Welcome to The Friends In Film Blog

Do you know the answer to this question, ‘Why do you want to be an actor?’ Maybe you do, and maybe you don’t, but it is a question anyone aspiring to act thinks about. A-list Mentor Lera is an industry insider and an A-list Mentor. Her secret on how to become an actress begins with answering the why. If you want to know what to do if you want to be an actor, start with the why. The why is your reason, the how is your toolbox. In her interview with Janet Urban, Lera gives us her why.

As you watch the video, you might discover your reasons for wanting to act are similar to Lera’s. Whether they are or not, it’s good to ask yourself what is important to you. Lera tells us that art is for influencing people. There are many ways to influence people. Perhaps you have a message, or you want to change the world.

As a TV performer, you have to be ready for casting questions and answers, so have your answers ready for the casting director. You’ll be getting the interview and you need to be ready with your best answers.

The number one question on the minds of casting directors, managers, and agents are usually about what TV shows can cast you and why. It’s a tough question that stumps a lot of performers, but it is one you are going to have to answer if you want to look professional.

Learn the one thing you need to do before recording a self tape – how to research. Ania speaks directly from an A-list training, a snippet that let’s us begin to understand the thinking and knowledge of top film professionals. This training focused on commercials. When making a self-tape audition, Ania teaches us about using an iPhone, the tricky details of setting up lighting, the art of self-tape audition kits, and the crucially important backdrop.

Ania stresses never to send the first take. There’s a saying that filmmaking is retaking. Just like on a real film set where the director makes many takes to get exactly the right shot, we should make several takes before submitting our own self-tape audition.

Ania shares some self-tape tips and advice – write your name on your self-tape and more. These are tape tips great for self-tapes made by actors. It’s easy to do, even on an iPhone.

Film is an exciting industry to work in, and it requires great attention to detail. Listen to Ania, who is successful. There are plenty of small things that can go awry and quash progress. She gets into the nooks and crannies, that nitty gritty where aspiring talent trying to triumph trip over tiny technicalities.

Do you want to work for Netflix as an actor? There are many ways to work for scripted TV. You can learn how to work for Netflix from home, or how to work for Netflix as an actor. For all those binge watching fans dreaming of breaking into scripted TV, here’s what I know from my years of experience working in Hollywood.

There is plenty of opportunity to work for scripted TV today. With more than fifty networks working on scripted projects and productions like Netflix, Disney, Hulu, and Amazon (just to name a few), production companies are constantly looking to hire new people. The industry is growing fast and will only grow faster in the future.

Here are three reasons why your current job will get you into the film industry! Yes, you already have certain skills that will help you get there.

Someone recently asked me whether their current job can help them break into film. The regular work-a-day world and the world of film seem so different one might think they happen on different planets. It’s true that the film industry is unique. It’s one of the reasons I love it so much.

How old do you have to be for the FIF Into The Industry Certification Program? Sometimes I’m asked about it like this, “I’m 38 years old… is it too late for me to make a career in the film industry?” I get asked this question from people of all different ages, so here’s what I think.

For the FIF Into The Industry Certification program, I prefer people to be at least 19 years old. Working on a film set requires some maturity, so someone at a young age has to be responsible enough in order to be successful on film sets.

You can accelerate your acting training when you do what successful actors do. You want to model them, to do what these professional actors did. Especially if you’re over 25 years old, you need to get moving in the right direction with an accelerated plan.

Look at the actors around you in the acting schools you go to and ask yourself if it looks like they are likely to get the part they want. Maybe, just maybe, a few of those people get small roles. That’s not breaking into the business, though, that’s a one off chance that doesn’t lead to greater things. Even worse, those schools can saddle you with massive debt.