Okay, a better question from an actor named Donald Lee Gibson:
“Matt – these get your butts to LA entries are so effing great! I’ve been out here for four months and I’m loving it! I've learned a lot from your blog.
What’s the smartest thing you’ve done for your career in la and what’s the dumbest? Why?
Keep on keepin’ on!”
You asked nicely, so I can’t help but respond.
My smartest move was writing, producing and starring in my movie. It provided me with footage for my acting reel, helped me make great relationships with actors and crew and taught me a lot about producing a big shoot. And my film was accepted into 45 festivals and won awards and I was flown in to do Q&As and it was one of the best years of my life and I could go on. Keep in mind that shooting your own film may cost you your life savings, but if you’re going to gamble, gamble on yourself.
As for dumb moves, I’ve been lucky – no massive mistakes. I never paid a conniving agent or manager to represent me. (Don’t ever pay them – they should make money off you, not from you.) I haven’t burned a bridge with any gatekeepers. And I show up for every opportunity friendly and prepared.
But gun to my head, I suppose I’ve stuck with a couple of acting classes too long. You reach a saturation point with some teachers, when you’ve heard all the stories and the rhetoric, and you find yourself dragging your ass to get there, and you don’t attend them so much as do time in them. Classes aren’t cheap, and it’s tricky enough keeping your morale up during the lulls of acting, so don’t let a class become another wet blanket. My opinion: scare yourself, with classmates more talented than you, scenes out of your comfort zone and a teacher who really busts your balls.
Wow, thanks Donald Lee for helping me realize I’ve steered the ship pretty damn well. Nothing egregious. Hey, speaking of egregious, how about that Petraeus dude? Better yet, how about his biographer? She is one nutty whore.
