Here's a few tips from a Performing Arts gaduate for all you budding actors and actresses out there on making it into this difficult and fickle industry we all call acting.
First of all, if you have had no training and/or never performed on the stage or screen in your life, it is good to get involved with your local youth theatre or apply to join a stage school (for example, Sylvia Young Theatre School in London http://www.sylviayoungtheatreschool.co.uk/page_viewer.asp?category=Home&pid=1). Some of you may have already had some experience in performing/acting and you'll want to continue getting as much experience as possible so you can add it to your CV/resume. Most of your experience will come from training, i.e., an accredited Drama School, Uni or college that will teach you GOOD practical acting techniques. I went to Bath Spa University and was taught the Stanislavski method. If you have never heard of Konstantine Stanislavski then I suggest you look him up or buy "An Actor Prepares", as his method is EXTREMLEY good as it teaches you to bring life to the character in terms of finding depth and believability and not just "act". It is also adviseable to research into other practitioners. (Non of which I can think of at the moment, which is really helpful...!)
In order to have the best chance of getting into a drama school, what the audition panel often look for is life experience. A lot of drama schools don't take on 17/18 year olds. They prefer the 'mature student'. But if you have a raw talent and they see something in you that they can work with, then they will more than likely accept you. I suggest you really look around though for a place that will suit your talent and work ethic. Training at drama schools costs a lot of money and therefore you want to make sure you have gone to the right place.
Most well known drama schools such as Central School of Speech and Drama, RADA and Birmingham School of Acting have showcases at the end of the final year. The school invites agents, casting directors and the like, to watch a show put on by its students (you). Afterwards they then approach the student(s) whom they are interested in representing and they get chatting, the student decides whether or not he/she wants to go with this agent and BAM! they are an item. But of course, not EVERYONE gets approached by an agent. If you are not what they want, then unfortunately they wont approach you. That's the sad thing about this industry: rejection! And you MUST be prepared for it! I assure you that every well known actor would have been rejected at some point in their careers. And it's not just in the acting industry. J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame was rejected many times before finally getting her book published. It can happen. You must learn to not take it personally. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again.
If you don't want or don't end up going to a drama school (like me - and University's don't usually have showcases... But that's not necesserily a bad thing), but you still want an agent, then the best thing to do is search around, network or get the Contacts book (http://www.spotlightcd.com/books/contacts.html) and begin sending off your headshot and CV to the many, many, MANY agents out there. You may not get ANY replies, but it's worth a shot. Having no replies is usually because they wont represent you unless you have had some professional acting experience. And that means a PAID acting job! You can get by WITHOUT an agent, but I think it's easy with one as they can get you unheard of auditions that wont appear to the public. It's a challenging prospect that every actor has gone through, but if you're serious about acting professionally, you need to pull out all the stops.
Then there's Equity. Again, you can only become a full member if you have done some professional atcing work, but there is the option of becoming a student member... if you're a student that is...! I was a student member whilst at Uni, and I am still a student member. How it works is you pay a small fee while you are a student and then once you graduate you continue as a student Equity member for two years UNLESS you get a paid acting job. Once the two years is up OR you get a professional acting job, you are then a full Equity member. BUT if you go to an accredited Drama School you will automatically get onto the full Equity membership once you graduate. I don't understand why it has to work like that, but those are the rules. For more information go to their website; http://www.equity.org.uk/
Finally, you could always get into the industry by going backstage and networking, which is what I am doing at the moment. I am trying to get on the film set of the next and final Harry Potter film to gain some work experience within the film industry and to also network. Networking is basically talking to the right people in order to get information into your indusrty. If you get the right contacts they can hopefully push you in the right direction. I want to be an actor, but I love anything to do with film and would be perfectly happy and find it very fulfilling working as a runner on a film set. Being amongst directors/producers/casting directors and possibly actors would hopefully open a door into acting myself. It's just another route to think about.
I hope this information will be useful for you. I am only speaking from my own experience, both at University and in professional work. I am NOT a spokesperson for this industry.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Thank you and all the best.
Posted: 2009-02-23 16:56:19