The best way I can sum this up has been written in this article for “Inside Film” magazine.  This article relates to a Visual Effects Company who closed it’s Sydney office due to the the failure of offshore productions materilizing.

As my blogs are mostly related to actors in the entertainment industry, I’d like you to know how last year affected us all.

As many of you know, we were expecting offshore (from other countries, USA etc.) productions announced to be in production in Australia.  Hence lots of actors studied the American Accent to be prepared for the films, Casting and Talent Agents, Production Companies et. al. prepared — the Australian dollar went up, budgets went down and we did not get these productions.

That is the nature of our industry, but 2009 seemed to be most disappointing as I as many of you had very high hopes for actors and our industry to be thriving in the middle of the year.  It just didn’t happen.  We carry on and I know many people are wondering if it is still viable to be working in this industry in Australia, should we move, should we give up, should we get angry?

I feel the answer is ‘No’.  I went back to the USA to ‘escape’ for several weeks during the holidays and most of January.  I will not speak here about the state of the film industry in Los Angeles, but can say that budgets are not what they have been in years past, however there is obviously more work.  But actors, take heart, even though there are so many productions, shows and films made in America and by the Americans, there are so many more actors vying for the roles too.  It is all basically ‘relative’.  If an Australian wants to work in the USA, with a legal 0-1 Visa and a believable American accent, then a lot of work has to be done!

Treating your acting as a Business is paramount.  The same steps you would take in the USA to build your portfolio should be done here as well.  Casting professionals can only rely on the best.  And to be the best, actors need to prove themselves and have the material and experience these people want.  If you want to ‘stay’, then get to work on your career.  Yes, it is difficult and you can say ‘why bother’, then don’t bother.  But if you don’t bother, you won’t get anywhere.  If you bother and still don’t get anywhere, then try a different track.

We can’t indulge that voice that says “give up”.  We can certainly indulge ourselves to re-evaluate what we want and how we can get it though.