I'm finding more and more that I wish I could get into acting as a profession. But how the hell do I do that? There's no 'go to college get a degree get a job' roadmap like a lot of other careers. You just have to wait and audition and hope to god someone will give you a chance. Seriously, how the hell do I go about this.
That's your answer right there. You can get an acting degree and increase your skillset, but overall it's just a matter of whether or not the casting director likes your audition. I'd suggest learning to sing, dance, and ride on horseback well enough that you're comfortable having them on your resume as special skills. Archery, gun use, and general athleticism help too, even if most of the stuff you do will handle the thing that those are involved in with special effects. Knowing how to properly use a real object helps a lot in cases where you have to pretend to use a fake version of the same object and guns and bows are reasonably common in the performance arts of today.
It would help if you were to live somewhere that is big on acting. L.A. Atlanta, places like that. Submit resumes and auditions like crazy. You won't get picked for everything. Don't lose hope of what you want. Be sure you have a side job to keep you stable while you gain popularity.
Even if you can sing, it's still a good idea to take a class or two. Having that innate ability is great, but learning about how to use it can open up a lot more ways for you to use it. Plus, having that you've learned to sing on some kind of record can always help your resume. Take what I say with a grain of salt, though. I have a few friends who do amateur theatre stuff and am basing this advice solely on my actor friend's plans to prepare for her future as a professional actress.
The problem with this is, I live in a small backwoods town. I DO audition for everything. And I don't have the money/means to move anywhere else right now.
Pretty much everything everyone's said. Increase your skill set, audition for all the things, and also sign up to be an extra in things. I'm actually super (oops lol) hyped because Batman V. Superman is filming really close to me pretty soon and they're looking for extras and all you have to do is email a picture and contact info and aaaaAAAAAAAAAAA
Save. Save. Save. You should get a part time job to start saving up your money. If you are really serious about wanting to pursue acting, it needs to be done in steps. In may take you several years to even get to the point where you can move. You just can't let yourself get discouraged. Keep your eye on your main goal and think about where it will put you when you are financially stable.
There are really two routes to go: 1) Move to a place where the work is, which is either Hollywood or Austin, Texas. The thing is though, you'll be competing with hundreds or thousands of other people who came from small towns who also have talent who also want to work in show business. Spunk's advice works really good here: save as much money as you can so you don't struggle too bad when you're out there and you can focus on honing your craft. 2) With the way the internet has become, you can do your own projects without having to sacrifice too much, but it means you'll have to work a lot more. I recently finished writing my first movie script, but I'm not all that interested in sending it out to Hollywood. Instead, I want it to be a project between me and a friend who will direct it and do a Kickstarter. Doing that though, you take on more jobs than you probably want to deal with, and there's no guarantee that it'll work out. There is no guarantee that you'll make it big either when everything is put together. This is more of a route that's for people who want to make something special.
Hike to LA and be homeless for a few months. You're a tough gal, so I know you'll survive.[DOUBLEPOST=1410984537][/DOUBLEPOST] See Fearly? No matter what you do, we'll be right here to support you as your friends.
Do what feels right. All my stuff from the first option is from stuff I've heard, so it was good to be transparent on that. I have a friend who is doing voice acting out in LA and has gotten onto some big shows and games (Kill La Kill dub being one of them). Granted, she had lived with her family near LA for quite a while, so there was less risk, but they still could've told her no.
