'W' IS FOR…WHY ACT?

If our emotional needs are not met in other ways in our lives, the lure of acting can seem powerful. Some may believe that by being an actor they will find the attention and respect they feel they deserve, but don't get from their personal relationships and everyday life.Acting can also be a way to venture into new territory, in a safe and protected way, to try on different "faces" or "masks", to find out more about who we are, especially if we don't feel comfortable expressing ourselves in real life.

Much has been written about movie-stars who, despite their success, are unhappy people with troubled lives and even drink or drug problems, strings of unhappy relationships and failed marriages. If many of these performers were able to understand some of the emotional needs which drew them to performing, and find ways outside of their performing career to meet them, their stories may have been very different.
Here are some emotional issues that actors may have difficulty with:

• Seeing their careers as the core of their identity-confusing what they do with who they are - instead of seeing themselves as a whole person who also acts.
• Placing such undue importance on the power of casting directors and agents that they regard themselves as completely helpless.
• Feeling rejected personally when someone else is deemed more suitable for the part.
• Pursuing auditions, acting classes, and self-promotion so single-mindedly that other aspects of living are left unexplored, leading to feelings of dissatisfaction and discouragement.

• Actors endure long periods of unemployment, intense competition for roles, and frequent rejections in auditions.
• Formal training through a university or acting school is typical; however, many actors, producers, and directors find work on the basis of their experience and talent alone.
• Because earnings for actors are erratic, many supplement their incomes by holding jobs in other fields.

Nature of the Work
Actors, producers, and directors express ideas and create images in theatre, film, radio, television and other performing arts media. They often interpret a writer's script to entertain, inform or instruct an audience.
Actors perform in stage, radio, television, video, or motion picture productions. They also work in cabarets, nightclubs, theme parks, commercials, "and industrial" films produced for training and educational purposes.
Most actors struggle to find steady work. Only a few ever achieve recognition as stars. Some well-known, experienced performers may be cast in supporting roles. Others work as "extras," with no lines to deliver, or make brief, cameo appearances, speaking only one or two lines.
Some actors do voice-over and narration work for advertisements, animated features, books on tape, and other electronic media. They also teach in college, school or university drama departments.
Producers are entrepreneurs, overseeing the business and financial decisions of a movie, television programme or stage production. They select scripts, approve the development of ideas for the production, arrange financing, and determine the size and cost of the endeavour. Producers hire or approve the selection of directors, principal cast members, and key production staff members. They also negotiate contracts with artistic and design personnel in accordance with agreed union agreements and guarantee payment of salaries, transport, rent, and other expenses.
Television and radio producers determine which programmes, episodes, or news segments get aired. They may research material, write scripts, and oversee the production of individual pieces.
Producers in any medium co-ordinate the activities of writers, directors, managers, and agents to ensure that each project stays on schedule and within budget.
Directors are responsible for the creative decisions of a production. They interpret scripts, express concepts to set and costume designers, audition and select cast members, conduct rehearsals, and direct the work of cast and crew.
Directors cue the performers and technicians to make entrances or to make light, sound, or set changes. They approve the design elements of a production, including the sets, costumes, choreography, and music.

Working Conditions
Actors, producers, and directors work under constant pressure. Many face stress from the continual need to find their next job. To succeed, actors, producers, and directors need patience and commitment to their craft. Actors strive to deliver performances, often while working under undesirable and unpleasant conditions.Producers and directors organise rehearsals; meet with writers, designers, financial backers, and production technicians. They experience stress not only from these activities, but also from the need to adhere to budgets, union rules and production schedules.

Acting assignments typically are short term, ranging from just a day to a few months, which means that actors frequently experience long periods of unemployment between jobs.The uncertain nature of the work results in unpredictable earnings and intense competition for even the lowest-paid jobs. Often, actors, producers, and directors must hold other jobs in order to sustain a living. When performing, actors typically work long, irregular hours. For example, stage actors may perform one show at night while rehearsing another during the day. They also might travel with a show when it tours the country. Movie actors may work on location, sometimes under adverse weather conditions, and may spend considerable time in their trailers or dressing rooms waiting to perform their scenes.

Actors who perform in a television series often appear on camera with little preparation time, because scripts tend to be revised frequently or even written moments before taping. Those who appear live or before a studio audience must be able to handle impromptu situations and calmly improvise, or substitute, lines when necessary. Unsocial hours, evening and weekend work is a regular part of a stage actor's life. On weekends, more than one performance may be held per day in theatre shows. Actors and directors working on movies or television programmes - especially those who shoot on location - may work in the early morning or late evening hours to film night scenes or tape scenes inside public facilities outside of normal business hours.

Actors should be in good physical condition and have the necessary stamina and co-ordination to move about theatre sets and TV and movie studios. They need to move about complex technical sets while staying in character and remembering their lines and directions. Actors must be fit to endure heat from stage or studio lights and the weight of heavy costumes. Producers and directors ensure the safety of actors by conducting extra rehearsals on the set so that the actors can learn the layout of set pieces and props, by allowing time for warm-ups and stretching exercises to guard against physical and vocal injuries, and by providing an adequate number of breaks to prevent heat exhaustion and dehydration.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement.
Persons who become actors, producers, and directors follow many paths. Employers generally look for people with the creative instincts, innate talent, and intellectual capacity to perform. Proven professionalism, reliability, training, education and excellent references from industry professionals are a positive boon for any aspiring actor, producer or director.Actors should possess a passion for performing and enjoy entertaining others. Most aspiring actors participate in school and college plays, work in college radio stations, or perform with local community theatre groups.

Local and regional theatre experience and work on cruise lines, or in theme parks helps many young actors hone their skills and some to earn qualifying credits toward membership in one of the actors' unions.In television and film, actors and directors typically start working in regional TV or with independent movie production companies and then work their way up to larger media markets and major studio productions. Intense competition, however, ensures that only a few actors reach star billing. Formal drama training, through an acting school, college or university, is generally necessary; however, some people successfully enter the field without it.

Actors also research roles so that they can grasp concepts quickly during rehearsals and understand the story's setting and background. Sometimes actors learn a foreign language or train with a dialect coach to develop an accent to make their characters more realistic. Actors need talent, creative ability, and training that will enable them to portray different characters. Because competition for parts is fierce, versatility and a wide range of related performance skills, such as singing, dancing, skating, juggling, or miming are especially useful. Experience in horseback riding, fencing, or stage combat can also lift some actors above the average and get them noticed by producers and directors.

Actors must have poise, stage presence, the capability to affect an audience, and the ability to follow direction. Many professional actors rely on agents or managers to find work, negotiate contracts, and plan their careers. Agents generally earn a percentage of the pay specified in an actor's contract. Other actors rely solely on attending open auditions for parts. Trade publications often contain adverts listing the times, dates, and locations of these auditions.

There are no specific training requirements for producers. They come from many different backgrounds. Talent, experience, and business acumen are important determinants of success for producers. Actors, writers, film editors, and business managers often become producers. Also, many who start out as actors move into directing, while some directors might try their hand at acting. Producers often start in a theatrical management office, working for a press agent, managing director, or business manager. Some start in a performing arts union whilst others work behind the scenes with successful directors, serve on boards of directors, or promote their own projects. Whilst no formal training exists for producers, a growing number of colleges and universities now offer degree programs in arts management.

As the reputations and box-office draw of actors, producers, and directors grow, they might work on bigger budget productions, for more prestigious theatres or film companies. Actors may advance to lead roles and receive star billing. A few actors move into acting-related jobs, such as drama coaches or directors of stage, television, radio, or film productions. Some teach drama privately or in colleges and universities.

Job Outlook
Employment of actors, producers, and directors continues to grow as more TV channels make more television shows and more film companies make more movies. However, a growing number of people aspire to enter these professions and many will leave the field early because the work - when it is available - is hard, the hours are long, and the pay is low. Competition for jobs is always fierce, in part because the large number of highly trained and talented actors auditioning for roles generally exceeds the number of parts that become available. Only performers with the most stamina and talent will find regular employment. Expanding cable and satellite television operations, increasing production and distribution of major studio and independent films, and continued growth and development of interactive media, such as direct-for-Web movies, should increase demand for actors, producers, and directors.

Venues for live entertainment, such as established regional theatres, touring productions, theme parks, and resorts, offer some job opportunities. However, prospects in these venues are more variable, because they fluctuate with economic conditions and with the seasons. So that, for example, seaside towns offer work for actors in the summer, when there are lots of tourists wanting to see shows, but the same venues often close in the winter months when there are no audiences. The opposite is often true in big city theatres, where they often shut over the summer months and are at their busiest during the winter and Christmas season.

Related Occupations
People who work in performing arts occupations that may require acting skills include announcers; dancers and choreographers; and musicians, singers, and related workers. Others working in film and theatre related occupations are make-up artists; fashion designers; set and exhibition designers; writers and authors. Producers share many responsibilities with those who work as top executives.If you are thinking of becoming a professional actor, it is extremely important that you start to get practical experience and start to build an acting CV. The easiest, most accessible and, for beginners, the best way to get experience and build a CV is to get involved in lots of local community, school, college and university plays.

Why local plays? Well, you probably won't get many chances to audition for major motion pictures, so plays are the most likely place to start getting some experience. And theatre training is a great way to learn about acting. It's also great fun and you'll meet a lot of other actors - many of whom are in the same position as you.Most communities have one or more local or regional community theatre. Many churches also put on plays and most schools and colleges put on a play or several plays each year. These same local groups can also help you find out about local classes and workshops where you can study acting and improve your natural talent. Some groups even hold their own classes.

Where to find local classes or auditions with local groups? Look in local newspapers and check out noticeboards in your local library as well as at local colleges and universities. And don't forget to check their websites too. Look for performance listings. Visit local theatres. See shows. Find out how your local theatres audition for actors. Call the phone number listed for ticket sales and ask about future auditions and about any acting classes on offer.Attend community play performances. Talk to cast members after the show. Tell them you are interested in their group and would like to join and audition for plays. Find out whatever information you can about their auditions and also ask if they know of any classes in the area. Most community groups publish a newsletter or have a website for members which contain audition and class notices.

Another place to contact is your local colleges and universities. These places frequently produce shows, which are open for the public to audition. Many of them also hold classes, which are open to the general public through "Community Outreach" programs. Look in the phone book.
Go to as many auditions as you can.
If you don't get a part in a play, then volunteer to help on the stage, costume, set design or lighting crews. Becoming involved in theatre productions, even behind the scenes, will give you important experience in how the performing business works and can be included on a theatrical CV as well. And you get to meet other actors, show directors and producers… What a great opportunity to get yourself known and find out about upcoming audition opportunities!
Remember, many of today's greatest actors started with behind the scenes work and small parts. Take whatever parts you can get. As you improve your skills and experience, you will get better and better roles. Don't be in such a rush to start at the top. Learn your craft slowly, improve your knowledge and skills step by step. You'll find building your CV, experience, knowledge and confidence a lot more fun and much less discouraging if you take a smart and methodical approach to your training.
Look at it from the director's perspective. If you were auditioning some people for a play, and were going to spend the next few months or weeks in rehearsals, and had a choice between someone who knew stage left from stage right, or someone who looked nervous and confused - well who would you cast for the part?
The person who seemed to know what they were doing, of course. So you need to know what you are doing. Contact your local film schools, colleges or universities with film making departments. Find out who is making student films and make sure each of those aspiring directors know you are an eager actor willing to work. Don't expect to get paid - but you might get a copy of the films you are in - from which you can put together an audition showreel to send to agents and casting directors.
Check your local papers, film commissions or trade publications for audition notices for independent films that might be filmed in your area.You might also consider starting your own community group or production company. It's actually quite easy - though hard work. You can also set-up your own classes - possibly through a local school or other community organization, or privately with a like-minded group of people.

REMEMBER: ACTORS… ACT! So don't just sit there… DO SOMETHING POSITIVE… ACT NOW!