Actors always seem to be in a hurry to move to Hollywood. While it's true most of the work is there, I've found many benefits for actors working outside of Hollywood. Not the least of which is that you can live in your own personal paradise!Here's a few more:
* Less competition. When the CBS-TV series “Hawaii Five-0” auditions for a speaking role in Hawai´i, 20 actors might read for it. The same part, casting in L.A. might audition 150 actors – and 1,000 more would be submitted!
* Networking. A smaller market means there are less local agents and casting directors to meet. In a short time you will have made yourself known to all the industry. You can build a good reputation for yourself very quickly—if you do good work. Or, you could make a poor impression and be thought of as “green” or “without depth”. This is how you will be remembered for a while so get training (and confidence) before you hit the workplace.
* Cost Effective. It costs much less for a production company to hire a local actor. Even if they pay union scale for the role, they don’t have to pay the local actor’s airfare, housing, or per diem. The main reason I get hired to coach actors on location (because it is NEVER in the budget!) is because I make it possible to hire more local actors, thereby saving the producers more than the cost of my salary!
* Underestimating. You may be thought of as “only a local actor” but that means their expectations of you will be lower. You can surprise the hell out of them when you really nail your audition. (Of course if you're not training then this one probably won't apply to you...)
* Got Reel? It’s almost always easier to get reel in the smaller markets. And as far as film roles go—what do you think is going to look better on your reel—a well-acted scene from a lower budget indie film or the back of your head, when you got hired for that Bruce Willis flick? It’s much easier to get a big, meaty role in a local independent film then it is to get one in a large-scale studio film. And that’s just the kind of work that can help you build a reel that really shows your best work. Look into electronic bulletin boards for filmmakers, film schools in local colleges and your state film office to find low budget films, student films and shorts in your area.So you see, there are real benefits to living in the smaller markets, outside of Hollywood. For more information about getting paid to work as an actor in the smaller markets, check out my book "F**K Hollywood: Get Paid To Act No Matter Where You Live". It's available on Amazon.com for only $9.99 - just click on the link above!
