3 Awesome Reasons Actors Should Use Udemy

3 Awesome Reasons Online Courses Help Film Actors

10/17/2018

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED

My college degree is strictly for theatre, so I'd only ever auditioned for stage plays when I decided to transition to professional screen acting.

I started researching how to become a screen actor. I saw a number of workshops on auditioning, but they'd either already happened or were too far away for me to attend.

Then I found it. Casting director Marci Liroff (ET, Indiana Jones!) had an abridged version of her in-person Audition Bootcamp on the course platform Udemy--for $20!

I kept thinking, "Wow. I can't believe I have access to this woman's knowledge." She (or someone on her team?) also replied to one of my course comments.

Do you schedule time for personal or income development in addition to your acting development? (I'd love to hear your favorite resources in the comments if you do.)

This week I want to introduce you to the world of online courses as a way for you to both advance your acting career and increase your income.

In this post, I'll give three actor-specific reasons to consider the world of online courses if you're a screen actor.

1. ONLINE COURSES FOR ACTORS TIP 1

This is one of my favorite reasons to take online courses.

Special skills are a game changer on your acting resume. This one section of your resume can really make you stand out from the crowd.

I personally take online courses on Udemy. They offer free or cheap courses on everything from learning musical instruments to doing magic tricks.

Remember to look for special skills that you can perform on camera, and only list talents you can perform well enough to get paid for performing.

Put another way, don't add special skills that you need to preface with the word "basic." Be a pro, or just say no. Would someone pay you to perform this special skill? Because someone will be if they cast you for it!

I've been told to add only three or four special skills to my resume and to have at least "one fun thing."

My fun thing, for example, is Karaoke Queen. I can perform the crap out of a song, but I can't quite hit all of the notes. Hello Cameron Diaz in My Best Friend's Wedding!

Which special skill are you considering for your acting resume? Comment and share. Start browsing Udemy for a course on that skill to see if you like it enough to pursue it further.

Business of Acting Advice for New Actors

2. ONLINE COURSES FOR ACTORS TIP 2

You don't necessarily need to attend a workshop to get legit casting advice.

Just type in the words "acting" or "actor" into Udemy's search bar. I highly recommend Marci Liroff's Audition Bootcamp course. She casts for Spielberg, after all.

I purchased it for only $20, and I've been through it twice now because the free app makes course navigation to easy. It's a high level version of her in-person bootcamp in Los Angeles, but it's still full of goodness.

You'll also see courses like mine that are only offered at full price. If that's the case, it means those instructors probably only offer discounts and coupons via their own site or email list like I do.

Most courses go on crazy discount for Black Friday, though, so bookmark the courses that interest you and check them again in October and November.

Free Acting Advice for New Screen Actors

3. ONLINE COURSES FOR ACTORS TIP 3

Like any good actor, you're probably always looking for freelance ways to make moola. There are a few ways to do this via Udemy.

Here's a snapshot of Udemy's income opportunities:

Become an affiliate of someone's course. Sometimes instructors open up affiliate opportunities on their courses. However, it's only for students who have completed that specific course. You'll most likely need to follow their affiliate guidelines.
Create your own course. Are you good at something? Create your own course! It's absolutely free to upload a course to Udemy, and they show you exactly what to do.
Get certifications or learn a new professional skill. Lastly, there are plenty of courses that can expand your work resume as well, especially for work-at-home or freelance jobs. A lot of courses offer certifications. Be sure to read course descriptions thoroughly to see which ones do.

SELLING AN ONLINE COURSE ON UDEMY

When I first considered creating an online course, I simply wanted to see if it would generate passive income--any income--without me constantly working it as a business.

Guess what? It totally did. Here's a screenshot of a payout I received while I was running errands over a year after I uploaded my first paid course.

Once you get to this point, all you need is to scale the amount of income you're receiving by putting your course in front of more eyeballs.

Your course will never be 100% passive. It's worth going through it as a student once per year to see what info needs to be updated. You may also decide to add new resources.

Additionally, I check in once per week to respond to comments or make any needed announcements. At a minimum, you'll need to check in once per month.

However, if you're on a film set for a while, you can leave an announcement letting your students know when you'll be back "in the office." Your course will also run without you while you're on set.

Your course also does NOT need to be related to acting, but it can be. You can teach a special skill if you want, or create a community around a special skill of yours as an example. (You'll need a membership platform for the latter.)

You can also teach a hobby or something from your non-acting career. I'll help you brainstorm ideas inside of my online course Actor Boss Pro. Click here to learn more.

TAKE ACTION

Have you ever heard of Udemy? Are you considering using it now? Comment below to let me know.

Udemy's mobile app is free and very user friendly. It makes watching courses on-the-go stupid easy! I highly recommend that you download it today and start searching for free or cheap courses.

Remember that you can find courses on Udemy for acting, personal, or professional development. You can also become an online course creator yourself, which is my favorite passive income side hustle for actors.