be an actress

Because I don’t think I’d enjoy theater acting, here are the steps I think I want to take to become an actress. I know a bit of the biz from the other side being a student filmmaker.

Model for photographs for no pay but with the photographer giving me prints. Use the prints for headshots or whatever else are needed.
Take an acting course (just to get over nerves, I’m very nervous about acting).
Pick out a monologue I can use for auditions, perhaps a few to show off different facets of myself or characters I can do according to the audition.
Go to Mandy.com or craiglist and find student filmmaking productions (I trust them more, no pay but good experience and we’re all amateurs.) They should give me the finished product for my reel, which will be a collection of things I’ve been in for better auditions.

Maybe I should work backstage at a community theater to find out how it goes and see if I’d want to act on stage. I just think my nerves would take over in that kind of environment though. Movie sets I’m at least a bit used to and has a calmer feel to it, not much rushing about.

I’ve worked behind the scenes on a couple of film and video shorts and even directed a few at my college where I studied moving image production. I love the feel of the whole set, the excitement and momentum and ambition of creativity. Creating a whole world and then portraying it. But I also want to try getting lost in that world. I’ve watched countless behind the scenes videos of many movies and interacted with many actors as a stage crewed for theater. While there are some crazy ones out there, they’re all characters and are the most fun to work with.

But besides that, I want to become another character. I want to portray and try on different identities and give them a voice. From here I know of the sites to look at to find starter opportunities: mandy.com, craigslist, (seriously, the film students use these and while you won’t get paid, it’s experience and a film reel). But I can’t seem to find a monologue that would suit a character I could portray. The West Wing monologue by the President was always inspiring to me, but again, not a character for a 22 year old female. Do you guys have any suggestions?