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Why should I volunteer as an intern?
Answer: If you want to increase your chances of acting success and landing acting jobs, having quiet confidence about the way show business operates – all facets of it – is key. Interning…. (continued in David’s answer below)
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Answer: If you want to increase your chances of acting success and landing acting jobs, having quiet confidence about the way show business operates – all facets of it – is key. Interning in various office settings may mean a lot of filing, but it is a fantastic way to learn those operations.
When I first started acting, I took, and continue to take, a very business-like and analytical approach to the art of landing acting jobs. That’s the goal, right? More acting jobs, less near misses. And in service of that goal, I’ve interned in every configuration of office that would have me. The experience has been invaluable, and it came at the expense of a few hours a week of my time, with flexibility should I get an audition or work.
In any other business, a thorough knowledge of how all the moving parts work together, what’s critical and what’s not, who’s a gatekeeper and who’s a speed bump, is extraordinarily valuable knowledge. Breaking apart show business into its component parts and finding an office or two in each area to volunteer your time and effort will pay big dividends down the line. Here are some places at which you should strongly consider interning.
Casting directors’ agencies. The number one place to intern is a casting director’s office. I’d suggest that you intern in several types of places – a large, multi-show casting office and a small one-person agency, so you can see the difference in how things are handled. In both situations, you can observe how the casting directors, casting assistants and casting associates interact with one another, sharing information and coming to conclusions about an actor’s suitability for a role. You’ll also learn an amazing amount about what works for an actor and what doesn’t, as you participate in running audition sessions, pulling and sorting headshots, assisting with audition video upload, ushering other actors in and out of auditions, reading for the sessions and so on.
Managers’ offices. Actors often decide that they’d rather have a manager than an agent, a manager and an agent, or just an agent. Find out what really happens in the office of a manager by interning a few hours a week. You’ll most likely answer phones, work in clerical or administrative support, but you also will witness one-on-one meetings with clients, potential clients, and so on, and listen to calls with casting directors, agents, networks and more. You’ll walk away with a far better understanding of what a manager actually does, and if you really need one on your team – and the associated percentage of income you’ll pay for their work.
Agents’ offices. I often hear actors saying, “My agent doesn’t get me out enough.” After one shift interning in an agent’s office, you’ll never say that phrase again. Your agent makes money only when you book, and there’s no chance of you booking if you don’t get into the audition room. Interning for an agent will expose you to managing files of headshots and resumes, and you’ll discover very quickly how lazy some actors are about making sure their files are up to date. You’ll see how the breakdowns look, and the thought process the agent goes through before deciding to pitch a client to a casting director. You’ll sit in on meetings, find out why agents choose to (or choose not to) represent a potential client. And you’ll gain a new respect for the daily grind being an agent actually can be.
Writing teams’ offices. Nothing happens on stage or on screen without a script. Yes, even semi-scripted and reality shows have scripts. And if you lean in that direction, watching the process a script goes through, either with a single writer or with a large team working on an important series or film, will help you better understand the writers’ frames of mind when you encounter them in an audition callback. You also will become a better actor, as you experience professionals shaping the lines and stories, writing and rewriting before the final product hits the air.
Theater companies. Especially in New York and London, where it’s possible to make a living doing nothing but theater, interning for the staff of the theater company can give you insight to the liturgical process, the space booking process, working with casting, production, promotion, front-of-house and more. Taking that knowledge and familiarity with you when you step on stage to a series of friendly faces is invaluable.
Commercial casting locations. Want to book more commercials? Start interning with casting session runners. They’d love nothing more than another set of hands dealing with actors, scripts, sign in sheets, slating and camera running, even reading. And again, you find yourself in a fast paced environment that gives you amazing glances at what actors do to win auditions and get cast in roles, or shoot themselves in the foot..
Voiceover studios and post production facilities. Engineers, producers, video game audio designers, film sound editors – the list goes on and on, and I’ve found that rarely do actors venture into the space of offering help to the post production community. To simply sit in on an network episodic editing session, to see AVID and Final Cut Pro being used to create a show I’d been a guest star on, gave me invaluable insight as to how I was (or wasn’t) giving the editor choices that made the show better. And to offer support in running drives to another location, grabbing coffee and scripts, hailing support when technology needs attention gives you yet another professional connection.
Extra and background work. Consider this a paid internship. Sure, the pay is low, and the food can be terrible, and you may find yourself being referred to as a “cardboard cutout that eats,” but you learn what the extras and background people you’ll be working with in the future go through – it will change the way you treat them and their station in the grand scheme of the production. You’ll meet all manner of individual, from the aspirational actor who, like you, is using extra work and background work as a stepping stone to more visible roles, to the kindly older lady or gentleman who simply likes the leisurely life of a retirement spent as an extra. And don’t forget, the list of actors who have been extra and background actors on their way to becoming stars is long and legendary.
Remember, it’s not about putting in some time, and then asking for an audition, or representation, or to understudy. It’s about offering your services freely, getting to know the people and processes that make the business flow, and considering all of your internship opportunities to be a free education, with the side benefit of networking and new relationships.
The more you know about how show business really works, and the more myths you dispel, the faster you’re able to process new and different situations that you’ll encounter in your acting career. The fear of the unknown can be simply paralyzing, and knowing the secrets of how the business works can be liberating and a distinct advantage.
What’s your answer to this acting question? Let me know in the comments below.
David, thank you so much for this article. You are always so willing to share your experience! I hope all my Act Now clients will take heed.
Dufflyn
http://www.dufflyn.blogspot.com
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LikeDislikeHow would one go about trying to land an Internship opportunity at a casting agency? I imagine that a resume for this should be different than my acting resume. Do you have any resume examples? I’d appreciate any advice or further direction on where I should look next. Thank you! Scott
This isn’t something that anything other than an acting resume would be needed – and even that might not. Just call and be generous and ask if they need any help around the office. It’s more of a volunteer thing – unless they have rules about only allowing you to intern there if you’re pursuing a degree.
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