The Biz

Aw Man! This is going to suck to say. It's going to come across as elitist and self important. All i can say, is that I DO this. This is my life. 60 hours a week. Everyone in LA wants to talk show business, and everyone has "Advice" to give. Well, let me just throw THIS out there. If you're not a manager, and agent, a casting director or someone who deals with living, breathing, casting choices, then DO NOT GIVE ANY FUCKING ADVICE TO ACTORS! The following is a cut and paste job of some advice an actress friend of mine received from someone who lives in LA:

I have a lot of friends who are actors. It's a tough gig. Find a steady yet flexable job yo pay the bills and then take as many classes and do as many auditions as you can. As with any art, the only way to get better at something is to do it. Getting as much good experience as you can while building a reel is key. That reel can help you get agents and parts, so you want to try and get involved with pieces that reflect you as an actor and that you cna be proud of. For every striving actor there is a striving director, so keep a look out for work in indipendent short films by people trying to break into directing.

Oh mother of the baby Jesus and all the Saints in heaven...did you read that?
Let's forgive the spelling. Let's forgive the notion that acting is an art, the question this guy needs to ask is "Do you want to make a living at acting, or just twat about?". The recipe he has given this girl is a recipe for a lot of mistakes, and a lot of wasted time. THIS is how actors end up in a lame fuckaround, rather than building towards a real and lasting career.

I know the intentions were good, but I also know how saturated this town is with actors and how if you want to REALLY give a friend a hand, you'll avoid giving shit advice. Do everyone in LA a favor, and let's steer actors to the brutal guillotine that is the real Hollywood. Let's introduce them to SAG, AFTRA, Pay or Play, Favored Nations, Modified Low Budgets, Breakdowns, Sides, Pilots, Non-Union Episodics and all the true hazzards of a budding career. Keep them away from lowlifes with no budget, a self obsessed script, and a digital cam. Deliver your friends from "Features" that are written, directed, produced, and starring John Q. Fuckup. If your actor friends are to die, then let them do it, and decrease the surplus population. At least you gave them a fighting chance.