Talent can only get you so far and in the
entertainment business, your acting career
also requires experience. So how do you get
that?
The best way is to go to an audition
and hopefully land a part. Don't think about
how much they will pay because the objective
here is simply to build up your resume. If
you are able to do that, it won't be long
before you get a big break.
You can also gain experience by
participating in an amateur production. If
you are still in school, join the dramatic
society or the youth drama club.
To discover your other strengths as actor
and your weaknesses that you can improve on,
it will be a good idea to sign up for an
acting class.
Should you live in a city that does not
have a major theater company or studio, you
have to take a big leap and move either to
Los Angeles or New York where the big names
of the entertainment industry are located.
You don't have to do all the work by
yourself to gain experience as an actor. An
agent can help you look for small gigs to
help you get started. You just have to find
one and then impress this person so he or
she can use their contacts to find work for
you.
Just be careful when you are looking for
an agent because there are some who will ask
money from you upfront. If this happens,
walk away because an agent only gets paid
when you have a job. They usually get 10% of
your gross salary and that is for each
project.
Work experience is not the only thing you
need when you want a spot on television, the
theater or the movies. You also have to know
how to write a resume and get a few good
headshots because what directors see on
paper is also what they consider after you
perform your monologue.
You should have someone review it and
make changes if necessary. Some people make
the mistake of writing one that fits a
theater or television feature rather than
for a commercial or a film so you should
make different versions and use them at the
right time.
If you are not ready to go for an
audition, try finding work as a member of
the crew. This will give you the opportunity
to get to know everyone because most
veterans are more than willing to help
newcomers.
This will make it easy for you to
audition later on when you have built a
relationship with the casting director since
you are not a picture or a piece of paper
but someone they already know.
There is no guarantee that you will get
the part whenever you go to an audition even
if you have attended acting classes and
worked on other projects in the past. The
only thing you can do is prepare for it when
there is one coming up.
If you are able to stay on course, it
won't be long before someone will give you a
part. What you have to now is do your best
even if it just a small part because
everyone will be watching how well you
performed.
Did they make a good decision in giving
you a chance, only time will tell but a good
job could finally get your acting career off
the ground.
