Many people ask the question, “ Can I become an actor with no experience ? ” , Well the obvious answer is, Yes you can!
Every actor had to start somewhere right?
BELOW YOU WILL FIND 20 TIPS ON HOW TO BECOME AN ACTOR WITH NO EXPERIENCE
1. Show biz
One of the primary things you can do is gain an understanding of the film, TV, and entertainment industry.
Gaining an understanding of the script, the producer, the distribution company, the
cinema and the agents will help you in the acting world.
Once you understand these essential elements you will know how to find casting calls, and it will make everything easier.
Reading material about how to become an actor or reading about your favorite actor and how they achieved success in the acting industry is vital.
Practicing what you have read, taking acting workshops, and also attending drama school will go a long way in this fun and exciting career.
2. Location
Beginning actors usually make the mistake of moving to a major market right at the start of their acting career. This is a huge mistake.
Wherever you are, you should work hard. get some training, build up your resume before you move to a different location like Los Angeles or New York.
While there are more opportunities in LA and NYC than in most American cities, the cost of living can be difficult for aspiring actors without experience to succeed.
This is because it is extremely hard for you to get cast if you’re an actor with no experience. Even the ones with years of experience find it difficult to get a role these days.
Until then it is essential to focus on making connections, building your social media followers save money, research the market, gain experience by working in local productions, commercials, plays, and independent films but if you’re ready now then boldly make that leap, that way you’ve set your dream in motion to work towards making it a reality.
3. Find acting auditions and casting calls
If you are alone you have to do this without the help of agents. We have blogs dedicated to this so feel free to check them out.
Search for casting calls online. This is vital.
Gain experience by acting in local films, plays and commercials.
Agents sometimes hold open auditions to find new talent. So go to a showcase.
You should also find a talent agent.
A talent agent will help you find job opportunities.
Make connections in the entertainment industry. You can do this by using social media tools such as facebook, instagram, twitter and youtube.
4. Skillset
It is very important for you as an actor with no experience to enhance/learn new skills.
When you are going against an experienced actor, you need to stand out.
So honing some skills like these will make you stand out:
- Riding a horse
- Confidence
- Memorizing lines
- The ability to network and market yourself
- Practice scenes
- Resilience
- Performing in front of a live audience or in front of a camera
- The ability to self-reflect
- Practicing acting skills
- Playing golf
- Organisation and time management
So by diversifying your skills you can help yourself stand out from the crowd.
5. Marketing
Casting directors say that social media is a massive component for getting an acting job.
If you have a higher social media following than the person next to you, you will have a higher chance of getting that job.
You should Have a great cover letter, resume, headshot and show reel.
You should go to auditions often, Have your own website and learn networking.
These marketing techniques will land you the job even though you have no experience in the acting scene.
6.Be Prepared
When you’re an actor with no experience and go to the audition room unprepared, this is considered a complete failure on your part and a waste of time for the casting directors.0
So, be professional and well prepared.
This can be punctuality, Make several copies of your headshot and resume
knowing your material, dressing appropriately, etc..
Be positive as well, make a good first impression.
7. Always Audition
The more you audition, the better you get.
You should attend as many auditions as you can.
Statistics tell us that it generally takes between 150 and 200 auditions to book a job. So, You have to increase the odds in your favor.
Audition experience will help you improve your auditioning skills. This way you can get cast more often.
8. Reading
First, you need to get a clear understanding of the entertainment industry. You should know who is involved, how it works, and be up to date on the latest changes
Reading books about acting, marketing, talent agents, auditioning, improv, and such will give you an understanding of where you want to be, and how you’re going to get there.
Reading about plays, monologues, acting techniques, etc.. will help you a lot in this industry.
Acting is a broad and multi-faceted career that can help you gain hands-on experience, build your resume, and explore what it means to be creative. It’s not just about how you look on the outside; it’s about how you feel on the inside too.
In order for you as an actor with no experience to make it in this industry, you need to read a lot of books.
Make it a habit, read a book for 1 hour a day and you will finish 1 book a week.
“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.”
9. Microenvironment not Macroenvironment
An acting career is like a marathon. It’s not a sprint.
Explore whatever gives you a chance to act.
It is best to take the initiative and actively look for auditions and callbacks. Being proactive can help you get your foot in the door and open up opportunities for more work.
As soon as you have some free time, it is also a good idea to go to an acting workshop or join a local acting group.
The goal is to start building your resume in any way possible. So don’t be discouraged because you may not be in a big city. Use every resource you have to improve yourself and you will see yourself succeed in no time.
10. Hone Your Craft
Talent only gets you so far. It’s important to research and learn more about your craft.
- Attend Acting Workshops or Camps, this is an affordable way for early aspiring actors to start getting experience.
- Practice monologues: Monologues will help you get better at memorization, character study, and auditioning.
- Practice cold readings: This will go a long way in your career.
- Be present: Really listen to what someone is saying, instead of composing the reply in your head.
- Learn From Books
- Record Yourself: By seeing or hearing yourself perform you will discover a multitude of things about how you perform pinpointing areas you need to improve on.
- Vsualize the setting of a scene
These can be incredibly helpful to give you a bit more of an insight into the industry in which you are about to embark.
11. Acting resume with no experience
- Contact Information
- Education
- Workshops and Training
- Special Skills
- Describe the Creativity of Previous Employment
- Make the Most of Your Cover Letter
12. Develop a Demo Reel
A demo reel is a compilation of video clips from your best performances.
It should be short, a few minutes or less is all that is necessary.
As you first get started as an actor, it will be difficult to assemble a reel with a variety of performances because you won’t have many to choose from.
Remember, your reel is your opportunity to show what kind of casting bracket you fit into, so make sure you choose the kind of roles that you would be likely to be cast in professionally.
13. Get used to rejection
Getting rejected is a normal part of the acting process.
This can be hard to deal with when you’re new, but it helps to remember that it’s nothing personal.
You’re not being rejected because of you, but because your agent or casting director has needs they need to fill and they’ve chosen another actor over you.
Rejection is part of the acting industry. Many aspiring actors do realize how many times they will be told no before they land an acting job.
You can get rejected for many reasons, for instance, You may be tall and the producers wanted a short person, your accent wasn’t right, etc….
But you must always be prepared and do the best you can. Focus on the positive.
Maybe the casting director complemented your headshot or your emotions.
14. Join an Actors Union
Actors’ unions build your reputation and help get to know individuals in the entertainment industry.
Unions are difficult to get into so apply NOW.
Actors’ unions offer benefits like Health and pension/retirement, Deals & Discounts, etc…
Well known unions
15. Patience and Consistency
Get comfortable with rejection, enjoy the process, learn from it and you will succeed.
To become successful in the Acting scene requires time and effort. When you get in this industry you will not see any results or success at the beginning.
Be patient and always hone your craft.
Stick with it, you will succeed!
CONCLUSION
The best answer for how to become an actor with no experience is to get experience.
Social media is a great way to find roles for free.
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are great ways to find roles for free on groups designed to post casting calls or by following casting directors/creatives.
Even though you have no experience you can succeed in acting.
Follow our guidelines and take action!
Leave a comment with your opinion or any questions you may have below…
