ARE YOU READY FOR PILOT SEASON?

AGENT: Do you have an agent? Agents can send you out for pilot season and other professional casting opportunities.

Before you seek an agent, you must develop a professional skill set. First you must study with a professional acting coach such as Maureen Cashin Bolog at Actor's Craft. You must get a simple headshot to promote yourself to land roles in independent films and even student films to get clips of your work. From those clips you can build a reel and create your resume.

Your agent will need YOUR marketing material to promote you as a professional. Your clips, reel, resume, and headshots are part of YOUR portfolio. The higher the quality of your marketing material, the more likely you are to stand out amongst your competition.

Keep studying acting to improve your performance on your clips. Replace footage on your reel as you create richer content. Keep your resume updated and make sure your headshots are current and professional.

Send your agent tickets to your theater productions and send clips or links of your film work, or even tickets to your film premieres

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING: Agents want to know that you are investing in your own growth as a professional in this industry. If you are not investing in your own career growth, why should they invest their time and energy in you? Even A-list actors have acting coaches with whom they work on roles.

You can learn professional acting techniques at Actor's Craft in Kenosha WI from highly trained acting coach Maureen Cashin Bolog. Actor's Craft has an excellent reputation and has been in business since 2005. Take classes in The Chubbuck Technique used by Academy Award winning actors, and Audition Technique featuring the phrase technique developed by Margie Haber, and learn to make impactful self-tapes. Dramatic Improvisation featuring techniques of Viola Spolin, Uta Hagen, Sanford Meisner, etc. will help you respond truthfully moment to moment. Our On-Camera Close-Up Scene Study will help you put into practice what you are learning to master the craft of acting as you grow your skill set week by week, getting video footage you can use to create clips and promote yourself as an actor to independent film projects, agents and casting directors. See our list of classes below for Adults, Teens and Kids 6+.

CLIPS: Do you have footage of yourself in films? A clip is less than a minute of yourself in a scene. If you do not have clips, consider our On-Camera Close-Up Class at Actor's Craft on Monday Nights. You can use your footage from class as a new actor creating content. OR as a seasoned actor, you can send these clips to your agent and various casting directors to keep you on their radar as you explore different types of roles and characters. Perhaps they will see you in a new way or be impressed with your improved skill set.

You can also get clips of your work from footage of yourself in independent film projects and student films. You can find these audition opportunities on Actors in Wisconsin and other casting platforms.

REEL: A reel is a compilation of video footage, some say 60-90 seconds, others say 2.5 - 3 minutes, of your best work that showcases you in various roles. Actor's Craft hosts a Facebook Group called Actors in Wisconsin that connects actors with filmmakers and theater professionals. Since 2007, this group has grown to over 8000 members and helps actors in Wisconsin and bordering states build clips, reels and resumes. I have a sample copy of a contract you can ask filmmakers to sign to help ensure you will get footage of your work.

RESUME: Keep your resume current. Make sure it follows the proper format. You can gain experience auditioning for and landing roles through casting notices you find on Actors in Wisconsin and other platforms. Pursue theater and on-camera work to build your resume.

HEADSHOTS: I recommend you actually study acting before investing in headshots so you have a sense of the types of roles you can get cast in and take headshots that will market you for those types. You can start auditioning on Actors in Wisconsin without a professional headshot. Take a medium close-up picture of yourself (no selfies) that follows a similar format to professional headshots with plain contrasting background to your hair and clothing, good lighting, medium and jewel toned shirts/jackets and framed appropriately. Make sure your eyes are talking to the camera - example: "Get you to laugh with me" for light-hearted work or "get you to suspect I know your secret" eyes for something more dramatic. Put your name on the bottom of the headshot.

As you build your skill set and seek to improve your clips/reel, a professional headshot is necessary marketing material for you as you pursue higher-end projects and seek an agent and professional casting directors. Adults should update their headshots every few years or as your look changes. You must commit to your haircut and color so you match your headshots. If men are willing to shave facial hair for a role, get headshots of yourself with and without facial hair.

SOCIAL MEDIA: As an actor, you run an ACTING BUSINESS! These days, the number of followers you have can make a difference between you and another actor of similar talent landing the roles. Your ability to market yourself will be beneficial to the marketing of the final projects in which you land roles. Find ways to stand out on social media. Record your journey in the classes you are taking, the scenes you shot in class, your experience on set, your most recent headshots, in networking sessions with likeminded creatives who are doing the work necessary to move forward with their careers.

ACTORS IN WISCONSIN: Promote yourself as an actor, a filmmaker, a director, an editor, lighting guru, grip, etc., or as a Theater talent. Being brand new is OKAY on this platform. Everyone has to start somewhere. We have over 8,000 people on this Facebook Group and its purpose is to grow skill sets from beginners to seasoned professionals. Audition for everything that suits your type. Get experience auditioning and networking. Volunteer to help on productions to learn what happens behind the scenes and to build relationships with people who share your passion. Our goal is to grow the creative economy in Wisconsin and to elevate skill sets and promote our talent.

Actors Network/BackStage/Casting Network: Post your profile, keep your content updated. This is a cost of doing business - part of your MARKETING effort to sell yourself as an actor. Make sure your skill set is up-to-par before you spend the money.



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 ADULTS 16+

Audition Technique

8 weeks/$330

Monday Mornings - ONLINE, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Winter Session: January 22, 29, February 5, 12, 19, 26, March 4, 11, 2024

Wednesday Mornings, 10 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.

Winter Session: January 24, 31, February 7, 14, 21, 28, March 6, 13, 2024

Tuesday Evenings, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Spring Session: March 26, April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, May 7, 14, 2024

Intro to The Chubbuck Technique

8 weeks/$330

Tuesday Evenings, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Winter Session: January 23, 30, February 6, 13, 20, 27, March 5, 12, 2024

Monday Mornings - ONLINE, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Spring Session: April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, May 6, 13, 20, 2024

Wednesday Mornings, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Spring Session:  April 3, 10, 17, 24, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 2024

Dramatic Improvisation

4 weeks/$170

Fall 2023 - Saturdays 9:30-12:30 p.m.

November (no 4), 11, 18, 25 - $127.50

December 2, 9, 16, (no 23, 30) - $127.50

Winter and Spring 2024 - Wednesdays 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

January (no 3, 10, 17) 24, 31 - $85

February 7, 14, 21, 28 - $170

March 6, 13, (no 20), 27 - $127.50

April 3, 10, 17, 24 - $170

May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 - $212.50

On-Camera Close-Up, Adults 16+

Monday Nights, 7-11 p.m.

4 weeks/$170

Fall 2023

November 6, 13, 20, 27 - $170

December 4, 11, 18, (no 25) - $127.50

Winter and Spring 2024

January ( no 1, 8, 15) 22, 29 - $85

February 5, 12, 19, 26 - $170

March 4, 11, (no 18), 25 - $127.50

April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 - $170

May 6, 13, 20 (no 27) - $127.50

NO JUNE



KIDS & TEENS

Teen Acting Technique, Ages 12+

Mondays, 5:15 - 6:45 p.m.

12 weeks/$330

February 5, 12, 19, 26, March 4, 11, (no 18), 25, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2024

Kids Acting Technique, Ages 6+

Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30

12 weeks/$220

February 6, 13, 20, 27, March 5, 12, (no 19), 26, April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2024

NEW CLASS!

Accessible Acting Technique

For Middle School & High School Age with Disabilities

Actor’s Craft is a CLTS Provider

Wednesdays, 4:30-6 p.m. 

8 Weeks/$220

Winter Session: January 24, 31, February 7, 14, 21, 28, March 6, 13, 2024

Spring Session: April 3, 10, 17, 24, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 2024

Summer Acting Camps - July & August 2024

Creative Drama, Ages 6-11

July 8-12, 2024, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

$225

Professional Acting Intensive, Ages 10-18

July 15-19, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

$350

Theater Games & Improv, Ages 10-16

July 22-26, 2024, , 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

$225

Lights! Camera! Action! Ages 10-16

July 29 - August 2, 2024, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

$300

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