<p>I hate to be the killjoy here, but I feel that recommending a gap year in NYC or LA is unrealistic for most families, especially if they would still be looking at 4+ years of college thereafter. Both cities are unaffordable for most recent college graduates, much less for kids with just a high school diploma. That wasn’t always the case, but it is now. A waitressing or retail sales job will not pay the rent. Manhattan is completely out of reach financially, as are many places in Brooklyn now. Maintaining a car, and insuring a teenage driver, in LA is pretty exorbitant too, for newcomers. It is probably more realistic for a kid to look into nearby community theaters, and classes at a county or state college, while working from home, for awhile. Alternatively, a kid could work for part of a gap year, and then travel for the rest of it. That’s pretty standard practice among Europeans. You’ll find young nannies, camp counselors, and resort staff from all over the world here. They earn enough money to subsidize extended trips later on. I think it’s more realistic to have a kid save up some money, and then possibly register for a short-term course or workshop in a cultural mecca - be it LA, NYC, or London.</p>
<p>^ Recent college grads often pull it off by stacking 3-6 in two bedroom apartments. It’s tough …
You can’t speak globally on that since some take to the technical aspects more quickly than others, but generally I’d say no if only for the various stylistic considerations and the practical matter of preparation time you get in TV and Film versus Theatre which takes some getting used to. And most American schools don’t even get to it until the final semester which isn’t nearly enough. Absent having done a lot of high quality student film and ULB projects, graduates usually still need some work. [Bob</a> Krakower](<a href=“http://www.bobkrakower.com/]Bob”>http://www.bobkrakower.com/) in New York and [Stan</a> Kirsch](<a href=“http://stankirschstudios.com/]Stan”>http://stankirschstudios.com/) and [Jen</a> Krater](<a href=“http://kraterstudios.com/]Jen”>http://kraterstudios.com/) in LA tend to be popular “finishing schools” for BFA grads trying to break into screen acting along with [Lesly</a> Kahn](<a href=“http://www.leslykahn.com/]Lesly”>http://www.leslykahn.com/) who oddly doesn’t include a camera in her classes. I personally had some private coaching sessions with Bob (genius) and it really was eye-opening. There are a lot of popular on-camera audition coaches who sometimes seem to suffice, too, and some LA agents and managers actually require new clients they’ve signed from showcases to take those classes before they’ll submit them for anything. Even the girl I mentioned in the “NO Notable Alumni” thread who has a fairly amazing reel is already signed up for [Annie</a> Grindlay’s audition intensive](<a href=“http://anniegrindlay.com/]Annie”>http://anniegrindlay.com/) which she plans to follow up with Stan’s or Jen’s ongoing classes to hit the ground running when she moves out in June. </p>
<p>The British on the other hand have caught onto this and some of their schools have begun to teach proper camera and mic technique as early as first year, so they tend to be a bit more “plug and play” than their American counterparts. Some others even offer a Masters in Screen Acting. Like the girl I mentioned got kind of upset when she stumbled across a short film made using third year LAMDA students because she’s had to scratch and claw to make her own projects on her on time to get the equivalent of what they simply got as part of their prescribed training. Here it is … [LAMDA</a> Films: YOUNG RADICALS on Vimeo](<a href=“http://vimeo.com/44216358]LAMDA”>LAMDA Films: YOUNG RADICALS on Vimeo) They’re definitely doing something right over there because every one of those actors has excellent on-camera skills.</p>
<p>Thanks again FBF. One more question – would these finishing programs also be available to non-BFA’s during the summer? I get that you’d probably want to wait until summer between Sophmore and Junior year to have the other stuff down somewhat. We live about 60 miles from NYC so my daughter could do programs like this while living at home during the summer.</p>
<p>Yeah, it’s possible although some of these places have waiting lists and she’d need to jump on getting it set up in the springtime. But, we’re kind of getting way out in front of the early part of the game Threed is asking about … :)</p>
<p>stagemum rightly posted about how expensive it is to live in NYC and/or LA. For those determined to “make it,” it is a matter of living with relatives (if lucky enough to have some) or with many roommates, working a lot of hours, and getting some financial help from home. Sometimes just experiencing that struggle to live in these cities on limited funds is an important wake-up call to teens who have never been on their own in the big world. This discovery (it’s expensive out there) can lead to adult independence, add to their resourcefulness (after all, most young actors after college have the same exact challenge), give them added appreciation for parents who support them through college for the next several years, or give them a chance to think seriously if this precarious life is really for them.</p>
<p>“I don’t know about you guys, but once I find out a young successful actor is the child/niece etc of someone famous, I stop inquiring about how “they made it”. Lily Collins is Phil Collins daughter. Enough said.”</p>
<p>Mommy5, what you say is true! And yet, such a connection will only get the kid in the door for a first look audition. There are, alas, tens of thousands of celebrities and high ranking film producers, each with a few kids, and yet… only a very few of their offspring actually get cast. However, the reality is that many of them will be sitting in the office of the casting director, next to our kids.</p>
<p>Fishbowlfreshman, I didn’t mean to imply young actors who make it big in Hollywood are not trained! But I was giving some thoughts on OP’s concerns about which college path may best lead to a film acting career and I suggest 4 years of college is not required to meet that singular goal. Whether one has parents willing to relocate the family to Hollywood in order to give their kid a boost, it happens all the time. Whether one is lucky enough to be born into a celebrity family, it comes with both perks and some hardships, too. (L. Collins father was married briefly to her mom, between 2 other wives/families and she grew up a continent away.) What she did get from both her parents was some great dna.</p>
<p>But whether these young actors have parents in high places–take a look also at Kristen Stewart whose parents are in the business, and also the Gyllenhaals–it’s instructive to look not only at their enriched opportunities, but also at their work and their careers. These actors are clearly bringing something to the table that the market wants. I don’t know the family background for Emily Blunt, btw, but she also started acting in films without attending college. But despite all that–I’m really an advocate for a full college education!! An acting career is not just for the super young!! And there are many top actresses (Anne Hathaway–Vassar/NYU Gallatin & Jessica Chastain–Sacramento City College/Julliard BFA, to name 2) who credit their career success to their training and growing up at college.</p>
<p>By the way, you don’t have to train only in LA and NYC. There are many other programs that offer excellent training in cities that are far more affordable. You can also do summer programs after your senior year if you know you’re not going to college. For instance, NJ Shakespeare has a great 11 week program for $3300 or so including room and board. I several other Shakespeare theatres that offer similar training. Stratford in Canada has a three week one for around the same price. We’ve discussed options in other threads. My son, who will be taking a gap year, is going to Royal Conservatory of Scotland this summer for four weeks of training there. (That is more expensive but he’s paying for most of it from his own earned income.) </p>
<p>As far as Hollywood actors, I sort of personally tire of hearing of drop dead gorgeous actors and/or hugely connected actors ‘miraculously’ making it. I do not find that inspiring at all. Yes, if you’re model-gorgeous like Anne Hathaway (who was cast in Disney’s Princess Diaries at 18, well before her training at NYU), and/or wealthy and connected (child of producers or famous actors) – well, sure, your chances are much higher. </p>
<p>But that’s sort of like getting inspiration about becoming a billionaire without going to college because Bill Gates did (he was born into a very wealthy family too). </p>
<p>My own kids are not model-gorgeous and we sure as heck have no connections or money. So they have to forge their connections and their training and figure out a way to eventually support themselves. BFA/BA theatre programs and conservatory programs and professional theatres and some private lessons offer both the best opportunity for training as well as the best opportunity for forging connections–critical in this business. It is not necessary to go to college but if you are not very wealthy then you really cannot afford to both pay for conservatory training/very expensive programs for your kid AND eventually send them to college. And for the vast majority of students, college is necessary on multiple levels. </p>
<p>FBF (I like this abbreviation!)–thanks for the link to LAMDA. I thought that was very cool.</p>
<p>WHEW. You ask a question you better expect to get some answers:) WOW.</p>
<p>Lots of information here folks, thank you very much. I am trying to read through all of them, take it in, and learn from it.</p>
<p>AMTC; No convincing needed here. I look at it more as you are providing knowledge and understanding so that we look at all options. You may have misunderstood me or better yet I may have confused my words. We were thinking eliminate all BA programs because she is not interested in alot of academics and therefore these programs just seemed to be to much of what she doesn’t want and to little of what she does want. As far as Non auditioned BFA programs we have not yet done the research on these and have not eliminated them. I think my question with these is that I thought these programs were the ones everyone was auditioning for as a safety school and I wondered if any of these programs were very good if they allow anyone to be in them. I just thought maybe they do not have the intense curriculm she is looking for. I do not know the answer to that but when I briefly looked at the list of non auditioned BFA programs most of them were at Universities which I assumed, maybe wrongly so, also required alot of core courses. It is hard to describe my daughter to you but if I could I would say that she is not going to fit into just any program, however, very well may end up in that situation if she doesn’t get into a school of her choice. If you recall the movie Fame from a long time ago, how unusual that school was, the style of the kids there, how open and free spirited it was…That is the environment she will fit in the best. She can go into other environments and will probably do fine but those type of environments bring something out in her that I cannot explain in words. The traditional enviornments seem to stifle that in her and that is why I think she is not a big fan of school itself. Thank you so much for presenting looking into other options as alternative instead of safety. With some kids I think you have to take a different approach and use different words and an alternative plan I think works better when you are dealing with my daughter. I will check out Backstage magazine and see what I can find out about the conservatories. I tried to look into these but I was hearing alot of negative comments not positive ones so I am confused about which ones would be well respected.</p>
<p>I read everyones posts and they were all very helpful and informative. We are not a well to do family, I do not know anyone in Hollywood. I would relocate there if my job would allow it and actually had the opportunity to go to LA in 2008 but opted for Dener instead after visiting LA and feeling a little lost. I did rather enjoy it so it was not a dislike thing at all. Cost was a factor, not knowing anyone was another factor,…Anyway, the point is I would pick up and move there to help her, but then what? Come on CC and beg you all for help:):)
I wouldn’t know who to call, what to do, who not to talk to, and the list goes on. I would have to read through every single post from Fishbowl who seems to know alot about training just to know where to start. SHACHERRY who has a son already in the business has also provided some great information and it sure is not going to be a party. I guess you get my point. </p>
<p>We are going to take this one step at a time. I am trying to read what everyone is saying about all the theatre training vs very little screenacting training and relate this to my daughter so that she understands. She wanted to go to a summer pogram this summer that was all acting for TV and Film but we were unable to find one that had a good reputation and the length we wanted, so at the advise I think of Times 3 we are applying to BUTSI which does have a good reputation. If I am going to pay that kind of money you bet I want a good reputation. (ACTING DAD, thank you for your advice on not assuming anything in reference to CM summer program)</p>
<p>I think it would be very very very difficult, but not impossible, for her not to go to college and just find her way. I am confident that she could live on her own, pay bills, etc., but she is a girl and there is no way I would send her to CA alone to make her own way. ABSOLUTELY NOT! At some point I have to believe and she does also more then me, that if it is her destiny to become a working actor in TV and Film then that is what she will be even if she decides to go to college first. I have no idea how to judge her beauty based on other actors, and I can’t tell you whether she is marketable in the eyes of the industry, or has the right type of body. I see actors of all shapes and sizes. I see female actors that strike me as very beautiful and others that may not be as striking. There is a new movie coming out with Sandra Bullock and a large lady as her counterpart and I would ask you if you consider her counterpart a fitting description in any of the categories everyone has mentioned. There you go. There is no answer to all of this. I will tell you that having a child who only wants to do this and nothing else, who doesn’t really want to go to school and who says that she knows she is going to spend the rest of her life acting presents so many challanges to a parent. There are times where I wish she was strong in something else just in case, where I wish she at least liked school so I know she will be ok… I think I told everyone before that my son was like this. He knew he wanted to be a professional dancer, and that is all he wanted to do, and I did everything I could including moving (which we were already use to) to help him. I didn’t know what would happen. We were told that he was extremely talented, that he had natural talent, charisma, etc. He didn’t even start dancing until he was 14…My point I guess is you just don’t know and you have to do the best you can with the information you have and make the wisest choice you can make at the time. </p>
<p>I thank everyone for all the comments and anyone else that joins in. Please know that your information is helpful and I am processing it and placing it in the “bank”.</p>
<p>By the way, I do think my daughter is beautiful is marketable:) and has something special:) Now all I need is a knock out script, some money, and a producer, and I will cast her myself. Anyone want to help:):):):):)</p>