Today’s post is all about Los Angeles actress and blogger Laura Hunter! She is a former New Yorker who studied at Tisch School of the Arts, and is now a thriving actress in Los Angeles. In this interview, we talk about her choices, thoughts, and advice based on her own experiences as an artist. You can find more on Laura Hunter at www.misshunter.com, as well as by following her on Twitter: @MissLauraHunter.

When was the moment you decided LA was where you wanted to be, as opposed to staying on in New York City?

I had been in New York for college at NYU, and knew I wanted to pursue more film & television work. LA seemed like the obvious next step forward.

What about LA is different than what you thought it would be? What met your expectations?

A lot of the “LA Stereotypes” are true. I did start being more conscious of how I looked when I got here, and the traffic is truly terrible. The weather is wonderful, and I find it much easier to be productive in all areas of my life when I’m spending more time outside… it just puts me in an overall more positive mood.

Did you move to LA with a support system of friends, family, or industry professionals?

My boyfriend, who is also an actor, and I moved out together. He is my biggest support system; we’ve been together for about five and a half years and are very passionate about each other’s goals as well as our own. In addition to that, I have a lot of good friends out here that moved from New York as well.

How did your training at NYU Tisch School of the Arts prepare you for working as an actor outside of school? Did you have business-geared classes, and if so, how did they shape the way you tackle your career?

I had been very obsessed with the “business” side of acting since a pretty young age, and had read all of the books available on the subject even before starting college. NYU taught me a great deal about acting for sure, but more than anything New York City was such a huge education as an artist. I really learned how to take care of myself and become aware of the world around me—something I hadn’t been exposed to growing up in a very small town. I was lucky to meet some of the most wonderful, talented people that I know at NYU and have continued both friendships and working relationships with those people over the years.

What is one thing you wish someone had told you before you began your career after Tisch?

I wish someone had told me that 99% of the things that will happen to you in this business will make little to no sense… and almost none of it will be in your control.

How do you think being an actor in New York prior to LA sets you apart from other actors in LA?

I’m not sure there is as much of a difference as people say there is. You can train here or you can train there… working hard and having a certain amount of talent will make you a good actor. Though, I don’t necessarily think that being a good actor is what gets people a career.

Are there any books on acting (focusing on craft or business) that you have found helpful in your career?

When I first applied to NYU, I read the primary books from each studio that they send their acting students to… and honestly enjoyed and learned something from all of them. I also think that The Creative Habbit by Twyla Tharp is a great read for anyone, artist or not.

What was your process of determining your type, or how best to market yourself?

My experience has been that people in audition or representation situations will tell you what they think your type is when they meet you. Each person that you meet will most likely see your type as something completely different than the next. To me, in LA your “type” is really just being yourself in a magnified way.

How have you balanced a steady stream of income and keeping your time flexible for acting work?

I work from home as a social media consultant for a variety of companies. It’s an extremely flexible job, and I’m proud of being able to make a good living while still being free to pursue my dream. I’ve been lucky in that way.

Thank you so much Laura for your insights! I really appreciate you sharing your experiences. Can’t wait to see more from you!

Find out more on Anne Woods on Twitter, IMDB, and Facebook.

“Plan your progress carefully; hour-by hour, day-by-day, month-by-month. Organized activity and maintained enthusiasm are the wellsprings of your power.” Paul J. Meyer

Organization is one of the top priorities in my career. It keeps my head in the game, and keeps me focused on what exactly it is I want. I have several resources for organization that I geek out on regularly.

I am currently using an app called iPerform ($5.99 in the App Store) to track my auditions, callbacks, bookings, rehearsal schedules, industry contacts, (basic) finances, and wardrobe for each audition. One thing I love about the wardrobe function is I can take pictures of my outfit I wear to an audition, and, with a description of what I’ve got on in the picture, link it to the audition. This is especially awesome for callbacks; I can simply go back to the audition page and look at what I wore to keep consistency. I find this can help jar the memory of the casting director when I have the same cute scarf or shirt I had on the first time they saw me for the role. With iPerform, I can also keep my industry contacts organized by title (Casting Director, Producer, Writer, etc.), and by name or company. In addition, there is a function to keep a schedule of related events for any job I book (including rehearsals, fittings, screening, and airdate), which once saved are directly added to my iCal. Ridiculously rad, eh? Also, it has finance, mileage, and To-Do modules. And within each module are more little details I urge you to check out! I pretty much fell in love with iPerform the instant I got it :)

There are definitely other apps and sites that you can utilize with similar functions, for example PerformerTrack (anyone use this?), but I have yet to use them. One thing I would like the iPerform app to do more thoroughly is track finances in a very specific way, instead of simply entering them like notes. And it would be fan-flippin-tastic to have the finance module geared more toward tax season :) Does anyone know of, or have experience with, an app or website that does that well for actors?

Another organizational tool I am using right now is Excel, for a very specialized reason. I think we all know what Excel is, and I used to think it was primarily for numbers. But I’ve decided to use it mainly as a simple form to compare and list agents and managers who I am focused on pursuing. (I also have a separate one for Casting Directors, with it’s own details. And you can really use it for whatever you want to compare or list: headshot photographers, people you’ve worked with or met, apartments or cars, anything I guess!) This spreadsheet I am totally nerding out on is SO helpful already because I am moving to LA in three months, and I want to do as much preparation and research as possible before I move. In this spreadsheet, I have columns labeling each agency, the agent(s) within the agency I want to work with, their contact information, their website, what types of people they represent, notes about why I am pursuing them, and any articles or interviews I’ve found about them. Even though this much manual data entry can be considered tedious, I love inputting each piece of information so that while typing, I see and feel everything I learn. It makes me feel closer to the information, and more importantly, the people beyond the screen. I am able to research these industry professionals pretty darn accurately on IMDB-pro, which I have found to be an extraordinary, mandatory tool for my career.

If you don’t have IMDB-pro, and especially if you’re focused on the TV/film industry (as opposed to primarily theatre), definitely sign up for the free two week trial here, and give it a spin. Even if you can’t afford the monthly or yearly cost this very moment, tasting the soup will get you inspired to go back for more. It’s so worth it, I don’t even need to mention how worth it it is! :) The prices after the free trial are here. You can find (nearly always) updated, accurate contact info for industry professionals, as well as be able to see who represents each actor. This is how I have been able to see which agencies and management companies represent different actors whose careers inspire me, or who are on a course similar to the path I want to, and am, creating for myself. In addition to looking at everyone else’s profiles and more in depth information about them, you get to put up your own headshot, resume, extra pictures (up to 100), and reel. You can see mine here.

These are only a few of the tools I use for my career. I want to dedicate single, more focused posts to headshots, resumes, postcards, business cards, career supporting websites, and other items in the ole toolbelt :)

I am constantly looking for more efficient ways to organize my business. I would love to hear about what you use to organize and focus your career. Please share your experiences! I’d love to geek out with you :)

My name is Anne Woods, I am an actor, and I am in action. With this blog, my aim is to collaborate with other actors and industry professionals, and assist in activating our careers in fresh, growth-inducing, goal oriented ways. My goal here is to share my experiences in the field, and learn about yours. I want to discuss what has worked, and what hasn’t, for scenes and characters in class and auditions. I want to discuss what has and hasn’t worked in our career moves, and in turn, what we can do differently to make our careers what we want them to be. I will also be posting what I find inspiring: be it an insightful book, a play or film that soared, quotes, photos from working on set, and different days on my journey. I want you to feel free to post what inspires you too!

I don’t call myself an expert by any means, I am always learning, but I know that the experiences I have thus far as an actor are valuable. They are the building blocks upon which my career is growing.

I want my blog to be a place where giving feedback is very encouraged and happily accepted :) I will also be sharing resources I use to work on my career, and I would love to hear what you use as well. I want to collaborate as artists, and further develop a strong community. Let’s learn from each other, and keep each other accountable, one piece at a time.

 “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

We all take one step at a time. Sometimes it’s a leap, maybe it’s a shuffle or a skip, but it’s always one at a time. Let’s support each other in reaching that next level :)