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In the age of self tapes, actors have less pressure to relocate to a new city like they have in the past. That being said, some acting goals will require moving to a new town to reach them.

When it comes to relocating to kick-start your acting career, New York and Los Angeles are the two biggest cities that come to mind. Choosing between which city to move will depend on preference and sometimes niche, such as Broadway plays. However, for those looking to take a bite out of the Big Apple to pursue an acting career, here are three nuggets of advice to keep in mind.

Take Care of Your Cash

New York City is one of the most expensive places to live. Between rent, food, transportation and every other little thing, living in NYC can easily separate the cash from your wallet. Make sure you build up your savings before moving to New York and establish a money plan to go with your flexible survival job to help pay the bills as you get on your feet and rack up roles.

Focus on Your Craft

Networking is important, especially in such a competitive acting market. Being an entertainment hub, it’s easy to feel like networking in New York is a top priority. However, any actor who neglects their craft will not get far in show business. You need to keep your acting chops as sharp as possible at all times to keep up with your actor peers and nail those auditions.

That being said, New York has plenty of acting schools and coaches available for you to train and hone your craft, so make sure to do your homework and grow your acting skills.

Get SMART and Specific

When pursuing an acting career in NYC, your peers will tell you to be ready for any opportunity. However, it is possible to be too open to anything. Many actors that move to New York make a point of taking anything and everything, but this isn’t always the best approach.

Get very specific with your goals, your plans, and what you want from your acting career. Narrowing things down into the specifics makes it much easier to achieve. Breaking down your acting career path into SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound) will help you visualize your journey so that you can one day realize them.

Here’s an example of a SMART goal:

Simple goal: I want to be the lead in a Broadway musical.

S: I will book a lead role in a Broadway musical.
M: I am regularly taking acting classes and singing lessons while booking off-Broadway shows.
A: I am currently auditioning for Broadway shows.
R: I want to become one of the top working theater actors.
T: I want to book this role within five years.

Complete Smart Goal: I will take acting classes and singing lessons while auditioning for Broadway musicals so that I can book the lead role in a Broadway musical within five years and become a top theater actor.

We hope these tips make the transition to the NYC acting life a little easier, and if you’re ready to find all the latest casting calls and auditions, we can help.

Want to get your acting career started? Sign up or login to Casting Frontier and start auditioning today!

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Written by Casting Frontier