So with 'Wizard Corporations', 'Screen Actors Online', 'Star Gate Actors Academy', 'Perth Actors Collective' and more, it seems everyone interested in Film or performance is trying to start up their own small school or academy to reap the dollars from young actors, and they're all promising the same things.

Everyone is promising masterclasses and showreels and events, and further more- they're promising networking with the best in the industry, contacts that'll boost you to greater thinsg, etc...

but if you put together all the costs of all the courses, it's a joke. Sure, actors like myself are trying to hone their craft, make contacts and build a good showreel, but who the hell do you trust and where is your money best spent?

Can anyone share insight into what companies do what they promise well? Actors aren't made of money, but they are happy to spend it if it's truly beneficial to their training.

Who can be trusted?

Hi guys,

I too was also overwhelemed by number of courses coming out and was unsure on which one to choose. In my own personal experience I have attended 3 different classes with Screen Actors Online (SAO) mentored by Loren Johnson and am happy with the results I am getting.

I also did a 3 day casting workshop with SAO in collaboration with Jenni Cohen and 3 weeks after I recieved a call to audition for a TV advertisment. IMO it was worth it, I made an impression on Jenni and that was enough for her to remember me for later on. I am happy with SAO and their classes and am attending the Showreel Masterclass.

I am also attending Luciano Vecchio's 1 year course as well, I have spoken to him in detail about the course and also have spoken to his previous students and they have given him glowing reviews.

Hope this has helped you with your decisions Brad. Feel free to ask any quesitons.

LG

This is helpful somewhat, yes. But let me explain my position some more:

I have completed a performance studies degree from Curtin. I've been involved in a variety of other short courses since then too. All up I've got about 4 solid years worth of training and substantial experience on top of that.

And yet I still feel I have much to learn.
So, I find it only slightly unnerving when I discover that some of these courses in Perth are being run by people around my age, who can't have had more training or experience than me. If anything, I'm sure we'd be about on par. But one thing I know is:

Bad habits that an actor learns in 3 months could take up to 3 years to unlearn.

Hence my questions about trust. It's important to be trained by people who really know how to train actors.

To add to my question even more though- would you say it is necessary for an actor to attend multiple courses in order to meet all the people who need to be met?

It seems skill alone isn't enough, instead you need to meet the right people. And these courses offer that... but at a cost.

I'm just honestly wondering if it's worth my while to pay my entry into one of each companies courses and meet everyone. Maybe I will do that and will review all the courses personally.

Do the course YOU feel is good, after that its upto you to get yourself out there. SELL yourself, go to functions and stand-out.