Actors Investing in Their Careers

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Actors Investing in Their Careers

To be an actor, you have to really invest in yourself. Well, at least to be a successful actor. Investing in yourself is more than just time though. Being an actor also means investing actual money into your career.
investing
What would you be spending your money on? Backstage expert, Warner Loughlin, has compiled a pretty detailed list with explanations.

The list includes:

  • Headshots
  • Acting classes (Like SmartActors!)
  • Your reel
  • Work shops
  • Online submission sites
Loughlin also includes a few more things on her blog that are practically free, such as:
  • Audition outfits
  • Original content
  • Submitting to film schools
  • Staying healthy
So you might be thinking something like "Oh man...how am I going to afford this? Backstage writer, Dallas Travers, does a great job explaining How to Invest Wisely in your Acting Career.
Create Your "Acting Extras" Account Compare your monthly costs to your monthly income and determine how much extra cash you can set aside for additional acting expenses such as new headshots, a special class, or an updated demo reel. Let’s call this money, your "Acting Extras." Even if you only invest an extra ten dollars each month, that money will add up if you set it aside. So, now, it’s time to set up a special “Acting Extras” bank account reserved just for larger acting investments where you’ll automatically deposit your acting extras allowance. Make sure the investment happens automatically, so you don’t have to think about it. Your "Acting Extras" account should be completely separate from your day-to-day bank account. That way, you won’t cheat yourself by dipping into this account for other expenses. I like ING’s online banking system, or the automatic savings site www.smartypig.com.
There are plenty of ways to make ends meet if you are really determined to be an actor. Planning ahead and putting money aside a little at a time is the easiest, stress free way of investing in your acting career.