Saturday, December 25, 2010

Guidelines on How to Start an Acting Career

By Jeffrey Weaver


Don't believe for a moment that it's easy to make it in show business. For every working actor you see on the big screen, there are countless others either unemployed or scratching out a meager existence. Resumes, headshots and agents are all well and good, but there's so much more to making a success of being an actor. But here you can learn how to start an acting career. Research talent agencies, looking for a business that will help you but not take your money.

Seek out books on acting techniques so you'll be aware that there are many methods that will help you sustain gripping performances throughout a career. You should understand how acting classes are run to make an informed choice when looking to enroll at a school.

Working as a freelancer, having some knowledge of business basics can come in helpful, too, because you'll need to know how to impress casting directors, producers, directors and agents. Put together a portfolio that includes headshots (dramatic and commercial), a cover letter, a resume, and arrange no less than two monologues one dramatic, the other comical. This compilation is critical to your image, so ensure you're meticulous in what you do to depict an image you consider suitable to your skills.

Income can be minimal when you start out, so you need to be financially sound before embarking on an acting career. If you don't have a large bank balance but want to pursue acting full-time, you'll need a sponsor to support you so you can focus on moving your career forward without being worried over rent. If you choose to be part-time, find an indulgent boss that will be OK with you taking time off.

Gaining experience is vital. Try to get bit parts in major studio films, even background work as an extra on television, or a larger role in an independent production. Then there's low-budget theatre or community theatre -- really, anything to gain confidence and experience, and maybe a little money, too.

You'll need an agent now. Try contacting them through meet-and-greets, showcases, forums with casting directors and agents that allow for auditions and personal chats, auditions at school seminars, or ask them to watch a movie or television show you're in or a show in which you're performing. Even send out masses of mail to agents and make follow-up calls. Do your homework on talent agencies to find one that's licensed and has been around for a number of years.

An actor never stops learning and developing, honing their ability to cold read or working on monologues. But it's imperative to understand how to promote yourself as a commodity worth paying for if you aim to get past the first steps of how to start an acting career.




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