Gimme a Break: Building Your Onscreen Acting/Modeling Career, Step 1
Get step-by-step instructions on how to start a career in acting/modeling, with personal feedback from an educator with the inside scoop!
Miss Suzanne (M.A., CCC-SLP)
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(119)
What's included
16 pre-recorded lessons
average 23 mins per video7 weeks
of teacher support6 hrs 9 mins
total video learning hours1 year access
to the contentHomework
1-2 hours per week. UPDATED APRIL 2024! After each meeting, learners will have the opportunity to create the materials we discussed, and submit them for feedback. Materials can be submitted throughout the course (e.g. your practice headshot isn't done before Meeting 2, but you submit it before Meeting 5). You might also decide to make edits and re-submit after you've received feedback. Meeting 1: Headshot Meeting 2: Slate Meeting 3: Resume, Reel Meeting 4: Continue submitting homework from previous weeks Meeting 5: Audio file/reel; continue submitting homework from previous weeks Meeting 6: Continue submitting homework from previous weeks If these timelines seem tight, it's because this business moves at lightning speed. You might get an audition notice and have three days to submit a self-tape. This homework will help you have materials ready ahead of time, but also teach you the fastest/most efficient way to get these requests completed in a professional manner.Grading
A certificate of completion can be provided if requested by the learner.Class Experience
Ever thought about onscreen acting or modeling? Not sure where to start? Get pro tips from an educator, performer, and "momager" who is guiding her own children through the industry! The entire "Gimme a Break" series will cover marketing yourself, preparing materials, watching out for scams, financial aspects (like work permits, Coogan Accounts, taxes, commissions), working on set, professionalism, and more. After each class session, you'll complete a task, and I'll provide feedback to help you perfect your materials. As you progress through the series, you'll have a great set of materials so you'll be ready to audition and, hopefully, start booking jobs! STEP 1 (this class) covers: Meeting 1: The Basics to Beginning -Why? -Vocabulary/key terms for this meeting -Professionalism -Headshot how-tos (there's more to it than you think!) Meeting 2: Introducing YOU! -Your brand -Marketing to your type -Vocabulary/key terms for this meeting -Slating -How to self-tape (you'll want to see this) Meeting 3: Showing Off... the Right Way -Writing and building a resume -Making a reel Meeting 4: Going Public -Online casting websites --What they are --How to create an eye-catching profile --Common mistakes to avoid --Writing: make yourself marketable -Social media: Pros and Cons -Modeling 101 Meeting 5: Working for You -Is your name working for you... or against you? -Who works for you? --Vocabulary/key terms --Agent --Manager --and more! -Whom do you work for? --Vocabulary/key terms -Other important work entities -Audio files and voiceover reels Meeting 6: Knowing Yourself, Believing in Yourself -Finding your "niche" -Perseverance: 100 "NOs" for that one "YES" -Safety, scams, and security -Be the creator: Overcoming career "dead zones", union strikes, and the like ><COMING SOON: STEP 2 AND STEP 3!>< Learners do not need prior experience. My teaching style is warm, empathetic, and engaging. I project both energy and professionalism. As a long-time educator and as a parent of three kids, I truly care about kids, their safety, and their self-esteem. Each class meeting will consist of a video and/or document covering the topics for the meeting. Learners can post questions or materials to the classroom, or send me a message, to get feedback on the projects for each meeting. **This class provides information and feedback, and is not a guarantee of employment.**
Learning Goals
Learners will gain understanding of how to launch a career in on-screen acting and modeling in a safe and professional way.
Syllabus
16 Lessons
over 7 WeeksLesson 1:
Basics to Beginning, Part 1
Meet the teacher; Professionalism; Key vocabulary; Activity: Guess the Job Type. (Video: 18 mins.) 18 mins of video lessons
Lesson 2:
Basics to Beginning, Part 2
Headshots 101; Acting headshots vs. other kinds of headshots; How-To; Poses; DIY vs. Pro. (Video: 35 mins.) 36 mins of video lessons
Lesson 3:
Introducing YOU, Part 1
Branding and your headshot; Adjusting age ranges. (Video: 19 mins.) 19 mins of video lessons
Lesson 4:
Introducing YOU, Part 2
Key vocabulary; Knowing your type and marketing to it; Activity: Actual vs. Casts as; Creating looks to expand types. (Video: 40 mins.) 40 mins of video lessons
Other Details
Learning Needs
Teacher is neurodiverse and actively accommodates multiple learning styles and needs. Multi-modal learning is provided (auditory, text, videos, photos, doing).
Parental Guidance
Discussion of "scams" and "using your gut" involves discussion of safety (financial, personal, etc.). Every learner should have a parent, guardian, or another trusted adult to guide them as needed, and should ALWAYS know what websites the learner is accessing if they are looking for ideas for class. Websites will be mentioned informationally, but with a statement that parents/guardians should be visiting these sites, filling out forms, etc., not the learner.
Supply List
A way to take photos, a way to take videos, a way to make audio files (optional). Some form of word processing; photo/audio/video editing would be useful. At minimum, paper and pencil!
Joined February, 2020
4.9
119reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree from San Jose State University (San Jose, CA, U.S.A.)
Bachelor's Degree from University of California Irvine (Irvine, CA)
Suzanne is a life-long performer in the area of dance production as a dancer, emcee/host, and script writer. In 2019, just as one of her kids was starting in the business, a pro photographer encouraged her to start acting and modeling as well. Since that start, Suzanne's enjoyed steady work in industrials, internet commercials, UGCs, print and web advertising collateral, short films, and a web series, and in August 2023 broke through into television commercials. She also has a background in advertising (specifically, copyediting, copywriting, branding, proofreading, photo editing, hiring, casting, and media) from working at an ad agency prior to graduate school. She runs her own speech-language pathology private practice, has taught on Outschool for four years, and "momages" the creative careers of her children in the areas of acting, modeling, and music composition. Suzanne holds an M.A. in Education (Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology) and a B.A. in Linguistics (cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Linguistics Honors Program, Campuswide Honors Program). Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$9
weekly or $60 for all content16 pre-recorded lessons
7 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 9 learners
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Ages: 10-18
