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The Fastest Way to the Higher Tiers of the Film Industry Deconstructed.

The question that I am asked most often is, “How do I get to the good roles in movies and TV?  I know I need an agent, but what is the path to get this whole thing going?”

Before Friends in Film I was working at a desk job making decent money with benefits. But I was counting down the days to my pension like everyone else. The gray walls and desks were starting to get to me. The routine of every day clocking in and out with my badge was running me down slowly.

Then I found Friends in Film. It was so great! I needed to hear that there was someone out there who believed that I could change my life! It was an awakening for me!

When I started this program about 6 months ago, I was unsure exactly where I was supposed to go with my career. I had been doing stand-up comedy in NYC for 5 years, felt confident in my abilities, but had no clue how to break my most recent plateau. I felt like I was struggling to climb a mountain I wasn’t sure I’d be able to climb. Now, I feel like I’m running down the mountain and enjoying every single second of it.

When I started the program, I had just stopped producing a weekly show at the New York Comedy Club and I had no idea what my next step was. Since taking Janet’s program (6 months ago), I booked my own headlining tour and just sold out a 300 person theater in Nashville. I’m gonna be headlining at Second City in Chicago in November. So excited!

Before Friends in Film, I had a great job as a marketer. But it was never a dream of mine.

I graduated with a degree in film in 2015 and thought jobs would start popping up. I applied to any website I could find. For months I only helped out with friends’ projects. After not seeing any success in the film industry, I basically gave up trying.

Before this program, I was working as a retail manager and teaching yoga. I was working toward making films on the side and writing when I could, but ultimately would be really burned out by my jobs. I wouldn’t feel very creative after work. It me realize that I needed to pursue film more extensively.

Since I started Friends in Film, I’ve moved into freelancing full time. Now I am working in film full time and I love it! I feel so much more fulfilled. I’m a professional, working alongside other professionals. : )

I officially left my 9-5 job in June and started working as an assistant editor in July (for 4 months) for a production company that does documentaries for PBS Frontline. I feel so free and confident that I’m not worried about the next gig because I know I have the skill and the right attitude to make it in this industry. I have a network of passionate people around me that love working with me. And that network is only going to get even bigger!

At my old job I was a video editor for NBC Sports. Though I was getting a chance to edit it wasn’t the content that I wanted to be a part of. The people became negative, videos became so simple that I didn’t even need a full day to do my job. I wasn’t happy and began to be one of those people that complained and wasn’t doing anything about it.

Before Friends in Film, I was working late nights at a cocktail bar as a waitress. I was pursuing acting, I had a reel, but I was non-union and did not have legit representation or a manager. Commercials paid decent money, but not union rates, and what I really wanted to do was TV and film acting.

Even when you objectively make progress as an actor, it feels like you are in a standstill. Even though I was working so hard, I felt like a hamster on a wheel. And I didn’t like who I was becoming. Late nights at the cocktail bar made me sleep late, and then I felt like I didn’t have enough time in my day. Every waking moment was spent on my career, and I let my friends, my boyfriend, my family, and (in all honesty) my happiness fall to the wayside. And when fellow actors managed to find success, I felt worthless and jealous instead of happy for them. I felt selfish. I felt unhappy. I didn’t like myself anymore. And that seriously started to affect my craft.

Before Friends in Film, I was going to school, working retail jobs and freelancing. I wanted to make it to LA.

Since I started Friends in Film I’ve gained vital information about the entertainment industry and tons of knowledge gained from the one-on-one mentoring. From this, I’ve grown tremendously!

Before FIF I was stuck in a cycle of bad habits. Although I still have some of those habits, I am aware of them and working towards breaking them. The new story of my life is growth and happiness. I am pursuing my dream, I enjoy the work I am doing, I am constantly learning and I am discovering new things about myself.

I know that I am not my thoughts. This was perhaps the most profound thing I learned. Bad things can happen, things can go wrong but it is all about how I position those things in my mind.