New Actor? This is What You Should Be Doing.
There’s a lot of mis-information and rumors (and kind but misguided advice from your Uncle Bob) about the “correct” steps to take when pursuing a professional acting career in film and television. In this blog post, we’re going to cover the 3 most important things that most industry experts agree you should actually be focusing on in your first 1-3 years (YES, before you get headshots or an agent).
First thing’s first…who do we count as a “new actor”?
”New actors” are essentially anyone who is new to pursuing a professional career as an actor (AKA seeking to be paid for your work and pursue consistent, union bookings). Even if you've been in several theatre productions growing up, you probably had a different mindset than you might now (where you seriously are going to “go for it”). Or maybe you moved to a well-known acting market a few years ago but feel like you’ve been throwing spaghetti at the wall and haven’t made any progress. Maybe you have had some professional success…but only in the theatre world.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these scenarios - we welcome you! But! It does mean that it would be wise to start building the solid foundation we outline here, before jumping ahead. Why? Ultimately, taking the time to zero in and focus on these things now will save you significant amounts of time, frustration, and heartbreak later (not to say you won’t experience those emotions at some point or the other, but we’re trying to minimize the them for you!).
3 things new actors should focus on
1. Consistent training.
Shouldn't be any surprises here. Actors must have consistent, quality training in the craft of acting before they can be considered for representation/big auditions/roles/etc. Here at Beyond Acting, we suggest actors train in several "types" of classes to create a well-rounded skillset. This includes a foundational technique (ex. Meisner, Chubbuck, Suzuki, etc.), on-camera acting classes, scene study, and some form of improv. Each of these types of classes will provide you with the skills to navigate your craft with excellence in the many unpredictable and challenging scenarios that appear both when auditioning and on set.
Having training is non-negotiable (and no, just taking one class doesn't count). Many actors should be in consistent training for 1-3 years before they're "ready". This will make all the next steps easier.
2. Get on-camera experience.
If you want to be a film and TV actor, it’s important to get really, really comfortable being on camera. Seek out opportunities with student films, local filmmakers, the project your friend from class is producing...they probably won't be anything fancy or win awards, but that's not what you're there for. The more experience you have performing on camera and just getting comfortable on set, the more prepared and professional you’ll be on the big sets. These types of projects are also helpful so that you can start collecting good clips of your work (which you'll need when submitting for representation).
3. Networking.
It's never too early to start networking within your market. Get to know other actors in your classes, go to community events, support other artists at performances and showcases, etc. And harness the power of social media to create, meet, and grow your network. The more folks you meet, the more opportunities you'll hear about, and the bigger community of support you'll develop (which is invaluable for every artist). Networking can open up all kinds of incredible opportunities for your career - whether they appear this year or in 10 years from now - you never know! Check out this article for ideas for actors to break into a new market and get plugged in.
what happens next?
If you're doing these three things consistently you'll experience and feel some massive growth as an actor. Once you've got some experience under your belt and a community around you...then it's time to get strategic with putting your actor materials (headshots, resume, reels) into a package to submit to agents in your market for representation.
Finding the right reps will help put you in front of bigger and better audition opportunities. You'll also want to start thinking about creating new opportunities for yourself by making your own content, and growing your online following. (and when you're ready for those things, we've got the programs to set you up for success!)
