Photoplayer Hater

Actors have been trained to wait for opportunities to come to them and be grateful for whatever they can get. Instead of being part of a team that puts together a project, most actors simply audition and wait for a phone call. It might seem that it is the only way to reaching acting success, but history and the actions of certain current actors shows that success does not just come from showing up and hoping someone likes you. The original Greek playwrights were also the ones who acted out their plays. The most successful Hollywood actors also take an active role in producing the films they star in.

With the opportunities to distribute audio and video through the internet, the possibilities for an actor to make a name for themselves has never been more tangible. Still many make excuses for why they cannot take a hold of their destiny and start a career for themselves using the web. I think you will find, though there are new things to learn, it is not an insurmountable task.

Not Tech Savvy

Acting for the web will require manipulation of a camcorder and computer at the very least. Most actors do not concern themselves with technology beyond props, but this web technology is not as hard as you think. Housewives and 5 years olds all over the world know how to use camcorders, you can too. Blog software is so simple that elderly people now run web pages where they post videos they make. Video editing software is much easier to use these days and often a seamless part of the basic guts of the computer.

Legal Concerns

The first thing that comes to many actors' minds when thinking up what to do in an online video is to use published stage play material. This is a quick way to start, and although it is not completely legal, it is not the kind of crime that puts you in jail. Taking the risk of putting your performance of a scene from Streetcar Named Desire on Youtube might earn you a cease and desist letter, you will never serve jail time for recording a performance of a scene from a play. For those that cannot overcome this ethical dilemma, there are plenty of plays made before 1923 that are in the public domain you are free to do anything with.

Not A Writer

If you do not want to do performances of others' plays on-camera, then you need to write your own material. You might be thinking you are not a writer and do not know how to do this. If you can speak without a script, then you can write a script. Do it verbally and translate it to wrtten. Give yourself some general points to hit, improvise, transcribe, and then edit. That is a simple, attainable way to make scenes of your own. From there you can learn more about writing, structure, and techniques: but start with writing down improvisations.

No Time Or Money

An actor's instrument is their body which does not take extra money to maintain. A camcorder costs money, a computer costs money, an internet connection costs money. The truth is that all the gear you need to make videos can be borrowed. You know someone with a camcorder you can borrow, a computer you can use, a library with a fast internet connection. You need to learn how to work the camera, the computer, how to put your stuff online. Time is limited, yes, but you could be waiting ten years to be "discovered" so use it in a way that will directly aid your acting ambitions. There are tutorials for nearly everything online and you likely have a friend that could teach you.

Too many actors get set in the routine of auditions, acting classes, and waiting for callbacks that they forget they have power of their own to create a career. In the past lazy actors that wanted someone to "make them a star" might get lucky and have their wish come true, but those people are few and those days will not be around forever. Instead of doing what every other actor does, consider doing something many of them scoff at. Consider whether you want to be an actor as defined by the status quo, or someone who gets to do a lot of acting. So much power has never been in the hands of actors as it is now, use it while you are otherwise just waiting for things to happen for you.

Have you ever thought about doing a project of your own for the web? What stopped you from pursuing it?