how do I begin?

[Brighterthanstars]

Hi all,

Im not particularly new to NAPM as I had a former account and totally forgot my details although in the scheme of professional acting, I'm a newbie!
I've really wanted to go into professional acting for ages but I just have no idea what to do to make a start. I know that getting an agent is going to be pretty essential because I want to do screenwork however I just don't know how to go about getting one really (I don't have a showreel or photos).
To be honest I'm just feeling a bit clueless and worried as my parents don't know anything about the industry.

Can anyone give me a sort of guide or some help please?

Thank you!

[lynne]

Hi
First of all you need to get some experience. Either amateur dramatics, student films etc. Also a good idea to get some form of training for screen work. Where do you live, there are lots of courses around the country especially in London. I wouldn't bother looking for an agent yet. It took us nine months of applying to get an agent and my daughter had training for 10 years ( since age4) experience, show reel and photos! How old are you? As that also makes a huge difference. If you are over 13 but under 18 you will find it really hard to get an agent with no experience. The industry is overcrowded and the is very little work for this age bracket due to licensing laws.Over 18's play down to age 13 generally, can work longer and do not need a license or chaperones, hence are cheaper!
Secondly you will need headshots, these really do need to be professional and good, they are your calling card! They need to really look like you, not just be beautiful!
Don't bother getting the headshot done, until you are ready to apply to agents as they date so quickly and are expensive.
Be prepared for LOTS of rejection, and be prepared to be ignored! (many do not answer!). Showreels are not essential to get an agent, but try recording yourself performing a monologue to camera.
Search the internet for the agencies you are interested in. On their website it usually tells you how they like to receive submissions.
DO NOT ACCEPT ANY where you pay an upfront fee. If you are paying them to be on their books that is how they make their money, and they have no incentive to find you work! Most agencies are legit but there are some out there that are after your money! Beware of any that insist on you attending workshops that you pay for or also insist on you using their photographer ( at your expense)
Expect to be asked to join Spotlight ( the fee for this is around £90/year) This is almost essential. Expect to be asked to meet them also.If you are under 16 you must have a chaperone with you at all times. If you are over 16 make sure an adult you trust knows exactly where you are going and how long you are likely to be ( no more that a couple of hours unless its a workshop!)
Try to only apply to two agents at a time, agents know each other and talk. If they think you are applying to lots of agents then they will think you are not particularly wanting to be with them and you will get rejected!
Be polite and professional at all times, never be late and don't make excuses for anything. It is very much a professional world and such things will not be tolerated and everyone knows everyone else! Reputation is very important!
Lastly, Good luck and let us all know how you get on x

[Brighterthanstars]

Thank you lynne for such a thorough answer!
I've done lots of amateur work, I did a show over Christmas that combined professional adults which really confirmed that I'm ready to go pro. I'm about to do a film course with the youth theatre group I'm part of.
How do I find out about student films apart from napm?
Im in London so I know I'm in a pretty good area as I can get in to central London quickly. Annoyingly I'm between that 13-18 although I play younger, which I think does help a bit.
How much would you pay for headshots normally? And can I use any monologue?
Thank you again!

[lynne]

Hi
Try looking on star now for student films. Headshots vary enormously anywhere from £80 to £500. Depends what you are after, you need digital pictures that are copyright free so you can print your own (Unless you have a specialist photography printer, I would send them off online to be printed, a home printer is not up to standard , You need 8 x 10 prints) You will mostly be using digital versions though!
Can I ask how old you are? Monologues need to be age appropriate
Lynne

[paulears]

What age are you? If you are 16-20, then the market is saturated by people who are/were at college/uni/specialist centre, so if you want to be up against these people it will be tough if you don;t have a similar background.

All the advice so far has been really spot on.
One thing - an agent acts for you, gets you jobs and represents and supports your position. It's easy to get a rubbish agent, and if you only now want to get into this area of work you need to be suspicious of any agent who takes you on without the experience and usual collection of photos, videos, posters, programmes etc.

Agents who are good and have contacts will rarely put a newcomer forward, unless you have something unique, or have just made yourself look foolish on a reality TV programme!

Do what is sometimes called a skills audit.This concentrates on almost any positive feature about yourself, and, if you are brave, any negative features. You then add them up and see how you did.

So things like:
Productions you have been in.
Qualifications in subjects linked to what we do.
Skills you already have - like singing, dancing, playing instruments, accents, that kind of stuff.

Anything that makes you more marketable.

You were a bit evasive in the ages department. If you are 16 and over then looking for work is so much easier than if you are under, because you then come under the child protection system and your parents will need to support you. So so much depends on how old you are, even if this appear unfair. Without them, nobody can use you without the licenses, chaperones, checking and security that is in place nowadays. This means your parents control it all - and if they are not supportive, you will have to wait a while.

I don't want to throw cold water on the idea, but while amateur productions are where loads of people start, you are looking at a profession where your likely shelf0life is very limited, and you really need a qualification that will see your through when you are not working, which, with all the talent out there, will be more than when you are earning. Many people love amateur shows because they are fun and you meet nice and exciting people, but work in our industry is much, much tougher. The really good actors, singers and dancers may have great times and do wonderful stuff until their first wrinkle or muscle pull - then they start to look for the career change.

[Brighterthanstars]

Im going to sign up for Stabenow and see if I can get some experience before going to an agent then, and see how I do.

Im fifteen, but I can play younger. Sorry for the vagueness!
Im doing drama gcse and will be doing it at a-level too. The youth theatre I am at is also a very professional one where they give us the experience of real productions as much as they can so I don't feel that the pressure and hard work will stop me in this.
My parents are extremely supportive and he'll as much as they can, I also have family friends in the film industry who I have talked with and they have warned me of the scene/people but said that they would help me with getting some experience.

Thank you for the help

[paulears]

Your amateur experience will be far more useful than A level Drama, and GCSE Drama, frankly has nothing whatsoever to do with performing, and is a bit embarrassing what you get credit for - turning up and breathing seems to generate marks! The A Level teaches a bit of the history, and a tiny bit of drama, but it is not really very useful, as you don't need to learn full scripts and the timescale for everything doesn't reflect the real world. Keep up the amateur stuff and don;t stick to one group - audition for other organisations too!

Decent agents will ask you where they can come and see you work, and if there isn't any, they have no idea how good you really are.

[Brighterthanstars]

Thanks paulears, you're right! Drama GCSE mainly teaches us teamwork and speaking in front of people more than anything.

Any suggestions for amateur work that isn't a regular class- more of a summer school kind of thing?

Thanks

[paulears]

Always worth joining NODA - they seem pretty active, and I know a few people speak quite highly of their summer programme.

If you join just one amateur group, you can get sucked into thinking their way is the 'right' way - so by joining others you get a variety of styles of work. Some are very social, and little real work, others beat you into a pulp with non-stop intensive rehearsals and little else - you soon get a feel for it, and also you learn how talent often is NOT the deciding factor for getting parts. Some groups are very cliquey. While that is perhaps not pleasant, it will teach you a bit of how the real world is - so a toughener up if you follow me.

[Caroline A-C]

A lot of the London drama schools do summer courses. There are also usually a lot courses running all over the place during the summer holidays. I know that the Wycombe Swan Youth Project are putting on Singing In The Rain at the Wycombe Swan Theatre in Bucks and the auditions are on Sunday 26th April with the rehearsal period and shows running from Sunday 9th - Sunday 23rd August. Not sure where you live though. I am sure there are many other such courses around the country so may be worth googling your local theatres to see what they are up to.

[Fillyjonk]

Wow, paulears - you have got it so wrong about GSCE and A level Drama.

OP - I'd keep going as you are with Drama at school, apply for NYT and get experience performing on stage locally. Look on Starnow and Kids Casting Call Pro for screen work, eg student films. Even contact your local arts organisations as they often get requests from student film makers looking for actors. Then look for a decent Drama school course for post-18 that includes training for screen if that's what you're most into. Agents usually scout for new talent during third year final shows.

Best of luck.

[jennifer1972]

I think paulears is spot on!! How many school drama teachers have ever acted professionally? A friend of mine is a drama teacher, and lovely and dedicated as she is, went from studying drama and english at uni, into teaching A level drama and has never acted herself, either professionally or on the amateur scene. GCSE drama has to cater for everyone who take it, a one cap fits all method and is probably less useful to aspiring actors than GCSE maths. At least with maths they'll be able to count their eventual earnings!!!

[Fillyjonk]

How many Drama teachers do you know? You're making a sweeping and inaccurate generalisation and giving out terrible advice to a fifteen year old about her future path to a career as an actor.

I know that most Drama teachers that I have met and worked with in the past twenty years have had plenty of experience performing professionally. My husband was a professional actor for many years and has taught for more than twenty years. He also examines A level Drama and he and his colleagues certainly teach people how to act. The methods taught are the same as any institution that teaches performing arts. The criteria for marking is tight; you most definitely do not get marks for turning up and breathing. Over the years I have seen many stunning performances from brilliant young students - and lots of terrible work too, but to write off a subject as worthless and of no value because it is non-selective is narrow minded indeed. It's actually a very snobby attitude to deride school-based drama as you are, especially as it is the starting point for most actors, and teachers do fantastically well to bring out the best in all students regardless of their natural talent or lack of it.

I would add that beyond 18 years, a route through Drama school is probably more use than a university based Drama degree like I did, simply because of the exposure to agents. A large proportion of my husbands ex-students have pursued acting through both the university route and drama school route and are working successfully as actors on stage and screen.

[Fillyjonk]

I would also add that often, the students who have a scathing attitude towards school based Drama and think they are above their peers, are in fact not as talented as they think they are and lack the discipline that school based Drama requires. I'm not saying this applies to the OP, but it is fairly commonplace.

[Katymac]

I think Paulears is a GCSE/BTEC Drama teacher and is heavily involved in (commercial) theatre productions - tbh most GCSEs are valueless in the workplace - business is another example & child Development

GCSE are, I think, Level 2 qualifications and as such are a mere overview of the topic; in most careers level 3 (A levels) are minimum requirements and often degrees. But a GCSE (or a level 3) is unlike to be much use compared to actual experience

Edited to add commercial