Acting Schools

School for Film and Television Tip: Building your show business support network begins in acting school. If you're in school now, look around you. Your friends and acquaintances might feel just as powerless as you do, but the minute one of them makes it, they'll be in a position to drop your name.

So get proactive and begin fostering a sense of community while in acting school. Start a study group with a few friends to run lines, practice scenes, or go to screenings. Gather your colleagues and put on a benefit for a worthy cause. Get involved with your fellow actors in any constructive way you can think of. Two words of caution, however:

·Partying is no substitute for hard work. Having the right connections can open doors, but only talent and ability will set you squarely inside.

·Choose your friends carefully. Avoid the complainers and the whiners. People who are this miserable usually want lots of company. They won't cheer you on to success and may even try to hold you back.

If your support network consists of talented people you truly like, keeping in touch once school is over will be a pleasure. Send them congratulatory notes when you hear about a success. Call them up when they hit a rough spot. They'd do the same for you.

Making it as an actor is an uphill battle. You have years of slogging it through to look forward to. Thank goodness for your friends!