Acting Survival Tips: The Essentials
It is possible to make it in show biz. But there’s no way around it – making it big takes hard work. If you have the drive for success and you’re determined to keep at it no matter one, half the battle is won. Yet, truly “making it” takes industry know-how and a willingness to stay open-minded.
What does this mean? It means doing your research, understanding industry terminology and who your points of contact will be. It means knowing your type, perfecting your craft, and focusing on making acting a career rather than something fun to do on the side.
It also means being willing to work from the bottom up, taking smaller gigs at first to gain invaluable experience. Because entertainment is a who’s-who industry, you’ll want to get your name out there and have some references willing to vouch for your talent when you try out for a potential big break opportunity.
They say making it big as an actor is about as likely as winning the lottery. Of course, if you’re determined to win the lottery, you’ll continue to buy tickets until you, maybe, strike it big. The same concept applies to this pursuit. If you’re determined to be a big name in Hollywood, you’ll continue to take your chances, audition for gigs, and persevere until you strike it big.
Of course, making a career in entertainment isn’t only up to chance. Unlike winning the lotto, you can actually improve your chances by increasing your knowledge base. Sign up for acting workshops, take classes, get involved in improv. Go online and look up any jargon you might hear that you are unfamiliar with and build a solid base terms-wise. Understand which marketing materials you need to master your own brand and self-expression and make sure you always have these in your back pocket.
Update your marketing materials along the way as you update your look and skillset. Always ensure you are who you say you are on paper, and you look like you do in your headshot. These are the things that got you into the room to begin with, so you want to make sure they’re an accurate reflection of you.
There are many ways to survive in entertainment, but the biggest take-away is to not give up. It’s important to stay out there. Rejection is simply par for the course and you’ll have to brush it off along the way. Don’t take this to heart. Keep going. Eventually, your hard work and determination will pay off!
