Are Acting Classes Worth it?

I get this question a lot! I mean...a lot! Being a former acting coach myself, I have definitely learned that almost anyone feels they can teach acting, even after only a few years in the business. And it's a bit annoying. Google the Dunning-Kruger Effect. The market in most major cities is saturated with acting classes. I had a friend once travel from Canada to New York to attend a two month acting class because a few famous actors took the same class. I tried to warn her that I'm sure those famous actors went through every acting class they could get their hands on which means every acting coach could claim so-and-so was trained under them. So just because some famous actor took an acting class, it's really not evidence that the class is any good unless they still publicly endorse it. So how do you know if the acting class is worth it? Here is a cheat sheet that will help you out:

• HD Video of Your Work - Are you going to walk away with HD video of the scene or scenes you worked on so you can show a future agent, casting director, director, or producer? If you're walking away from the acting class with no video to show for it, don't even bother. People need to see you acting to know if you improved. Also, the geek in me feels I need to mention this, HD is 1920x1080. Don't settle for 1280x720 if you can help it. Many great classes are online now, using services such as Zoom. That's fine too, but be sure to talk to the acting coach and make sure you can get a video copy of your work.
• Stalk Their IMDB - Does the acting teacher or coach have a strong IMDB.COM page? Do they have a lot of credits? And are they "credits?" A lot of "uncredited" credits on an actor's imdb pages are just extra or background work they are trying to pass off as acting credits to make themselves look good. So be wary if you see a lot of "uncredited," on a person's imdb page.
• Testimonials That Actually Mean Something - Do they have a lot of testimonials? This isn't really evidence 'cause they can get anyone to say anything for the most part, but if someone gives a testimonial and you see that person's imdb page have some notable credits, that's good. 
• What's Their Ranking? - Where do they rank as far as acting teachers go? What I mean is are they actors who are teaching acting, are they casting directors teaching acting, or are they directors or producers? Why does this matter? Because when you get better at acting, you want to combine your acting classes with networking. If a director is teaching acting classes, that's great, and they may love your work and recommend you to another director of theirs, but that's not as advantageous as a casting director teaching an acting class. The casting director has access to dozens or hundreds of directors and producers. So they will guide you on how to audition for all the different types of directors and producers you will meet. You aren't just learning the one style of acting one director is teaching you. If they are just an actor teaching an acting class, do they bring guests in to evaluate your work like casting directors? That makes it a more valuable class. If you're just starting out, however, you want to focus on quality acting coaching first and foremost. Acting talent comes before networking. So if they don't have a lot of "connections," but their reputation and imdb.com page are great, take a class with them.

 At the end of the day, the answer is YES of course acting classes are worth it? Where's my evidence? Read the back of famous acting books and see who recommends them? You'll find it's from famous actors! The reason being is they didn't just once take a few acting classes. Many who are still winning Oscars, constantly take private lessons. Yes, even Meryl Streep. Look up one of her acting coaches Harold Guskin. David Mamet's book "True and False," was recommended by Anthony Hopkins. I could go on, trust me. So you should take acting classes, BUT, do your research first because there are too many out there who believe they can teach because they have a few years of training under their belt, google "Dunning-Kruger effect." I know I said that up at the top, but trust me, it's important to know 'cause this industry is filled with people who may have been working for ten years, but they've really only been working one year...ten times. They will waste your time or even worse, send you down a long, dark path with the wrong information and it will take another acting teacher a lot of work to clean up the bad habits you were taught.