One week after graduating college from the University of Richmond in Virginia, Ryan Frost packed his bags and drove to Los Angeles to become a filmmaker.  After working at Paradigm Talent Agency and then in Development for two years, Ryan was accepted into USC’s School of Cinematic Arts to study directing. At USC, Ryan wrote and directed  short films, music videos, and commercials that have screened at various festivals. In 2009, Ryan directed an hour-long dramatic television pilot, RX, which was selected to screen at the New York Television Festival. RX also earned Ryan Directing honors at the Accolade Television Awards and Telly Awards. His commercial debut for Forman Mills aired in commercial markets across the country and his spec commercial for AT&T was a finalist for the Mofilms’ Cannes Commercial Contest. Most recently Ryan directed a promotional spot for Skechers for their involvement in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

I was recently at a dinner party at which one of the guests, an actress, stated that she would never act in a student film. As a recent graduate of USC’s Film School, I was a bit surprised to hear her dismiss programs that have produced some of industry’s best filmmakers. But in all honesty, I could come up with a multitude of reasons myself as to why an actor in this town wouldn’t want to act in a student film. There’s no pay. The filmmaker’s don’t have a lot of experience and are still learning how to talk to and treat actors. And there’s little potential in the film amounting to instance success. Still, I was curious to hear about some nightmare experience she had doing a student film.

Turns out, this young actress didn’t have any specific bad experiences in the student films; she just thought there was nothing for her to gain in these projects. And with this, I wholeheartedly disagree. There is something extremely in valuable and rewarding in student films. They are a tremendous opportunity to form strong relationships with young, talented, and up and coming directors that could last a lifetime.

Nonetheless, I have a few thoughts on the how you can ensure you’re getting the most out of your student film acting experience:

Manage Your Expectations

Harvey Keitel first worked with Martin Scorsese on a student film at NYU. Mind you, you could very well be working with the next Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg, but they aren’t master directors yet. Their goals may very well be taking their film to Sundance, Cannes, or Tribecca and they (especially the younger ones) will profess these aspirations from the onset of production…and shorts film across the country achieve admittance into top notch festivals each year earning filmmakers studio deals and the actors recognition, but the chances of this happening are still slim. If it feels like the film is turning into something that may not get you into the hottest parties in Park City, just relax, enjoy the process, and remember to think about the long-term connection.

Furthermore, it’s great to want good material for your reel, but again, there’s no guarantee the work will be brilliant. Student filmmakers are learning. You may very well give a riveting lead performance that is tarnished by bad audio, poor focus, or a plethora of other things that won’t happen in the professional world. Hopefully, the end result is strong enough for your reel, but if it’s not, can you live with it? Still, there are a few things you as the actor can do to achieve the best results…

Investigate the Project

I directed 12 projects at USC ranging from 3-minute exercises shot on video that were produced, shot, and edited solely by me over the span of a week to my thesis film that was shot on 35mm film in Richmond, Virginia with a professional crew. Clearly there’s a big difference in quality. Before you audition, find out what class the project is for, what year they are in school, and whether the filmmakers are graduate or undergrad. All of this will make a difference in your student film experience. I’m by no means suggesting there isn’t merit to acting in films by directors with less experience – the actors I worked with during my first semester of film school, I’ve continued to work with and call upon even as I enter into the professional world. And in a way, I feel like we grew up together. Still, it’s a good idea to ask what type of project you are getting into. A student isn’t going to brag to you that it’s “just an MOS exercise” because to them, it’s the most important thing they have ever done.

Go with the Flow

If you choose to act in a student film, there are certain things that you should not negotiate. You should receive a copy of your work in a timely fashion, be fed every six hours, and shouldn’t be asked to work longer than a 12-hour day without proper turnaround. And if these students treat you so disrespectfully as to not abide by these courtesies, they aren’t really worth the connection.

Still, there are some things that might be out of the norm on professional sets that you should just go with. Student filmmakers, especially in their early stages, tend to prioritize their aesthetic vision over an actor’s performance. Don’t be surprised or frustrated if hours are spent on a cool circle type dolly shot rather than your nuanced performance in a close-up. Over time, we get better about this, but expect 7 takes of the cool shot because it isn’t quite perfect.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that these young filmmakers are attempting to bring their visions to life without large crews and budgets…so cut them some slack if things take longer than they should. During my second semester at USC, I worked with an extremely talented actor who had a meltdown and chewed me out on set because there was no fresh coffee and didn’t think we were moving at a professional pace. As great as he was in the final cut, I wouldn’t dream of working with him again.

Do a student film for the right reasons

Chances are, if you are auditioning for a student film, you are still seeking to achieve some of your professional goals. That doesn’t mean that you aren’t a good actor if you are doing student films. Unfortunately, I’ve run into a few actors at auditions that seem to think our projects were beneath them. Just know that agents submit actors to USC films everyday. In 2007, I saw an extremely zany thesis film with a young and talented actor who blew me away with his comic performance. I sort of recognized from guess spots and what not, but he wasn’t big enough that I could possibly know his name. It was Aaron Paul. A year later he was starring in Breaking Bad. I’m not saying there was any correlation in his acting in a USC thesis film and his television success, but I do firmly believe student films are a great opportunity to work on your acting chops with talented directors in between those paying roles that could catapult a career.

I haven’t run into the young actress from the dinner party since that night. I’m sure she is still hustling, and from what I’ve heard she is a talented actress so I wish her all the best. She may or may not achieve success in this town. But I think her craft would be better-developed and her chances of success more likely if she chose to act in student films.