Just found this thread – over the past month this is weighing deeply on our hearts & minds in light of D’s crushing rejections. In no means are we savvy in this business, However, it seems the inverse (too much film) is truer of getting past the gate-keepers for the opportunity of advanced training than stage training is to the Film industry.
D has a good balance of stage & film over the past 10 years. Given that we reside in a small film market (Upper Midwest large city), many consider her film experience of performing almost 80 commercials over the past 5 years as extraordinary- certainly her casting agency does, LOL (while oddly, the BFA programs seem to frown). This experience does not happen by chance.
Besides talent, D has learned of two other key aspects of acting in successful film: that reputation as a professional is just as important, and that film is a different environment than stage which requires the use of different muscles: it’s dynamic and rarely goes exactly as planned. Cold-read auditions = absolutely critical; adapting to Scripts changes during shoots= absolutely critical; taking direction off-script; grueling multiple long shoots taking entire days; working & coordinating with support crew = absolutely critical; long & boring waiting between shoots; performing minimum number of takes— to name a few on a long list … In short, it’s hard work and is not easy for the faint of heart. The other aspect D has learned is that her passion for acting has not waned, but has expanded with this experience. Of course, D has been taking Film/screen training for many years.
Moreover, D started with stage, with no training at all, capturing leads at community theatre productions including CTC, professional theatre (made it to final-cut auditions at Guthrie main stage productions twice), and community support troupes (but no HS productions). Later, D has some stage training (two summers at Stage Door Manor she paid for herself)… Stage or Film – acting is her passion.
However, we believe she needs the advance training that the conservatory BFA offers, especially with stage, before striking out on her own. Last year, we met with a long-time well-respected LA agent (who’s D is a recent CMU BFA grad) that reinforced this idea – that is, training & perfecting skills is absolutely required. We concur. But the BFA programs don’t? At the Chicago Unified, some red-flags went up; the auditor at PACE ignored her monologues (cell phone was more interesting); the auditor at Purchase questioned her why she was pursuing a BFA – told her she already had enough experience (LOL), and the auditor at UNCSA expressed the same. Very odd stuff indeed. LOL. It’s a WIP conundrum that’s certainly a reflection of the illogic, uncertainty, and chaos of the entertainment industry that all aspiring actors/actresses face regardless of having a BFA or not.