ACTING for BEGINNERS
Everyone Starts Somewhere
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Meryl Streep had a first class. Philip Seymour Hoffman had a first audition he wasn't ready for. Viola Davis spent years learning before anyone knew her name.
Every working actor you admire started with no credits, no technique, and no idea what they were doing.
The question isn't whether you're ready. It's where to start.
What Beginners Actually Need
Most beginner actors are told one of two things: dive in and start auditioning immediately, or spend years in school before you're "ready."
Neither is quite right.
What beginners actually need is a clear technique. They need a system for approaching script analysis, emotional access, and performance that they can understand, apply, and build on over time. Not mystical advice. Not performance anxiety disguised as training. Just clear, logical, repeatable tools.
That's what BLS teaches.
What You'll Learn
Script Analysis
How to connect to the emotional life of your character in a way that is honest, specific, and sustainable. Not by suffering or forcing, but by developing a real relationship to the circumstances of the scene or something similar.
Emotional Access
On-Camera Technique
Audition Preparation
Business of Acting
How to break down material in the most helpful way possible. Writers' intentions, what your character wants, conflict and contrast, what the scenes are actually about. Clear analytical tools that produce clear performance choices. For a deeper dive, see Script Analysis.
How to work with the camera. What reads on screen, what doesn't, and why. Stillness, eyelines, framing, physicalities, and the specific demands of film and television. See On-Camera Acting for more.
How to walk into an audition room (or set up a self-tape) and do your best work. For dedicated audition coaching, see Audition Prep.
Headshots, resumes, auditions, agents and managers, how to navigate the industry without getting lost or scammed, and more. For a deeper dive on this, read our beginner's guide to starting an acting career.
Classes or 1-on-1 Coaching
Weekly Acting Classes — $300 for Four Consecutive Weeks
1-on-1 Growth Coaching - $150/hr
Classes are the most efficient way to build foundational skills. You work on scenes, receive feedback, watch others work, and learn from both. The collaborative environment builds courage and community at the same time.
Classes are right for you if:
• You want consistent, affordable, ongoing training
• You learn well in a group setting
• You want community with other actors
• You're building foundational skills
Growth coaching gives you undivided attention and fully personalized instruction. Everything is tailored to your specific needs, your specific material, and your specific challenges as an actor.
Private coaching is right for you if:
• You want focused, one-on-one attention
• You have specific material to work on (an audition, a role you've booked)
• You prefer to work privately before joining a group
• You want to accelerate your development faster than weekly classes allow
Learn more about Growth Coaching →
Many actors at BLS do both: weekly class for ongoing training and community, occasional private sessions for audition prep or targeted skill development.
Online Options
Both classes and private coaching are available online via Zoom. If you're not in Los Angeles, online coaching gives you access to the same training worldwide.
Both are available at BLS. Which is right for you depends on how you learn and what you need right now.
Common Questions from Beginners - FAQ
No. BLS works with actors at every level, including those who have never performed at all. The technique is designed to be learnable from the ground up.
Do I need experience before coming to BLS?
What should I read?
How long before I'm ready to audition professionally?
Should I go to acting school or get a degree?
Should I do community theater first?
Start with Being Human: An Actor's Guide to Greatness — the complete BLS technique in book form.
This varies significantly by person. The honest answer: when you have enough technique and experience to handle the unpredictable things professional sets throw at you. Auditioning before you're ready isn't just a missed opportunity, poor work on camera can follow you. Build a solid foundation first.
A full-time acting program isn't necessary, and for most actors pursuing film and TV, it's not the most efficient path and can even teach habits that are effective for stage but detrimental for on-camera work. For a detailed breakdown of this question, read Do I Need to Go to Acting School?
If your goal is film and television, not necessarily. Community theater builds some useful skills but also develops habits that can work against you on camera. If you want screen work, starting with on-camera training is more direct. If your goal is theater, community theater is a reasonable starting point.
Ready to Start?
An Intro Eval is the easiest way to get going. Bonus: the $25 fee becomes credit on your account.
Classes and in-person coachings are held in Reseda, CA 91335
19114 Stagg St
AUDITION SERVICES:
1-on-1 GROWTH COACHING:
CLASSES/WORKSHOPS: