Where Should I Begin My Acting Career?
- Date: 2007-04-21 - Word Count: 771
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Lets talk about which arena of being an actor you would like. Your options are anything from what you might usually consider, like feature films and TV shows, to some venues you might not have even known existed, perhaps industrial and student films. Actually, its a great idea to try them all. You will be exposed to knew things in each area, and turn into an all-around actor in the process. Now let us look at the acting venues that are widely known first and in a later article, talk about the others.
Episodic TV
"Episodics" are shows aired weekly, like detective shows or sitcoms. A little part on an episodic might put you in future episodes, or maybe a recurring role. A permanent character on an episodic show is about as close as a professional actor ever comes to having a "regular" job. The hours are good, the pay is great, and most of the time you get Saturdays and Sundays off. What I do not like: you pretty much have to be in New York or Hollywood just to audition! Sometimes, there are episodics that shoot in different towns, like Miami or Las Vegas, and if you are in one of the different towns, you are lucky.
Soaps
Soap opera shows are an area alone. The pay is great and the time you work is steady. Theyre also a great way to build your skill in acting. The downside of soap operas is you have to be in Chicago or New York, they may be a little more difficult to land than an episodic.
TV
Many TV shows are a one-time project, meaning the show is put on film once and aired one or more times. These may be easier to get a job with, and are often filmed in middle sized markets. The pay is good but not great, but not usually stellar. A role of this type does not last too long, does that sound familiar?
Acting on the Stage
Many of the greatest actors of our timeframe learned the expertise on the stage. It can be lots of work with painful hours, weeks or even months of rehearsals and performances. A character in a wonderful Broadway show may take a couple years. Personally, I do not love doing the exact same part over and over again, but it is a great way to get good at it, and a steady paycheck. I DO like the immediate applause from a live crowd. You are given the information whether what you are doing is good or not. Stage acting is the easiest to get a job in, even in a smaller town. The paycheck is usually not good but overall, Id recommend stage acting for everyone, especially when first starting out.
Feature Films
There is something undeniably magical about working on feature films. For me, there is nothing more fun than dressing up in period clothes and putting your foot on to the set for a feature film. It is close to transporting in time, having fun AND getting paid for it. It is in feature film where you are a part of something that is more big than any one person could do. The hours can be long, often with 12 or 16-hour workdays, which can begin well before the sun gets its first peek at the earth.
A non-union film usually doesnt pay that well, between $100 and $300 every day, depending on how important your role is. An "indie" film, or any film on a very tight budget might pay little or nothing, with a promise of food, credit and a copy of the film. A union film usually pays alot better, though still dependent on the character you have. Of course, the A-list actors get paid more than a million for a feature film, but even lesser known actors can get paid very well.
Your work on a feature film could be one afternoon, a day or a week. Some projects last as long as a couple of months. There are always deadlines, mostly because of budget or scheduling conflicts, so shooting is often rushed. Many films are shot on location, which means traveling to that location and often staying in trailers or hotels during the production's filming.
So, weve taken a quick look at the more familiar acting venues, the more obscure ones we'll cover in another installment. And, I cover these much more thoroughly in my ebook, but it is strongly recommended that you try all the venues to get the broadest range of education and experience. Stay tuned for the next article and well see you in the movies.
Episodic TV
"Episodics" are shows aired weekly, like detective shows or sitcoms. A little part on an episodic might put you in future episodes, or maybe a recurring role. A permanent character on an episodic show is about as close as a professional actor ever comes to having a "regular" job. The hours are good, the pay is great, and most of the time you get Saturdays and Sundays off. What I do not like: you pretty much have to be in New York or Hollywood just to audition! Sometimes, there are episodics that shoot in different towns, like Miami or Las Vegas, and if you are in one of the different towns, you are lucky.
Soaps
Soap opera shows are an area alone. The pay is great and the time you work is steady. Theyre also a great way to build your skill in acting. The downside of soap operas is you have to be in Chicago or New York, they may be a little more difficult to land than an episodic.
TV
Many TV shows are a one-time project, meaning the show is put on film once and aired one or more times. These may be easier to get a job with, and are often filmed in middle sized markets. The pay is good but not great, but not usually stellar. A role of this type does not last too long, does that sound familiar?
Acting on the Stage
Many of the greatest actors of our timeframe learned the expertise on the stage. It can be lots of work with painful hours, weeks or even months of rehearsals and performances. A character in a wonderful Broadway show may take a couple years. Personally, I do not love doing the exact same part over and over again, but it is a great way to get good at it, and a steady paycheck. I DO like the immediate applause from a live crowd. You are given the information whether what you are doing is good or not. Stage acting is the easiest to get a job in, even in a smaller town. The paycheck is usually not good but overall, Id recommend stage acting for everyone, especially when first starting out.
Feature Films
There is something undeniably magical about working on feature films. For me, there is nothing more fun than dressing up in period clothes and putting your foot on to the set for a feature film. It is close to transporting in time, having fun AND getting paid for it. It is in feature film where you are a part of something that is more big than any one person could do. The hours can be long, often with 12 or 16-hour workdays, which can begin well before the sun gets its first peek at the earth.
A non-union film usually doesnt pay that well, between $100 and $300 every day, depending on how important your role is. An "indie" film, or any film on a very tight budget might pay little or nothing, with a promise of food, credit and a copy of the film. A union film usually pays alot better, though still dependent on the character you have. Of course, the A-list actors get paid more than a million for a feature film, but even lesser known actors can get paid very well.
Your work on a feature film could be one afternoon, a day or a week. Some projects last as long as a couple of months. There are always deadlines, mostly because of budget or scheduling conflicts, so shooting is often rushed. Many films are shot on location, which means traveling to that location and often staying in trailers or hotels during the production's filming.
So, weve taken a quick look at the more familiar acting venues, the more obscure ones we'll cover in another installment. And, I cover these much more thoroughly in my ebook, but it is strongly recommended that you try all the venues to get the broadest range of education and experience. Stay tuned for the next article and well see you in the movies.
Related Tags: pay, credit, work, hotels, fun, tv, deadlines, movies, experience, ebook, indie, industrial, new york, stage, miami, shows, soaps, shooting, actors, venues, audition, episodic, recurring role, a-list, union film
John Fisher is a 20-year veteran actor and acting coach. His love of acting animates his free, tell-all newsletter which includes everything on how to get into acting from the importance of taking acting classes, to getting into voice-over acting. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
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