how do i get into drama without an agent

Get some good head shots and make lots of copies, both electronic and hard copy. Get together a video portfolio if you can also. Then keep building to this collection with regular updates.

Then canvas. Canvas production houses, film studios, casting consultants (not agents) and anyone you can find that may be involved in actual production work.

Do your own contiuous research into what is happening around town. Mags such as Encore will give you a break down of what is happening. Regularly check out information portals such as Screenswest and FTI (WA organisations.)

Get your hands dirty doing some student film work. You won't get payment, but you will get experience, more video evidence and potential contacts. You never know, the director might just make it big one day and remember you.

Keep yourself involved with things that will keep your skills finely tuned - community theatre, unpaid work, training, etc. Some of this will be free, others will cost you.

Register with legitimate casting book services (there are a few out there) and these will cost you.

Also important, join the MEAA, the union for actors and the like. From here, know your rights and what the going rates are so that when you do get work, you don't get ripped off.

Be prepared for long periods of nothing but you doing a lot of hard work for little return. You may be lucky and hit gold in your first outing. That would be the exception to the rule however.

Most important, do not give up. You will need to be a very squeaky wheel in a sea of other hopefuls, many who will have agents doing some of the above work for them. You will be met with more disappointment than success, but the most successful will push through that and soldier on.

Absit invidia (and DFT :nono:)

Jeff Watkins

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