How to become an actor?

The acting profession attracts every third person from early childhood - little girls dream of playing in Hollywood films of fairy-tale princesses, and boys strive to embody the image of a superhero. And now, at the age of 13-17, the child declares to his parents that he would like to devote his life to acting.

Where and how to learn this profession, how to pass the casting and get the coveted role - we will talk about this in our article.

In order to become a successful actor, first of all, you should outline an action plan, it involves several basic steps. You need:

• prepare a portfolio and fill out an actor's presentation questionnaire;
• get into the database of famous acting agencies;
• keep your body in good physical shape;
• improve acting skills - learn monologues of different topics and different emotional levels, if you want to work in the USA, it will not be superfluous to practice reading in a foreign language;
• participate in acting master classes and other events aimed at professional self-development;
• communicate with people of creative specialties or those actors who have already taken their confident steps in the cinema;
• attend meetings with directors and screenwriters, seminars within the acting environment;
• participate in open castings for roles in films, advertising filming and television programs;
• to act in extras.

Remember, in order to start an acting career, a boy or girl must necessarily have certain data that are relevant to this profession.

• Appearance. It is not at all necessary to amaze others with your beauty - a good figure or perfect facial features are not so important for an actor. Natural charm and charm are much more relevant, people should be pleased to look at you. Nowadays, many girls go through one or even several plastic surgeries in order to get roles in films. They naively believe that the resemblance to a star will bring them success. But this does not always work - in any case, it is better to be yourself, no one needs clones.
• Charisma - This is a set of qualities, including external attractiveness, charm, unobtrusive sexuality and, of course, intelligence, the ability to lead. Charismatic people fascinate and often become objects of increased attention. In order to develop these qualities in oneself, it is necessary to "try on" the most diverse images - dramatic, comedic, or even the roles of genres such as thriller and horror.
• Perseverance. Any aspiring artist should be clearly aware that nothing happens right away. In order to get a good role, you may have to spend several years, so only a person with a strong will and an unbending character can withstand all the pressures and overcome the obstacles encountered on the way.
• Contact... This is one of the main qualities of an actor, if you are already 12, 14, 15 years old, and you are still embarrassed to communicate, then this must be corrected and as soon as possible. It will be quite difficult for a shy person in an acting environment. Sociability is needed in order to make the necessary acquaintances, communicate with popular directors and screenwriters, present yourself at auditions and castings. To develop all these qualities in yourself, you should attend public speaking courses or constantly enter into dialogue with strangers.
• Clear speech... Good diction and delivered speech is the foundation of the acting profession. To get into the cinema, you need to be able to express clearly, articulate thoughts clearly and have good pronunciation.
• Expressive facial expressions. This will allow the aspiring artist to better demonstrate the character he is portraying. You should constantly work on facial expressions and improve them.
• Good memory... It is difficult to overestimate the importance of a good memory for an actor, since you need to know the role by heart, and, most likely, you will have to learn a lot and quickly. Therefore, everyone who dreams of mastering a profession should constantly work on training memory.
• A positive outlook on life... It is no secret that it is much easier to overcome obstacles with an optimistic attitude, to solve the tasks set for oneself and to go towards the goal.

It is difficult to answer the question of how many years you need to study in order to become an actor. Probably easier to say, all my life. An actor is a constant work on yourself, your personal qualities and professional skills.

Learning to do this at home is not easy, it is best to study at such well-known universities as VGIK, GITIS, as well as the Moscow Art Theater... These are the largest universities in Russia, which have graduated most of the famous Russian film stars. However, in many large cities there are equally well-known theater studios, schools and acting courses, which have a high rating in the film industry. If you are determined to be a movie star - choose the best education.

However, there is a rather significant limitation here. The fact is that you will not be able to enter theatrical universities at any age. So, men are accepted up to 24-26 years, and women even up to 22, maximum up to 23 years. Adults in their 30s and 40s have no access there. If you run into such an obstacle, it is better to look the possibility of obtaining education in commercial institutes and courses of professional acting, where almost everyone is accepted.

It is quite difficult for teenagers to enter a drama school - at the age of 14-15 they have too many complexes, they do not tolerate failures and easily withdraw into themselves. Individual lessons with a tutor will help them to open up; this form of teaching the basics of the acting profession is especially relevant in small towns where there is no opportunity to attend an acting studio.

By the way, many theaters open in the summer camps for future actors. Such events can and should be attended by any child who dreams of enrolling in a theater institute in the future.

So, if you are determined to enter a theater university, then you need to pass the entrance tests. By the way, many famous actors in their memories call the exam one of the most terrible moments in their life. Competitions for such institutions are off the charts, so it is best to submit documents to several places at once. The chance to enroll in training falls only once a year and it is very important to try not to miss it.

As a rule, applicants pass several tests:

• creative number;
• interview:
• Russian language test;
• exam in literature.

Particular attention should be paid to preparing a performance for a creative test; it must be selected individually, taking into account personal abilities, temperament, strengths and weaknesses. The minimum set is poetry, fable and prose. It is advisable to prepare several numbers, since members of the commission often ask to submit something else in a different genre.

Even if you do not plan to become a singer or dancer, be sure to prepare a simple dance and an easy song... With a high degree of probability, you will be asked to demonstrate your choreographic and vocal skills.

Many are worried about the question of whether it is realistic to become an actor without special education, from scratch. Perhaps, history knows dozens of famous artists in our country, and even in America, who have not received any special education at all. Today they play the main roles in films and TV series, do dubbing of cartoon characters and perform in the theater. They were able to take their place in the sun with the help of their incredible talent and happy coincidence. However, you should not hope that luck will smile on you. It is much safer to rely on yourself, and not on a lucky star.

To become a real actor, it is very important to "light up" in front of important people in this environment. For this, auditions are held. They can be both professional for artists with experience in theatrical and cinematic projects, and amateur - for those who are just taking their first steps in the profession.

Please be aware that listening is usually associated with strong nervous tension, any participant in such a selection will certainly be worried and worried, since the results of listening largely depend on whether he will be given a chance to prove what he is capable of.

In order to achieve success with minimal stress, you should prepare for the selection.

To start gather as much information as possible about your listening. It is important to know everyone: who organizes the event, which director will be present at the selection. If someone you know has already passed a similar audition, be sure to chat with him and ask what is better to focus on.

Prepare a portfolio in several ways, it will say much better than a thousand words about an actor. A good shot will be able to show how the camera perceives you, and whether you know how to reincarnate in different environments.

Try not to get nervous... Yes, it is not easy to do this, but the excitement does not make the best impression during the casting. Learn to concentrate, abstract from unnecessary thoughts and focus on the chance to show yourself in all its glory.

Never Forget Ethics: turn off the sound on your mobile phone, do not be late for listening, be polite in communication with the rest of the selection participants. Listen to everything that is said to you and try to fulfill the requirements of the professionals. Do not interrupt the jury members, treat criticism with calm, be sure to correct your mistakes, taking into account the recommendations issued.

Try to be different from the rest. Many participants come to the casting, and the director is unlikely to remember everyone, so it is better to prepare some kind of unusual monologue.

If you intend to become a famous actor, then you should find out three not the most pleasant facts about the profession:

• The theater environment is a fairly highly competitive industry. The number of theaters and film studios is not so great, but there are many who want to become a star. At every minute in the profession, you will feel pressure from your competitors. Popular artists will crush authority, and young talents will literally step on your heels.
• Only a few become stars, and if we are talking about Hollywood stars, then the number of lucky ones is even less. Moreover, often success is not the result of hard work, but a happy coincidence of circumstances. It is possible that you will not be able to achieve recognition at all, or it will happen much later than you wish.
• This is a highly volatile profession. Actors, unlike officials and office workers, do not receive a monthly salary, their earnings directly depend on employment in projects. There will definitely be periods in your career when you get tired without being offered roles, and then you will have to save a lot. Therefore, you need to think in advance about what you will live on during the downtime. It will be useful to master the second specialty with more regular income.

And in conclusion, we want to warn you that Nowadays, a huge number of scammers have appeared who are trying to "make money" on gullible young men and women who dream of a brilliant career. Most often, they act according to the following scheme: they submit an advertisement for a casting for a role in a movie for aspiring actors, perhaps even without work experience. As a rule, the emphasis is on the age of 18-25 - those who are older have already filled their bumps and do not bite into such tricks.

Well, then everything is simple, young people are invited to a casting with a "famous" producer, they audition and after a couple of days they report that they are ideal for a small role, but for this you need to make a portfolio. Moreover, a portfolio from a specific agency, where supposedly they make photos ideal for approval for the role. Certainly not free. Actually, this is where the story ends - then the young people are waiting for a call from the casting director, but in vain.