Annie: Over the years I've collected advice from different people I've come in touch with. I'm not an actress, and I have absolutely no experience with the craft of acting myself, so I needed someone else to send me this stuff. So don't go to me personally for acting advice!
Andi is a script supervisor, and sent me this advice (April 1st 2001):
If you are inexperienced or are a novice actor, here is some more advice. Don't think that you will be cast simply because you are NA. You must have talent. There is much more to acting than the glamour and glitter of Hollywood. Don't go into the business if all you want is attention. The demands on a talented actor are numerous. You must know how to do the following and more:
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Know how to develop a character.
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Know how to break down a scene and/or analyze the scene and the entire play/screenplay.
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Understand how the character interacts with the other characters.
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Know what role your character represents....the protagonist, antagonist...etc.
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Learn and know the "language " of actors.
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Learn about psychology, emotions, human nature. Actors are emotional athletes.
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Learn different techniques of acting: Stanislovsky, Meisner .....
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Learn physical movement. Learn about it and learn to do it.
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Know how to move on stage. Know how to move on camera. They are different.
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Know basic technical information and terms. Actors who know things like what a "first position" is are much easier and pleasant to work with than actors who don't know how to work with crew.
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During rehearsals on a set or on stage, know when to talk and when to listen.
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Treat your fans (if you have any) well. Be nice, kind, considerate, and allow room for their social foibles, shyness, and inappropriateness. If you are a celebrity, you might be the only one they have ever met or ever will meet.
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Be careful with the press. They always have the last word. Establish a good relationship with them. You will need them to help you be successful. Learn how to work with them.
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Overnight discoveries are a myth. They are one in a million. They just do not really happen anymore, but they make a good story for the press. That's why you hear about them now and then. Yet upon closer inspection, most "overnight discoveries" have been performing for years.
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Learn and know your lines. Most of us want to work and get the work done so we can do other things of importance in our lives (which does not usually include the actors) and we don't appreciate it when an actor has to do take after take after take because they can't remember their lines. It's one thing to do take after take for performance delivery reasons. But the real pros know their lines. It's ok to flub now and then, just not habitually. Every time a take has to go again, it costs money and generates extra work for people. Variety on the performance....OK, great, fantastic.....dialogue mess ups.......not ok.
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Don't show up on the set stoned, drunk, etc. It is a place of business and there are potentially dangerous situations on the set with equipment, cables, lights, etc. Don't need a drunk or a stoner tripping over stuff and getting hurt, or causing us to get hurt. And if you get a reputation for that kind of stuff, you'll have trouble finding work. I know of an NA actor that falls into that category. No one wants to work with him. I've heard he is now cleaning up his act. No pun intended.
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Working on a film can be very fun. But there is a difference between having fun and goofing off. Don't goof off. Be noticed because of your talent, not because you are obnoxious or are talking at the wrong time.
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Show up on time. Waiting on an actor can cost the production big bucks.
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Do what you are asked to do and go where you are asked to go. Wait in the area you area asked to wait. Stand where you are asked to stand.
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It's ok to talk to the crew -- the ones who aren't busy working. Or if you don't feel like socializing with the crew, it's ok, too. While shooting is going on, keep your conversations short. Don't be afraid to ask questions about terms you hear crew members saying or what a piece of equipment is called or what it does. We don't mind answering those questions -- when we have time.
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Although film making is serious business, have fun, too.
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Maintain your integrity.
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Don't think the crew don't have any influence on actors getting jobs. I have had directors ask me on numerous occasions about who I might know that would be good for a particular part. I pass on names. And I know names I don't pass on. And if I know of a part available, I have called actors I think might be good in that part and told them who to contact to audition.
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Learn about the business end of performing and film making. The more you know, the more it will help you.
Acting is a craft. It is something you spend your life learning. Read, take classes, listen to tapes, go to seminars. But you must act. Always be performing. Somewhere, anywhere. For pay or for free. Do it for the love of acting, not because you think you will get rich. Most actors are what is called "working actors". They drive themselves to work (not in a limo), they are just one of the gang (they are not asked for autographs), they compete for jobs (they don't have movie producers begging at their doorstep) and most "working actors" in Hollywood make about $5,000 a year.....which is below poverty level. They have other jobs to support them. Act because you love it.
Read this first!! A letter Angelique Midthunder (David's wife) gives to background artists (extras) she casts.
I asked the people at the Circle Talent agency how you can get a start as an actor. This agency has been really good to me and given me lots of stuff to display on this site, so it was natural for me to ask them. Rebecca answered my question. I'd asked if the best was going to Pow-Wows rather than pestering famous actors. Here's her response:
"Okay, the best way of making things happen is not so much going to a Pow-Wow but to contact a casting director in your own town (or the closest town to you.) As you know casting directors work closely together with producers and of course with us talent agents. Therefore they are a great source of information. In order to register with a casting director one has to have his/her own "tools" ready: at least one black and white headshot and a resume pertaining to acting. The resume should include vital statistics, skills, training and experience ( or the lack of it..):).Casting will then point the actor in the right direction as to give out agents phone numbers or even provide phone#'s of acting coaches. It is very rare that a person would get discovered at a Pow-wow. It can happen with regards to Background Performers, but that's about it. As I said the best way to go is to contact a casting director and have the "tools" ready. To approach a star at an official function as in Dreamspeaker's is okay. It depends on the performer. A man like Gordon Tootoosis is always willing to answer questions. The same goes for Jimmy Herman."
Here's some advice from Liz. She used to manage kids in the biz for years, and she knows what she's talking about:
"First tell them any agency that ask for money upfront is not a legit agency. They usually have very little contact with casting directors and are just a scam. Also if you go in and they insist taking your head shots or comps themselves. Sometimes these people will work with a photographer and just scam people in and charge them a small bundle for pictures and they cannot really get them much if any work. And its a good idea to get a list of SAG agents in their area. You can bet its a safe place to go if they are SAG. Most agents want you to have your head shots or comps and resume's available when you go in to see them. They don't have time to mess with helping you get this stuff. Another good idea is for them to call an agent like I mentioned and get a list of photographers that shoot comps for other models and actors that are listed with them. A SAG agent has contact with the photographers that are very good and they see the best comps from. Any agency that takes more than 10% of a cut from your film work and 20% for print is not being fair. That is the going amount that is their share of getting you work. Like I said before a true talent agency will not ask for money upfront but will only get those percentages when they have gotten you work."
If you have more advice to others who'd like to become actors, please send me a small piece on it!
Some links I found:
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Gordon Tootoosis talks about breaking into acting - must read!
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Advice for actors and models - very good, advice so you'll avoid being scammed!
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I found lots of links on http://www.canadianactor.com/
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http://home.earthlink.net/~ryalh/contents.html A guy who wrote a book (you can read the whole thing on the net) on being an extra. Interesting if you know nothing about the biz.
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http://www.extracast.com/ Get gigs as an extra!
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http://www.actorsite.com/ Lots of articles and other help on acting.
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Erin Pong shares her favorite Hollywood links on this page. Links to SAG, Links for kid actors, casting notices and other things.
