I went and got registered today and I can start getting booked for acting jobs immediately.

FUCK YES

whoah cool :3

Whoo!

CONGRATS

It's the same company that booked Michael and me for the background gig on that steampunk episode of Castle, except that was a rush call so they didn't have time to register us properly.

But now I'm officially registered!

I'll definitely let you guys know if/when I'll be appearing on any future episodes of any popular shows that film in LA.

And thanks! I'm excited!

I hope I can get another Castle gig. /chinhands

That would be so cool! That IS so cool! Excellent, Gen! (Make sure you pack an ereader, you likely know there's a lot of "hurry up and wait" involved.)

And I will point you out to my brothers, and say, "See that beautiful young lady? She's a nerdgirl like me!"

Congrats! (Pretty good for a girl who was panicking not a week ago! (devil) )

Heh, well I knew that Central Casting was an option but it's still not a guarantee for work. The casting directors have to choose me out of thousands of others. I still have to audition for this stuff.

BUT I've gotten booked by them before so I know I can do it again. The challenge will be getting myself enough pay to get me through the month.

You already have experience, and you look gorgeous. I don't doubt a second this will be good for you! (And they may be able to give you pointers for voice acting!)

Eh, not likely. Screen acting and voice acting are two very different industries. I might be able to get an in on larger screen acting roles if I keep at it for a while, though.

Congrats!

Speaking parts is something to work towards -- hard to get into, but the pay's much better once you get to that point.

Congrats!

Ask, Ms. Gen! It may be different, but people talk to each other! They may not offer work in that, but they may know which agencies have good reputation!

AWESOME!

Woot! Congrats!

StereoNacht: If she can't get it through Central Casting, it ain't being cast! They're the old traditional standby in California!

For screen acting, yes. Voice acting is a totally different kind of work. I know enough about the industry to know that asking the casting directors I'll be working for about voice over work would be pointless.

HOWEVER, if I can get voice over classes and make a sample recording or two, having experience acting on TV shows might get me looked at more closely by voice casting directors.

What I am saying is those people doing casting do not live in their little box. They work with people who may need screen acting once, voice acting another. You ask the people you know so they ask the people

they know, then you get an answer! That's what it means by "using your network"; it's about having people willing to put your name ahead to people who may be willing to trust them, and if you are lucky,

it can go three or four levels until reaching the right ear. ASK! "Hey, I'd like to do voice acting too. Is there any agency to recommend? Do you know someone I could talk to about it?"

Again, pointless because without a sample tape I'm useless to voice casting directors and I can't get that unless I take classes (or spend a ton of money at a studio) and once I've taken classes I'll know FAR

more people much closer to the industry than any TV show casting director could talk to for me.

ASK! They'll tell you what they want. Someone may be willing to fast-track you! Besides, you already have samples. You have your song recordings, and your Radio Theater stuff.

Right now, without a sample tape, I'm useless as a voice actor. No one will listen to me. Networking and getting jobs is a bit different in voice acting than it is in screen acting.

They may not be professional recordings, but they are something.

UGH! No! Not the right kind of sample. That's singing. They want voices, and a very wide variety. Besides, I don't really know what I'm doing until I take classes.

What do I have to say for you to stop denying yourself a chance? What do you have to lose to start making contacts, gathering a few names before you are "ready"? Do I have to ask Michael to kick your butt?

And I don't have recordings of my radio theater stuff. That was performed live.

I'm not denying myself this time, Stereo, I'm telling you that you're not really understanding how these industries work. I do, at least enough to know that asking these TV people about voice acting is stupid.

Now if I wanted to to do film acting, that's different. The people I'll be working with COULD point me in the right direction with doing background work in movies.

And IF THEY LIKE ME and they've worked with me a bit and think I do good work, they might even name drop me to these people.

Ok. I don't know how Hollywood works. But I know that in most show-business stuff, people have to be versatile. The Nylons: they are actors-turned-a-capella-singers to help ends meet that took off.

How many screen actors are also theater actors? Have worked one way or another in other productions? They do not live in ivory towers; there are connections between the fields.

They might know some people who do other stuff, yes, and they might do some other stuff, yes. But knowing someone who's done some commercials won't help me one bit. At least not right now.

You have nothing to lose to ask. It might just be that one of them have an ex-girlfriend working as an animator... Or a brother working in the proper agency... Or an uncle who is an accountant for a studio...

STEREO! She does have something to lose. If the industry people look at her like she is crazy, it will hurt her rather than help her. You have to do things a certain way. LET HER DO THEM.

Ask. Just ask. For a pointer. Where to start. Someone knows the answer; but you have to ask first.

Genie's right. The casting directors don't like it when actors ask them about talking to people. It's rude and considered pushy and desperate and won't get you anywhere.

Yes, at voice acting classes. That's where I start. I already know the answer.

I don't need help there.

I'm glad you have a path. Congrats on taking this step!

Then don't ask to be fast-tracked. Ask about where to look to get started. If there is a course they'd recommend. An agency you could look into.

I already. know. where. to. look.

I have friends who have actually done these classes. Quite a few of them. That's how I know where to start.

I've already talked to people about this, friends who have taken classes and got started on their own voice acting careers.

And you don't have to ask the casting directors, if you are afraid of making the wrong impression. Ask the agency's secretary. You could be surprised.

Ugh! Just stop, Stereo.

Ok then. You were so panicked last time, I had the impression you didn't even know where to start. Looks like I got that wrong; sorry.

StereoNacht: Stereo, I've taken some voice acting workshops. Gen's right, you can't compare one to another, and they won't even listen to the wrong kind of tape.

Chiming in late ...