referred to me by the friendly and well connected David S. Hogan and Angela DiMarco.
We connected and talked about some ideas for blog posts and we quickly settled in on the often daunting topic of regional markets vs. major markets. I blogged a little about "Making it BIG in Small Markets" a few months ago from the acting teacher's perspective. However, I thought that hearing from a working actor who is also making that transition (from Seattle to LA) would be a valuable source of inspiration, information and insight for many actors and artists thinking about making the jump or looking to navigate their personal regional waters. This week in Part 1 of this two part series, Jessica tackles what steps you can start to take while in regional markets. Enjoy! -BHS
Regional & Major Market Survival Guide By: Jessica Martin
I’m assuming most of you reading this are currently in a regional market. What does that mean? It means you are living somewhere other than LA or New York (the major markets). Living and working as an actor in a regional market can be simultaneously frustrating and fantastic. Most of the work is in the major markets, but living outside of them can be much more relaxing and considerably cheaper, not to mention filled with opportunities.
The real trick is knowing how to take advantage of your regional market to help you transition to a major market. When you think about it, your hometown is a great training ground: you can develop your chops, refine your marketing materials, and make the big mistakes before you get in front of the big guns.
Here are some things you can be doing where you are, right now:
Take classes! Most major cities have some sort of acting community, be it theater or film. Ask around, do some research online, and start training. If you are a young person, your school or college will most likely offer drama classes, so sign up! Through classes you can learn technique and the basics (action, objective, obstacle, etc.), as well as network with fellow artists. You can learn of other great resources through your classmates and can share what you know. Having a good base of training from home will give you the basics to audition and maybe place into higher level classes when you get to LA or New York.
Get involved with the film industry in your city. A great place to start is in student films, so look up film schools and art institutes. This is a great place to practice film acting and get a feel for a film set, even if it is an amateur one. From there, start auditioning for bigger projects- look on local callboards and self-submit. At a certain point you may want to get an agent. Not only will he or she help you get more auditions, but it is good practice having an agent-actor relationship before you move.
Another thing that can be very educational is to be an extra or a stand-in for any major motion pictures that stop through your town. With all the film incentives across the country now, there is most likely something happening in your neck of the woods. To be on top of any productions that are coming your way, join the mailing list for your local film office. Every state has one, and they are the first point of contact for any production coming in. Once you see an upcoming project, contact them and ask for the film’s production office info. Or go on your IMDBPro account (you MUST have one of these) and look up who is casting. Let them know that you are interested in standing in or being background talent . There is usually a little pay involved and the hours are LONG. It can be very boring and tedious work, but you will learn how a professional film set works. This knowledge is invaluable! [BHS Note: for more on other ways to get involved with film/TV projects in your area click here and here]
Once you have established yourself in the regional market you may start to think about a major market move. Planning, preparation will be essential, but I will say that you can plan and prepare as much as possible, but nothing can quite ready you for the grittiness and hard competition that comes with being an actor in LA or NYC. Make sure you are truly ready for the move, because once you get to your market, you are going to have to take all new classes, find a new agent, and learn a totally new way of doing things.
This all sounds daunting, I know, but the exciting thing is that we can create the careers we want. You can take the time-worn path of going to Hollywood or Broadway, or you can stay where you are and act part time while having another job, or having a family if that suits you better. It’s totally up to you! Don’t fall into the trap of judging one market as being better than another: they all offer very different things that can be equally fulfilling. Check back next week for more on the move to the major markets!
BIO
Jessica Martin is an actor and producer primarily located in Seattle, but easing her way to LA. She has worked regularly in regional theaters across the country including the Seattle Rep, San Jose Rep, Indiana Rep, Arizona Theatre Company, Book-It Rep, and ACT Theatre. She has also appeared in local and national commercials, voiced radio spots, and most famously provided the voice for Samus Aran in Nintendo’s Metroid: Other M. In addition to appearing in short films and web series, Jessica wrote and directed her critically acclaimed short, For Patrick. You can find out more about Jessica and read more insightful blog posts at www.jessicaerinmartin.com
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