Acting Guide
This guide is aimed at child and teen actors based in the UK who have limited or no knowledge of the acting industry. We hope to develop your understanding of what working professionally as an actor involves, so if you’re new to it all, this is a good place to start. We cannot cover everything – there are hundreds of books on the subject! – but we hope these tips are helpful to any wannabe actor.
So you want to be an actor?
You’ve decided your career path, yet you don’t really know how to go about getting your foot in the door. There are various routes to becoming a professional actor, but if you’re new to all of this, there are elements to this profession you must know first. One must never go into the business lightly; one should embark upon a career in acting as seriously as though you were embarking upon becoming a doctor – the road is that long and that hard. Make sure you check out casting director Taylor’s video ‘How Bad Do You Want It?‘ over at YouTube for some great pieces of advice if you’re starting out!
“Everything is easier than becoming an actor”
Acting is one of the toughest professions in terms of competition. There are simply thousands of actors out there with a very, very small amount of actors actually currently working. Yes you have to be talented, but you also have to be lucky! Getting a job can sometimes be about being in the right place at the right time, or even just about contacts. If you are dedicated about being an actor, you have to be aware that you will be unemployed the majority of your career. It’s likely that for every ten jobs you’ll have an audition for, you might book only one. You will face rejection practically everyday. It’s advisable you face up to the reality early and read articles on the subject by awesome acting bloggers like Mark Westbrook.
It would be foolish to choose acting as a career path if all you dream of is glamour and fame. If you want to be an overnight star, a career in acting isn’t for you! Don’t consider your life as an actor a ‘dream’ as Mark Westbrook states;
“It’s not a dream you have to become an actor, you’re beyond dreams now. Dreams are intangible and cannot be touched, therefore they cannot be achieved. So, stop thinking of it as a dream, and see it as your target, your goal in the near future.”
In order to survive in the acting profession, you need to have a passion that will not be knocked easily. You will face rejection on a daily basis, so make sure that you are dedicated and serious about acting and training to perform. If you’re passionate, wholly committed and intense about the art, and you’d rather die than not live your life as a performer then perhaps the career is for you and go for it!
Articles and More Information
Read on for more articles on acting information, all written by Olivia and Addison. Watch this space for more articles soon!
Getting Started
How to get the ball rolling
Routes to Becoming a Professional
Plan out your career path!
Agents Explained
What is an agent and tips on how to get one
No Agent Required
Advice and tips on getting auditions without an agent
Becoming A Triple Threat
Love musical theatre? Great article by guest contributer Mark Westbrook
Film Set Experience
Want to get on-set experience? Work as an extra or on Student films
Getting Headshots
Snap! You need to get some pictures, but how?