I saw this page on WikiHow entitled: "How To Become A Working Actor", and it bemused me so much I had to address their 18-step guide to crack the industry. They don't actually disclaim that they're going to make you a star, but what they do say is:
"This article will deal with working towards a career in acting, and increasing one's understanding of the entertainment field, with an emphasis on casting from the actor's point of view. In the steps below, some words will be in bold to facilitate finding what information you need."
You can read the full manual here. [Note: This article is American, so their training programmes are a little different.]
OK. Let's go.
1. Make sure that you've definitely been bitten by the "acting bug": you know that's what you want to do with your life regardless of criticisms you may or may not receive from family and peers.
This is a good start - I would definitely agree with the opening statement. Only become an actor if you can't not do it. Your drive must come from within - an internal burning desire to act. It can't be based on external factors - fame, money, getting laid. So ask yourself what exactly the 'bug' is, and let's hope it's not fuelled by the latter selection.
2. Know your source(s) of income. Whether you have wealthy parents or have to earn a living, you will accumulate many expenses during at least the beginning part of your career. Get your finances together at the start of your career, so that you won't have to worry about it later.
Again, could not agree more. It is vital you know your source of income, because trust me, acting isn't going to keep you alive until you are well and truly established. And sadly, even then, look at all the 'celebrities' who end up on Celebrity Big Brother (Brigitte Nielsen, Michael Madsen, Stephanie Beacham), I'm A Celebrity (Let Me Eat Kangaroo Testes then) Get Me Out of Here! (George Hamilton, Nigel Havers, George Takei) and all the other tripey TV fodder that once respected actors end up in. I may be taking a stab in the dark, but I would warrant a guess that their driving incentive is a noun beginning with 'M', and no, it's not an unshaken but stirred Martini.
3. Research actor training programs with the intention of enrolling in one, whether it'd be a couple of classes here or there or a 2-3 year conservatory program. Remember, a prestigious institution is only as good as the instructors in them. It would be helpful to know whether the instructors are or have been working actors in the past. If you plan on enrolling in a 2-3 year program, understand that for the most part, that's the time you'd be sacrificing to improve your craft and chances are, you won't be able to audition for work outside the institution. Auditing classes here and there is a good way to get your feet wet. Vary your curriculum by researching good places to take Shakespeare, scene study, improv, movement, voice/speech etc.
In UK terms: to drama school or not to drama school. This is totally your call. Having not gone to drama school, I cannot argue the point for going. I can however, argue the point of going to a 'normal' university to do a 'normal' degree, and then considering a MA at drama school. This way, you get the full whack of the student life experience - drama school is somewhat a bubble - and you have a skill/certain level of education to keep your options open if, shock horror, the acting thing doesn't work out. I'm not advising you to prepare for failure, I'm advising you to prepare yourself so you can sustain it for the long haul.
4. To help get you started some of the best conservatories are Circle in the Square, Stella Adler, The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, and William Esper to name a few.
This doesn't apply to us, unless you're thinking of training across the pond. Here, we have the standard RADA, CSSD, LAMDA, Guildhall, Drama Centre, Drama Studio... the list goes on. Do make sure you research the difference between accredited and non-accredited and understand what that would mean for you and your career.
5. It's also a good idea, if you can, to try and have some idea of what you expect out of an acting school or teacher. Having more clarity about that can help you during the interview during which you are considering attending a school and during which the school is evaluating you for admission.
True, and most of the drama schools named above offer short courses/daily workshops and summer schemes led by their teaching faculty, so this would give you a good idea of life at the school and a little taster of classes. Do note that as these schemes usually don't require an audition, you could well be in a class of crazy delusionals/over the top luvvies. I was totally put off a top school because of other students. Just remember, if you really were to enroll on the full time courses, the application procedure is pretty stringent, and hopefully these crazies would be filtered out early (and maybe sectioned).
6. Research good monologues that are right for you. A monologue is defined as "a long speech spoken by an actor in a play or movie." In NYC at least, it is extremely helpful to have a couple of these under your belt for when you audition (mostly for theatre and agent/CD workshops, TV/film auditions USUALLY call for cold/prepared reading skills). Worry more about the context of the monologue instead of the actual breakdown of the character. For example if the character speaking the monologue is meant to be a woman, but you feel from the text that that doesn't necessarily have to be so, go for it. You can always omit certain parts.
The only time I have ever had to do a monologue in my audition was for a student film. Professionally, I have never been asked to do a monologue for theatre, film or TV. I haven't auditioned for the RSC, so I don't know about them, but I have auditioned for the National (and recalled), and neither occasion did I need to whip out a monologue. I would be really shocked if I was asked to prepare a monologue for any TV or film; moreover, monologues are not advisable to put on a showreel. Apart from showcases (such as Monologue Slam) and Shakespearean speeches for the RSC, I can't imagine a good reason why a monologue is necessary for an audition.
7. It is helpful to have a binder filled with at least ten different monologues from different plays, with different types of characters. If the person you are auditioning for asks if you have another piece you can take out your binder and name a few pieces (just ask if they would prefer, dark comedy, comedic, dramatic, etc.). Also having some pieces from Shakespeare's plays is a must.
Ten?? Ten?! I had exactly the same advice from my previous agent and I Iooked at her like she had just sang Old MacDonald to me in Japanese. That's a lot of monologues, and that's a lot to keep working and refreshing. If you have the time, great, why not, flex those muscles. But I truly think there are better and more relevant skills you could be honing - camera technique, audition technique, partner/scene work, keeping in shape, voice work...
This reminds of my maths GCSE and A Level where I had to work out logarithms, sin, cos, tan, and exponential. I got an A in everything much to the delight of my parents, envisaging a career in accounting for me, but now all I need to do now (and can do, more's the point) is to figure out the tip, divide a bill and work out what cut my agent is going to get. Concentrate on what is useful and essential, don't spread yourself too thin.
8. If you are doing musical theatre you should have a binder filled with songs.
Don't know anything about this world. Pass.
9. In NYC places like Drama Book Shop or Samuel French (also in LA) are great places to go look for monologues as their staffs are largely comprised of theatre buffs and actors themselves, who often are more than glad to lend you a helping hand.
Oh jeez are we still talking about monologues... Next.
10. Make friends with peers that you meet at classes and auditions. You never know how those connections can help you out in the future if you're in the company of the right people. If nothing else, it's great to have a support group. When choosing your friends, ask yourself if not only are they fun to be around, but also if they add value to your mission to becoming a working actor. There are a lot of negative people in the world who will drag you down if you let them. Stay focused on what you want. One way to do that is to surround yourself by people who will help you stay focused on what you want.
Yes, 100% agree with this. Acting is a lonely yet competitive industry, which only goes to feed the misery and isolation that actors will suffer from 80-99% of the time. I have many actor friends, and these guys have been wonderful in my development, growth and lows. It is important to share the good and bad; to give hope to your friends when they are struggling and you're doing well, yet also remain humble enough to be happy for them when you are down. Never compete with your friends and never hold them back.
Further, attending such workshops can open unexpected doors. I met an actor once at a workshop who then recommended me to the director of his next film. I was subsequently called in to audition, and couldn't believe the sequence of events when I finally booked the job. This was an international movie which was not your standard casting in the UK, so this really was down to a chance meeting.
However, don't be that person who only befriends people to reap some sort of benefit. We all know people like that. We can smell them a mile off, and guess what, we don't like them. Consequently, we are most unlikely to recommend an unfavourable person to our friends and colleagues and be stuck working with them for the next few months. Be genuine, be gracious, and don't be a user.
11. Research good photographers in the area so that you can get good headshots. If you have a trustworthy friend who is into headshot photography, that is great too. Make a list of a few whose work catches your eye.
A good headshot is a must, and it baffles me the lack of actors who realise this. Actors try to save money on headshots by employing cheaper photographers/student/friends with cameras. Then every year they moan and say they need new headshots, and thus the costs keep coming every year. Well, why not just spend a healthy amount on a brilliant photographer in the first place? I had my last headshots done in 2010 and I they have kept me working all this time.
12. Schedule meetings to have a short one on one chat with them just to get a sense of what their persona is like. It is important to have a photographer you feel comfortable with. Remember, you are choosing the headshot photographer, the photographer isn't choosing you, so make sure you ask the right questions during your initial meeting. The more relaxed and assured during your shoot, the better your photos will turn out. Good photographers range from $300 to as much as $800 for a session.
Most decent photographers are probably too busy to cater to this demand of a needy actor. Why do you care what their persona is like? If they can do the job, book them. They are not there to be your new life friend, they are there to do a job, and that job is to make you look shit hot castable. I've had three sets of headshots done my whole career - for my second lot, I spent a whole day with the photographer, I enjoyed her company so much, and I even kept in touch with her afterwards. But her photos didn't work for me and my new agent was very forthcoming in their opinion of the photos ('£300? You should sue'). I didn't think they were legal-action-bad, but it's just proof that a BFF is not what your headshot needs.
An important piece of advice that I will give is to know how long it takes for your photos' turnaround. We usually want our new photos ASAP and that sometimes is the bit that proves hard for photographers. I was given two names by my agent for my last round of headshots, and having spoken to friends who had used both, I discovered that one was on the verge of facing legal action for not giving actors their photos. So, without wishing to piss caution into the wind, I went for the non-litigious one. As I walked out his studio, my Blackberry pinged with the contact sheets he had sent both me and my agent. This man is John Clark, and I can wholeheartedly recommend him.
13. Think about whether studio light or natural light speaks to you more and express that to your photographer. Make sure the photos look like you, and not a glammed up version of you. Color headshots, in general, are more popular now than black and white. Be careful of cheesy gestures like the hand or the fist on your chin. Costuming during a session is not recommended either. For example, if you want to show that you can play a doctor, don't get dressed up in a doctor's outfit and get that headshot reproduced, unless of course you're going out of your way to show how much of an amateur you are. Anyway, after the session is done and you take a look at all your available options with your photographer get one to maybe three of the photos you like touched up a bit and reproduced.
I would say - research a great photographer and just let them do their job, whether it's studio light or natural light. Colour is definitely the way forward and certainly don't dress up like a doctor, or a vicar, or a baker, especially if you're going to have fisting in your shots.
14. Once you feel comfortable in your own skin, start auditioning for projects! Early on in your career, this will mostly consist of school/college plays, non-union theatre, community theatre, student films, shorts, low budget indie films. Those are all great things to get experience in if you don't happen to be bombarded by calls from the Law and Orders and Heroes ... which you probably won't be just yet. The two trade newspapers for these kinds of casting notices are Show Business Weekly (showbusinessweekly.com) and Backstage (backstage.com) but you can find other audition notices through nycastings.com, mandy.com, actorsaccess.com, as well as Craigslist from time to time. 85-90% of the jobs listed are unpaid, but hey ... in the beginning you have to gain experience and do what you love, right? Understand that auditioning for a project is a somewhat different beast than the things you learned about in scene study class. Over time, you will feel much more comfortable in the process. Outline your strengths and weaknesses. If you feel more comfortable reading cold for an audition than presenting a monologue, there is a reason for that. Practice your monologues more on your own time.
I'm not sure what this advises exactly, the term 'once you feel comfortable in your own skin', is defective - when do actors ever feel comfortable in their own skin? Surely that is one of the essential characteristics of being an actor - we aren't happy with ourselves, so we try to be other people. (Who is this non-self-loathing happy person who wrote this?) Don't think about auditioning, because if you think about it, you won't do it. It is a horrible process to begin with that you can and will easily talk yourself out of. Particularly if you are going for low grade projects/student productions etc., as they are unlikely to use an experienced casting director and do it in-house (i.e. DIY). Therefore, they are likely to be as clueless as you are (i.e. asking an actor to do a theatre monologue for a film. And I'm not saying this with bitterness as I actually got that job), and this whole experience may not exactly fill you with the motivational beans to carry on. But trust me, as you do this often and meet all sorts of people, it becomes normality. And normality isn't scary. Just do it, and keep doing it.
You can find the UK's equivalent of casting sites on the resources page.
15. Understand the general audition process. Once you submit yourself for a particular project that you happen to be right for, whoever is in charge of casting that project may or may not call you in for an audition. If not, do not be discouraged as it is not an indication of how talented you are. If he/she does call you in, congrats! They will either call you on your service/cell line (never provide a home telephone number on your resume), or email you. Usually, they will also let you know when to come in to audition by providing a specific time slot or letting you come anytime within certain hours of days that they are holding auditions. Be sure to know certain things in advance, such as when the project shoots, rehearses, opens in a theatre etc. Also, make sure you know what they expect from you during the audition, such as preparing a contemporary comedic monologue, or preparing sides that they may have emailed you. ALWAYS bring a few headshot/resumes to the audition, even if you submitted to them electronically. It's a good habit to get into for when you audition for "legit" projects.
Agree with this all - except I wouldn't bring a headshot resume to the audition, especially for the 'legit' projects. They will have it already - and I once did this at an audition for the BBC because I was so nervous and had read somewhere probably on such a site. When my agent found out, they were not impressed, telling me that 'we do that for you'. This headshot/resume handover may be an American thing, but it's not really standard here in the UK.
16. Work towards getting an agent/representation. The reason I say "work towards" is because chances are, finding legit representation will not happen overnight (generally, it's easier to have a commercial agent contact you, particularly if you're an ethnic actor). Real talent agencies can be found in a publication called "The Ross Reports" or "The Agencies". The following provides mixed results: mass mail headshots/resumes with cover letters to agencies. Since the increase in postage (now 97 cents to send a submission via First Class), mass mailing headshots can be an expensive affair. The cons of submitting unsolicited material to agencies is that you don't necessarily have the peace of mind knowing whether your mail has been opened at all. You have to remember that legit talent agents receive roughly 100 or more headshots a day! Make sure that your mailings are targeted and that you follow up. Casting directors and agents might not be interested in you right away, that's why you need to follow up every so often with news about how your career is progressing, recent work you booked, etc. Then one day out of the blue, you just might get a call. Just like with anything else, there are many different approaches. You have to find the one that works for you.
This subject is way too long to address in this already long article, and I will write more in depth about agents in future. For now, it is important to know that an agent is not your make or break. Yes, they can be invaluable but only if you have the right one. So you want to be snapped up by the likes of Independent Talent Group, United Agents, Curtis Brown etc? Have a look on their full client list and see how many actors they really have on their books.
You've only heard of the top A-Listers but what about the hundreds, yes, hundreds of others? Your relationship with your agent is way more important than where your agent works. We're all familiar with the big agency names, and I can vouch for them and say have a great relationship with my agent in such an agency. However, I have friends within the same agency, and with the other biggies, all of which I have heard both fairy tales and horror stories. People leave the big agencies in favour of smaller ones. People get dropped by the bigger ones after years of no communication. Don't just be blinded by the shiny agency name, invest in the person too.
17. Another increasingly popular method of getting your foot in the door is going to specialized studios that provide agent/casting director workshops/seminars. Some of them are TVI Studios, One on One NYC, Actors Connection, Breakthrough Studios and The Network NYC. Los Angeles have their own companies as well, such as ActNow. These are basically glorified "paid auditions", and you must remember that for the most part, that's exactly what they are. Go in there with the mindset that you're not necessarily attending those to learn more about your craft, but to get seen and hopefully get called in in the future. Of course, it is not a guarantee of employment and most people who criticize these studios don't even realize that perhaps they're not in the right stage to be auditioning for agents and CDs, or they're simply just "not good enough" yet. The downsides of this method is that on a per "class" basis, it's much more expensive than to just mail a headshot to that particular agent holding the workshop (97 cent mailing vs. $30-$40 workshop). However, the pros are that you have the peace of mind and guarantee that you met the person as opposed to worrying about whether your mailing was tossed in the trash. Also, it's easier to make an impression in person when they can see your acting style, type, age range. Most of these workshops also allocate a few more minutes to each actor so you can discuss "what you've been doing lately" on top of you actually auditioning for them. Most importantly, it's excellent practice for when you actually are called in by an industry professional to interview/audition ... provided you can afford these workshops.
I so want to agree with this advice... fuck it, I do. To an extent. There was a period a few years ago when I almost lived at such workshops. I had a reputable agent at the time, but I wasn't being seen for anything decent. So I put myself in front of these casting directors, at £40 a pop. These sessions happened weekly, and some people that were going to one each week, at a cost of £160 a month. That's like a yacht a month to a rich person.
Did I get anything out of it? To say a complete no would be a lie, but what I did get was so proportionately miniscule for the hours, money and ass-kissing I put in during that time. I wasn't called in for an audition, or offered a job, which is essentially the aim of such workshops. I was introduced to a director to assist in a casting. Was I called in for castings by any of the casting directors I met on a weekly basis? Not once. And I must have met about 20. I don't even want to do the financial maths on that.
As a comfort to me, I knew the girls who ran the workshops, so I knew they weren't in any way making a profit. They had to cover costs of the WC1 space hire, the admin, and of course, pay the CD. After a couple of years of running this workshop, which had also extended to agents, I noticed that none of them had been offered any representative and indeed jobs. All have since given up acting, so I'm not sure how great all this worked for them, the very ones who were in constant contact with the casting directors...
18. One way of looking at these kind of institutions is, if a person is not getting auditions, not being sent out by her agent or maybe doesn't even have an agent and doesn't have many industry contacts or know how to get them, then why not, yes pay a little money and be sure to be able to see the people you want to meet?
If there is a casting director who you're dying to meet for good reason e.g. they are casting for a project you think you're suitable for and you can't get in through the door, then yes, this would be a good way for an in. But if you just want to meet casting directors for the sake of it, then this is not in my mind the most fruitful venture. You are paying to see them, and by default, this relationship has began with a hefty power inadequacy.
Better to get yourself some work, sorry folks, I know easier said than done. If you're in a play, invite them. If it's a filmed piece, send it to them or cut a reel to show them. The effect is the same - they are seeing you. Sure, they may not physically view it, but who's to guarantee that just because they meet you they'll remember you forever?
So to summarise 'How To Become A Working Actor' according to Wiki: -
Alright, I know, I'm taking the piss and summarising crudely. The point I am trying to make at the expense of this list, is that there is no such steps to becoming a working actor, you can't just Wiki this shit. Admittedly, I am annoyed at the writer for putting our struggles, turbulences and incomparable jobs into a simplistic list for any Tom, Dick and Harry, owner of a TV or reader of gossip magazines to think that being an actor is easy.
It is one of the hardest industries to work in, maybe one day I'll write a list of how to survive and keep yourself sane.
"This article will deal with working towards a career in acting, and increasing one's understanding of the entertainment field, with an emphasis on casting from the actor's point of view. In the steps below, some words will be in bold to facilitate finding what information you need."
You can read the full manual here. [Note: This article is American, so their training programmes are a little different.]
OK. Let's go.
1. Make sure that you've definitely been bitten by the "acting bug": you know that's what you want to do with your life regardless of criticisms you may or may not receive from family and peers.
This is a good start - I would definitely agree with the opening statement. Only become an actor if you can't not do it. Your drive must come from within - an internal burning desire to act. It can't be based on external factors - fame, money, getting laid. So ask yourself what exactly the 'bug' is, and let's hope it's not fuelled by the latter selection.
2. Know your source(s) of income. Whether you have wealthy parents or have to earn a living, you will accumulate many expenses during at least the beginning part of your career. Get your finances together at the start of your career, so that you won't have to worry about it later.
Again, could not agree more. It is vital you know your source of income, because trust me, acting isn't going to keep you alive until you are well and truly established. And sadly, even then, look at all the 'celebrities' who end up on Celebrity Big Brother (Brigitte Nielsen, Michael Madsen, Stephanie Beacham), I'm A Celebrity (Let Me Eat Kangaroo Testes then) Get Me Out of Here! (George Hamilton, Nigel Havers, George Takei) and all the other tripey TV fodder that once respected actors end up in. I may be taking a stab in the dark, but I would warrant a guess that their driving incentive is a noun beginning with 'M', and no, it's not an unshaken but stirred Martini.
3. Research actor training programs with the intention of enrolling in one, whether it'd be a couple of classes here or there or a 2-3 year conservatory program. Remember, a prestigious institution is only as good as the instructors in them. It would be helpful to know whether the instructors are or have been working actors in the past. If you plan on enrolling in a 2-3 year program, understand that for the most part, that's the time you'd be sacrificing to improve your craft and chances are, you won't be able to audition for work outside the institution. Auditing classes here and there is a good way to get your feet wet. Vary your curriculum by researching good places to take Shakespeare, scene study, improv, movement, voice/speech etc.
In UK terms: to drama school or not to drama school. This is totally your call. Having not gone to drama school, I cannot argue the point for going. I can however, argue the point of going to a 'normal' university to do a 'normal' degree, and then considering a MA at drama school. This way, you get the full whack of the student life experience - drama school is somewhat a bubble - and you have a skill/certain level of education to keep your options open if, shock horror, the acting thing doesn't work out. I'm not advising you to prepare for failure, I'm advising you to prepare yourself so you can sustain it for the long haul.
4. To help get you started some of the best conservatories are Circle in the Square, Stella Adler, The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, and William Esper to name a few.
This doesn't apply to us, unless you're thinking of training across the pond. Here, we have the standard RADA, CSSD, LAMDA, Guildhall, Drama Centre, Drama Studio... the list goes on. Do make sure you research the difference between accredited and non-accredited and understand what that would mean for you and your career.
5. It's also a good idea, if you can, to try and have some idea of what you expect out of an acting school or teacher. Having more clarity about that can help you during the interview during which you are considering attending a school and during which the school is evaluating you for admission.
True, and most of the drama schools named above offer short courses/daily workshops and summer schemes led by their teaching faculty, so this would give you a good idea of life at the school and a little taster of classes. Do note that as these schemes usually don't require an audition, you could well be in a class of crazy delusionals/over the top luvvies. I was totally put off a top school because of other students. Just remember, if you really were to enroll on the full time courses, the application procedure is pretty stringent, and hopefully these crazies would be filtered out early (and maybe sectioned).
6. Research good monologues that are right for you. A monologue is defined as "a long speech spoken by an actor in a play or movie." In NYC at least, it is extremely helpful to have a couple of these under your belt for when you audition (mostly for theatre and agent/CD workshops, TV/film auditions USUALLY call for cold/prepared reading skills). Worry more about the context of the monologue instead of the actual breakdown of the character. For example if the character speaking the monologue is meant to be a woman, but you feel from the text that that doesn't necessarily have to be so, go for it. You can always omit certain parts.
The only time I have ever had to do a monologue in my audition was for a student film. Professionally, I have never been asked to do a monologue for theatre, film or TV. I haven't auditioned for the RSC, so I don't know about them, but I have auditioned for the National (and recalled), and neither occasion did I need to whip out a monologue. I would be really shocked if I was asked to prepare a monologue for any TV or film; moreover, monologues are not advisable to put on a showreel. Apart from showcases (such as Monologue Slam) and Shakespearean speeches for the RSC, I can't imagine a good reason why a monologue is necessary for an audition.
7. It is helpful to have a binder filled with at least ten different monologues from different plays, with different types of characters. If the person you are auditioning for asks if you have another piece you can take out your binder and name a few pieces (just ask if they would prefer, dark comedy, comedic, dramatic, etc.). Also having some pieces from Shakespeare's plays is a must.
Ten?? Ten?! I had exactly the same advice from my previous agent and I Iooked at her like she had just sang Old MacDonald to me in Japanese. That's a lot of monologues, and that's a lot to keep working and refreshing. If you have the time, great, why not, flex those muscles. But I truly think there are better and more relevant skills you could be honing - camera technique, audition technique, partner/scene work, keeping in shape, voice work...
This reminds of my maths GCSE and A Level where I had to work out logarithms, sin, cos, tan, and exponential. I got an A in everything much to the delight of my parents, envisaging a career in accounting for me, but now all I need to do now (and can do, more's the point) is to figure out the tip, divide a bill and work out what cut my agent is going to get. Concentrate on what is useful and essential, don't spread yourself too thin.
8. If you are doing musical theatre you should have a binder filled with songs.
Don't know anything about this world. Pass.
9. In NYC places like Drama Book Shop or Samuel French (also in LA) are great places to go look for monologues as their staffs are largely comprised of theatre buffs and actors themselves, who often are more than glad to lend you a helping hand.
Oh jeez are we still talking about monologues... Next.
10. Make friends with peers that you meet at classes and auditions. You never know how those connections can help you out in the future if you're in the company of the right people. If nothing else, it's great to have a support group. When choosing your friends, ask yourself if not only are they fun to be around, but also if they add value to your mission to becoming a working actor. There are a lot of negative people in the world who will drag you down if you let them. Stay focused on what you want. One way to do that is to surround yourself by people who will help you stay focused on what you want.
Yes, 100% agree with this. Acting is a lonely yet competitive industry, which only goes to feed the misery and isolation that actors will suffer from 80-99% of the time. I have many actor friends, and these guys have been wonderful in my development, growth and lows. It is important to share the good and bad; to give hope to your friends when they are struggling and you're doing well, yet also remain humble enough to be happy for them when you are down. Never compete with your friends and never hold them back.
Further, attending such workshops can open unexpected doors. I met an actor once at a workshop who then recommended me to the director of his next film. I was subsequently called in to audition, and couldn't believe the sequence of events when I finally booked the job. This was an international movie which was not your standard casting in the UK, so this really was down to a chance meeting.
However, don't be that person who only befriends people to reap some sort of benefit. We all know people like that. We can smell them a mile off, and guess what, we don't like them. Consequently, we are most unlikely to recommend an unfavourable person to our friends and colleagues and be stuck working with them for the next few months. Be genuine, be gracious, and don't be a user.
11. Research good photographers in the area so that you can get good headshots. If you have a trustworthy friend who is into headshot photography, that is great too. Make a list of a few whose work catches your eye.
A good headshot is a must, and it baffles me the lack of actors who realise this. Actors try to save money on headshots by employing cheaper photographers/student/friends with cameras. Then every year they moan and say they need new headshots, and thus the costs keep coming every year. Well, why not just spend a healthy amount on a brilliant photographer in the first place? I had my last headshots done in 2010 and I they have kept me working all this time.
12. Schedule meetings to have a short one on one chat with them just to get a sense of what their persona is like. It is important to have a photographer you feel comfortable with. Remember, you are choosing the headshot photographer, the photographer isn't choosing you, so make sure you ask the right questions during your initial meeting. The more relaxed and assured during your shoot, the better your photos will turn out. Good photographers range from $300 to as much as $800 for a session.
Most decent photographers are probably too busy to cater to this demand of a needy actor. Why do you care what their persona is like? If they can do the job, book them. They are not there to be your new life friend, they are there to do a job, and that job is to make you look shit hot castable. I've had three sets of headshots done my whole career - for my second lot, I spent a whole day with the photographer, I enjoyed her company so much, and I even kept in touch with her afterwards. But her photos didn't work for me and my new agent was very forthcoming in their opinion of the photos ('£300? You should sue'). I didn't think they were legal-action-bad, but it's just proof that a BFF is not what your headshot needs.
An important piece of advice that I will give is to know how long it takes for your photos' turnaround. We usually want our new photos ASAP and that sometimes is the bit that proves hard for photographers. I was given two names by my agent for my last round of headshots, and having spoken to friends who had used both, I discovered that one was on the verge of facing legal action for not giving actors their photos. So, without wishing to piss caution into the wind, I went for the non-litigious one. As I walked out his studio, my Blackberry pinged with the contact sheets he had sent both me and my agent. This man is John Clark, and I can wholeheartedly recommend him.
13. Think about whether studio light or natural light speaks to you more and express that to your photographer. Make sure the photos look like you, and not a glammed up version of you. Color headshots, in general, are more popular now than black and white. Be careful of cheesy gestures like the hand or the fist on your chin. Costuming during a session is not recommended either. For example, if you want to show that you can play a doctor, don't get dressed up in a doctor's outfit and get that headshot reproduced, unless of course you're going out of your way to show how much of an amateur you are. Anyway, after the session is done and you take a look at all your available options with your photographer get one to maybe three of the photos you like touched up a bit and reproduced.
I would say - research a great photographer and just let them do their job, whether it's studio light or natural light. Colour is definitely the way forward and certainly don't dress up like a doctor, or a vicar, or a baker, especially if you're going to have fisting in your shots.
14. Once you feel comfortable in your own skin, start auditioning for projects! Early on in your career, this will mostly consist of school/college plays, non-union theatre, community theatre, student films, shorts, low budget indie films. Those are all great things to get experience in if you don't happen to be bombarded by calls from the Law and Orders and Heroes ... which you probably won't be just yet. The two trade newspapers for these kinds of casting notices are Show Business Weekly (showbusinessweekly.com) and Backstage (backstage.com) but you can find other audition notices through nycastings.com, mandy.com, actorsaccess.com, as well as Craigslist from time to time. 85-90% of the jobs listed are unpaid, but hey ... in the beginning you have to gain experience and do what you love, right? Understand that auditioning for a project is a somewhat different beast than the things you learned about in scene study class. Over time, you will feel much more comfortable in the process. Outline your strengths and weaknesses. If you feel more comfortable reading cold for an audition than presenting a monologue, there is a reason for that. Practice your monologues more on your own time.
I'm not sure what this advises exactly, the term 'once you feel comfortable in your own skin', is defective - when do actors ever feel comfortable in their own skin? Surely that is one of the essential characteristics of being an actor - we aren't happy with ourselves, so we try to be other people. (Who is this non-self-loathing happy person who wrote this?) Don't think about auditioning, because if you think about it, you won't do it. It is a horrible process to begin with that you can and will easily talk yourself out of. Particularly if you are going for low grade projects/student productions etc., as they are unlikely to use an experienced casting director and do it in-house (i.e. DIY). Therefore, they are likely to be as clueless as you are (i.e. asking an actor to do a theatre monologue for a film. And I'm not saying this with bitterness as I actually got that job), and this whole experience may not exactly fill you with the motivational beans to carry on. But trust me, as you do this often and meet all sorts of people, it becomes normality. And normality isn't scary. Just do it, and keep doing it.
You can find the UK's equivalent of casting sites on the resources page.
15. Understand the general audition process. Once you submit yourself for a particular project that you happen to be right for, whoever is in charge of casting that project may or may not call you in for an audition. If not, do not be discouraged as it is not an indication of how talented you are. If he/she does call you in, congrats! They will either call you on your service/cell line (never provide a home telephone number on your resume), or email you. Usually, they will also let you know when to come in to audition by providing a specific time slot or letting you come anytime within certain hours of days that they are holding auditions. Be sure to know certain things in advance, such as when the project shoots, rehearses, opens in a theatre etc. Also, make sure you know what they expect from you during the audition, such as preparing a contemporary comedic monologue, or preparing sides that they may have emailed you. ALWAYS bring a few headshot/resumes to the audition, even if you submitted to them electronically. It's a good habit to get into for when you audition for "legit" projects.
Agree with this all - except I wouldn't bring a headshot resume to the audition, especially for the 'legit' projects. They will have it already - and I once did this at an audition for the BBC because I was so nervous and had read somewhere probably on such a site. When my agent found out, they were not impressed, telling me that 'we do that for you'. This headshot/resume handover may be an American thing, but it's not really standard here in the UK.
16. Work towards getting an agent/representation. The reason I say "work towards" is because chances are, finding legit representation will not happen overnight (generally, it's easier to have a commercial agent contact you, particularly if you're an ethnic actor). Real talent agencies can be found in a publication called "The Ross Reports" or "The Agencies". The following provides mixed results: mass mail headshots/resumes with cover letters to agencies. Since the increase in postage (now 97 cents to send a submission via First Class), mass mailing headshots can be an expensive affair. The cons of submitting unsolicited material to agencies is that you don't necessarily have the peace of mind knowing whether your mail has been opened at all. You have to remember that legit talent agents receive roughly 100 or more headshots a day! Make sure that your mailings are targeted and that you follow up. Casting directors and agents might not be interested in you right away, that's why you need to follow up every so often with news about how your career is progressing, recent work you booked, etc. Then one day out of the blue, you just might get a call. Just like with anything else, there are many different approaches. You have to find the one that works for you.
This subject is way too long to address in this already long article, and I will write more in depth about agents in future. For now, it is important to know that an agent is not your make or break. Yes, they can be invaluable but only if you have the right one. So you want to be snapped up by the likes of Independent Talent Group, United Agents, Curtis Brown etc? Have a look on their full client list and see how many actors they really have on their books.
You've only heard of the top A-Listers but what about the hundreds, yes, hundreds of others? Your relationship with your agent is way more important than where your agent works. We're all familiar with the big agency names, and I can vouch for them and say have a great relationship with my agent in such an agency. However, I have friends within the same agency, and with the other biggies, all of which I have heard both fairy tales and horror stories. People leave the big agencies in favour of smaller ones. People get dropped by the bigger ones after years of no communication. Don't just be blinded by the shiny agency name, invest in the person too.
17. Another increasingly popular method of getting your foot in the door is going to specialized studios that provide agent/casting director workshops/seminars. Some of them are TVI Studios, One on One NYC, Actors Connection, Breakthrough Studios and The Network NYC. Los Angeles have their own companies as well, such as ActNow. These are basically glorified "paid auditions", and you must remember that for the most part, that's exactly what they are. Go in there with the mindset that you're not necessarily attending those to learn more about your craft, but to get seen and hopefully get called in in the future. Of course, it is not a guarantee of employment and most people who criticize these studios don't even realize that perhaps they're not in the right stage to be auditioning for agents and CDs, or they're simply just "not good enough" yet. The downsides of this method is that on a per "class" basis, it's much more expensive than to just mail a headshot to that particular agent holding the workshop (97 cent mailing vs. $30-$40 workshop). However, the pros are that you have the peace of mind and guarantee that you met the person as opposed to worrying about whether your mailing was tossed in the trash. Also, it's easier to make an impression in person when they can see your acting style, type, age range. Most of these workshops also allocate a few more minutes to each actor so you can discuss "what you've been doing lately" on top of you actually auditioning for them. Most importantly, it's excellent practice for when you actually are called in by an industry professional to interview/audition ... provided you can afford these workshops.
I so want to agree with this advice... fuck it, I do. To an extent. There was a period a few years ago when I almost lived at such workshops. I had a reputable agent at the time, but I wasn't being seen for anything decent. So I put myself in front of these casting directors, at £40 a pop. These sessions happened weekly, and some people that were going to one each week, at a cost of £160 a month. That's like a yacht a month to a rich person.
Did I get anything out of it? To say a complete no would be a lie, but what I did get was so proportionately miniscule for the hours, money and ass-kissing I put in during that time. I wasn't called in for an audition, or offered a job, which is essentially the aim of such workshops. I was introduced to a director to assist in a casting. Was I called in for castings by any of the casting directors I met on a weekly basis? Not once. And I must have met about 20. I don't even want to do the financial maths on that.
As a comfort to me, I knew the girls who ran the workshops, so I knew they weren't in any way making a profit. They had to cover costs of the WC1 space hire, the admin, and of course, pay the CD. After a couple of years of running this workshop, which had also extended to agents, I noticed that none of them had been offered any representative and indeed jobs. All have since given up acting, so I'm not sure how great all this worked for them, the very ones who were in constant contact with the casting directors...
18. One way of looking at these kind of institutions is, if a person is not getting auditions, not being sent out by her agent or maybe doesn't even have an agent and doesn't have many industry contacts or know how to get them, then why not, yes pay a little money and be sure to be able to see the people you want to meet?
If there is a casting director who you're dying to meet for good reason e.g. they are casting for a project you think you're suitable for and you can't get in through the door, then yes, this would be a good way for an in. But if you just want to meet casting directors for the sake of it, then this is not in my mind the most fruitful venture. You are paying to see them, and by default, this relationship has began with a hefty power inadequacy.
Better to get yourself some work, sorry folks, I know easier said than done. If you're in a play, invite them. If it's a filmed piece, send it to them or cut a reel to show them. The effect is the same - they are seeing you. Sure, they may not physically view it, but who's to guarantee that just because they meet you they'll remember you forever?
So to summarise 'How To Become A Working Actor' according to Wiki: -
- Know a shit load of monologues. 10.
- Take your headshot photographer for coffee and make them your BFF
- Pay to meet people who can give you jobs.
Alright, I know, I'm taking the piss and summarising crudely. The point I am trying to make at the expense of this list, is that there is no such steps to becoming a working actor, you can't just Wiki this shit. Admittedly, I am annoyed at the writer for putting our struggles, turbulences and incomparable jobs into a simplistic list for any Tom, Dick and Harry, owner of a TV or reader of gossip magazines to think that being an actor is easy.
It is one of the hardest industries to work in, maybe one day I'll write a list of how to survive and keep yourself sane.