How Do I Train to Be in a Movie? What Real Acting Coaches Recommend

Everyone wants the spotlight. But when someone asks how do I train to be in a movie, what they’re really asking is how can I be taken seriously as an actor? The answer? Get trained, get to work, and treat yourself like someone who really wants to carve out a professional acting career.

At the Maggie Flanigan Studio, we work with aspiring actors who are ready to commit to professional training. Our acting classes in NYC focus on technique and craft, not gimmicks, because the camera doesn’t lie, and talent without technique is cheaper than table salt.

This blog will walk you through some important things to consider: developing skill, mastering the audition experience, creating a strong toolkit, and understanding how the film industry works.

Key Takeaways

• Talent alone won't get you in a movie. You need training and craft.

• Background work is a place to learn, it’s not where a serious actor stays.

• If you want the camera to believe you, show up with truth and authenticity.

1. Understand What It Really Takes to Be in a Movie

Before submitting headshots or scouring casting calls, you need to be clear about what this work demands. Being in a movie or TV doesn’t happen by pure luck. It requires skill, preparation, and a long-term commitment to technique and craft.

Forget being “discovered”

Casting directors aren’t searching for untrained talent. The actors who work at a high level are coming out of the top MFA programs and conservatory programs in the United States. If you aren’t training to compete on the same level as actors coming out of Yale, Julliard, and NYU, you are wasting your time.

Know the difference between background and speaking roles

A background actor fills out the frame. They’re also called extra’s, and anyone can do it. 

A speaking role often furthers the action of the story. If you just want a set experience, background work is fine. But if you’re serious about becoming a film actor, I would figure out a consistent way to create organic, vivid, fully realized human behavior.

Expect to play the long game

Many actors spend years developing the emotional range, craft, and simplicity that film acting requires. The film industry isn’t going to take a chance on untrained hacks, there is too much money at stake. They’re looking for actors who show up prepared, day after day, take after take.

2. Start With Training: Acting Classes Are Non-Negotiable

To quote Steven King, talent is cheaper than table salt. Professional training and hard work is what creates success. If you want a serious acting career in film or TV, you need consistent, focused work in a real acting school.

Build a foundation with technique

At the Maggie Flanigan Studio, we teach the Meisner Technique because it develops a truthful, emotionally connected actor who is anchored in the fundamentals of the art form. I believe the Meisner Technique is the best way to train actors. In film acting, the camera picks up everything. If you’re not grounded and present, casting directors will see right through it.

Develop the ability to combine vividness with simplicity

The best actors do only what they need to, and no more. This is true for stage and film. The best movie actors have incredible simplicity. They do not have pedestrian clutter. Their work possesses grace, ease, and clarity. 

If you want to be a working movie actor, you will need to master your instrument, and have a developed understanding that acting is about creating behavior, not pushing or forcing emotion.

Once you learn how to act, learn about the camera

Most actors make the mistake of believing that an on-camera class is going to teach them how to act. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Once you learn the craft of acting, learn camera technique. These are necessary skills. 

Film production is technical. You’ll deal with close-ups, lighting, hitting marks, maintaining continuity, and understanding sight lines. If you’re not comfortable with the camera, you become a risk on set. Learn it in class, not when it counts.

Real actors train. That’s the baseline. The rest of your career is built on that foundation.

3. Create your professional assets

Training is essential, but there are also standard industry expectations. You will need your professional website, headshots, a demo reel, and a professional, easily readable resume with no typos! Without them, no one will take you seriously. 

Casting directors, talent agents, and industry professionals aren’t going to waste their time with you. Every piece should reflect your commitment to your acting career.

Get a high-quality headshot

Your headshot needs to hold a casting director's attention. It should be captivating, and express something unique and interesting about you. 

It’s all in the eyes. Don’t take the cheap way out and have your friend take them. And they should adequately reflect who you are and what you look like. No filters or heavy edits. Casting agencies want to see who you really are.

Create a professional resume

List your training, acting experience, and any special skills. Avoid overloading it with background actor credits and detailed commercial work. No one cares about that shit. 

Keep it focused on roles that show growth toward supporting roles and speaking parts. And don’t ever lie on your resume. It will come back to embarrass you in a big way. Also, make sure it’s easy to read and has a logical flow to it.

Put together a simple, effective acting reel

Your acting reel is so important and the one thing that actors worry about the most. You need good credits to create a reel, and you can’t book good projects without a demo reel, so what the fuck is an actor to do? Get one professionally made right away. 

MFS works with REELARC, who create the best demo reels in the business. They will write, shoot, and edit multiple scenes with you, and put together a highly professional reel. 

When you are starting out, this is the best option. Your acting reel should include two or three scenes that show emotional range and presence. Casting teams want to see if you're a good actor, what you look like on camera, and what kind of roles you are right for. 

Build a clean online presence

A basic website with your headshot, resume, and reel is enough. Link your Actor’s Access and casting site profiles. Many casting directors check your online presence before inviting you to audition, so make sure it reflects your work ethic and professionalism.

4. Find Auditions That Fit You

Once you’ve trained and built your professional assets, the next step is finding real audition opportunities. But submitting to every project you see is a mistake. Casting directors and talent agencies pay attention to actors who submit with purpose.

Use trusted casting sites

Set up profiles on Actors Access, Backstage, Casting Networks, and other reputable online casting platforms. These list real casting calls for independent films, TV shows, and even major motion pictures. Keep your info current and professional.

Start with student films and minor roles

If you’re a new actor, start where the experience is. Student films, minor roles, and open casting calls help you build credits, learn the set environment, help you improve your auditioning, and also acquire footage for your reel.

Submit based on your type and readiness

Only submit to roles that match your look, training, and level. Casting teams can tell when you’re guessing. Most casting directors won’t forget a submission that shows you don’t understand the casting process.

5. Learn the Casting Process 

Understanding how the casting process works is essential if you want an acting career in the entertainment industry. 

Many actors submit without knowing what happens behind the scenes, and it can cause actors to make unhealthy assumptions as to why they didn’t get called back or book the job. The inner critic will really fuck you if you let it. So knowing that decisions about casting have nothing to do with your talent. 

There are a myriad of reasons that decide the casting process. You’re too tall, too short, too old, not the right ethnic mix, to name a few. Just make sure you do good work every time you get the opportunity to act. The more prepared you are, the better your chances of landing an audition opportunity or a callback.

Step 1: Casting breakdowns are posted

The casting agency or production team releases character descriptions on online casting platforms. These breakdowns include age range, personality traits, and physical types for upcoming movie auditions. Take these into consideration when self-submitting.

Step 2: Casting directors review submissions

Casting directors sort through hundreds, sometimes thousands, of submissions. They review your resume, headshot, and reel to decide if you're a fit based on type, experience, and presence. These better be exceptionally well done, or you will never stand out.

Step 3: Self-tape requests go out

If your materials match what they’re looking for, you’ll get a request for a self-tape. This is your chance to deliver an honest, grounded performance. Keep the technical aspects clean and focus on the work. Be simple, be vivid, be imaginative, and be authentic. If these qualities do not appear in your acting, get trained.

Step 4: Shortlists and callbacks

If your tape hits, you might get added to a shortlist or asked in for a second audition. This can lead to a screen test, chemistry read, or even a direct meeting with the film crew or creative team. Many actors now book roles directly off of their initial self-tape audition.

Pro Tip: Follow directions exactly. Submit clean, well-labeled files. Keep your materials updated. These small details show professionalism, and many industry professionals will remember the actors who treat the process with care.

6. Prepare for Auditions Like a Professional

The audition process starts long before you walk into the room or hit record on a self-tape. Casting directors can spot laziness within seconds. If you're serious about a successful acting career, preparation has to be part of your routine. If you don’t know how to prepare, get professionally trained.

Know the material

If you’re given sides ahead of time, learn them. Know the lines! Not partially. Fully. You want to be present and connected, not looking down every two lines. A good actor shows up ready to work, not just ready to read off of the page. That isn’t behavior, it's hackish.

Make specific, grounded choices

Bring emotional truth and real stakes to the scene. Don’t act the idea—live in the moment. 

Understand your character’s circumstance, relationship, objectives and relationships. And then make sure you can implant meaning, justify text, create impulses, and do actions. If you have no idea what that means, you need to get trained. This is what separates film actors from wannabe hacks who have delusions of fame and celebrity.

Treat self-tapes like the real thing

Many major films now cast straight from self tapes. Use clean lighting, a neutral or simple backdrop, and clear audio. Keep the technical aspects tight and let your performance do the talking. 

Most actors underestimate how important a polished tape is. Make sure you are interesting, vivid, and inventive. You only have about 3 seconds to hold their attention.

Be present in the room

For in-person auditions, your focus, energy, and body language say everything before you even speak. Show up grounded, prepared, and respectful. It’s not about being liked. It’s about being a professional ready to contribute to the film production. Just do good work.

7. Understand the Callback Process

A callback means they like what you did in the first audition, and either have notes for you to take, or they want to pass you along to the producers and/or director. At this stage, the team already sees you as a possibility. They want to know who you are, do you really listen, and do you have an artistic process that the director can work with. 

Be consistent with your choices

If your first read got you called back, don’t abandon those initial choices. Build on what worked. Stay grounded, keep the stakes high, and go in there and do it again.

Stay open to direction

Directors and industry professionals want to see if you can take notes and apply them quickly. If you’re given an adjustment, take it without defending your first take. It’s not personal, it’s collaboration. If you don’t know how to take notes, you are going to have a hard time establishing a career. You need great instincts and a solid technique to rely on.

Be ready for chemistry reads and screen tests

A callback process might include working with other actors, or even a screen test with the production company and the director. At this point the process is out of your control. It will come down to chemistry with the other actors, their idea for the part, and all of this is nothing you can control. Just focus on doing your job.

Remember what a callback means

You’re in the mix. That’s already a win. You can give your best read and still not book the role. It doesn’t mean you’re not a good actor. It means you’re on the radar, and the next one might be the one you book.

8. Get On Set

Many actors think that background (extra) work is a great way to get on a set and learn the business. I couldn’t disagree more. I doubt you are aspiring to be an extra, and I don't think you want casting directors to think of you as only that. I suggest getting into a student film or create your own work so that you can actually work on your acting. You can do that as an extra.

Use student films to establish connections

There are great graduate film departments all over the country. These young directors are always in need of actors. You can gain a lot of knowledge on a student film set. Also, you have no idea where these directors will be in five years. These are the collaborative relationships that can pay off years down the road, as you all carve out your artistic paths. 

Be professional every time you’re on set

Show up early. Follow directions. Know your lines. Be alert and respectful. The only two things you can control in this business is the quality of your work and your reputation. Casting directors and production teams notice who takes the work seriously.

Don’t rely on background credits to build your resume

One or two background jobs can be a fun thing to do, but it will do absolutely nothing for your career. NOTHING! 

Stacking your resume with extra work won’t move you toward a speaking role. If you're serious about building an actor's career, you need to start with getting serious acting training.

9. Build Industry Relationships That Matter

In this business, relationships are built on trust, work ethic, and your collaborative spirit. Most opportunities in film come from people who’ve seen what you can do and want to work with you again. So always be professional and easy to work with.

Connect through doing good work, not self-promotion

You don’t need to push or pitch yourself constantly. Real connections form in class, on set, or in the room with casting directors and industry professionals who recognize your preparation, your training, and your consistency.

Respect the long game of networking

The assistant you meet today could be running a casting session next year. The director of a student project might end up helming major films. Nurture relationships with those artists you think are talented. 

Don’t hang out with lazy people, untalented people, insidious gossips, or those who think the world owes them something. Curate your network, and take every interaction seriously. This industry is smaller than you think.

10. Know When to Look for an Agent or Manager

Representation is important, but it’s not the first step. Trying to get signed before you’re ready wastes time for you and the rep. You need to have seriously trained, and then done the work to start building out your resume. 

Agents and managers will take on developmental clients, but only if they see the financial upside. At the end of the day you can either make money for an agency or you can’t. In the end, that's all that matters in this business.

Wait until you have the right materials

Agents and managers expect a decent resume, strong reel, and high-quality headshots. They want to see that you’ve been training, booking acting work, and developing as a professional.

Understand the roles of agents and managers

Talent agencies handle submissions and negotiate contracts. Managers focus on long-term strategy and helping you build your brand. Both expect professionalism, focus, and follow-through from the start.

Prepare to present yourself confidently

When you start taking meetings, be clear about your type, training, and goals. You’re not just asking someone to take a chance on you. You’re showing them you’re ready to be the CEO of your company.

11. Stay Focused, Stay Sharp: The Mindset You’ll Need

Success in film acting has little to do with talent. There are thousands of untalented actors who have very successful careers. Hard work, grit, and resilience are what matters. It comes from consistency, dedication to artistry, and commitment to the craft. If you want this work, you have to live like it.

Build resilience against rejection

Most actors quit within five years of pursuing a career. It’s too difficult, and the rejection is continuous. If you don’t have a healthy way of navigating the rejection you will experience, you won’t make it. 

Every actor working today has been told no far more than yes. That’s part of the business. What matters is how you respond. Keep training, keep submitting, and don’t allow your confidence to be shaken.

Create your own momentum

Continue working on your instrument. Set goals, create your own content, collaborate with peers, and keep your instrument sharp. Waiting passively is not a strategy. Working actors stay active.

Think like a professional from day one

Film acting is not a hobby. If you want to build a career, treat the work with the seriousness it demands. The entertainment industry rewards discipline, not laziness. This is a long-term pursuit. Show up every day like it matters, and establish by your actions that you are in this for life.

Ready to Work Like a Real Actor?

Talent doesn’t mean shit. It’s really about hard work and dedication. It's serious professional  training that sets working film actors apart from everyone else trying to break in. At the Maggie Flanigan Studio, we prepare serious actors for serious work. That means developing technique, discipline, work-ethic, and the consistency casting directors are searching for.

Our two-year Meisner conservatory gives you a complete acting foundation. Acting classes, movement, voice, on-camera work, cold reading, script analysis—everything a professional needs. If you’re committed, we’ll match that commitment with real training and clear expectations.

Want to be taken seriously in this industry? Start by training like it matters. Reach out to schedule your interview.

Conclusion

Anyone can say they want to be in a movie. Most people do. But few are willing to train, sacrifice, and do the hard, unglamorous work it takes to be trusted on set. 

Acting is a beautiful art form. Film acting is not just showing up to a casting call or getting lucky as a background actor. It takes skill, preparation, and a mindset built for the long haul.

If you’re serious, stop chasing shortcuts. Take professional NYC acting classes, and learn the technical demands of film. Accept that it will cost money, time, and a real commitment to your craft. No one will take you seriously if you don’t take yourself seriously first.

The camera sees everything. Train so that what it sees is honest, vivid, fully realized human behavior. That’s what makes you worth watching.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to get a role in a movie with no experience

If you’ve never acted before, your first step is training—not chasing casting calls. Casting directors aren’t looking for untrained actors. They want actors who are prepared, professional, and capable on set.

Start with student films and indie shorts in order to gain experience. But don’t stop there. If you want to be trusted with real roles, you need technique and craft.

Is it hard to get into a movie?

Yes. Film acting is competitive, and the bar is high. You’re going up against trained actors who know what they’re doing.

But hard doesn’t mean impossible. With training, commitment, and patience, you can build a career. Just don’t expect anything to happen overnight.

Do movie extras get paid?

Yes, background actors get paid. The rate depends on the project and location, but most gigs are day-to-day and won’t replace steady income.

Use background work to learn how a set runs if you want. But the last thing you want is for people to just look at you like an extra. Serious actors don’t do background work. If you’re serious about acting, don’t be an extra. One extra job is enough; then it’s time to focus on craft.