With so many people wanting to become actors, you may wonder what separates the ones who make it from those who don’t? The answer is realistic expectations.
Often we find that the actors that set their expectations to a realistic standard are the ones that will go far. Why? Because they have the right attitude, they stay humble and don’t think they will become Brad Pitt after one background gig.
Actors who believe they’re going to win the oscar after one booking or one ‘real’ job really have zero understanding of how the industry works. So we’re here to break it down for you…
1. Be a Professional
No one wants to work with an actor that talks the big talk but can’t walk their walk. That’s why it’s crucial to have proper headshots and materials ready for when you do get an opportunity to break into the industry! Even before you apply to get an agent, you should flesh out your acting toolbox, so it’s prepared for when someone does sign you.
Furthermore, you need to learn how to act and behave on set. There are plenty of training courses that you can find in your city that give you the ins and outs of onset protocol, and Google also has great resources if you search for the correct information. This is critical because how you present yourself in front of a professional film team can impact the industry connections you make that may have the ability to make or break your career in the future.
That’s why being professional and humble is so important.
2. Understand the Process
You can’t just show up at a casting room and say, “Hey! I’m ready for my close-up!”
It just doesn’t work that way. Instead, you either need to have an agent that gets you an audition for that show/project or applies to a casting call yourself and be one of the lucky few offered a spot to try out for the role. Furthermore, you often need to have the necessary skills/training/credits for anyone to take you seriously enough to be seen by a Casting Director.
Most actors start out in this timeline:
- Starting out with education or training
- Work some background and/or student short films
- Start getting seen for small actor auditions in real projects
- Get booked in indie/non-union work
- Now being seen for more prominent principal/supporting roles
- Booking on union productions
- Building your resume
- Hopefully, securing a lead
If you can understand this process, you’ll be golden! All of this takes time, and it will not happen right away. So be patient and have fun throughout your acting journey.
3. Maintain Good Connections
You’ll hear a lot of opinions on this, but here’s ours – talent lands you the role, connections get you in the door.
Whether you like it or not, keeping up great connections is the best way to create opportunities for yourself in this business. Hence why it’s essential to be incredibly kind to everyone on set and always have a phenomenal attitude that will leave a positive lasting impression! You never know who will be working in what position one day. For example, guy working locations might end up being the next big Hollywood director.
Also, if you ever have the chance to fill in for positions on set that go awry and save the day – this is a great way to get your foot in the door. Positions like stand-in are fantastic ways to get to know production teams, and being available when date changes occur never hurts!
4. Learn to Hurry Up and Wait
It’s a cliché in the industry, but it’s true. Often you will not hear from anyone until they need you or have updates for you. So if you’re feeling anxious if you haven’t heard from your agent in a while, know lots is occurring in the background that you are unaware of to get you an audition and book the job. Now, that’s not to say you can’t check-in, but don’t follow up every day asking for the 4-11.
This goes for anyone in the industry. It’s hectic, so when production or someone needs you. You’ll be notified. If they don’t, just do your thang and keep working on your craft in the meantime. And don’t be alarmed if you reply to a request and you don’t hear back. Unless you receive an official booking, you will rarely ever be informed that the role you just auditioned for was already cast. Likewise, unless someone’s asked your agent to let you know that you’ve been released from a PIN or SHORTLIST – your agent probably won’t even be informed that you didn’t get the part.
So just get used to being comfortable with the unknown, and know that when someone has information for you… that’s often when you’ll be contacted.
5. Excuses Do Not Matter
We’re going to just be honest with you here – your agents may care about you (at BookIT we certainly do), but the reality is that no one else has time to listen to excuses. If you cancel your background booking last minute because something came up? Well… Accept the fact that that production may or may not book you again in the future. If you’re late to set? Apologize, own up to it and be prepared to get to work right away. Do not tell a long-winded story about how your cat threw up on your sweater and you had to pick one up from your friend’s house because you had nothing else to wear.
Look. If you’re booked, you’re booked. Unless you are seriously ill or something tragic happens in your family – 9x out of 10, whatever excuse you have is not acceptable.
If something does occur, always inform your agent to do their best to deliver the news in a strategic way to whoever needs to hear it. Or, if someone bullies you on set, always let your agent know so they can take the necessary precautions to have it handled. But do learn how to accept responsibility and take ownership of when something occurs that you could have prevented. Of course, this is a job like any other, so all the same rules apply.
So, if the above five truth bombs are not what you signed up for? This probably isn’t the industry for you. And that’s ok!
Be realistic about your expectations. If you really want to do this, then all the time and patience it takes to make it into the biz will be no problem for you. It’s a wonderful world, and you can have a lot of fun as long as you approach it with the right attitude and humility that’s required.
