Acting Schools and College Classes

About Film Acting School and Colleges

The selection of an acting school largely depends on one's goals after graduation. Is the main goal to star in movies? Television? Broadway? Local theater? Location is a huge deciding factor for an acting school. Someone anxious to break right into New York's hot theater district might do well to narrow their search to schools in Manhattan, while a thespian set on local productions can look closer to home. While Los Angeles and New York are obvious choices to be close to the major markets, there are terrific schools spread all across the country. Beyond location, it is important to decide which type of school is best. A four-year college will offer acting training in conjunction with broader liberal arts instruction, while vocational schools offer faster programs that focus solely on acting. No matter what kind of school one chooses, and regardless of location, other details that should not be overlooked include the institution's facilities (do they meet industry standards?), faculty (do they have experience in the industry?), instruction (should be hands-on in small class sizes), exposure (does the school have contacts with industry professionals?), and cost/financial aid. Finally, the school should be accredited and/or licensed with a legitimate agency. No school should require large up-front payments, nor should they force applicants to sign binding contracts, but all reputable acting schools will require an audition.

Why acting school?

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Acting schools can provide you with the skills needed to succeed in the very competitive acting industry. Most acting schools have very comprehensive curriculums. In addition to this, acting schools often have connections to the professional acting world. If you wish to break into the acting field, acting school can be a vital tool to meet your goals. No matter what type of acting you want to do, there is most definitely an acting school for you.

Which acting schools should I consider?

Finding the acting school that fits you is a very personal decision that should be based mostly on your acting goals. You need to ask yourself what kind of acting you would most like to do. Would you like to act in films? Would you like to act on TV? Commercial acting? Acting on Broadway? Theater acting? You have all these and many other options when thinking about acting. Different acting schools offer acting classes in all of those genres, and often even more obscure types of acting. This is an area where you really need to do your research. There are multitudes of acting careers that you can have after attending acting school.

Location is a very important factor in choosing any school, but perhaps even more so in regards to acting schools. Because using your acting school's connections to the acting industry is so important, you want to consider their proximity and affiliation to the specific area you want to work in. For example, a acting school in Los Angeles will most likely have more connections to the film acting market in Hollywood. If you are looking to act in plays or musicals, New York City would be a good place to consider because of its proximity to Broadway. Things like this are very important in you acting school choice.

Like any other school, you must also feel that you would be comfortable in the acting school you choose. An acting school will be your home for a few years, so you must be able to live there.

Because of the large amount of prospective actors out there, there are a huge number of acting schools. Unfortunately, not all of these acting schools are legitimate. Some acting schools will not give you good education, and simply want to take your money from you. For this reason, it is important to look into the legitimacy of the acting schools. Generally, acting schools associated with major colleges and universities are good acting schools.

How do I apply to acting schools?

After choosing one or a few acting schools, it is important to immediately start working with the acting school's admission staff. They are there to help you and guide you through the arduous acting school admission process. As with other colleges and universities, acting schools will ask you to fill out a regular application. In addition, however, the acting school may ask you to submit an acting portfolio. An acting portfolio will generally include a headshot and a full resume of all of your acting experience. Because of this, it is important to start compiling an acting resume now. Add to it whenever you do something new relating to acting

What is the acting school audition like?

In addition to the acting portfolio, acting schools may ask you to do an audition. This means that you will have to prepare a piece and perform it for a group of representatives from the acting school. This is an integral part of getting in to an acting school. You must choose you acting piece carefully, and take it very seriously. The audition is the only time that the acting school will get to see you actually act before deciding whether or not to admit you to their acting school.