Begin your acting training as early as possible in school or community theater programs. Focus on courses that develop your confidence as an actress, such as cold reading, improvisation and movement.
Attend a four-year or two-year university to obtain a degree in theater or performing arts. Take electives in film or directing or both to help you gain a well-rounded view of the movie industry.
Study the acting techniques of Sanford Meisner, Constantin Stanislavski and Stella Adler to understand great movie performances.
Research your favorite actors and their techniques. Mimicking the greats can help you refine your acting method.
Attend film acting courses in which your instructor records your performance. Reviewing your on-camera work can greatly increase your awareness of both bad and good movie acting habits.
Increase your movie acting skills by honing your impulses. Ninety percent of acting is reacting, so finding natural reactions to scripted situations will increase your proficiency as an actress.
Study everything about your character when you audition for a role. To create a total character that is believable and real, you must know who this person is, what she does for a living, her motivations for life and what she wants from the other characters she comes into contact with.
Have professional head shots taken. These glossy 8- by 10-inch pictures should accurately represent what you look like on a great day.
Move to Los Angeles, New York City or Vancouver to be in the heart of the movie-making industry. Smaller markets like Shreveport, Louisiana; Dallas, Texas; and Miami, Florida, also have budding film industries.
Get a professional TV or film agent through a referral by another actor or by mailing your head shots to agencies in your area. Your agent can get you auditions with casting directors that you usually cannot land on your own.
Audition for movie roles that your agent gets for you. If you do not have an agent, you can submit yourself for auditions on acting sites such as LA Casting or Actor's Access.
Work in short films to gain experience. Even if they are just student films, these projects are excellent foundation work for the rest of your career.