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Just like with majority of other professions, British actors in the UK also have their own union. That union is called Equity.

Joining Equity - UK actors union - is one of the first steps an aspiring professional actor should take. Even though it's not essential, there are several reasons you must do this, and I will outline those below.

But first, what is Equity and what does it do for British actors in the UK?

Equity - Incorporating the Variety Artistes' Federation.

What Is Equity? All About the British Actors Union in the UK

Equity is a trade union in the UK. It represents not only British actors, but all types of professional performers and creatives in the entertainment industry all across the United Kingdom.

The UK Equity union was formed long time ago back in 1929 to protect lesser known actors and other artists in the vastly growing show business. The organization has worked steadily ever since, making sure that every artist trying to make a living would be treated equally.

In the most basic sense, what Equity does is campaign on behalf of British actors and bring all sorts of issues to the UK's government, parliament, and other places of influence. The union also protects your rights as a professional performer when you're looking for, applying for and working with other industry professionals.

When it comes to private sector, Equity is the place you go to about unfair treatment of actors or unreasonable payment structure. They oversee that British actors get paid a reasonable rate and that other rules of fair treatment are followed.

How big is UK Equity? Here's a quote directly from their website:

" Equity's 40,000+ members form a cultural community that is of major importance to the UK in artistic, social and economic terms and Equity works to support them by negotiating their terms and conditions including fee structures with all kinds of employers and employer's groups.

Our 5,000 Student Members are also able to access information and advice to help prepare them for work in the industry. "

Is UK Equity the same as SAG-AFTRA in the US?

Yes, and no. Equity is the same in a sense that it's a trade union that includes actors. However, while the description of their job may be similar to that of SAG-AFTRA, what UK Equity has the power to do differs from American actors union(s).

Even though Equity's function touches upon a much broader audience of working performers than America's SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild joint venture with American Federation of Television and Radio Artists as of 2013) who's primary objective is to look out for actors working with cameras, Equity seems slightly less powerful in the showbiz of the United Kingdom.

Equity's principal function is to negotiate minimum pay and conditions for its member actors, and make sure that everybody gets paid or receives the material that was promised to them.

How to get into Equity?

Becoming a member of UK Equity and receiving your Equity card is easy for most aspiring British actors.

Compared to SAG-AFTRA in the US, where you need to work harder, longer and pay more to get in, with Equity almost any actor can become a member, which naturally reduces the value of the membership.

As soon as you get into any drama school or even any kind of performance-related course in the university, you can become a Student Member of the UK Equity union. That's your first step towards becoming a full member should you choose to go with formal acting training.

Once you apply to Equity online and pay the dues (£18.25 for Student Membership), you will receive your membership card, and stay a student member until you graduate drama school.

Upon graduation from a drama school, you can (and should) transfer to a Full Membership status.

If you haven't got into any performance-related course in a drama school or university in the UK, then you only need a few performance credits on your resume and you can join too as a Full Member.

What exactly will Equity do for you?

On paper, quite a lot. In reality? Not so much other than make you look more professional. It's like insurance; it's better to have it but you don't want a reason to use it.

With Equity's help, it's potentially easier for actors to negotiate and re-negotiate pays for professional work. Employees also treat actors financial side with more care, knowing that if an actor gets underpaid, it will be taken up with the union.

Ultimately, Equity works more behind the scenes and on the bigger picture to improve the state of the arts professions in the UK. Equity is very proactive at various campaigns for saving theatres and getting better funding.

Finally, Equity often seems to actors like a big brother that you have who's never around. People know about him, so they won't mess with you. But he's not always there when you actually need him.

Now aside from that, UK actors Equity provides job information services, special legal aid, advice on benefits and taxes, insurance services and some other stuff. All of this is quite useful for those who are just starting out.

It's best if you look it up on their website, as the details of their system are too complex to start explaining here. If you're confused, then call them up and you'll get your answer in full detail very quickly.

So should you join Equity?

The bottom line here is that if you're trying to pursue a career as a professional actor in the UK, you have to be a member of Equity.

Even though getting your Equity card won't guarantee you any work, nor do they help you find any, that Equity card you receive with your stage name attached will at the very least give you a feeling of being a professional actor when you're starting out.

Majority of casting call websites allow you to list yourself as an Equity member. If your profile says no, it may or may not affect how casting directors see you.

Even though it's generally assumed that almost all British actors with just a few credits are members of UK Equity, agents, managers, casting directors and other industry folks still pay attention to that. Students, on the other hand, can weigh pros and cons, with the only con being the cost of joining.

Should drama students join UK Equity?

When you're a student on any acting related course getting your degree, I would say it's worth getting your Equity membership as soon as you can.

You want to do this for three reasons:

1. You can reserve a professional stage name so that nobody else can take it;

2. You will start saving up towards your Full Membership cost, which is deductible;

3. You can apply for acting jobs while studying and work as a semi-professional actor.

Many students consider it unnecessary joining UK Equity while they're studying because they're aren't working during their training. As a result, they miss the opportunity to become an older member of the union and reserve their screen/stage name for their future careers.

At £18.25 annual fee for Student Membership, this is less than you spend when going out on a Friday evening, unless you live on a very tight budget.

Just keep in mind that Equity's Student Membership does not provide you with all the advantages of Full Membership. However, you don't necessarily need them while you're training.

How much does Full Membership cost?

The amount you pay for your Equity membership card will depend on your annual gross income. For full pricing broken down by income, see this section of their website.

Here's a quick screenshot:

Don't be misguided though. If for some reason, financial or other, you cannot join UK Equity, you can still get acting work, both in professional and amateur league. Being a member does give you a minimal boost in credibility, but it's not significant when you're just starting.

This is what I meant when comparing Equity with SAG-AFTRA. American actors who are not yet members of SAG-AFTRA have significantly less work available to them from big productions, since most US projects that have a little money in their budget will go under the union, and will want SAG-AFTRA actors.

That is not the case with UK Equity where the rules, benefits and restrictions are much more loose. This may be partially a good thing, but ultimately, SAG-AFTRA's structure is far better in terms of protecting their actors, and providing value to their actors. However, you also pay a lot more ($3,000 at the time of this writing, which amounts to approximately £2,250).

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What Is Equity? All About the British Actors Union in the UK - Acting in London

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Just like with majority of other professions, British actors in the UK also have their own union. That union is called Equity. Joining Equity - UK actors union - is one of the first steps an aspiring professional actor should take.

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Arguably the most famous question that every actor will ask many times throughout their career: How to get an agent?

The topic on acting agents can be as complicated and lengthy as a whole book. Many actors wonder how to get signed by a talent agent the minute they decide to pursue a career in acting. Rightfully so, since everybody knows that talent agents can open up many doors for aspiring performers.

But is what the right way to start?

How can actors improve their chances of being signed by a talent agent?

What are the best ways to find and meet acting agents?

And how can actors book jobs while still being agent-free?

This article will answer all of the above questions and more. We'll focus on how to get an agent, how to work with talent agents from some of the best acting agencies in this business and how can you as an actor move your career forward with making connections while you're still about to finally sign that contract.
Moving to Los Angeles? Here's a guide on How to Get an Acting Agent in Hollywood
How to Get an Agent 101: Tips on the Acting Business

If you have already launched the pursuit of your acting career and started digging into the nits and grits of the acting business, then you probably know that finding an acting agent and getting that agent to sign you is not easy, not by any stretch of imagination.

Many budding actors find themselves puzzled by this catch-22 situation: I need an agent to book jobs, but I can't get any acting jobs without an agent. While it may seem this way in the beginning, it's not necessary so and your situation isn't as bad as you may think.
RELATED: Acting for Beginners 101 - The Ultimate Guide
It's common to call casting directors as the gates to the sweet side of the acting business and to your big break, and acting agents are known as the gate keepers - they are the ones who will get you into the room with casting directors and make your career flourish in the acting business.

It's true - having the gatekeepers of the show business (talent agents) to sign you will be tricky. This doesn't only apply to some of the best acting agents in London that represent actors such as Colin Firth or Judi Dench. Even smaller boutique agencies are ware of newbie actors, mostly because there's so many of them around.

With so many actors and the acting career being as competitive as it is, how do you break through? How to get an agent to sign you and start booking bigger and better acting gigs? There's a way, but it requires smart planning, hard work and consistency. So let's take a look what you can do right now to improve your chances and learn how to get an agent sign you as soon as possible.

I have years of experience in this industry, both in London and Los Angeles. Below, I'll give you some tips on how to get an agent and how to continue growing your own acting business with yourself as the best product on the market, which you are. Right?

1. Adjust Your Expectations

Just finding an acting agent alone can become difficult, let alone knowing how to get an agent to sign you.

Contrary to what you may think, they don't hang around pubs, looking to give out their business cards to good looking 20-year olds. Those times are long gone (if they ever were here in the first place).

Today, acting business is very competitive. Talent agencies that specialize in actors get too many inquiries from actors to represent them every single day. If you look around, " How to get an agent " is arguably the most commonly asked question.

Most of these requests are made by amateur thespians who just started pursuing acting and have no acting resume, no acting credits, no acting training and no good actor headshot. Often, these are the actor wannabes that believe an actor's career is the easiest job in the world, and all you have to do is to know how to get an agent, then you'll be rich and famous. Not true.

If you have some common sense in you, if you have genuine interest in the craft, and if you legitimately enjoy the process, then you have a much a higher chance of signing with an agent.

Why? Because it all takes time. Successful actors are CONSISTENT actors.

2. How to Improve Your Chances of Getting Signed

There are a few tricks that all actors wanting to know how to get an agent to sign them can use to slightly improve their chances:

1. Find local talent agencies

2. Reach out to current clientele

3. Get references and recommendations

4. Target specific acting agents

5. Follow-up

These five points can SIGNIFICANTLY improve your chances of a successful meeting with a talent agent. Let's go through each one so I can better explain this to you.

Find local, smaller talent agencies.

Actors who are living in metropolitan cities like London will have an easier time finding acting agents in the area. London has tons of them, and we've even made a list of top 10 best agencies. However, most of these are all very high profile places and if you're just starting out, it's not worth wasting your time on these.

Assuming you're living in London (or possibly Los Angeles, New York, or other similarly big city), I would suggest you to target local boutique agencies. These are smaller places that have an interest in young performers who are talented but haven't made a name for themselves yet.

If you're not in any of the big cities, you can still find at least a few talent agencies in your area. Most cities have them, you just need to really look. Google is best for this.

Alternatively, I would highly suggest to move to a city like London as soon as you can. This will truly help your career, and you'll be able to find more ways on how to get an agent to sign you. Not only that, but being an actor in London is a fun and rewarding experience.

Key message: Look for agencies in your hometown first, and make sure that you target smaller places instead of reaching too far.

Reach out to current clientele, and get recommendations.

This is usually an easy thing to do, but most actors are too lazy to go through the process because it's time consuming. Some may be even embarrassed, or feel like they are intruding. These may be valid reasons for someone in a corporate world, but if you're a struggling actor, you have to leave those feelings behind.

Most talent agencies have websites with a page where they list actors that are currently signed with them. For example, here's AP's page with actors. You can see actors' names, what they do and how they look. This is extremely helpful.

Now, what you do is look up those actors by their names on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and other platforms. Usually, it's pretty easy to find them.

Get in touch with these actors, but don't be intrusive. Be friendly, and make a genuine connection. This is the foundation of great networking skills. Once you contacted them and had a chat, ask about the agency they are signed with, how they did it and how can you do that too. Majority of people usually love giving advice on how to get an agent as long as you're polite.

Finally, to push things even further, you may even ask for a recommendation. Normally, someone who you don't know well will not do that, but occasionally you can get lucky. Why not give it a shot? All you have to do is to ask them if it's okay if you drop their name when you'll reach out to agencies. They don't have to do anything.

Some will say yes, some will say no. Others won't respond. Take it for what it is, and move on. Alternatively, you can improve your chances of getting that recommendation if you take those people out to lunch, or something along those lines. Maybe find a way to be helpful to them. For example, if you're a graphic designer, maybe you can offer to design something for that actor?

Key message: Connect with currently signed actors, try to be helpful to them and ask them to either recommend you to the agency, or to simply drop their name when you're trying to get signed.

Target specific acting agents in the talent agency.

This is yet another crucial point in your quest to find a way on how to get an agent to sign you, so don't forget about it.

When you're finally ready to reach out to the agency and ask for representation or a meeting, NEVER address the agency. Target specific agents within that agency, and use their names in the letter that you send.

The way to do this is very easy, yet I see so many actors not doing this because they are simply lazy. Don't let the laziness ruin your chances of getting signed by a decent talent agency - spend those extra 10 minutes to carefully craft your letter.

So how do you do this? Simply visit the agency's website and find a page where all of their acting agents are listed. Pick either the top one, or whichever you feel you may connect with best, and go for that person. DO NOT email or mail multiple agents within the agency; this will look unprofessional.

For example, here's Conway van Gelder Grant agency's page with their currently working talent agents. You can see agents' names and emails, and even a phone number. Pick whoever you want to target, and address your letter to that specific person.

Remember to write a nice looking cover letter to your agency, be brief and straight to the point. Avoid the common cover letter mistakes to make yourself look as professional as you can.

Key message: Mailing specific people within the talent agency will guarantee a better response chance, and make you look more professional.

Follow-up.

The final step in this process of reaching out for those who want to know how to get an agent is following up with your submissions.

Here's a little secret from my days of working at the agency as well as from talking to many talent agents: 99% of actors never follow-up. Isn't that crazy?

A follow-up is exactly what it sounds like. By now, you have sent out letters or emails to specific agents with a nicely structured cover letter, explaining them why they need to represent you, and hopefully you also got a recommendation. After about 2-3 weeks of no response from the agency, it's time to follow-up.

Craft another - even shorter - email, and send it out to the same person. It can be something as simple as "I just wanted to check in and see if you had a minute to take a look at my submission?" That's it. Your goal is to ensure that your email didn't get lost or forgotten about. This is another crucial step on how to get an agent to sign you, so do it.

Worried that you may disturb someone? Then maybe this career choice isn't for you. You must get over that fear, because the acting business is based on how proactive you are as an actor.

Key message: Do not forget and do not be shy to follow-up your previous submission with a short reminder to increase your chances of response, and possibly getting a meeting with an agent.

3. How to Get in Touch with Acting Agents?

Above, we talked how important being proactive is in the acting business. If you want to know to how to get an agent to sign you and have a higher chance of success, you need to spend time planning and researching. By this point, you should have a list of talent agencies and specific acting agents to reach out to.

When you have that special list in place, prepare well before you rush into emailing them.

The way to prepare for this talent agents outreach campaign is to make up a checklist based on what is advised below. Try to think outside of the box and come up with additional ideas that haven't been mentioned here, too.

When you're ready, here's what you will need in short:

Professional acting headshots (B&W + Color, theatrical and commercial)

Professional and well structured acting resume/CV

Some good credits on that CV (graduate student films, indie films, plays, commercials)

Training. Drama school or acting classes, and point out if there's any ongoing

Equity membership

Spotlight membership

Showreel/Demoreel

Your own website (strongly recommended)

Audition speeches prepared (they may ask for it)

That's essentially it. For the actual meeting with your agent, we have a short article prepared for you: What You Need When Signing With an Agent.

Someone who's been in the acting business for at least a year will have most of things on the list. If you're completely new, it would be better for you to spend the first 6 months trying to cross things off that list (if you're in drama school, do all of this then).

Avoid reaching out to most famous talent agents if you don't have at least a somewhat strong acting resume and a really great headshot. It just means you're not ready to go out and audition professionally yet. Don't ruin that first impression, and save it for later. The right time will come.

Your Spotlight profile has to be completed well, with your headshots, showreel, credits and training clearly outline. If you're not at this stage yet where you can create a Spotlight profile, don't worry about it and move on.

Your website, if you have one, should also contain your acting CV/resume, showreel and contacts all clearly displayed, preferably on the first (landing) page.

Just to stress this one more time: make sure you've got some acting training and credits under your belt.

By now you should have plenty of monologues and dialogues learned that you could use as your audition speeches.

Equity membership is also essential, since that establishes you as someone who is serious about this career choice.

Start the mailing campaign.

When all is prepared and ready, you can start your mailing campaign. You can do it by either sending emails or actual mail, or both. The choice is yours. However, the industry is gradually moving towards keeping everything digital, but some agencies are too slow to adapt.

Actors who choose to send their submissions by the regular post, make sure you print out plenty of headshots 10 x 8″ size, acting CV/resume copies and cover letters. All of this has to be ona A4 sized paper.

Don't forget: Staple your headshot to a resume. This makes it very easy for an agent to open your submission, take a look at the headshot and then turn it around to see your credits and training on the resume. Also, this ensures that your resume never gets separated from the headshot, which is crucial.

Your cover letter should be very brief. Quickly recap what you've done up to this point, where is your next production or when your next film/TV show is airing, and what exactly you want to get out of the potential meeting with your agent. I repeat - be VERY brief.

Send these three pieces (headshot, resume, cover letter) in one regular envelope and then all you can do is pray, if you wish. I would advise to forget about it for the next 2-3 weeks and focus on your acting career. Then, if no responses came in, follow-up and forget about it again.

Important: I've seen some actors advising to put a note on your letters and ask agents to return a headshot to you, if possible. Do NOT do this, ever. You will immediately be seen as an amateur, and it's unlikely that the agent will be impressed with that. If you're that poor that you can't afford to give out a headshot, then you're not yet ready for an acting agent to sign you yet.

When you're trying to find ways on how to get an agent to sign you and do this effectively, you must present yourself as a professional. This is an acting business after all.

Not only that, but leaving your headshot that was hopefully stapled to your acting resume increases the chance of that agent stumbling upon it sometime in the future, and maybe giving you call 2-3 months later. As a struggling actor, you need to take every chance you can, no matter how small.

4. Meeting with an Acting Agent

At this point, you've probably done the hardest work: you did the research, you email specific agents, you delivered them the goods and you got a response from the agency to come in for a meeting. Honestly, this really was the hardest part of how to get an agent to sign you, until the actual meeting.

After you've been invited to meet with an acting agent from one of the talent agencies you've submitted to, you know you'll have to prepare. We've previously written about meeting with talent agents, but I'll recap this succinctly for you to understand how to get an agent to sign you during this meeting.

You'll probably be a nervous wreck the day before and during the meeting. It's normal. The only thing you need to make sure is that you're prepared for your agency meeting and you know what you're doing.

These meetings are all very similar and very different both at the same time. It's difficult to predict how long it will take, or how the agent will behave around you, because it all depends on the person.

Here are the questions I'll address below:

1. How to dress for an agency meeting

2. How to talk during an agency meeting

3. How to behave during an agency meeting

Now let's go through these in more details so that you know how to improve your chances and how to get an agent to sign you thanks to a successful meeting.

How to dress for an agency meeting?

This is a simple one. Dress smart casual. There are many ways you can screw up your meeting with an agent, but dressing improperly cannot be one of them. You have to be better than that.

Don't look too formal, no tuxedos with ties/bow-ties or evening dresses. A nice looking suit is fine, but there's no need for a tie for men or business wear for women. The point is this: do not look sloppy.

You're an actor, so you don't have to look like you're applying for a corporate gig, but you also don't want to look like you sleep at the back hallway of Selfridges. Put some thought into your dress code, just not too much. Make sure your hygiene is on point.

How to talk during an agency meeting?

During the meeting, the agent knows you're nervous, so they will usually begin first. Usually, the meeting will take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.

The agent will ask you questions about your career, what you've done so far, what your plans are and what do you expect from this relationship in case they sign you and start representing you. Spend some time a day before thinking about these questions so that you are not caught off-guard.

Then it's your turn, so make sure to ask good and appropriate questions, those that honestly interest you and things that you should know about this agent and/or agency.

You may or may not be asked to perform a short monologue for the agent. Regardless, always have at least a few pieces memorized and prepared. One modern, one classical, and one comedy monologues are usually the best type of arsenal an actor can have. Even though it's rare, but you also may be asked to do a cold reading.

To wrap things up at the end of the meeting, the acting agent will allow you to ask questions. DO NOT refrain from this, and make sure that you do have questions to ask. This shows your professionalism and that you understand how the business works.

Understand that it's NOT a job interview, its you who's hiring them. Ask them what sort of area they are specializing in, if it's acting business only or not, what sort of clientele they represent, their point of view on your current situation and your plans.

Ask honestly what you're curious about. If you don't have anything on your mind (maybe because you're nervous), here are some sample questions to ask:

How many clients do you represent?

What type do you see me as?

How many other actors you have that are my type?

Are you okay with me submitting to castings by myself?

Do you have any recommendations for classes or photographers?

This shows that you're not a desperate actor who's willing to do anything just to find a way on how to get an agent to sign them. The key is to get into a mindset that you don't desperately need an agent ( which is true, actually) and go in there thinking that way.

How to behave during an agency meeting?

Here's a pro tip first: Do not extend to shake an agent's hand unless offered. This is one of their biggest pet peeves, mostly because they see a lot of people everyday, and shaking everyone's hand means a lot of germs.

Other than that, the way you behave during an agency meeting is the way you behave as a normal human being. Simply be yourself. Do not try to fake anything, or pretend to be who you're not. Be honest with your answers, keep them concise and try not to babble. Again, acting agents are busy and knowing how to get an agent to sign you means avoiding taking too much of their time.

It's very possible that an acting agent who invited you for a meeting already liked you, and you may get an offer after just 15 minutes of talking. Congratulations!

Now, if you've done everything as advised and you end up getting an offer to sign with that agency during the meeting, keep it together and ask for the copy of the contract to take with you, because you need to think about it. I know what you think: "Will that not hinder my chances of getting signed?"

No, it won't. This isn't a movie where everything has to be urgent and under pressure. Agents understand that you want to take some time to think about this, because it's an important decision that also involves some legal paperwork.

Even though you may want to know how to get an agent to sign you right away, there are two reasons for not signing with them on the stop.

#1. Reason number one. If you've done a bigger mailing campaign and reached out to other talent agencies, then youwant to get a response from other acting agents before committing to this one. Unless, of course, this is the only talent agency you got a meeting with or the only one you want to sign up with, or it's the absolute best choice of all.

#2. Reason number two. It's always a good idea to get a lawyer/solicitor to look through your contact, or if you have a manager, have them take a look at it. You don't want to get sucked into one of those scams or be stuck with an agent that doesn't get you acting jobs for 5 years or give them more than you have to.

When you get the offer, ask the agent if it's okay to take some time to think about it and how much time you have. Usually, just 48 hours is enough to take care of this, and 9 times out of 10 you'll still end up signing with that agent if that is a legitimate agency. Agents know that so they will rarely have any objections.

How to avoid being scammed.

There are a lot of scam artists out there who understand that actors really want to know how to get an agent to sign them, and these young and inexperienced thespians are the main prey of scam artists. You must be aware of all that if you don't want to get sucked into a scheme that will put you in debt.

The biggest acting agents related scam out there is "pretend agents" who establish a legitimately looking office and will even have a website with some talent on there. What they do is sign whoever they can get into the office, and they charge them cash for being signed.

That is not how a legitimate agency operates. No talent agent will ever charge you ANY fees for being signed, period. There are no ifs or maybes. The minute you are asked to pay some upfront fees before signing with an agency is the minute you stand up, thank them for a meeting and leave to never come back.

Just to repeat this one more time: no legitimate agency charges any upfront fees for signing actors, ever.

The same goes for anything related to your acting career: headshots, retouching, resume, workshops, classes, demo reels, and any other service. Whenever you hear an "agent" tell you that you have to take "this class" or go to "this photographer" in order to be represented, know that something is fishy. Run away.

The acting business is full of these scams, sadly. It's even possible that there's more of them than legitimate agencies.

Now, don't confuse recommendations with obligatory classes. Occasionally, an agent may recommend you a specific acting teacher or a great photographer, if you need one. These recommendations are coming from their years of experience in the field, so you can take them but you don't have to.

5. What's Next After Signing With an Agent?

By now, you've have your meeting and probably signed with your first acting agent. Happy days! But the process isn't over yet, and you need to work more in order to ensure a productive acting career that's ahead of you.

Now I'll talk about one of the major mistakes a lot of actors in London, Los Angeles and New York - all over the acting business anywhere in the world - I've often seen make.

The biggest mistake is letting go of the momentum of your hard work the minute you sign with an agent, thinking that from now on, it's the agency that will do all the work. Not so.

Figuring out a way how to get an agent to sign you and actually getting that contract is a major step in your acting career, and it will most likely help you in the long run. However, it may not have any impact at all in the first 6-12 months after signing. Your big break is still as far away as it was before you put down a signature on that contract.

Actors need to keep this in mind: signing with an agent doesn't solve all of your "problems." It's just a small stepping stone, but you must continue to work hard and push forward.

So what changes after you get an agent?

After you get an acting agent to represent you, the only thing that changes in your life is that you have to put their number in your phone contact list and onto your resume as your representation. You also have to pay them 10% from every paid gig you booked.

Remember that as soon as you start working with your new talent agent and auditioning regularly, you should not be putting down your personal contacts onto your resume at all. Everything has to go through your agent.

From this point on, that's their job and that's what they are there for in this acting business: to negotiate for you. Put their contact details instead anywhere that you used to put yours.

That's about the only thing that has changed in your career after you signed.

After your initial dopamine release and happiness levels wear off after figuring out how to get an agent to sign you, it's time to land back to Earth and continue the struggle as an actor that you were before you went into that room to meet with your future agent.

What do you do after you sign?

Honestly, this shouldn't even be a question. What you do after signing with an agent is exactly what you did before - struggle.

Continue searching for acting jobs, doing student films and indie projects, looking for commercials opportunities, and applying for bigger auditions. Always discuss with your agent beforehand what projects can you and should you do as they need to be aware of your schedule at all times.

Your acting business career becomes a two-man team, and you're tackling this cruel entertainment industry from both sides. So you do get some help from your agent, and this do get a little easier when you have an experience professional in your corner, but it doesn't mean that you can sit back and wait to become a movie star.

What you do is finding smaller projects through casting websites that are available to you while your acting agent is going into the dark depths of the acting business to fish for bigger things. But again, do not stop looking for work on your own just because you have an agent. Many actors do, and they often get dropped by the same agent.

Communicate with your agent.

Communication is key in this business. Just as your networking skills, it's important to stay in touch with people who are in charge of your career or who can help you advance it. We've previously written about maintaining relationships with your agents, but let me quickly recap this for you.

Always let your acting agent know your availability in advance, and update them if anything changes. Because now they are representing you, they have to know about you as much as you know about yourself.

If you recently been in an accident and you now have a dark eye, they have to know about it. If you're growing a beard, they have to know about it. If you cut your long beautiful hair short for some reason they have to know about it. Same goes for your survival jobs aside from acting.

Speaking of which: avoid drastic changes to your looks unless advised by an agent. As an actor, you want to maintain consistency in the way you look so that if you come in for an audition, a casting director must see the same person they saw on the headshot.

Don't forget to stay in touch with your agent. You might be working together for 5, 10 or maybe even 20 years, so begin developing this relationship. Talk on the phone rather than over emails, unless they are uncomfortable with that.

Be on top of this if your agent isn't, but that doesn't mean phoning in every day asking what they are up to.

It's also absolutely fine to develop a friendly relationship, also known as afriendship, with your acting agent and hang out together if you're both comfortable with it.

Many actors have asked me if that would be unprofessional, but in the acting business, there's really nothing unprofessional about it since now you're a team. Wouldn't you hang out with your basketball or soccer club team mates?

Once a month or once every two months the two of you can meet for lunch to discuss your progress and upcoming opportunities. This will only help your personal and professional relationship.

6. How Much Do Acting Agents Get Paid?

Every actor wanting to know how to get an agent will also want to know how much they're going to have to pay them after signing that contract. You shouldn't feel uncomfortable about these types of questions, since this is your money and you need to keep a good track of it.

As mentioned above, in the United Kingdom, your acting agent will usually get from 10% to 20% of your pay. The standard is 10% and rarely does anybody asks for more, but some do go slightly above. In the US, every talent agent receives 10% which is a number set by SAG-AFTRA, and it cannot be altered.

This percentage will be in your contract, so make sure you check this before signing anything.

Is 20% worth it? Personally, I would say that it isn't. Even the biggest agencies charge 10%, so if a smaller one takes a 20% cut, you may want to look elsewhere, but this is up to you. It's not a scam by any means.

Your agent gets a cut from EVERYTHING you do.

This is where a lot of actors get confused and go into panic mode when they notice that their agent takes a cut from something they didn't expect.

Keep in mind that it doesn't matter if you got an acting job on your own. The rule is that your agent still gets the same 10-20% from that acting gig, and this is usually mentioned in the contract.

The reason being is that your acting agent negotiates for you and deals with all the beuracracy that you as an artist do not want to deal with. Even if you get an acting job by yourself, you can send all future paperwork and negotiations to your agent and only show up for filming.

Every query about the project you're working on goes through your agent first as well, which saves you the trouble of constantly being on the phone or trying to email people all the time. This is your agent's job, and it's a difficult one, so that's what they are getting paid for it. Don't complain.

On the other hand, if your new acting agent is never getting you any acting jobs and for the whole year you've been finding work on your own, it might be worth reconsidering your business together and probably leaving that particular acting agency.

How do you get paid?

How you will be getting paid depends on your employer who gives you the acting job.

Sometimes they will pay directly to you, and sometimes to your agent. The standard in the acting business when you already have your feet wet is that only the agent gets paid, then they deduct their fee and pay the rest to you.

If you got paid personally, you must send what you owe to your talent agent. That's how this acting business works. Never try to hide any paychecks, because you never know when your agent may find out and sue you. This happens every day in this business.

Summary on How to Get an Agent

This was a long post for anybody wanting to know how to get an agent to sing them, but there's still plenty more to cover. I really hope this information was helpful to you, as it took me a while to write it out.

So let's summary. Here are the key points on how to get an agent:

Keep your expectations real about the acting business and what your goals are. Research and plan well so that you're prepared for what's to come.

To improve your chances of getting signed, target specific agents, ask for recommendations from current clients and don't forget to follow-up.

Maintain a professional status in the way you communicate and present yourself to agents. After researching, get in touch with agents through mailings.

Prepare well for an agency meeting by dressing appropriately, listening and asking the right questions. Do not sign with the agency on the spot and take time to consider the offer.

Avoid scams. Remember that no agency will ever ask you to pay for representing you nor should they require you to use specific photographer or acting class.

Don't get passive after you sign with an agent. Continue to look for acting jobs yourself, and remember that your agent still gets a cut from any work you find.

Communicate with your agent and stay in touch consistently. Develop a pleasant relationship and go over your acting career progress and planning together.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with others on social media, we would really appreciate it. If you have any further questions about how to get an agent, comments or ideas for future articles, let me know them in the comments below.

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How to Get an Agent 101: Acting Business How-Tos - Acting in London

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Arguably the most famous question that every actor will ask many times throughout their career: How to get an agent? The topic on acting agents can be as complicated and lengthy as a whole book. Many actors wonder how to get signed by a talent agent the minute they decide to pursue a career in acting.

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Agents and what they do | Actors & Performers

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Essential Contacts, Professional Network and Career Advice for Stage, Screen and Radio

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Agents and what they do | Actors & Performers

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Essential Contacts, Professional Network and Career Advice for Stage, Screen and Radio

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Actors communicate a character or situation to an audience through speech, body language and movement across a variety of mediums, including theatre, film, television, radio and video

Your role as an actor usually involves interpreting the work of a writer under the instruction and support of a director, although some work may require the actor to devise a character or improvise the reactions of a character to a situation.

Work varies enormously, from live stage performances of the classics and community theatre to soap operas, radio work, television advertising and film parts. As well as providing entertainment, an actor's role may also involve education, training or therapy.

Responsibilities

As an actor, you'll need to:

job seek and network

liaise with an agent

prepare for and attend auditions

learn lines and rehearse

research or undertake activities to help prepare for a part and to enable you to 'get into character'

discuss interpretation and delivery with other members of the company and the director

perform for a live audience

perform in a studio or on location for film, television, internet and radio broadcast

do voice-overs for advertisements or record audiobooks

manage the performance area, costumes and props

undertake activities associated with touring, such as driving a van, and 'get-ins' and 'get-outs' at theatres (i.e. setting up and dismantling the performance area)

liaise with venue managers and accommodation providers

keep records for company managers

work as a walk-on or extra for television or film.

Salary

Minimum wages are negotiated by Equity, the trade union for professional performers and other creative workers. Rates depend on the type of employment, location and number of performances.

Equity subscription rates are calculated according to the previous tax year's gross earnings from professional work, with special rates applied for students, children and long-service members.

An agent may be able to negotiate higher wages, taking a percentage of your earnings as a fee. Securing an agent is itself a competitive process, involving networking and often inviting agents to see you perform, or sending them a showreel of your TV or film work.

Very few people become wealthy through acting, although for some the rewards can be immense.

On average, actors spend about 80% of their working life 'resting' (not employed as an actor), so it's likely you'll need other ways of generating an income.

Working hours

Working hours may be long and unsocial. While on tour, an actor may be travelling and setting up scenery during the day and performing at night. Television and film work often involve very early starts and late finishes.

What to expect

Unless you work on the same set, such as a particular television studio, it's likely your place of work will change frequently. For example, you may work in different theatres or studios, work outside in street theatre, or on location in a range of indoor and outdoor settings.

Actors are frequently self-employed for tax purposes and not all employers pay National Insurance contributions. For this reason, accurate record-keeping skills are essential, and many actors employ an accountant.

The lifestyle implications are considerable. Time spent away from home is an inevitable part of the job. Disruption to home and social life may be unavoidable. Many actors leave the profession because of difficulties finding work.

You may find yourself working all over the UK and abroad. Auditions are usually held in London or other major cities, and you may be required to attend them at very short notice.

Word-of-mouth recommendations and networking connections are very common in this industry, so it's essential to demonstrate professionalism in your work. This includes being punctual, polite and well-prepared.

Qualifications

A degree or HND is not a formal requirement for a career in acting. However, it's likely you'll need to complete some form of study in media, performing or visual arts. Only a few actors are lucky enough to land acting jobs with no prior training; most will hone their craft over many years, often starting at a young age.

If you're a current student, of any discipline, you can gain acting experience through your university drama society. Skills developed in any other performing discipline, such as music, are also helpful.

Courses at specialist drama, dance or other performing arts schools tend to be very vocational and practical in nature.

Postgraduate study is not essential but may be a useful way of gaining more skills, experience and contacts. Entry is competitive and courses are intensive. Some institutions offer a one-year MA/postgraduate diploma in acting, or you could attend a summer school or short course focusing on a particular element of acting, such as accent and dialogue coaching, stage combat or Shakespeare.

Search postgraduate courses in drama.

The Federation of Drama Schools provides details of accredited courses, assurance about training standards and advice on careers in the performing arts sector and advocacy. Fees and maintenance costs during study can be considerable and will vary significantly. Contact individual institutions for details.

Skills

You'll need to have:

good communication and listening skills

punctuality and reliability

the ability to interpret and analyse roles

the capacity to work well in teams

the ability to take instruction and criticism

tenacity and determination

confidence to network and follow up contacts

self-discipline and stamina to cope with long hours and learning lines

resilience and determination

additional skills - these may be required for some roles, such as the ability to sing, dance or play a musical instrument.

Work experience

There's no single route to becoming an actor. Experience is an important factor, as are talent, determination, hard work and luck.

Gain acting experience through your school, youth or community amateur dramatics group, or undertake work experience at a theatre or on one of the BBC Careers Work Experience schemes. Holiday camps and resorts offer good opportunities, working as an entertainer or tour operator.

Signing up to an agency and securing small parts in television programmes or adverts, or working as an extra, can also be a great way into an acting career.

Employers

Repertory companies employ actors for a season, during which they perform in a number of different plays, each one usually running for a specified period.

Commercial theatre companies produce plays and musicals for long runs in London's West End theatres and other locations, and for tours in theatres around the UK, and even abroad in some cases.

Fringe theatre companies are small companies, often employing only a few staff and commonly specialising in a niche area of theatre or performance or focusing on work from a specific era or by a particular playwright. Some aim to take performances to people who might not normally have access to larger productions. They perform in a variety of places, including community centres, church halls and public gardens. Some are run as cooperatives.

Theatre in Education (TiE) companies tour schools, using drama to educate children. Productions are often linked to the national curriculum and include workshops that focus on key learning points. Children's theatre companies with a less educational aim also tour schools and other venues to entertain children. An up-to-date DBS check may be required if you'd like to work in this area, and a teaching qualification and/or experience may be beneficial.

Youth theatres engage with young people in theatre activities, outside the formal education system.

Film, television and radio companies employ actors to work on particular productions. Contracts can range from a day to several months, or longer.

Actors may also be employed to appear in promotional or training videos, or to participate in corporate training events, where they might facilitate role-play activities for staff.

The internet is a growth area for acting, either through viral marketing videos or extra online content related to films and TV programmes. Some video games include acting opportunities using motion capture technology.

Museums, heritage organisations and tour companies sometimes employ actors as living history interpreters, which may involve role-playing a character from history and talking to visitors.

For an emerging actor, performing at showcases and major festivals such as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival can be highly valuable, as directors and casting agents tend to visit these events.

Look for job vacancies at:

Agencies such as Uni-versalEXTRAS offer work as an extra.

You'll need to be proactive and establish a network of contacts, as few vacancies are advertised. Use directories such as The Performing Arts Yearbook. The Knowledge provides information about organisations that are about to start casting roles in theatre, television and film.

Your CV, as an actor, is different to that for many other jobs. As well as a list of production credits and details of any special skills, such as languages, accents, musical instruments played, singing voice, horse riding or stage combat skills, it also includes a headshot - a head and shoulders picture, usually in black and white, taken by an accredited photographer. Testimonials or professional recommendations may also be included.

Professional development

After you start work as an actor, it's unlikely that formal training leading to vocational qualifications will be provided. Skills are developed on the job through rehearsal and performance as you move between contracts, and this experience is evidenced on your CV. Sometimes you may need to learn a new skill for a role, such as a specific kind of dancing or circus skill, and the director may arrange for a teacher to train you for this.

You'll most likely need to invest in your own career by paying for your own training. Learning other skills, such as singing and dancing, can increase your chances of success in landing roles.

You may wish to join The Actors Centre, which helps actors develop professionally through regular workshops on a range of subjects such as:

improvisation

sightreading and screen acting

voice and movement.

You may also consider a postgraduate course in a related field, such as:

Career prospects

There's no standard career progression for an actor. You may spend your whole career moving from one acting contract to another, performing similar work without gaining extra responsibility or a significant increase in pay.

Success with one contract does not necessarily lead immediately to more work and you may move between theatre, radio, television and film. You must be prepared for the ups and downs and the lack of job security, which is inherent in this profession.

Career progression may take the form of learning new skills or branching out into different areas of performance.

You may have the opportunity to move into other areas, such as theatre management, scriptwriting or directing, or even set up your own theatre or film and television production company.

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Discover what it takes to be a Actor. Find out expected salary, working hours, qualifications and more.

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A successful career in acting requires equal parts talent and practice with a bit of luck thrown in. Actors at work can be seen and heard everywhere: TV, the big screen, the theater, on the Internet, in videos and on podcasts. They portray characters from the past that have impacted history, and they portray characters that are destined to impact pop culture in the future. Some dabble in a variety of entertainment mediums, while some stick to the stage, use their voice to create new worlds or dedicate their lives to the silver screen. Some make up the cast of extras that round out a production, while some achieve levels of fame that makes them a household name.

This guide serves as a starting point for anyone seriously interested in the world of professional acting. It includes a brief description of the real working life of actors and actresses, a rundown of the skills one must develop to succeed in this highly competitive field, and a list of steps to consider in pursuit of an acting career.

What Does an Actor Do?

To put it very simply, an actor works to portray a character in a movie, play, television show, theater production or any other variety of performance. But that's not all there is to this interesting job.

Show More

Actor Salaries & Job Growth

Actor Salaries Across the US

Where actors happen to make the most money depends greatly upon their expertise, roles and geographical location. Areas where the performing arts are a prominent typically offer higher pay than rural areas, or those far away from production facilities. This tool can help aspiring actors research average earnings by location.

Actor Job Growth

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that acting careers will increase by 10 percent nationally between 2014 and 2024. Though the field will still remain strongly competitive, some states may offer more roles than others. The job growth for actors is highlighted below.

Steps to Becoming an Actor

Actors often take meandering roads to their ultimate career; therefore, the steps to becoming an actor aren't as clear cut as they might be for other professions. Here's what most will go through to reach the pinnacle of their profession.

Acting School Programs & Concentrations

Career Goals & Educational Needs

Associate

Bachelor's

Master's

Stand-alone courses or workshops

I really enjoy acting and I am ready to take things to the next level. I am truly committed to doing what it takes to see my name in lights, but I am also realistic, and want a proverbial fall-back plan hiding in the wings.

I had a great time in high school plays, and I know I can sing and dance with the best of them. I know that I need further education to make myself stand out, but I'm not yet sure which direction I want to take.

I have acted in the past and have had some success, and I would like to take my talent to the next level--perhaps even crafting and directing productions. I need a degree that will teach me new techniques and open up a world of ideas while I focus very strongly on one particular part of the acting world.

It's time to launch my acting career in earnest. I need training from experts in the business, but money is tight right now. I need to find a program within my budget.

Preparing for an Acting Career

Acting Schools & Theater Degrees

Many different institutions offer actor training and theater degrees. Here are some of them.

Acting School

These dedicated schools are designed exclusively to teach aspiring actors. Students work closely with seasoned actors, theater directors, producers and others who can show them the ropes and skills they need to stand out during casting calls.

Performing Arts Schools

Performing arts schools are ideal for students who know they want to work in the performing arts, yet haven't decided how. There are classes for actors, dancers, choreographers, singers, comedians and more.

Community Colleges & 2-Year Schools

Some community colleges offer associate degrees in theater, drama and other performing arts fields. Trade schools, meanwhile, tend to offer more specialized diploma or certificate programs in areas like set or costume design.

Universities & 4-Year Schools

A large number of colleges and universities offer bachelor's or master's degree in acting, theater, drama and similar areas. These programs provide a well-rounded education for students who want to make a lifelong career in the performing arts.

Types of Theater & Acting Degrees

The world of acting is large and diverse, and so are the educational backgrounds of those who work in it. Any of the following degree paths can prepare students to succeed in the acting industry. Here's what they can expect from each program level.

Associate Degrees in Acting & Theater

Students pursuing associate degrees can expect to take two years of coursework, including general education classes along with more targeted classes for actors. This provides a firm foundation for students who want to eventually move into bachelor's degree programs or directly into the acting world. Here are some common courses:

Bachelor's Degrees in Acting & Theater

Bachelor's degrees in acting, drama, theater and fine arts are liberal arts programs designed for those who want to enter the performing arts. Performing arts schools tend to offer fewer general education courses than colleges or universities, but both options take about four years to complete. Students will be required to work with various productions, whether on-screen or backstage. Here are some of the more common classes taken at this level:

Master's Degree in Acting & Theater

Students who choose to pursue master's degrees can expect to dive into very specialized training, depending upon their choice of major. Common options include drama, set design, playwriting, film, theater, television, acting, directing and more. Most master's degrees taken through colleges and universities take up to three years to complete; for master's degrees at performing arts schools, three to four years is standard. Some schools offer online master's degrees with the recognition that students might also be busy working actors, though they may be required to perform in a play, musical or the like.

Below is a list of courses students might find in the acting track. Please note that courses will vary widely, depending upon the major.

PhD in Theater & Performing Arts

Acting PhD options are generally more student-driven than master's programs. Many curricula require only acting, drama or theater seminars, allowing students to select or design all remaining coursework. Each PhD program also requires a dissertation, which is fairly standard for this level of education. Many PhD programs encourage students to study a specific aspect of theater or drama that truly interests them, such as various methods, histories of cinema and theater, and cultural roles.

The PhD is ideal for those who want to truly master a particular style or method of acting, those who want to teach others the ropes, or those who want to bolster their resumé before moving into behind-the-scenes work, such as that of director or producer. They usually require six years of study.

Here are some common seminar themes found in PhD theater, drama or acting programs across the nation:

Acting & Theater Concentrations

Working as an actor isn't the only role up for grabs. Those who choose to pursue an acting degree can turn that hard-won education into any of these potential careers, with 2015 median wages reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Acting Coach
2015 median wage: $36,691
An acting coach works with actors to help them bring characters to life. The acting coach is well-versed in all areas of acting methods and techniques, and has the ability to convey them in such a way that the actors can use them on set. Acting coaches might work with performing arts schools or take on individual clients.

Set Designer
2015 median wage: $49,530
Set designers work closely with producers and directors to create a set that is true to the time period and feel of the script. The work requires a strong knowledge of architectural trends as well as the ability to build, paint and otherwise work with physically erecting set pieces.

Actor
2015 median wage: $39,104
An actor plays a role in a variety of entertaining mediums, including theater, television, movies, live performance, radio and more. Their work is not only for entertainment, but often also for information or instruction. Many actors are quite versatile and can add singing, dancing, writing and even directing to their list of talents.

Director
2015 median wage: $68,440
Most directors work closely with everyone on set, especially actors and producers, to create a character arc that is true to the vision of the script. Directors might work in a variety of areas, including theater, television, movies and the like.

Producer
2015 median wage: $68,440
Producers handle a great deal of behind-the-scenes work, including issues with casting or extras, financial flow for the production, design and sound on the set, and other creative decisions. Producers are usually weighing the needs of the production against the budget set to finance that production.

Components of a Successful Career: Skills, Tools & Technology

Actors aren't usually overnight successes; they tend to go through many years of auditions, rehearsals, bit parts, and ups and downs before breaking into the acting world. Here are some of the skills that can help them succeed, and the tools and technology they might use when they get there.

Skills

Tools and Technology

Credentials

Though there are no clear-cut credentials for actors, there are some options for areas that support actors, or that might enhance an acting career. For instance, the film editing certification or the digital video certification can help an actor transition to other careers in the field. Credentials should be chosen based on what actors might want to do if they choose to move behind the scenes.

Related Careers at a Glance

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Acting School and Career Resources

This site connects actors with monologue for auditions.

This labor union for actors provides help with benefits, working conditions, contract negotiations and more.

This organization helps actors with common issues, including housing, healthcare, social services and financial assistance.

A clearinghouse of pertinent, up-to-date information for actors, including casting calls, news, advice and resources.

This organization of schools, colleges, universities and conservatories strives to provide a top-notch educational experience through proper accreditation.

This independent federal agency offers funding for a variety of arts across the United States, including theater productions.

The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists brings together two powerful unions to provide important protections and information to those in the entertainment industry.

Related Careers at a Glance

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Acting Schools & Careers | How To Become An Actor

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A successful career in acting requires equal parts talent and practice with a bit of luck thrown in. Actors at work can be seen and heard everywhere: TV, the big screen, the theater, on the Internet, in videos and on podcasts.

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One of the most common questions I receive on a weekly basis is on how to become an actor with no experience. Many aspiring actors who are just about to start pursuing a career in show business are confused how to get acting jobs when you don't have anything on your acting resume.

I can see how this catch-22 situation can be confusing to many, particularly to those who just got out of drama schools or jump straight into the industry without the formal training. I've been there before, and so were all others. Every. Single. Actor.

First, the good news: obviously you CAN become an actor with no experience. Everybody has to start somewhere. The key is actually taking action and doing something in order to get that experience, and there are a few things that you can do at this point which I'll talk about below.

" You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. " - Zig Ziglar

There are many ways how to become an actor with no experience, when and where to start your acting career. A lot of these questions have already been partially answered in the Acting for Beginners Guide, and multiple articles across this site.

7 Tips on How to Become an Actor with No Experience

Once you've decided that you want to pursue a career in acting, you'll need a good plan of action on how to become an actor with no experience. Like we talked before in the how to start an acting career column, planning is key. Your main goal will be to expand your acting resume with skills, experience and training.

There are many things inexperienced budding thespians can focus on in order to advance their careers, and they're all interrelated. Some of those involve looking for jobs, and others are simply complimentary to your acting career that will eventually result in you finding and booking more auditions.

So let's get down to it. Here are the 7 tips on how to become an actor with no experience and how do to it in the most efficient way possible.

1. Read and study

First of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the industry. Know the ins and outs of this business, how it works and what people are involved in it. Reading books about the acting business, marketing, talent agents and so forth will give you confidence and understanding of where you want to be, and how you're going to get there.

Depending on the location you're starting your acting career at, your approach to effectively start booking acting jobs may differ slightly. Once you know the intricacies of this business, you'll find it much easier to develop your own specific plan of action instead of relying on general advice from websites like this one and many others.

Not only that, but reading a lot will benefit any actor's craft as well. Read books on acting technique to understand the theory behind truthful acting. Don't forget to read the most essential plays as well. However, don't rely solely on books, because you cannot learn acting from that alone. You'll need to take acting classes or even apply to a drama school anyway.

When you're trying to find the most efficient ways on how to become an actor with no experience, self-education is priceless. And in addition to learning about the craft and business, reading a lot will increase your creativity ( best creativity books) and expand your imagination ( best books for imagination).

2. Don't move right away

By now, you probably know that certain cities in the world have a much bigger theater or film and television industry. If you're starting your acting career in one of those cities, then good for you - you'll have plenty of opportunities from the get go.

However, if you're not in any of the bigger cities such as London, Los Angeles or New York City, then don't fret about it. As an aspiring actor who's just starting out, your town will probably have plenty of small-time productions which are absolutely GREAT for getting that experience because those jobs are easier to book.

Big cities are not only very competitive, but they're also very expensive. So when you're looking for ways on how to become an actor with no experience when you live in a smaller town, focus on saving money, learning about the business and exploring local opportunities.

Don't move to a big city as soon as you decided you want to be an actor. You need to check whether this is simply an impulsive decision, or you actually enjoy the craft and will be able to do this for a long period of time. Try to bite off as much of that less-competitive market in your small town and start building your acting resume.

3. Audition and train locally

Continuing my point from the above, your goal must be to move slowly, rather than rush into anything. Remember the famous phrase - acting is a marathon, not a spring. This cannot be more true. Anybody who rushes into this profession will burn out very quickly. It's not a smart way to approach this business.
An acting career is like a marathon. It's not a sprint.
Unless you live in towns like Manningtree, UK where the population is 700 people, or Whittier, Alaska with 217 people, it's likely that your city will have some opportunities for you to act. If you want to know how to become an actor with no experience, then this is how you can do it fast - less competitive market.

So what opportunities can you explore? Anything, really; whatever gives you a chance to act. At this point, you need to start acting as much as you can, anywhere you get the opportunity to. It could be community theater, drama clubs, amateur acting workshops, student films and so on.

If you're lucky (or unlucky) enough to already live in a bigger city, there's going to be a lot more stuff happening, but it'll be more competitive as well. Nevertheless, actively seek out jobs, audition and do whatever you can to get up on your feet and simply act. As soon as you can afford some local acting class or workshop, try that as well.

The goal is to start building that resume in any way possible. Put anything you can on it. Jump on any project you can. Be proactive!

4. Work on your special skills

Being a good actor should always be your main priority. But that doesn't mean you can't learn any "accessory" skills that will help you book more acting jobs. Many actors completely ignore this part, and therefore take themselves out of running for easy gigs that they could've gotten if they had some one particular skill.

It's always helpful to be able to do something that a director can use in the production. If you already can play musical instruments and do more unique stuff, such as riding a unicycle - perfect! Hone those skills, put them on the resume and see how this can help you with gaining that acting experience.

But don't stop there. Do learn new things and spend enough time to actually master the technique to an adequate level where you can at least fake it to look like a professional, rather than simply "know how it's done."

What should you be learning? Anything, really. Juggling, accents, languages, musical instruments, sports, martial arts, magic and whatnot. Try some of the unusual things and put those on your resume, particularly if you already do them.

Special skills aren't the focal point of your resume (which is why they're usually at the very bottom), but who knows, one day one of those skills may win you a significant role in a big production.

5. Start working on your marketing

When you have no acting experience and you follow the above advice, it's likely you won't have too much of your time taken up with filming projects day in and day out. Therefore, you'll probably have a little bit of extra time on your hands which you can use wisely to boost your acting career.
RECOMMENDED: How to Build Your Personal Brand Website
My suggestion would be to start working on your marketing and branding yourself. It's not going to do much for you now, but if you start early, once you have that acting experience, you'll be ahead of many other actors who are just catching up with their actor marketing goals.

So what can you do to start building a brand around yourself? There are several things, and all are very easy to do and learn, particularly because it's all based online. Here's what you should focus on:

Build your own personal acting website (or you can pay someone to do it for you, but it's not worth it).

Create social media profiles: Facebook, Twitter, Instragram and whatever else is out there.

Become active on your website and with your social media. Share things and communicate with others.

Make connections online with other actors, directors, producers, screenwriters and industry people.

On top of doing all of this online, you can also start networking a little. Even if you live in a small town with very little film or theater action, there's probably other aspiring actors, directors, producers out there doing the same thing. Find them, connect with them and maybe start working on something together.

If you try hard, you can also find professionals in the field who are already working. Getting to know these people is harder, particularly when you're still trying to figure out how to become an actor with no experience, but if you can get their attention, try to utilize those contacts, or save them for later.

In our free eBook, we covered the topic of networking and how plenty of industry people actually enjoy talking about the business and giving advice. Use that to your advantage.

6. Get used to rejection

Rejection is a part of this business. A big part, actually. Many budding artists do not expect this turn of events once they decide they want to be actors, singers, dancers, or other type of performers in this very competitive market. Unfortunately, that's the reality of show business - everybody gets rejected.

Unlike in other walks of life, you have to accept that Rejection (with capital "R") is completely normal. It's not personal and there's no reason you should ever take it to heart. It doesn't necessarily mean that you're a bad actor or that you've done something wrong.

Imagine that you're casting a project. You only have one part, and 100 actors come to audition for that part. 50 of them were good. Can you hire all 50? No, you cannot. You have to pick one, and it's a tough decision to make as a casting director. Nobody wants you to fail, but due to the nature of this business, you'll get betting rejected a lot.

" For every successful actor or actress, there are countless numbers who don't make it. The name of the game is rejection. You go to an audition and you're told you're too tall or you're too Irish or your nose is not quite right. You're rejected for your education, you're rejected for this or that and it's really tough." - Liam Neeson

What's the point I'm trying to make? The point is that you should deliberately put yourself in a position to be rejected as soon as you can. Get comfortable with rejection. Trust me, if there's one "ability" actors need to have, it's this one. It's not easy, but it will save you tons of internal battles and keep you on the right path.

" Actors search for rejection. If they don't get it they reject themselves." - Charlie Chaplin

At this point, don't go out there to win. Go out there to FAIL. Do your best, experiment, play and enjoy the process. As an actor, you cannot try to avoid failure, ever.

7. Finally, be patient and consistent

Honestly, the above six points are enough for you to get yourself onto the path of how to become an actor with no experience, and change that state as soon as possible. If you follow my advice above, you'll be ahead of the game within a year. Most actors stop pursuing this career by then.

If you seriously dedicate yourself to finding any type of experience, marketing yourself, building your site and network, and getting comfortable with rejection, this will probably take you a year or two. Yes, it's a long time, but remember that becoming an actor isn't a sprint; it's a marathon. Enjoy the process, and look far into the future.

The important part is to always keep in your head that you finally have or soon will have a strong grasp of how the show business works, what acting industry is all about, and that you're absolutely serious that you love doing this. You'll feel like you're building a foundation, developing acting-related habits and getting reading for a major step.

So be patient. It's very important, because you will not - and I repeat, you will NOT - see any results in the beginning. Learning how to become an actor with no experience isn't impossible, but it takes effort. It's also going to be a lot of investment in terms of time, hard work and even money with no reward for a while.

But stick with it, and with time, you'll see how gradually the results from the work you've done before will start dripping down, and you'll go "ooooh, I get it now!"

This is all you need to know on how to become an actor without no experience:

Read a lot and study

Hone the skills and learn to love the business

Seek out any opportunities locally

Do not rush into anything and take it slow

Market yourself and network

Continue to improve yourself as a person and an actor

Stay patient, and stay consistent.

If you have any other observations or questions on how to become an actor with no experience, share those in the comments below and let's see what else we can cover.

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7 Tips on How to Become an Actor with No Experience - Acting in London

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One of the most common questions I receive on a weekly basis is on how to become an actor with no experience. Many aspiring actors who are just about to start pursuing a career in show business are confused how to get acting jobs when you don't have anything on your acting resume.

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Following a glittery Baftas bash recently - and with the Oscars just around the corner - it's easy to see the appeal of a career in front of the camera or on stage.

But away from the boards and red carpets, breaking into acting and performance can be tough. While singing and acting lessons are prohibitively expensive for aspiring stars, it can also take years to get noticed. Samuel L Jackson was 45 years old when he got his big break in Pulp Fiction, while Harrison Ford was in his 30s and working as a carpenter when he was spotted by director George Lucas.

In fact, the average number of weeks per year that UK actors work professionally are only 11.3 and just 8% of UK-based actors are in work at any given moment.

Bagging a major role in film, theatre or TV is more than just the perfect CV or audition - you need to show you have the skills, experience and determination to succeed. Taking classes or studying for a degree is a good start but not suitable to all. "You don't need to learn how to act, you need to learn how to sell yourself," says Paul Roseby, artistic director at the National Youth Theatre.

So, what is the best way to break into a career in acting and performance? Join us on Thursday 19 February from 1pm to 3pm GMT for a live chat with our experts. We'll be discussing:

* If attending university or taking classes is essential

* Cost effective ways to get training

* Unusual ways to get spotted in the industry

* Tips for finding an agent

* How to keep motivated following rejection

The Q&A takes place in the comments section below this article. Taking part is easier than ever: create a free Guardian account, or log in using your Twitter or Facebook profiles to comment. Alternatively, you can tweet us @GuardianCareers or email your questions to charlotte.seager@theguardian.com who can post them for you.

Panel

Paul Roseby is chief executive and artistic director of the National Youth Theatre. In over 10 years leading the NYT, Paul has commissioned over 100 new plays and directed productions. He has also established the NYT REP Company - a free alternative to formal training.

Emily Tilelli is a London-based casting director and founder of ET Casting. As a member of the Casting Directors Guild, and with 15 years of experience within the industry, Emily works closely with actors throughout the audition process.

Mariel Witmond is the company director of Casting Networks in Europe and South Africa. Formerly an agent working in New York and then Los Angeles, Mariel has comprehensive knowledge of the casting industry.

Fiona Graham is convenor for the MA writing for performance and dramaturgy course at Goldsmiths College, London University. She has worked for thirty years in theatre as an actor, director, writer and dramaturge.

Mark Summers is a casting director who has previously casted for Madonna, Mercedes and Beyonce; he was also the UK casting director for Michael Jackson's "This Is It" tour. Back in 2003, Mark won the British Advertising Craft award for best casting director.

Emma Dyson is the PR manager for Spotlight and trained at the Guildford School of Acting. Previously she was an agent in a leading West End agency and has six years of experience in the performance industry.

Annelie Powell is the assistant casting director at The Royal Shakespeare Company and has worked as a freelance casting director for over seven years.

Charlie Walker-Wise is the senior business development manager at RADA. Charlie also teaches acting and communication skills at RADA and RADA in Business, and is a freelance theatre director. He trained as an actor and graduated from RADA back in 2005.

Dr Michael McKinnie is senior drama lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London. McKinnie has taught theatre theory, history and practice. He is also the author of City Stages: Theatre and Urban Space in a Global City. Before becoming an academic, Michael worked in new play development.
This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. To get more content and advice like this direct to your inbox, sign up for our weekly update and careers ebook.

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Your big break: how to get a career in acting and performance - live chat

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Following a glittery Baftas bash recently - and with the Oscars just around the corner - it's easy to see the appeal of a career in front of the camera or on stage. But away from the boards and red carpets, breaking into acting and performance can be tough.

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In a nutshell:"In 2016, two friends - Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson - set up a theatre called Good Chance in the Calais Jungle, Europe's largest migrant camp. Almost two years on, Murphy and Robertson are inviting audiences to go deep into the heart of the Jungle in an immersive re-creation of it, featuring a handful of actors with refugee backgrounds." Read the full review

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London theatre: the best plays and shows on now

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In a nutshell:"In 2016, two friends - Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson - set up a theatre called Good Chance in the Calais Jungle, Europe's largest migrant camp. Almost two years on, Murphy and Robertson are inviting audiences to go deep into the heart of the Jungle in an immersive re-creation of it, featuring a handful of actors with refugee backgrounds."

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There's a whole world out there. Give young people the confidence to explore it. Help All The World's Our Stage by Shakespeare Schools Foundation raise more on JustGiving

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Celex Casting Ltd is an agency for supporting artists and walk-ons and is on the BBC list of preferred suppliers. The company was originally founded in May 1999 by Anne Sweeting. Since then, it has grown and flourished each year to become the largest agency in the Midlands, with thousands of experienced and professional supporting artists and walk-ons, registered with us.

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Alan Sharman Agency 0121 212 0090 - Model and Actors Agency

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One of the UK's leading agencies. We specialise in high quality commercial and fashion models, actors & children for stills, video and TV commercials.

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Lyn Gardner: What do theatre audiences want?

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According to David Mamet, the audience is the only judge. But theatres are afraid of asking them what they really think

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UK theatre audiences are younger and more experimental than is commonly thought, according to new research published by Ticketmaster.

The report, State of Play: Theatre, marks the first major investigation into the sector by the world's largest ticketing company and mixes information from its own ticket transaction data with survey responses from a representative sample of the UK population, as well as a selection of theatregoers from abroad. Unlike previous surveys, it covers theatregoing across the whole of the UK and includes responses from non-attenders.

Key findings include:

Attendance: theatre is more popular than attending sports events or concerts - 63% of the UK population has attended theatre in the last year, compared with 53% for concerts and 47% for going to sporting events

Demographics: 16-19 year olds are more likely to attend the theatre than any other age group

Arts funding: only 26% of theatregoers are aware of it, when watching a publicly funded performance

Taste: audiences want to see new shows (36%) and relatively established ones (43%) over long-runners that have been going for more than two years (21%)

Innovation: more than a third of audiences (39%) love interactive theatre and more than half think live streaming is a good idea

Ticket prices: cost is the main barrier to entry for both attendees and non-attendees

Audience behaviour: nearly one-third of people have used their mobile phone in the theatre during the performance

Restoration levy: 58% think it should be optional and 68% feel theatre owners should be more transparent about what it is spent on

The report also reveals that two-thirds of people want to maintain or increase their theatregoing in the future. The three most recognised shows among theatre attendees are The Phantom of the Opera (94% recognition), Les Miserables (93%) and The Lion King (92%). Interestingly, though, the three shows that have the highest predicted conversion rate (the proportion of those aware of the show who are also planning to attend in the future) are Once (59%), The Book of Mormon (43%) and War Horse (38%). However, long-running shows are likely to fare less well in this statistic as audiences may have already seen them.

Despite only one of those six shows falling into the category, comedy is the most popular genre among theatregoers, with 42% choosing it as their favourite.

Sophie Crosby, vice president of insight for Ticketmaster International, said it was releasing the report because "information and insight about theatregoers' habits and attitudes, compared with Broadway or the film industry that regularly share data in trade publications, is surprisingly under-utilised".

She said Ticketmaster had decided to undertake the research after noticing a trend within their transactional data, which appeared to indicate that theatre bookers were getting younger. This has been backed up by the report.

Crosby added: "We looked at theatre bookers for the last few years and we saw a trend that was emerging and was quite clear year-on-year towards a younger and less affluent customer base. Immediately, we wondered whether that was just because the shows we were selling tickets for had changed. But we've seen that on long-running shows - such as Phantom and Wicked - that trend is clearly stated in those single shows as well."

For more infographics on the report, click here

Ticketmaster's report offered a range of insights into the behaviour of theatre audiences, we pick out some of the highlights:

How do audiences choose to see a show?

The content - 51%

Reputation - 16%

Price - 13%

The venue - 8%

The cast - 5%

Availability - 4%

The theatre company - 3%

How do audiences find out about a show?

Word of mouth - 28%

Venue or event website - 26%

Newspaper / magazine - 13%

Ticketing company - 8%

Event poster - 8%

TV commercial or programme - 7%

Artist or performers' website / mailing list / social page - 4%

Other - 2%

Facebook - 1%

Radio - 1%

Other social media - 1%

Blogs - <1%

Twitter - <1%

When do audiences book to see an event?

Day of event - 3%

Week of event - 18%

Up to two months before - 53%

Two to five months before - 21%

More than six months before - 5%

Which audiences are most likely to attend (percentage of the age group indicating they attend theatre)?

Aged 16-19 - 87%

Aged 20-24 - 82%

Aged 25-34 - 79%

Aged 35-44 - 72%

Aged 45-54 - 66%

Aged 55-64 - 71%

Aged 65+ - 72%

Are theatres under-using social media?

Social media is hugely popular among theatre audiences. Nearly a quarter (24%) tweet about the performance they are about to see or have already see. Among 16 to 19-year olds this rises to nearly half (47%). Meanwhile, around one in five theatregoers are using social media to write reviews about what they have seen. However, only around 3% are currently getting their information about theatre through social media - this could indicate that theatres are not using social media to its full extent to market shows.

What do audiences think of restoration levies?

Roughly equal proportions of people are for (30%) and against (31%) restoration levies. The rest are indifferent. However, most (58%) think they should be optional and a clear majority (68%) think that theatre owners need to be more transparent about what the charge covers.

Awareness of government subsidy

Just over one in four (26%) of theatregoers recognise that have been to a publicly funded theatre. This is only slightly higher among UK residents (29%). The highest region by awareness of public subsidy is the north east (47%)

To read the report in full, http://blog.ticketmaster.co.uk/state-of-play-theatre-uk

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Ticketmaster report: theatre audiences getting younger and more experimental | News | The Stage

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UK theatre audiences are younger and more experimental than is commonly thought, according to new research published by Ticketmaster. The report, State of Play: Theatre, marks the first major investigation into the sector by the world's largest ticketing company and mixes information from its own ticket transaction data with survey responses from a representative sample of the UK population, as well as a selection of theatregoers from abroad.

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[This is the second in the How Theatre Changed series. There is an outtake that links to this one: Realism in Theatre. The series began with Starting with a Lie and includes The Actor Audience Relationship.]

You walk into a theatre. You find your seat down toward the front because you paid a little more for your tickets to be close to the actors. You settle into your comfortable theater seat. The audience is buzzing. After a moment, the house lights dim and a hush falls over the crowd. The stage lights come up or the curtain rises. The set is the interior of a modest home. It is not exactly naturalistic, though clearly a home with designed accents. Actors enter. The clothes they wear fit the house setting. They begin speaking. The language is familiar and colloquial like you speak in your home. They do not address the audience. There is an imaginary "fourth wall" of the house that you are peering through to see the action of the play. This helps you "suspend your disbelief." It puts you in the place and time of the play. You are there to see the play. You are an observer of the play.

At this edge of the early 21 st century, we would call this a traditional theatre experience. It is familiar, not one of those experimental, avant garde productions. It's what we expect from our theater. Hasn't it always been like this?

It hasn't. This experience that we call theater is still relatively new. It is only about a hundred years old. Shakespeare would cry "foul and most unnatural murder" if he were to see it. Or, at the least find this new theater a novelty unlike what he did. Sophocles, Moliere and all of the great actors of the 19 th century would have the same response. The theatre we call traditional is wildly divergent from what came before.

It could be said that theatre changed to reflect it's time. It became a more realistic and psychologically connected experience. And yet, we lost some vital aspects of theatre in the translation. I believe for theatre to meet the requirements of expressing what it is to live in the 21 st Century and to remain vital, we need to go back and reclaim some of what made theatre theatre before the turn of the last century. [Read the post on The Rise of Realism]

Every time theatre has remade itself, it has begun by looking back at what came before. The early seed of the shift to realistic theatre began with a look back at Shakespearean production practices. The rise of the regional theatre movement in this country took a look back.

Let's compare the production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in the newly opened Globe Theater (1600) and the recent production of Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize winning play August: Osage County, (2008)

Set for August: Osage County

I don't have a good photo of Shakespeare's production.

My description between the Modern Theatre and Elizabethan Theatre might lead you to believe that I advocate one over the other. Not so much. However, what I'm painfully aware of is what we sacrificed in the creation of Modern Theatre and I fully believe our Next theatre needs to synthesize the two traditions.

If we are to remake the theatre, we will also need to reignite theatre's traditional strengths while employing modern performance practices in service of the story. To remake theatre, we will need to reclaim these aspects:

· A Return to Spontaneity - The practice of recreating the same performance each night coincided with the modern era and the advent of the Director. With theater everything can change from performance to performance. What some feel is a detriment is our greatest asset.
· Reorienting the Rehearsal - Rather than rehearsing to re-create an exact version of the play every performance, rehearsal and actor training need to realign. The goal of rehearsal will be to get good at creating the play, the thing the actors do every performance with a new audience.
· Developing the Actor - Audience Relationship - Our live actors can talk to and be in relationship with our live audiences. You can't do this with film, television or video games. The same interaction that makes concerts and comedy clubs viable needs to return to the theatre. [Read more in the Actor-Audience Relationship post]
· Presentational rather than representational design and theater architecture - Presentational design asks more of the audience and engages them imaginatively in the play (both the production and the activity of playing). It is cheaper to produce and we can't compete on the same playing field with film.
· Return of rhetoric - People used to go to hear a play rather than see a play. The emphasis was on what was being said over what was being done. The play was referred to as the argument. Plays were a discussion and argument. The characters held a point of view and the argument between the characters was a much a debate for the opinion of the audience as it was the telling of a story. The slice of life realism lacks the audience engagement of a good debate.
· Theatre experienced aurally and visually - We need to get back to combining the full impact on the senses that theatre can be.
· Human - Theatre is a human experience. It is not technological. The audience can be in relationship with a human living, feeling, saying and doing amazing human feats like being present as their world fall apart. We know what it is to be human. We can learn from that. Theater brings together people and creates a profound sense of community, being all in this together. We have less and less of that experience in our contemporary technological age.

Theatre is meant to be an experience. It is unlike going to a movie, hearing a lecture or going to a concert. It is unlike going to see football or some other sport. It is unlike watching your television or playing a video game. It is a unique experience. It should be a seriously fun ride that makes you run to the back of the line and ride again as soon as you can. We can only get back to that experience when theatre gets back some of what it lost. When theatre stops trying to be something it isn't and gets back to being what it was, theatre.

I chose Elizabethan Theater because it was inspired by the Greek and Roman Classical Theater but was a thing very much of itself. It was also, what I would call an evolutionary dead end, like the Neanderthal. In 1642, Cromwell deposed King Charles I and created the Commonwealth. Under him and the religious puritans the public theaters, the pride of the Elizabethan Age, were closed and torn down. When theater returned with the Restoration of the monarchy, it was a very different animal based on the court's experience exiled in France and their fear of public gatherings. You know, you get a crowd of people in a theatre, the next thing you know their talking sedition and planning a revolution.

Modern Theater, especially the type that could be called Realism, began in the 1880s. It gathered steam in the early part of the 20 th century and reached a pinnacle by mid-century. However, this production of August: Osage County, which I admire and truly enjoyed when I saw it, is an example of how pervasive and persistent realism is in the American Theatre. I worked at Actors Theatre of Louisville for years. It was famous for "Kitchen Realism" plays, like Crimes of the Heart and 'Night Mother. Also, I'm also not saying that the 20 th Century did not have many theater movements that expanded and revolted from realism. It just that the dominate form is realism. Many of the differences between Elizabethan Theatre and Modern Realism are also applicable to other modern theatre forms and experiments. If you don't know the play, Wikipedia has a synopsis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August:_Osage_County

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This is the second in the How Theatre Changed series. There is an outtake that links to this one: Realism in Theatre. The series began with Starting with a Lie and includes The Actor Audience Relationship.] You walk into a theatre.

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Becoming an actor is extremely difficult but certainly not impossible, after doing some research I have found some ways that would help an aspiring actor to make in into their dream career.

1) you need to familiarise yourself with the industry as much as you can, read and learn everything there is to know as this will give you an upper hand when trying to get into acting.

Reading all about the different practitioners is essential as they all have their own ways of doing thing when it comes to acting, reading about different acting techniques will tie in with this and form a better understanding on the industry.

It would also be wise to read as many plays as you can, familiarise yourself with classing plays.

2) Acting classes/drama groups are essential. You cannot become an actor without having any experience what so ever, having been to acting classes or received some sort of qualification will make you more employable as an actor as director will take you more seriously if you have this on your CV. The best way of getting a good qualification as an actor is to go to a dram school, there are many to choose from all of which specialise in specific areas of the performing arts so finding the right one for is crucial, if a drama school isn't something that you think you would like to do you could go to a university and gain a degree from there.

3) You location will have a huge impact of the kind of jobs that you will be going for and that you will book as an actor, if you live in a large city such as London then there are plenty more opportunities and jobs available for you, that doesn't mean you decide you want to be an actor so you must move to London. But you should look for as many jobs that are available near you, in-paid jobs such as student films are excellent ways to get experience.

4) Having special skills on your CV will make any director more interested in you, being able to act, of course is extremely important however your special skills are almost just as important. Some of these skills could be singing, dancing, accents, and languages. Even things such as horse riding, juggling, martial arts. Some productions will need actors that have specific skills to the production that they are working on so if you can offer these skills it will make you much more employable.

5) Possibly the most important thing for an actor is to be able to take rejection, unless you are extremely lucky then it’s not likely that you will book the first job that you audition for so getting used to rejection and not letting it stop you is important. If you really want to become an actor then you should never let rejection put you off and carry on auditioning and improving your skills.

6) Getting an agent is important for an actor, someone that is actively and solely looking for the best opportunities for you is helpful. Agents aren't necessary, you can become an actor without one but they make the process of becoming an actor much easier.

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What do theatre audiences want nowadays?

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What do theatre audiences want nowadays?

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After doing some research on the shows that are available to watch, the most popular performances are musicals, these kinds of performances easily get the interest of the public. There is a report on The Stage website that talks about a Ticketmaster report, in this report it talks about the most viewed shows by UK audiences, the report states that “The three most recognised shows among theatre attendees are The Phantom of the Opera (94% recognition), Les Miserables (93%) and The Lion King (92%).” (TheStage, 2018) all three of the most recognized shows were musicals rather than plays. The report also says that “comedy is the most popular genre among theatregoers, with 42% choosing it as their favourite.” (TheStage, 2018) So comedy is something that theatre audiences want to see in the theatre.

I read another article on The Telegraph website which is talking about theatre audiences declining by 9 percent overall. The article talks about London being the most popular place in the UK for theatre shows and they have the most theatre goers than other parts of the country where the number of audience members have declined by 13 percent, whereas the number of audience members for London theatre shows has only declined by less than 4 percent.

It speaks about what performances have the most increase in the number of audience members, “Visual arts, combined arts, dance and music performances have also seen higher viewing figures.” (The Telegraph, 2018)

So overall it looks as though location has a big part to do with the kind of audience that a show will receive, London is the most popular as  that is what it is known for and people will travel to London to see a good show for many reasons, the show may only be performed there or perhaps a celebrity that people like are performing in a specific show that is in London.

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Out of everything in the performing arts I am interested more in musical theatre. I think that the jobs that would be right for me would be a role within a musical, as this is something that I am so interested and this is where my strengths are within the performing arts in then I think that a job within musical theatre would be right for me.

Another job within the performing arts that would be right for me would be teaching, specifically musical theatre to children, I have always wanted to teach children and with my knowledge primarily being within musical theatre I believe that this is something that I would be good teaching.

For both of these would need qualifications, this mainly applies to becoming a teacher as you’ll definitely need qualifications to do this, whereas to become a musical theatre performer it would b much easier to get into the business if you have studied and you have qualifications in this but it isn’t necessarily essential to have them to become a performer, you can audition for jobs that get your out there and you can find agencies that will help you find the jobs.

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Getting employed as an actor is possibly one of the hardest jobs to get into because there is so much competition and the industry is always changing and adapting, you need to know the right people and be in the right place to make becoming an actor much easier for yourself.

Having an actor’s CV is very important when you’re trying to become a professional actor, this can be the first thing that a potential casting director will see about you, having as much experience written on it will be the better for you as this will show the casting director that you have been in other things and are serious about becoming an actor, even if these are very small action jobs, the more that is written on there the better. Your training should also be written on your CV as this tells them that you have studied the industry and you know about how things work.

Having experience as an actor is always better and people will be much interested in you if you have done previous work, likewise having the right training will give you an advantage in getting into the industry so going to a well known university or drama school would be the best place to get your acting training. Drama schools often put you in connection with some sort of agent, or would have some sort of agency attached to their school that will actively look for jobs for you as an actor and look for the right jobs for you.

Leading on from this an agent or agency is almost necessary when it come to making it in the industry, this is someone that will have plenty of contacts will be looking for jobs that are right for you, they will secure you an audition, if required, for the job that they’re trying to get for you.

However these aren’t the only ways that you can get a job as an actor, sometimes you can attend an open audition  for a role, usually they are open to anyone, regardless their experience and training these can be for a variety of things, from small acting jobs to big ones this can b a great way to get into the industry an you will find it easier to get other professional jobs once you’ve had one professional job.

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All professional actors should join equity as equity will protect them in many ways with things such as pay, your stage name, hours that you can work and anything there is to do with the business. Here are some of the other ways that equity supports a performer;

“Pay: Equity contracts set minimum rates of pay and standards to avoid exploitation.

Fair Treatment: from holiday entitlements to meal breaks and working hours, we have negotiated agreements to protect your working conditions.

Equal Treatment: Equity actively promotes equal opportunity without discrimination over gender, race, sexuality or disability.

Protection: Equity supports you if managements, employers, agents or bookers treat you unfairly.

Public Liability: Many members find our free public liability insurance (up to £10million) essential in their work as employers often insist they have PLI.

Pride: Equity membership signifies your pride in making our industry more rewarding and safer. Members make a stronger union.

Compensation: If injured or made ill through work then our legal services will seek proper compensation for you.

Influence: A major part of the entertainment industry, Equity contributes to public debate.  Our influence comes from the strength of our membership.

Pension: The only scheme into which employers in the industry will pay (on top of your fees) to help you be more financially comfortable when you retire.

Belonging: Your membership shows a commitment to your vocation.  Your Equity card is a sign of  your professionalism.

Contribute: Equity means better conditions for you and your colleagues.  Your views and ideas are heard and you can make a difference - so being in Equity means you can get more involved in how the industry operates” (Equity, 2018)

Equity supports a performer in so many ways and can give you vital support that you won’t receive from anywhere else s joining equity I so important for a serious performer, so if you’re training, auditioning or working within the industry then you should join a union.

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If you are running at drama school, classes, workshops. You will need insurance in case anyone hurt themselves within your building. This will protect you from being sued.  An agent is someone that can offer support for you as an actor; they will be the ones that are looking for jobs that are right for you and your career.

Equity, will support you as an actor in all aspects of the industry. They can support you with things such as pay, pension, equal treatment and much more.

Your agent/agency will offer you support as an actor they will be more focused on the jobs that you get or audition for so they will always be there to offer you support.

Workshop leaders are there to support actors, they provide actors with workshops for a range of styles from classical to contemporary, there are also workshops for things such as physical theatre, actors could also take dancing and singing workshops to widen their skills and abilities making them more employable.

Other actors would also be there to offer you support, they can offer support in may ways, experienced actors in the industry will have plenty of knowledge from their own experience so they would be able to offer you support.

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There are quite a few ways that you could get work funded;

On the arts council England website you can apply directly to see if you are eligible to receive a grant for your project .To get work funded you can apply to the arts council England for a grant, on their website you can access a funding finder page that will guide you to the right funder for you project. “Grants for the arts was our open access funding programme for individuals, art organisations and other people who use the arts in their work. It offered awards from £1,000 to £100,000 to support a wide variety of arts-related activities, from dance to visual arts, literature to theatre, music to combined arts.” (Arts council England, 2018)

Arts Council England invest money from the government and the national lottery to support the arts in many ways, here are some of the upcoming ways that the money will be used. “For the next four years until 2022 we’ll invest across three key funding streams:

£409 million per year in 830 arts organisations, museums and libraries in our National Portfolio. This will include £341 million of grant-in-aid and £68 million of National Lottery funding.

£97.3 million of National Lottery funding per year in Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants, our open-access funding programme.

£72.2 million per year in our Arts Council Development Funds which will focus on diversity, resilience, innovation in business models, leadership development and creating more pathways for a wider range of people to become part of the arts and culture sector.” (Arts council England, 2018)

Another way that you could get funding for your project is to set up a page on just giving to see if people would be willing to support your project by funding it. These pages can be set up for many different things and anyone can contribute to peoples fund raising so this can be another way of getting your projects funded.

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Professional development

Over the past year my performance skills have improved significantly. I have taken part in multiple workshops and performances which have contributed to my development of my performing skills.

For the past year I have been part of a musical theatre company which has been the main contributor to my performing skills improving. I have, since becoming part of the company, learnt to read sheet music and improved my singing voice, improved my dancing skills in a variety of genres from musical theatre, to tap and my acting skills have grown from playing a variety of roles within the shows that I have taken part in. My confidence on stage has grown immensely throughout all areas of performing, singing, dancing and acting as well as learning to pick thing up at a quick pace, we don’t have long to put on a whole show so the rehearsal time that we have isn’t very long at all so we have to adjust to picking up choreography, music notes and our lines very quickly. Each of the shows that I have done as part of the company have help me in different ways, I started with the concert which was completely music based, this was the main contributor to my singing and music skills improving as I learnt to read sheet music within the rehearsals for this show. The next show helped with more so with my acting skills, Whistle down the wind required a lot of emotion to be shown through my characters facial expressions and body language. This show was also very challenging vocally which was continuing to improve my singing skills. For sister act there was a lot of choreography to memorise is such a short space of time, this helped me improve my dancing skills as well as picking up on choreography quickly. Whilst we were dancing we were also singing, for some of the sings this was very difficult to do so think was challenging me to improve my skills on sing and dancing at the same time.

As well as being part of the musical theatre company I am also part of a drama group that put on 5 plays a year, the skills that I have gained from this group differ significantly to the skills that I have gained from the musical theatre group. The skills I have gained from this group focus more on acting than anything else; we take part in a variety of workshops that help us to pick up on the characteristics and the personalities of our characters, so I have learnt to look more in-depth at a script to find out thing about my character that perhaps you wouldn’t notice from the first look. Some of the workshops that we have done have been on Shakespeare, we have looked at a range of monologues written by Shakespeare that suit us, we have then looked into the meaning behind the monologue so we take some time to really think about what Shakespeare was trying to get across in his plays and apply that to our performances. We have done many improvisation workshops which have been full of a variety of improvisation techniques and activities which have all helped me to improve my skills within improvisation.

There have been a few workshops that I have done as part of the college, we did two at the TV workshop in Nottingham, these were improvisation based workshops, I enjoyed the first one that we did as it was new and the activities were interesting. One of the activities that we did was someone in the room was tapped and had to lie and say they wasn’t, we all then had to guess who was tapped and who we thought was lying, there were a couple of bother activities similar to this one. I didn’t enjoy the second workshop because this was very similar to the first one and I didn’t feel like I was doing anything different and new and it felt very repetitive, I didn’t take much away from these workshops as I had done the activities before in previous workshops that I had been to. Another workshop that we had was one focused on the elements; I didn’t enjoy this workshop as I didn’t feel it helped me with performing in any way. We were given the take of taking an element, earth, fire, water and air and showing that through our body movements, we rotated between the elements so that we did them all, we then used the elements and gave them personalities, we had to become a character and include the element within their personality. I didn’t take anything helpful from this workshop as I didn’t see a way in which I could use this for the characters that i would be playing in the future.

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Database of agents and professional contacts.docx

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I have also been able to see some performances which have also helped my development, one of the performances that I have seen has been Legally Blonde, this is my favourite musical and has my dream role within it, watching this performance has helped with my development significantly as I will be auditioning for the role of Elle Wood so watching how someone else has portrayed the role has given me an idea on how I would like to portray the role, there were no stop facial expression which made the performance so interesting for the audience, i was also looking out for how the actress was behaving where she wasn’t the centre of attention within that scene, there was no time that the actress was just on stage doing nothing she would be interacting with all of the characters on stage without drawing the attention away from what was important in that scene. This is something that I can be thinking about throughout every performance that I am in from now on, making sure that regardless of my role and what is happening on stage I am always doing something and never stop.

Another show that I watched was The importance of being Ernest, this show is a play and was set in the Edwardian times, this show made me realise that it is important to think about the time in which the play is set in as the characters will be acting completely different compared to characters in shows that are set nowadays. So this is something that I will be thinking about when it comes to performing in shows that are set in a time different to now and think about the way that my character would be interacting with others, how they would be holding themselves and how they would speak.