1.They waste your time.
2.They waste your money.
3.A formal degree means nothing in the film/tv acting world.
4.They train you for stage, not film.
5.Many teachers haven’t worked professionally for years.
6.Many teachers and drama directors belittle their students.
7.They seldom help you get auditions or agents.

But first a little background…

So what do we mean by “Professional Acting Program”? Well, it’s any program that’s exclusive, and takes your money to teach you how to act. They can be a short as a few weeks, or as long as several years. They can be accredited, which means, they will give you a professional college degree such as a BA, a BFA, an MA, or MFA. Or they can be unaccredited, which means, they might give you a certificate at the end of your time there, saying, Suzie Smith attended the Joe Bascona Acting School 6 Week Method Course! Other …

You can’t really call yourself a professional actor until you get headshots. Whether you’re just thinking about becoming an actor, or trying to book auditions, you’ll need a good picture of yourself. With today’s advances in digital photography, getting a good headshot is becoming easier and easier, not to mention, cheaper.

We always recommend using a professional to get your headshots taken. But if you have a friend who’s a really good photographer, there’s nothing wrong with asking them to help you out. I myself have taken great headshots for many actor friends. One of the reasons I think they were so good, is that I had been an actress myself. I knew what the agents and casting directors were looking for, and I knew how it felt to be the actor or actress on the other side of the lens, so …