How to Become an Actor

Do you consider yourself a born actor? Does enacting on screen or before a live audience come naturally to you? If engaging the crowd is your forte and ignites a spark within you, it’s time to turn this pastime hobby or passion into a full-fledged profession with a professional course in acting. It can provide the perfect platform and foundation to kickstart your acting career in full swing.

How To Become An Actor?

You don’t necessarily need work experience to become an actor and start your journey on this path. Here are some simple steps to get started:

1. Participate in school activities :

This is the start of your acting journey. It begins right at the school level by participating in film-making activities or theater plays at the school level. This helps you gain the desired skills, experience, and confidence required for pursuing an acting career professionally.

2. Gain a formal degree:

Formal education in acting can help you gain the desired exposure to cinema and theater, works of renowned actors, and the technical aspects of filmmaking. You can obtain the required degree from the Film and TV Institute of India in Pune and the National School of Drama (NSD) in Delhi. 

Some of the most popular acting courses offered at these institutes include Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA), Diploma in Acting, Bachelor of Arts in Acting, Master of Arts in Acting, Bachelor of Arts in Drama, and Postgraduate Diploma in Acting.    

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3. Participate in local film productions:

This is a great opportunity to test your camera skills and let go of any nervousness before the lens. By taking part in local production activities, you also get to earn the much-desired work experience and confidence to perform in bigger TV, film, and cinema projects. 

You also learn more about the role played by different professionals, such as sound artists, producers, camera artists, light artists, and directors, in the making of cinema. 

4. Find a small role as an extra

Taking up small roles in short films, commercial ads, and feature films is a part of building your experience and making your screen presence felt at the start of your acting career. It also helps with networking within the industry and establishing contacts that can prove to be very useful at later stages of your career. Small assignments also serve as a source of income until you find your footing in the industry.

5. Build a portfolio

This is one of the key stages in your acting career as it defines who you are and your skills before the camera. Make sure to build an attractive resume and an equally attractive portfolio with headshots, samples of any prior work done, and any projects participated in. 

6. Give auditions for big productions

Once you have a resume and portfolio ready, it’s time to gear up for big auditions for roles in bigger production houses. An audition allows you to showcase your talent and skill before casting directors and make an impression on the panel in the hope of bagging a big movie role as an actor.

Also read this blog:- Top Career Courses After 12th in Arts

Role Of An Actor

Besides entertaining the masses and keeping them engaged in gripping content and performance, actors perform the following key duties as part of their profession:

• Make improvisations to bring the character they’re required to portray to life
• Memorizing dialogues and scripts for effective dialog delivery
• Delivering performances for theater, the Internet, TV, and cinema
• Collaborating with editors and sound artists for dubbing activities
• Accurately playing varied characters
• Researching different roles, characters, and contexts
• Modeling for posters, marketing materials, still images, ads, and the like

Types Of Actors

There are different roles that you can assume as an actor in the industry as per your preference and where you fit best:

• Theater or stage actor
• Film actor
• Dubbing or voiceover artist
• TV actor
• Extras 

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How To Get Into Acting Career With No Experience?

If you have no prior experience in acting, you can still follow your heart and tread forward by following the steps below:

• Get to know the industry better. Some basic research on the theater, TV, and film industry, along with the various actors and their work can help you get started in the arena. Also, make sure to watch the cinema and take part in local theater activities to better understand the role each actor plays and how it would be for you as well.
• Start building your skills. Taking up a short-term acting course may also help with this.
• Network with the acting community. Connect with people in the cinema industry, attend events where established actors, producers, and casting directors are present, and make yourself seen and heard.
• Engage in self-promotion. This is very helpful to stay on top of the game. Leverage the social media to promote yourself and your talent. Also, connect with talent agents for better prospects.
• Give auditions, not just to grab offers but simply to get familiar with the process. Each audition will help you improve and get better at your work, thereby improving your career prospects.  

Skills Required For Actors

Actors must have the following skills to be successful in the varied roles that they portray:

1. Creativity
2. Sharp memory to be able to memorize dialogs and lengthy scripts
3. Effective communication skills
4. Choreography 
5. Technical literacy in working efficiently with set designers, lighting professionals, cinematographers, and sound artists

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Salary Potential Of An Actor

The actual salary may vary depending on the actor’s industry, location of the industry, the role offered age, and overall experience. The average salary of an actor however is estimated at Rs 2,88,689 per annum. 

This is likely to change as per the above factors. In addition, actors tend to earn more by way of interviews and advertisements, based on their following and popularity.

Learn More About Acting On Amity University Online

The first step to entering an acting career with no experience at all is to understand the industry thoroughly and what it entails. This research can be done online or by taking up a short-term online course that helps you get a basic overview of the field as well as gives a detailed study of the actors, the roles they perform, and the skills required to deliver each role. 

Amity University Online offers a variety of short-term courses for various industries, including the different arenas of acting - TV acting, theater or stage acting, film/cinema acting, and the like. You can learn all you need to know about acting in these courses, which can help prepare you to kickstart your acting career and take up varied roles with ease and confidence. 

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