An actor breathes life to the words of a screenwriter. He brings the action and emotion to life. It's an important and primary art form. The reality of the business side of acting is harsh for many, and an actor's life can be challenging. Most working actors do not only act. It's important to consider all aspects to this exciting career.
1. Change is a fact of life for actors. Work isn't steady unless you work on a television show, and even the most successful shows rarely last longer than a decade, once again leaving the actor with an unsteady career. Adapting to change is a talent an actor must possess or cultivate.
2. Get a day job that is flexible. Because acting work is unsteady for the vast majority of actors, prepare by getting a regular job that's consistent and flexible. You need to be able to adjust your schedule based on your acting work. If you're not able to do that, you won't be able to truly pursue an acting career.
3. Be able to memorize. Take a class on it if it doesn't come naturally. Memorizing lines must sometimes be done in minutes. You need to develop tricks to trigger your mind and ways to help yourself memorize, whether it's mental ways or using a tape recorder for repetition.
4. Spend as much time on your resume as you do on your headshot. Accentuating your experience and talents can really get you in the door for an audition as often as the sometimes over-rated and expensive headshot.
5. Be a couch potato for your craft, at least part-time. You should know television shows that are currently on the air in order to appropriately judge the mood and style of a show in case you get the opportunity to audition for it.
6. Keep studying. Acting is an art form that can be constantly perfected. Even continuously successful actors like Keri Russell and Nicole Kidman work with acting teachers when preparing for a role. Consider private instruction when it's a really important audition.
7. Get a reel together. If you don't have on-camera experience, pay for a professional reel. Go to film school to apply for parts to build the reel if you don't have any clips. You'll need a good reel to send to agents and casting directors if you want to win major parts.
8. Network. Although it seems like one of the most unpleasant things an actor is faced with, getting to know others in all aspects of the business is necessary in the fight to rise to the top of show business. Always be polite and professional to everybody on the set or stage, from the janitor to the producer.
9. Never wing it. If you can't put proper preparation into an audition, skip it. It's better to seem over-booked than unprepared. A bad audition for a casting director that casts many shows can ricochet in negative ways to sabotage future opportunities. Each one counts.
10. Persistence is perhaps the most important part of acting. An actor has to survive a lot in order to be a consistently working actor. One that's persistent is more likely to win a part than one who has talent and less ambition.
Information:
If you are searching for the best website to find open casting calls, TalentPostings.com provides you with a list of the most updated jobs in the industry. You can also create a Talent Profile to get discovered.
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