If you’re just starting out and looking for an acting class to help you get going, there are countless coaches who will offer their services to you. The question is, which one is actually right for you, and which one will genuinely help you on your journey?
Acting coach Amy Lyndon is one who can fit that bill, but not for everyone, as she will readily admit. She is very good, however, at knowing how to guide a new actor to the right place, the right coach and the right technique. She gives plenty of information in her online course and talks about it on her podcast as well.
Here, she takes us through the process of finding the right person for you and getting your career on the right track.
Key Insights
- Improv and commercial acting classes can help beginners build confidence, sharpen their instincts and gain practical audition experience.
- Compare acting techniques, research instructors and audit classes when possible to find training that fits your goals.
- Avoid coaches who guarantee bookings or pressure you into expensive packages, and start auditioning while you continue training.
The Best First Steps for Beginner Actors
Lyndon is a big believer in the idea that actors should go into commercials first, for several reasons. One is that it helps fund your theatrical life, and another is that it’s a great way to learn on the fly. Many commercials are produced outside union agreements, creating potential opportunities for actors who are not yet in SAG-AFTRA.
“Absolutely, people could be doing commercials, and obviously, you get the commercial breakdowns on Casting Networks. I am always sending everybody to sign up for Casting Networks,” she says, adding with a laugh, “I’m even signing up my mom! She’s going to be doing commercials.”
Because of that, a good improv class should be the first step, according to Lyndon, because it allows you to learn how to shift on the fly and take into account things that you might not expect from a gig like this.
“Only then, after they’ve taken an improv class, should they look into an acting class,” she says, “and then they should look into people like me who specialize in perfecting your acting, becoming a brilliant actor.”
For more advice on getting started, check out our guide on how to become an actor.
What Types of Acting Classes Are Best for Beginners?
Beginners can choose from several types of acting classes, including improv, scene study, on-camera training, commercial acting and audition technique, depending on their experience and career goals.
Besides improv, there are on-camera, scene study, cold reading, commercial and stage classes, and that’s just to start. There are also classes on how to take direction (which is harder than you’d think), speech and voice, movement and physicality, the business of acting and, of course, Lyndon’s specialty, audition technique.
While you can run the gamut, you should also be careful about your choices. For one thing, you want to be consistent. On the other hand, too much consistency can work against you.
As Lyndon explains, “A lot of people stay in acting class too long, and it becomes comfortable because everybody’s telling you how good you are. You need to continually ask yourself, ‘How am I improving my emotional instrument as an actor and getting ready to move on to the next part of my life, which is actually working as an actor?’ A lot of people forget that, so they just stay and take acting classes, and they don’t move on to actually working.”
Popular Acting Techniques Explained
There are several established acting techniques for beginners to explore, each offering a different approach to developing believable characters and performances.
Stanislavski: Stanislavski’s system uses tools like the “Magic If,” given circumstances, character objectives and physical actions to help actors create believable performances. “How would I act if I were in this situation?” is a useful way to understand the approach.
Method Acting: Developed by Lee Strasberg from Stanislavski’s teachings, Method acting uses relaxation, sensory exercises and personal experiences to help actors create emotionally authentic performances.
Meisner: Forget emotional obsession; this is all about instinct, active listening and repetitive verbal exercises with a scene partner to find the truth of a moment or a scene. Learn more about the Meisner Technique.
Stella Adler: The legendary coach was a big believer in using imagination and script analysis over painful memories, thus emphasizing the character’s external world, actions and circumstances.
Practical Aesthetics: Developed by David Mamet and William H. Macy and associated with the Atlantic Theater Company, this technique focuses on script analysis to break down a scene and identify what a character wants, emphasizing action over forced emotion.
Chekhov: Perhaps the most physical of the bunch, the Michael Chekhov Technique relies on psychological gestures, movement and imagination to unlock emotions.
How to Choose the Right Acting Teacher
It might seem counterintuitive, but Lyndon suggests finding “somebody you’re afraid of.” Lyndon herself can be intimidating and often finds that she is able to reach her students precisely because of that.
“People tell me that all the time, that they’re so afraid of me, but they’ve never learned more,” she says with a laugh. “But that’s how I grew up. I grew up with Arthur Storch from Syracuse University, and he was very scary.
Every teacher I’ve ever had has been scary to me, and it’s made me a great actor. If you want to do cushy, then acting can be your hobby. But if you want to excel, you need to excel with people that will stretch you.”
That doesn’t mean you should be with someone abusive. That’s an entirely different thing and should be avoided at all costs.
“No, no, no, no,” Lyndon says, shaking her head almost violently. “Being abusive comes from people who don’t have the language to teach. For example, somebody’s given a note: ‘You’re too big.’ Okay. So they’ll give a student a general note, and they’ll take that note and apply it to every single thing for the rest of their career, or it will minimize them when they were just giving them a note on that particular scene.
So you have to be careful who’s educating you, because I have been busy fixing it. If they’re telling you you’re too big, it’s because you’re not grounded. Because Robin Williams was big. Anybody who’s won Academy Awards, they’re big, but they’re big in truth.”
When it comes to acting, it’s all about truth. What you need to be able to do is learn how to break down a scene to find that truth and the deep connections for yourself. Thus, you have to be careful about getting random notes from people who give you a note but don’t tell you how to fix it.
For more guidance on building those skills, read Lyndon’s advice on how to prepare for an audition.
Red Flags to Watch for When Choosing an Acting Class
Anyone promising you agents or bookings is going to be a big red flag. The same goes for anyone pressuring you to buy big packages up front or who won’t let you audit the class to see if it’s your brand of whiskey.
There’s also the teacher’s track record, which will tell you a lot. If they have no students who have gone on to successful careers, that’s another reason to look more closely at their qualifications.
“The problem is that anybody could put up a shingle and call themselves an acting teacher these days,” Lyndon says. “Just like managers put up a shingle and call themselves managers, you’re not bonded by the state, so you have to be careful. You need somebody to be your coach and tailor the class specifically to you. Otherwise, you’re throwing away your money.”
Lyndon, for instance, has coached award-winning performers and numerous series regulars, drawing on decades of experience as an acting coach.
“If you’re just going to go to somebody who has a couple of people with a co-star one line here and there, or they’re an actor who booked a couple of co-stars, and now they’re an expert,” she says, “don’t expect to be at the top of your game if you’re not training with people at the top of their game.”
One other thing: Anyone who talks about themselves ad nauseam but doesn’t focus on you? That is not the right coach for you.
Free and Low-Cost Acting Classes and Resources
In fact, there are a lot of those around. Lyndon, for one, offers free episodes of her podcast, Actors! You Are Enough!!, along with an extensive collection of free videos. Lots of other acting coaches do the same, and if you reach out to them personally, they very well might offer you discounts on their paid classes. Lyndon certainly does.
“As an actor, you’re running a business, and why would somebody buy you if you’re not business ready?” Lyndon says, adding that a big part of your business is the training.
“There are some people who are naturals. I have this kid who came in, he’s 18, he submitted himself for a pilot that’s shooting in London, and he was put on hold for a series regular. He has no credits. He’s been with me a couple months, but he’s out there pushing himself to practice, and he’s a natural.”
What Beginner Actors Should Do Besides Taking Classes
Before you do anything, get trained and have at least one good headshot. Get on websites like Casting Networks to find out what’s happening and where it’s happening, then get out there and, as Lyndon says, “Start shooting free throws at the free throw line. Start throwing in baskets, because it’s never a bad time to start submitting. Do it right away.”
“A lot of people end up in the world of minutia,” she continues, “and they get overwhelmed with all the things that they think should go before it. I say train and audition at the same time. Start building a resume. That’s why a lot of people are doing these verticals, right? I mean, what a great way to train!
“They shoot very fast. It’s very similar to how they shoot a soap opera. There’s no rehearsal. You get the script a day before or two days before, and there’s one take. It’s just like a soap opera. What great training!”
For actors navigating the industry without representation, The Unrepped Actor’s Playbook offers additional advice on building a career and finding opportunities.
Mixing that kind of work with more in-depth training, including classes where you might spend months working on the same scene, can teach you an enormous amount while also helping you become what you most want to be: hireable.
