Hey everyone,
Alright, Part Five of our series on how to survive and actually thrive during the probationary years financially. We’ll talk about how to thrive emotionally in another section. So I want to finish with this. As we know, headshots are outrageous. They’re just crazy for good ones, and you need good ones. Think about bartering. Think about what you can offer in exchange. Just be proactive that way.
I just came back from Hawaii. I used to live there. I’m not just some haole guy hanging out there. I’ve got family there. And it’s amazing. If the world just went sideways tomorrow, they’d all look at each other and go, “We’re fine because I grow lettuce, you grow papayas, so that means you’ll have lettuce and I’ll have papayas.”
Everyone’s going to trade stuff. Everyone’s going to support each other. It’s just the way it’s done over there. We’ve gotten away from that, but it still can be done.
Over the years, there have been students who come to me who are struggling over a session financially, and they ask me what they can possibly do to offset that. We’ll find something.
If you’re a quality student and you’re solid, I’m going to do everything I can to help you during this chapter, but if you hadn’t asked, we wouldn’t know. Meanwhile you’re struggling.
We take acting classes that are so expensive. Make sure, first of all, that you’re getting your money’s worth, that it’s quality. Just because it’s the most expensive does not make it the best.
But what I really want to say is, maybe there’s a time where you can’t afford to be taking classes, but instead what you can do is be watching a movie every single night and looking at those DVD special sections with the directors talking and the actors talking.
Or go online. The internet is such a black hole. There’s so much crap out there, but there’s so much good stuff. If you just hung out on Ted Talks for the next year, you’d be a better human being. So that can be your curriculum; that can be your classroom.
And for the most part, that’s free, free teachings about acting, about the craft, about filmmaking, about raising money, about “what I learned about building a theatre company.” You know where I’m going. There’s just so much content.
Hell, these are free, so become president of your curriculum, become head of your faculty.
During the probationary years when you might be struggling a little bit, there’s just so much out there that’s free information. I want you to be wise about that, be efficient about that. Okay? Because it really is a great world for that these days, if you use the internet efficiently. Well it’s good to be back with you. I’ll see you next week.
VIDEO TEACHING AVAILABLE
If you weren’t able to join us, a video teaching about the keys to creating your dreams, your breaks, and your good fortune is still available for the same fee as those who registered – $20. If you’d like a video recording of the teaching, just send me an email at jim@meisnerstudio.com and we’ll send you the payment link and after that, the teaching.