How to become an Actor
The journey of a thousand miles may indeed begin with a first step, but knowing what that first step entails can be a major challenge.
This is especially true when it comes to those embarking on creative pursuits such as acting.
There is no one clear path to Hollywood, but rather, a multitude of possible routes that intersect and overlap. Those chasing after such a goal often find themselves asking over and over again: where do I begin?
The simple answer? Gaining quality experience.
How can I get the 'experience' that is needed?
An excellent place for aspiring actors to start is by taking the time to hone their skills by booking and attending acting classes that show you how to prepare and teach the methods and techniques to access parts of yourself that will be needed to understand the story and character. This leads to playing the role successfully.
Another key to your preparation will be learning how to perform on camera for auditions which leads to eventually booking a role on a project as a working actor.
You will want to train at a school that not only offers training in acting but also breaks down how to get auditions, win auditions, and understand all of the professional protocols that must be followed when working on a set. All of these things are skills in and of themselves and must be learned. Also, one of the most important things to know about life as an actor is understanding the business side of “the business”. In the acting world, you are the product. Understanding this and presenting yourself in the correct way to the industry can make or break your career.
All of the above can make a world of difference when it comes to being cast in that dream Hollywood role you've always wanted in TV or Film.
The hands-on experience you'll attain from attending a reputable acting school will help you attract certain opportunities and auditions for roles on TV, Film, and Commercials that may otherwise be difficult to find, and most importantly make sure that when the opportunity arises you are ready.
But with so many acting classes available, how do you determine which is best? The Best Option for Acting Classes “Online”?
*****Look no further than The Philadelphia Acting Studio (TPAS).
This premier online acting school offers carefully tailored acting classes that are open to actors of all levels and ages; in other words, it does not matter if you are a beginner or a seasoned actor— The Philadelphia Acting Studio has something for you.
The school focuses on preparing aspiring actors for the work that is required to build a successful career. Whether you dream of working in Film, TV, or Commercials, this school has set the standard for online acting classes through their new Acting Accelerator Program.
TPAS focuses not only on traditional means of acting in each online acting class but also on the more technical skills that often go untaught, as well as the business of the business. Through an extensive database of video instruction and mentorship calls to help students navigate the many different topics that will arise on the actor's journey to a successful career. Live group coaching is also available.
***They aim to not only equip you with the correct acting methods, techniques, and tools for each role but also provide each and every one of their students who book a slot in a class with information and instructions on how to gain opportunities to act in projects.
Sounds too good to be true?
Check out the video testamonials here, and you'll see otherwise! Learn how TPAS alumni have utilized the skills that they have learned and landed promising roles in many projects!
What Acting Training Will I Receive?
So, what exactly do these acting classes entail, and how does TPAS set itself apart from all the other acting schools that promise you a ticket to Hollywood?
Simply put, to succeed and carve out a place for yourself in the competitive industry of acting and film, you need much wider skills than what one would initially imagine.
TPAS understands this: that its students not only need to hone their acting methods and techniques, but practice other key skills such as scene work, preparing for auditions, working a camera, self-tapes, the business of the business, confidence, networking, agents, managers, unions, mindset, and so much more.
The Founder of TPAS, actor Bernard Glincosky, who is also a current SAG-AFTRA member has more than twenty years of experience under his belt with leads in feature films and knows just how important it is for actors to come across as professional and prepared when auditioning and meeting people in the industry that could potentially hire you.
This is why he has tailored his acting courses to include training on the most important aspects of acting, such as: focusing on voice, speech, camera work, mindset, and cultivating confidence (if you want a more detailed explanation of the Acting Accelerator course, you can easily find it here).
TPAS offers online acting classes and workshops via Zoom, where students will be instructed by coaches and given an avenue to put their acting techniques into practice. At present, the curriculum includes weekly personalized group coaching and support. You can book and attend these training sessions and classes from the comfort and safety of your own home, despite the ongoing pandemic.
The online acting classes also include access to a private online group and an extensive archive of videos curated by the faculty to supplement their acting programs carried out over Zoom.
Can Acting Class Really Help My Career?
When speaking on the benefits of ongoing training for actors, Zoe Naylor, most known for being an actor in Home and Away and The Reef, had this to say: “It’s not unusual to find professional actors taking two classes a week alongside their usual filming or stage commitments.”
This is a reminder that tools need to be sharpened regardless of profession, and that acting classes are not simply for beginners.
They are an integral part of all actors' lives, regardless of what they have achieved or whether they're looking to get on TV, the big screens, or the theatrical stage.
Every top-performing expert has coaches, that's why they are so good. Constant refinement of their process leads to more and more success.
When thinking of acting classes, we often imagine breathing exercises and hours of improv work. While these training techniques have their merits, there are many other aspects of acting classes that deserve just as much attention, like the aforementioned mindset, voice, speech, and camera work training that should supplement acting techniques.
Carley Harper, a TPAS alumnus, spoke of how the school's online acting classes help by "building an actor from the inside out" and how these online acting classes have helped her lay foundations on which she could build her acting career in California.
After completing the course at TPAS, Harper has secured herself two film roles and has also since relocated to Hollywood, Los Angeles.
In addition to acting training, Harper was also introduced to producers and directors and gained the tools and know-how needed to converse with them on a professional level at TPAS.
She went on to say that she found this training to be "unique to Bernard's programs", and that no other online acting class had taught her such things.
Another alumnus of TPAS, Giavonna Banner, proudly stated that TPAS had provided her with an environment where she could fail safely as an actor, which allowed her to improve and hone her acting technique, in turn leading to an eventual breakthrough for her and her career as an actor.
After completing the course at TPAS, Banner has since gone on to secure numerous roles in commercials, one in a music video and, more recently, a role in a feature film.
While there are no guarantees in life, acting schools—and TPAS in particular—have a wonderful track record of sending aspiring actors out into the world of success. Alongside Harper and Banner, other past students of TPAS have also been featured in various film titles and TV shows, such as John Wick: Ch.2, The Irishman, Gotham, and Limitless.
More testimonials to the school's credibility can also be found on TPAS' homepage.
What About the Business Side of Acting?
Performer and producer, Lauren White, wrote: “audition prep and technique classes, for film and TV, can be extremely valuable."
In this regard, alongside their regular online acting classes, TPAS continually offers its student actors guidance when it comes to creating their own brands as professional actors. They even supplement this through their access to feedback from seasoned professionals, who also often help them out with other major lessons such as speech coaching and working with camera angles.
TPAS guarantees coverage on everything one would need to get themselves into Film, TV, and Commercials from New York to Hollywood, by cultivating the right mindset to learning how to navigate relationships with agents and managers, to even speech and camera work—which are what collectively make TPAS the best online acting school.
Is Taking Online Acting Classes as Useful as In Person?
Online acting classes not only teach the required acting skills and allow for actors to hone their acting technique, but it also does so while granting you the safety and comfort of your own home (or anywhere, really), at no expense to quality.
In fact, online acting classes can even work better than in-person sessions, due to their facilitation of not only convenience but the ease in which more technical lessons can be conducted at all levels in front of a camera.
After all, via Zoom, it becomes simpler to provide online acting classes dealing with things like lighting, background, and camera angles, due to the many features and functions of Zoom.
Having the acting class conducted online also facilitates better learning when it comes to technical subjects. Participants are now able to access the online acting classes from anywhere, and this offers nuanced flexibility that is unique to the online teaching of an acting class.
For instance, Banner attests that it would have been near impossible for her to attend acting classes or improve on her acting technique if not for the added flexibility online classes allow her… she also stated that the online acting classes meant that she didn't miss out on any of the audition opportunities available to her, even on her busiest days.
Furthermore, with the sophistication of Zoom, acting coaches can provide the same lessons as that offered pre-pandemic. Glincosky even mentored Banner outside of class and guided her over Zoom for an audition she had for a feature film, where she had to submit a self-tape for review.
Banner eventually landed the role and proudly acknowledges that she would not have been able to do so if not for having first attuned herself to the digital needs of the industry amidst the pandemic if it was not first demanded and facilitated by the online acting classes.
The Verdict
So, if you're thinking about applying to TPAS for the best online acting classes available, do go ahead and book a call with the director and founder, Bernard Glincosky. You can do so by simply clicking this link, and submitting your details and email address.
As for their credibility and reputation, if what's already been said is not yet convincing enough, TPAS has been mentioned on CBS Philly and even coined as one of the best acting schools in Philadelphia that provides the best online acting classes.
The studio has also received a five-star rating on both Google and Yelp, where they have pages full of praise for not only its online acting classes but how the coaches prepare each student to achieve their acting goals.
In conclusion, The Philadelphia Acting Studio is open to people of all levels, and its online classes are accessible to anyone and everyone interested.
Whether you want to make the move to Los Angeles or simply want to improve your acting skills, TPAS offers a well-rounded course for everyone who is looking to get into Film, TV, and Commercials.