Did you analyze what suits you better? Do you belong on stage or behind the camera?
Becoming an established actor involves a lot of work, that’s no mystery. Which is the best trajectory and how can you tell what your final destination will be? Why do agents, managers and actors usually choose not to mix theater with film or TV shows? Let’s give it a thought.
First of all, the path a young talented aspiring actor needs to walk is similar for all possible outcomes, because all specific acting skills are developed after a solid ground is set. So don’t say nay to acting classes in your hometown during high school, even if your dream is to be a choreographer or a voice actor. Developing further skills like dancing, singing, playing an instrument or learning combat fighting is beneficial for your evolution as a person, not only as an actor, so keep those assets piling up! Especially at the debut of your career, acting in a prestigious TV show (like one on the Disney Channel) can really help your debut, even if you plan on being solely a stage actor lately.
What Is Advantageous if You Decide to Dedicate Yourself to Film?
- You don’t have to augment the reality. Unlike acting on the stage of a theater, a film set is definitely more comfortable, since you only need to deliver your performance through focusing on the lens of the camera. On the stage of a theater, you need to interpret your role with enough strength and augmentation, so that even the last row of spectators understand every word and notice every move. Proximity plays an essential role on your acting method and interpretation technique. That is why a film set can solve plenty of problems artificially in order to obtain a great result: lights, sound recording devices, make up and other “accessories” can support the effects that you are trying to embody.
- You won’t get familiar with your role. Acting for films is between TV shows and theater from the point of view of spontaneity. If you hate routine and wouldn’t stand to interpret your performance over and over again, then film is definitely better for you. If TV shows usually involve some improvisation on top of the script, while the repetition of performing a theater play creates an iconoclastic image of the story, movies require balanced acting with firm performance of the script, little improvisation usually and a level of redundancy focused on takes, doubles and rehearsals. Once you’re done with some of the scenes, you will never have to re-enact them again. You will also get more time and concentration to perfect your interpretation and to explore different approaches inside the same story. The chances for you as an actor to encounter more comfort along your career are probably higher if you decide for film.
- The relationship with your audience is distant. Your public will never see your acting on a scene in front of them, but receive your acting through the filters of your director, producer, on set crew and the lens of the camera. The public doesn’t know what the story or the plot is about – or if they do, they cannot imagine how your performance is going to be. Also, the role usually has to be representative for you as an actor and you as a performer need to be representative for the function of the character in the frames of the story. Theater actors can replace other artists in an iconic stage character, while film characters are sort of unique. You can imagine plenty of Juliets in Shakespeare’s play, but there is a single Angelina Jolie to be associated with Lara Croft and vice versa.
- Finally, working and building a career in cinematography develops a different type of approach to acting and generates a pattern for the actor. In theater, there are no doubles, there is a single shot at doing your best and giving that role everything you’ve got. On set for a movie there is a – so to say – milder context for an actor to deliver.
Film auditions themselves are usually conducted on sets using cameras. A film actor needs to be more photogenic than a stage actor, consequently, since the deciding authority is behind the lens. That doesn’t mean that a casting director doesn’t directly study your presence and behavior, but you should focus on the recorded outcome. You don’t have to intervene too much between your own spontaneous ideas and the script, since you are not auditioning for a TV show – that is the place where casting directors try to implement actors who improvise a lot and who manifest strong individualities that could form a specific character that the public could get attached to and mirror themselves into.
Adult and child film auditions are, to nobody’s surprise, rooted in NYC and Los Angeles, but also form a developed core in several other cities or states, like Chicago or Atlanta. Open calls tend to be organized even in smaller cities, if there is a necessity for new developing talent, but usually things happen on the two pinpointed cities in the East and in the West. Most actors with a strong aspiration towards a rapidly developing career choose to relocate and to explore there a myriad of opportunities for perfecting their craft and securing their future. There are plenty of tips for auditioning that you can find on dozens of sites, starting with specialized recommendations from specialists and ending with advice on Wiki How, with useful insights for a whole plateau – from country dramas to Japanese films or independent experimental projects. There is a developing slice in the indie industry for actors, directors and screenwriters for those who believe it is the optimal place to start their careers and get a feature. The cinematographic industry has plenty of potential in the upcoming years, as the entertainment domain is perhaps one of the most productive fields in the U.S. and generally around many countries in the world, including animation, music, choreography or video games. There’s no surprise that so many of us daydream about being a famous star in Hollywood!
