Informed.

An important step in your professional development is being informed.

Only with the knowledge of how the movie business works can you fully participate in it and give your voice.

The financial side is often blurry.

You know how much you get paid and it’s useful to find out where the rest of the money comes from and goes to.

You and everyone who make movies create value. Remember that so you know that you have worth as an actor.

That value is also manifested in money.

The union agreements are there to be perused so you know the basic pay for actors, electricians, directors, cinematographers. There’s also information available on how a movie is financed, what the average fee is for casting directors, how much studios earned in a year.

For you to take your place you need to know how the system works.

Some actors grow up with a parent who is a successful actor or screenwriter and they learn the business at their mother’s knee. That’s an advantage.

Develop your advantage by asking the question often considered heresy, ‘The money?’.

Your agent and the casting director have an advantage in that they know exactly how much you make. You might be at a disadvantage if you don’t know how much they make.

Saying ‘It’s your space. Take your place.’ includes knowing what’s going on.