Acting School

Your first step on the path toward Oscar gold

Almost every actor or actress who's done something significant in the industry has attended acting school. If you're serious about acting, get serious about getting educated - but keep in mind, there are many cons and swindles when it comes to acting schools and you need to do a lot of homework before you decide on which one is right for you.

Getting Educated

To get accepted into acting school, you'll have to prove you have a natural skill for acting. When you audition, show off your strengths and don't be afraid to admit that you have some weaknesses. In fact, some schools look for weaknesses that they can help you improve on.

You'll need to practice the basics of acting and prepare a variety of skills to showcase during your audition. These skills should include:

• Movement and voice - the basics of acting
• Monologue and interaction with other actors
• Versatility - facility for both comedy and drama or a strong suit in one or the other.

The better the reputation of the school, the more likely it is to genuinely help you improve your acting skills. As with many types of schools, the best ones are the most expensive in terms of tuition. Set an upper budget for acting school. Find as many sources of financial aid as you can, then pick the school (making sure that it's reputable) that most closely matches your budget.

New York Acting Schools

The Mecca for actors and actresses seeking an acting school is New York City. Here, you'll find all the big names in the industry, including:

• The Actors Studio
• The Julliard School
• The New York Film Academy

These are the schools that everyone wants to get into, and if you have the talent (and the money) to get into these schools, that's a start - just keep in mind that the workload will be very demanding.

Related Careers

• Film
• Dance