6 skills every beginning actor/actress should develop that have nothing to do with acting
So, my every day, non-writing related job is working in talent management.
Basically, I work with actors (mostly mid-level at my current job) to get them auditions or self tapes. And then, if/when they book, I help my boss with their contract points.Â
And there are some skills that I wish actors would develop, to make my life and their jobs easier. Now these arenât necessarily skills needed in the physical act of acting, but man, they can make getting those acting jobs easier.
1. Learn some form of video editing. Now, itâs not necessarily fun, and video programs can get prohibitively expensive, but Iâm not talking final cut pro here, guys. Iâm talking something as simple as imovie.Â
The reason is, everything runs on reels these days. Every single time I pitch a client to a casting director, I include a reel. Every single time. And I pitch actors to casting directors aboutâŠ9 hours a day.Â
And good reels really rise above the chaff. And good demo reels get EXPENSIVE. Iâm talking $100 an hour for guys to pull clips from your materials, and edit them down into a nice, clean, 2 minute clip of just you. So if you learn how to pull your materials from a dvd or file and justâŠcut the scenes down, it can save you hundreds of dollars. And many people want to update their reel every few months, so this is HUGE.Â
And I get it. Itâs frustrating. Learn it anyways, youâll save yourself so much money.
2. Learn how to frame a shot. One thing thatâs becoming more and more common is casting directors asking for self tapes of the sides instead of coming into the room for the first round of casting. Some people hate it, some love it, but deal. Itâs here to stay cause it makes casting directors lives soooooo much easier. Â
So itâs a really good idea to learn how to set up a tripod with a camera (even your iphone is fine!) and get everything set up so you look good on the camera. I canât tell you how many times actors have sent me self tapes thatâs just their chin to forehead.Â
They didnât get those jobs.
3. Learn basic hair and make up. Now, girls, this is one we have a smidgen of an advantage on. But really, guys, itâs good to know some of the basics and girls, its good to know how to do make up that looks minimal.Â
Donât go all out in auditions, unless the roll calls for it. Even then, they want to see your face, not your make up. When filming actors and actresses for self tapes, I like to say that their dress and make up should suggest a role, not be the role.Â
4. Learn how to schedule your time. Also called, read your goddamn email. Auditions and audition prep can take a long time, and you need to carve that out of your day.Â
So does driving and parking for auditions. The amount of missed auditions because actors and actresses didnât look at the time and realize it was during rush hour is mind boggling. ALWAYS give yourself extra time, even if you just end up milling around the area for 30-40 minutes. Itâs better than missing the audition.
5. Learn how to work with people you donât like. You donât always get to pick who youâre working with, especially as a beginner actor. Learn how to be in the same room and act professionally around those you donât like. Unless your safety is compromised, itâs best to get through the shoot without anyone noticing that you hate that one guy.
6. Learn how to make friends recklessly. This goes with the one above it. Learn how to find the one point in commonality you have with each person, and then try to get to know them.
This seems like basic extrovert 101, but really, having someone you can talk to about something on every film set is just invaluable. Youâll get lonely if you donât. You wonât be the person who they think of next time when they want to cast a part.Â
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