Tuesday 26 July 2016

DON'T BECOME AN ACTOR


I know that you will find this topic very confusing and even contradictory, but I can assure you that it is very important to understand. 

Acting can be a very glamorous, famous, rewarding and fun job to the outside world. People think it's just about getting a role, getting paid, going on location, being dressed and fed by others, acting out the role, attending a red carpet event and then becoming even more popular. 

WRONG! TOTALLY WRONG!

If anyone tells you that it is as easy as that then they are setting you up for failure.
If anyone wants to jump into the industry because of all that then I am sorry to tell you that you are in the wrong place. Not only will you be frustrated but you will be so BROKE you will not know what hit you. 

A lot of people have sent hundreds of thousands of messages to me about acting. 
They all seem to believe that when they tell me via email or social media that they can act, I will automatically believe them. 
They also think that just by saying "please connect me to your producer and director friends so I can get jobs", I will automatically introduce them to the directors. 

Nobody seems to care about my reputation and credibility. 
How do you connect and recommend  aspiring talents to casting directors, producers and directors when you don't even know what their capabilities are?

When they send these messages they all sound so polite, humble and eager. The moment I ask questions like " where did you train, who was your facilitator, do you have a reel you can send, what about your headshot and resume"?, they start to sound very uninterested and offended.

What is wrong in asking these questions when these are the same things the casting directors will ask?
What is wrong in preparing them before I take a chance on their talent?

This is one of the reasons I set up AN ACTORS PLAYHOUSE where you will get all the necessary tips, training, prep and requirements to thrive in the world of acting. 
It is a highly competitive world where only the highly trained and best prepared person can survive. 

There are some things you must do as an actor, before you start to send messages to people for roles:
1) TRAINING: you need to be trained by a highly trained and certified acting coach. This will prepare you for auditions, scene study, characterization, and all the techniques you will need to book the job. Study, learn and practice. It will take you far believe me.

2) HEADSHOT: you need a professional headshot and not a random picture taken by just any photographer. There is a difference between a professional headshot and a photograph. You need to know the image or impression you want to create for every casting director or director that will see the headshot. 

You also have to be consistent with the image of the headshots you send out. A professional headshot does not need too much make up and hair covering your face for females. 
The guys need to look sharp and very confident. Don't try too hard through the pictures and it is totally indecent to send semi nude pictures as your headshot. 

3) RESUME: every actor must have his or her resume in both soft and hard copy. When you go for an audition you have to submit your headshot and resume together, even if you had sent in a REEL

If you do not know how to create an Actors resume then subscribe to this blog and I will show you how. There are so many of them on the internet but not all of them will work for you or the brand you are trying to build. 

Your resume should catch the casting directors attention. A lot of actors have booked jobs even with one acting job on their resume. The presentation matters a lot and because the casting directors go through thousands of resumes everyday, yours has to stand out and catch their attention. 

You will also need to improve on other things that you are capable of e.g other languages, swimming, horseback riding, driving, dancing, gymnastics, etc. you do not need to know how to do all of them, but at least learn up to 3 of them perfectly. If you can do more then you stand a better chance. 

If you have only one skill which is ACTING and you're are exceptional at it, they you can always train you when you book the job. 

4) BOOKS: I have read over 40 books on acting and I am still buying more to expand my knowledge about my craft. 

You cannot stop learning and training till you leave this world. The world is changing everyday and techniques are evolving, so if you don't want to be left behind you need to step up your game.

5) AGENT: you can either find an agent or go through the stress of looking for audition opportunities online. 

If you are lucky there will be a few around your community or state. 

Getting an agent is not easy because you will have to prove to them that you are worth fighting for. They will ask for your headshot, reel and resumé, which is why it's important you have them done professionally. 

The agent will look out for auditions and sift out the ones that are appropriate for you. They have their ways of knowing the characters that the casting directors are looking for. 

Some productions already do their table cast for their lead roles unless the script requires a new face. The sooner you get your foot in the door the faster you can start getting reading auditions instead of open casting calls. 
There are so many other things you will need to prepare yourself before you start putting yourself out there. 

So as you can see, ACTING is not a walk in the park. You cannot just wake up and tell yourself "I am broke but I want to become rich and famous. The fastest route is ACTING". It doesn't work that way. 

Acting is a lot of work, needs a lot of time and requires a lot of your energy.
You need to be ready and willing to put in the hard work even in the face of rejection and criticism.

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T BECOME AN ACTOR: 
  • Don't become an actor if you think it's easy to get the jobs and stay relevant.
  • Don't become an actor if you think that all you need is the connection.
  • Don't become an actor if all you are looking for is the FAME.
  • Don't become an actor if you are after the glamorous life.
  • Don't become an Actor if acting is just a hobby for you while you keep your day job. If you can't make that sacrifice then you can't make that mark. 
  • Don't become an actor if you are not passionate enough to get good training for it.
  • Don't become an actor if you don't like to read.
  • Don't become an actor if you don't like observing things and people.
  • Don't become an actor because others are doing it and it has worked for them. You don't know what they really do to get where they are. 
  • Don't become an actor if you are not spiritually, emotionally, psychologically and mentally stable to resist any form of temptation that could lead to your destruction.
  • Don't become an actor if you cannot take criticisms.
  • Don't become an actor if your heart cannot take the media bashing.
  • Don't become an actor if it's not the only thing you really want to put your heart into. 

You may not agree, but trust me, it has been tried and tested for over two decades of my career. 

Subscribe, comment and share. Tell your friends who are interested in the world of filmmaking. 


Thank you for stopping by. 

7 comments:

  1. An i on the wrong website???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ���� Don't be deceived by the title ... If you read the full article you'll understand exactly what it's about ... I was a little confused mysel too ����

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    2. Ok.... I was just making sure somone else was reading this too. Im not confuse with the title at all

      Delete
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