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Complete Career Guide for Actors

Submitted by: EM

Job Overview: Actors play parts on motion picture productions, videos, radio and television as well as on stage for information, instruction or entertainment. He interprets comic or serious roles by gesture, body movement and speech. Some actors use their skills to portray a character with singing and dancing.

Education, Training and Knowledge Requirements: Actors rarely need to meet specific education or training requirements to be given a role, but background on past performances could lead to future projects. Although some were born with a natural talent, others train by participating in school plays, performing in local community theaters or joining actor’s unions. Most productions on all media platforms don’t rely on certifications, but rather on talent. However, it is typical for actors to receive formal training through an acting conservatory or a university to earn a degree in dramatic literature, drama, theater, film, communications, radio, television and other related courses. Informal acting training may also be received through a mentoring drama coach. When a specific character requires an accent, actors often learn a foreign language through coaching.

Skills & Abilities: Actors should have proper grammar and diction, reading comprehension and speech clarity, excellent coordination in terms of adjusting one’s actions in relation to audience’s actions, ability to memorize scripts and procedures. An actor should be a good observant to re-create different characters for each project and an active listener to understand points given by directors, producers and acting coaches. Creativity is an important skill of actors because they should be able to imagine how something he does or say will appear in “the bigger picture.” He should also be able to exude originality from his character by seeking inspiration from numerous characters. Although directors usually provide instructions how a scene will look like, actors should also be able to come up with suggestions.

Duties: Actors must be able to work independently and as an ensemble, interpret assigned roles, understand roles of co-actors and develop unique characters, display believable emotions based on scripts and determine the proper gestures, body movements and speech to use for specific scenes. If the part calls for singing or dancing, an actor must perform without error. If a character is required to perform action stunts and the actor decides to do his own stunts, he must train and perform the stunts. Sometimes, actors agree to lose weight or pile up weight before production, if the role sees it fit. During and after the project, actors should work harmoniously with directors, playwrights, other actors and the crew behind the production, including those assigned for props, makeup, costumes and lighting. When the project is complete, actors are called to promote the film or production on television, radio, print and other media outlets via interviews.

Earnings & Job Outlook: Competition for acting jobs remain intense, since the number of actors seeking roles increase every year, exceeding the number of available roles. However, once an actor lands a breakthrough role, his earnings may reach hundreds of thousands, or even millions.

Gypsy Santiago is a professional resume writer and career search strategy/career branding coach with years of experience in assisting job seekers prepare for the job market. She helps create career-targeted resumes, provides useful tips about career transition, offers future career ideas and guide jobseekers about effective job search techniques. 




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Total views: 42 Word Count: 530 Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 Time: 4:19 PM 0 comments


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