Making the Commitment

[Reyed Mia (Apprentice, DIU)]

Making the Commitment

The first step to making a living as an actor is making a commitment to yourself. If you want acting to be more than just your hobby, you need to treat it like a job. Acting is not a career you can pursue half-heartedly. You'll need to focus all your energies and efforts toward your ultimate goal of being a professional actor. 

Prowl castings like it's your job. Sign up for Backstage and seek out every opportunity you can find. No one will hand you jobs, especially in the beginning. It's up to you to go out there and find them.

Be the best that you can be. There's no shortage of competition for acting jobs. In order to book, you will have to set yourself apart and be at the top of your game. That means taking classes, working on monologues and scenes, keeping abreast of industry trends and news, and keeping your marketing materials up-to-date.

Maximize your skill set. Identify and hone the special skills and talents that set you apart; they can get you into more audition rooms. Athletic skills like parkour, for instance, are often in demand, as are the ability to play musical instruments and various styles of dance.

Crush the audition. Most actors hate auditioning, but it's a necessary evil. Our advice? Get good at auditioning. Auditioning is a skill. Think of it as a muscle that you need to warm up, condition, and flex regularly; you can't expect biceps if you don't go to the gym. Instead of seeing auditions as a chore, think of them as a chance to act, to practice for the next, and to make new fans.

Limit yourself to paid work. It's impossible to make a living as an actor if you only do unpaid work. Acting is hard work, and as with any job, you deserve to be paid for your time. You are a professional; it's within your rights to demand to be treated as such. Backstage has a "paid only" filter which you can use to only search for paid gigs.

But don't rule out the occasional unpaid gig if you can afford to. Not all productions can afford to pay, and some unpaid projects can pay off in unexpected ways. If you see artistic value in the project, think it will help you grow as an actor, believe it is a story that needs to be told, want to add credits to your resume or certain clips to your reel, or have a chance to make promising connections within the industry, it's not a bad idea to consider the occasional unpaid gig every now and then. Student projects in particular can be an investment, as their films often make it into the festival circuit, and these fledgling directors often have bright futures ahead of them.

Work as much as possible. Work begets work. Every gig, no matter how small, is part of your journey and offers you the chance to practice your craft, to learn from other members of the community, and to grow your network. Each job could lead to the next. Stay in touch with people you work with. The AD on that student film set might end up snagging a job at a big casting agency in a few years.  Be sure to exchange information when you wrap on a gig.

Be a consummate professional. Unprofessional behavior on set can ruin your chances of being hired again. Word travels fast in the industry. Be on time, know your lines, and don't be a diva.

Network. Referrals are the oil in the cogs of the industry machine. Directors, casting directors, and other actors prefer to work with people they already know. Go to networking events. You'll get to meet like minds, and you never know who you might meet. Always carry business cards with you.

Find an agent. Your agent only makes money if you make money, so it's in their best interest to push you for high-paying jobs. 

https://www.backstage.com/backstage-guides/how-to-make-a-living-as-an-actor/