Start by striving for success locally. If you haven't already studied acting, look for lessons where you live and see if there are local theater groups (aka, "community theater") that do plays. Do any movies come to shoot where you are? The city I live in has a casting agency that is used when movies and TV shows come to shoot on location. All of this serves 3 purposes: you get experience that you can put on the entertainment version of a resume. Just like with other jobs, people want to know you have experience, can take direction, etc. Second is that you get to get even better at your various talents. That's not to say you don't have talent now -- it's just a matter of finding new and different ways to use it. The last way is that you'll be around people you can talk to about what you want to do -- you can ask what has worked for them, where they've gone to get exposure, that kind of thing. That kind of networking can help a lot. Be patient along the way. Getting a big break doesn't happen quickly for a lot of people. People like Tom Hanks were doing plays and helping build sets for them way before they ended up on TV and in movies. Hang in with it, especially if it makes you happy.

Find your governor's site online. You can find state and city film commissions that will list projects that are happening in your area. You can also contact SAG, AFTRA, and Equity regional offices. Don't rely on agencies until you've got a footing in the industry. Often, you have to make your own opportunities. Put a production together and become the star at school shows. Basically, create a buzz about YOU and it will spread. I started out doing community productions, church fashion shows, event singing, and other smaller regional work. At this point, I've now done a lot of indie and major films, performed Off-Broadway, released an album, toured with bands, and have a lot of projects I'm working on.

this is the same question i want to ask ! I dont live anywhere near where the big films are or where im going to get noticed.

thats hard to answer but there are agencies everywhere... but there are more in california of course... there are some agencies you can send a video of you doing a scene or what ever and agents will acctually see them... can u have a chance of getting called back.i live in california.. and i am in the acting and the modeling business.. so i kno its hard! if u really love actig, singing and such... something well appear .

I used to work for an acting and modeling agency about 7 years ago. I negotiated contracts, shopped clients around to agents, prepped them for meeting agents, casting directors, photo editors. I went through every step with my clients from how to prepare for an interview, how to deliver lines, commercials, monologues, I took them to conventions and casting calls, dveloped their image, prepped them for meeting with photographers to get their headshots and zed/comp cards done and so I can tell you first hand that there is a LOT of competition you face. Not to discourage you but very very very few make it and that includes the ones living in NY and LA who have parents that do nothing but manage their kid, take them to auditions and casting calls and spend $30,000-$50,000 a year in clothing, photos and expenses accrued for travel and such to get their kid out there and seen. Do you have Zed or Composite cards for modeling? Do you have a headshot for acting? Can you deliver a monologue that is age appropriate? Do you know how to slate? Movies, television and print are BIG business and these people do not have time to waste on unprepared people...it IS a job interview...if you showed up for a job interview at a clothing store with no experience, no resume and no application do you think they would hire you? And that's for a job that pays minimum wage..imagine how it is for a job in the entertainment field that pays much more and is literally spending thousands of dollars on sets and film and time...especially when it comes to underage kids who have to work under certain labor laws and such. Time is money and on a set they have no time for ill prepared people with no skills, experience or tools. Not to be a killjoy but these agents sit in rooms for hours at a time day to day looking at hundreds of people and I saw it first hand how they don't even pay attention to people that are not prepared...there might be one in a million that is a raw talent that they take a chance on and even then they need to know a parent is willing to move, spend a lot of time and money and resources to get their kid where they need to be. One of my old clients Chip Hormess was a natural talent. He blew away every agent who saw him, his mother spent a lot of money on his photos, his training (acting classes, conventions, trips to LA) and even then it took time. He became my client when he was 5 yrs old and didn't get his big break until he was almost 12. He was on commercials and small parts in movies until he got his break in Walk Hard the Dewey Cox Story..watch the movie, he is the kid that gets cut in half. IT took quite a few years, lots of money, his family relocating to LA and training training training for him to get where he is....again yes there is that one in a million shot, but that is not the majority of people that go for it. My advice to you...do your homework. Get professional headshots for acting, zed/comp cards for modeling, check out the local film and theater, get some experience, check your local SAG (screen actors guild) for any extra parts for tv or films being filmed in the area, try to get some parts to add to your resume. Plan a trip or two to LA to do some casting calls or auditions. Simply mailing in a picture or video of yourself is possible but I have seen agents toss these in the garbage...they simply do not have the time to deal with inexperienced people without the right tools. Check your area for some acting classes. Often times aside from getting some good training you can meet a coach/teacher or two that have some leads or who actively pursue work in the industry as well and can give you some leads. Know how to interview, an interview/audition is no different than a job interview, if you are shy or inexperienced looks don't mean anything..there's a million cute people in the world..I have seen agents go with a model or actor that is slightly less attractive because they interviewed better and seemed more pleasant to work with. Bottom line is the work will more than likely not come to you, you have to go to it. thousands of people move to LA everyday to try to get into the business and even they cannot find work..you have to be realistic, why would an agent choose you when you aren't even in the vicinity. You have to be prepared to spend money to make money..they don't just pay to move you to LA, pay for your house and hand you a million dollars before you have even worked. It's a ladder you have to climb. You have to invest in it and yourself to make yourself a commoddity they want to invest in. The agency I worked for represented, Ashton Kutcher and his twin brother, Sean William Scott, Jeremy Kissner, and many more...not one of them were overnight successes..they went to modeling and acting conventions that costed $5000.00 to $10,000.00 per convention. They spent a lot of time and money on training and photos and travel...it's a tough road...good luck...but luck plays very little in this game...you have to do a lot of work and preparation. Lastly, there are NO shortcuts...places offering inside auditions, and special training like Barbizon, John Casablancas and John Robert Powers are merely rip-offs trying to get your money and offer very little that will actually get you work. They know people like yourself want this badly and take advantage of your willingness to succeed..contact some agents, Check out the Screen Actors Guild, get informed and experienced.

First of all, keep at it. Sing in church, if they will let you do that at your young age. If there is a professional or collegiate sports team near you, make a demo tape and ask to sing the National Anthem before a game. Be in school plays -- especially musicals. Put your talents out there so you can be discovered.

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