From Veteran to the Film Industry (Part 1)

Disclaimer 1: This will likely be a multi-part post. So check back for updates.

Disclaimer 2: I have been acting since 2019 (a grand total of 4ish years, so despite my boundless research, I am still relatively new at this.)

Disclaimer 3: I am still a Reservist, so none of the opinions or guidance here is reflective of the DoD, VA, or the US Government policy. It's just me and my experience.

This will be divided into sections, so you can skip getting to know me and get right to the goods. Always appreciated the direct approach. I want this to be a straightforward and entertaining article meant for military folks and veterans to break into the on-camera side of the film industry. They have a lot of us behind the camera already.

Chapter 1: How I got into all this and why I'm staying.

Chapter 2: So you're a veteran and you want to entertain people? Who knew?

Chapter 3: First Steps, before you do ANYTHING else....

Chapter 4: Education. Yes, you CAN use the GI Bill for this, but how should you?

OKAY, now that that's out of the way, let's start with a little background.

CHAPTER 1:

I started acting when I came off of my second deployment to old Camp Lemmonier in 2019. I had taken a break from m Masters in Global Affairs from NYU to deploy with 30 of my best friends. It went well and I had a damn good experience. But after the 10 months away from home, I had a whole summer before the program started back up. While being a trophy husband kicked butt for a while, I started looking for something else to do.

I saw an ad that was calling for background actors for HBO's smash hit Succession. I friggin' LOVED that show, so I applied. They needed 200 folks. So I applied through Backstage after making a basic profile, and those folks got back to me in a day. They asked if I had a suit. I sure did. They said to bring it with some shirt and tie options. Then they sent me an address to report to and a time to show up. Nice and early, just like the Army.

Turns out it was at the Four Seasons TriBeCa. Hot dayum what an intro. We worked on a press conference scene meant for the end of Season 2 for about 5 hours. It was a blast. I watched the director give two fellow background folks lines to say. They said them during a take or two, then the director said "nah, but good try guys." Later, I caught up with those folks and asked what that meant. They said they'd get their names in the credits even if they didn't use the footage. I congratulated them, and then spied their paperwork.

Their pay for the day went from $170 (they were SAG) to $1,000. WHAT THE F?? Seriously?? For one line?? Between the fun I had, the people I met, and that little tidbit, I knew I had to stick with this. And I'm glad I did. So they bug bit me and the journey began.

CHAPTER 2:

So the reason you're probably reading this is that you have at some point served in the military, and maybe you were something of an entertainer. Maybe Big Sarn't called you "Hollywood" a few times. Maybe you were just the most charismatic mfer in the whole Battalion. Doesn't matter. You want to act. So get after it.

While you have probably been through some hard days and long nights, acting will not be a cakewalk. Some parts will feel smooth as silk to you, others will feel all too familiar. The hurry up and wait. Sketchy communication. The long long nights. On the flip side, the film and television industry will also make you feel right at home. Everyone has their role and knows what to do. Free food. Genuinely exciting moments that no one else will get to witness first hand. That's where the passion takes over.

There are steps in between and some things you can take advantage of if you're looking to be on the business end of the camera, up on stage in front of hundreds of people, or in a booth lending your voice to some half-wolf half reptile creature sporting a M240B machine gun on another planet. The possibilities are nearly endless.

Whatever the reason, just know this: this will take a lot out of you. It will take all your patience, resilience, and time. I've been told so many times, "if you can be happy doing anything else, then do that." Screw that. I'm here and I'm here to succeed. You have to be able to handle rejection after rejection and drive on like it's nothing. You have to simultaneously see and treat this pursuit as an art AND a business.

The road is rough, and not like we're used to. But the rewards are amazing if you truly have what it takes and you have the most essential skill necessary: the ability to feel things, and make other people feel things. If you can do that, you're golden.

Chapters 3 and 4 coming soon!