Another Rockin' Business of Acting Class!

I just finished teaching my business of acting class for the semester and it was a blast as always teaching my student actors all of the ins and outs of the biz - agents, taxes, contracts, marketing, networking, media and market research and so much more. In my class each actor develops a business plan based on their own dreams, research into what they want to do and ultimately on their own reality or given circumstances.

At the first meeting where we focus on the development of a business plan – I see the look of sudden awareness – that this dream they have had for so long is a business like any other and they are in charge – and I am delighted!

And at the final meeting – individual appointments where I review each person’s business plan with them - I was once again delighted that each of them had a solid plan.

We have given them the craft, the process, plenty of practice and also the practical business savvy to know how to get there. It made my day to hear each of my students tell me that they feel prepared to go out there and take the world by storm! I heard from each of them “I came in with a dream and now I have both the skills and the know-how to go out and do it.”

This is only partly the reason that we have a 100% placement rate here at the Conservatory (number of graduates who get their first acting job within six months of graduation.) The other reason is that the business class doesn’t end on the last day of class – our graduates have a home they can - and do - come back to for business support anytime. It is true that we train our actors - and then we nurture them – forever.