Acting for the Screen

Mary Lou Belli

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9780429858581
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Medios de comunicación y artes escénicas
• Subtopic: Actuación y audiciones

Acting for the Screen is a collection of essays written by and interviews with working actors, producers, directors, casting directors, and acting professors, exploring the business side of screen acting.

In this book, over thirty show business professionals dispel myths about the industry and provide practical advice on topics such as how to break into the field, how to develop, nurture, and navigate business relationships, and how to do creative work under pressure. Readers will also learn about the entrepreneurial expectations in relation to the internet and social media, strategies for contending with the emotional highs and lows of acting, and money management while pursuing acting as a profession.

Written for undergraduates and graduates studying Acting for Screen, aspiring professional actors, and working actors looking to reinvent themselves, Acting for the Screen provides readers with a wealth of first-hand information that will help them create their own opportunities and pursue a career in show business.

CHAPTER 1

GETTING STARTED

You’ve learned the craft of acting, been in countless stage productions, done a couple student films – one is an official selection at a film festival. You don’t have an agent. You have no connections. No free ticket to Los Angeles (LA) and no place to stay if you did pack your bags and make the trek. Or maybe you are in high school and know you are destined for the screen but don’t know where to start. So, what comes next? This chapter will walk you through practical steps you can take to get started on your journey to becoming a working screen actor. Do you move to New York or LA? Or a smaller market? How do you make yourself into someone an agent or manager wants to sign? How do you put together a reel? Why do you even need a website? This first chapter will answer these questions and more!

All of this “getting started” business begins and ends with the passion you have and the decisions you make about where you would like to begin. And then taking that first important step from wherever you are now. That first step might be the hardest. But if you are an artist with a dream, you know you must take it. It is a special and rewarding path to choose. This book will help you each step along the way.

Here’s what we’re going to address in this first chapter:

• How to assess your strengths and weaknesses as an actor and to see if you can be competitive with other professionals already in the marketplace.

• Establishing realistic goals and pursuing them with passion and common sense.

• How to form a business plan.

• Information about reels, head shots, and websites, including tips from multiple sources!

• Deciding whether to go to college, and if you do, what program might best suit you.

• Making sure you are a confident actor who has a sense of self-respect and is a friendly, warm, and vibrant person with whom others enjoy associating.

• What factors go into knowing your “type.”

• How to build your website.

• The difference between film and stage acting.

• Getting a manager’s take on how to set yourself apart by making your characters come alive.

So set your path. Take the steps we suggest. You are so fortunate that so many experts generously contributed their words of wisdom for your benefit and specifically to get you started. They want to inspire you, guide you, demystify the process for you. So read on . . .

MOVING TOWARD A CAREER

Some Basics

‣ A Q&A with Grant Kretchik

Grant Kretchik is the Associate Director of the School of Performing Arts at Pace University and he created and directs the school’s BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) Acting program. Grant has appeared Off-Broadway as well as in film and television. His projects have premiered in festivals around the world, including Cannes, Austin, Mumbai, Santa Fe, Boston LGBT, Honolulu, London. His latest project, America, which he executive produced, has been seen at Rosebud, Julien Dubuque, the Women’s International Film and Arts Festival, the Glendale Film Festival, and the Sapporo International Short Film Festival.

Figure 1.1 Grant Kretchik

Photo: Jessica Osber Photography

Grant assisted director Michael Grief on the first national tour of Next to Normal. Other directing credits include: The Parade at the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival; Scottish Sperm at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (world premiere); and Zoofest and Just for Laughs in Montreal, Canada. Grant has worked as both director and an actor at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. As an actor, he has appeared Off-Broadway in The Servant of Two Masters, Einstein, I Knock at the Door and Pictures in the Hallway. His film/television credits include: Law & Order, Guiding Light, As the World Turns, Broken, Man on the Moon, and When Harry Tries to Marry. He is a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

Grant is a contributing expert for Backstage magazine and he contributed to The Ultimate Musical Theater College Audition Guide: Advice from the People Who Make the Decisions (Oxford University Press). In 2019, Grant was recognized in Washington, DC as a recipient of a prestigious Jefferson Award in public service.

Grant (Figure 1.1) holds an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in Acting from the New School University.

Do you think actors need training before they enter the work place?

Yes, but not just for the reasons you might think. There are obvious reasons, such as learning the fundamentals and developing nuance to your craft and analytical skills. Beyond that, I think it’s important that actors feel both accomplished and have a sense of confidence in their abilities. When you are collaborating with knowledgeable, professionally trained actors, it’s empowering to know you you’ve prepared properly to be in that room. There is an expectation of what a professional actor should know and should be capable of, and it’s through training that you gain permission to expand your capabilities.

Of course, an actor can enter the workforce or book a gig without having training. It happens, but one job does not equal a career. Often actors cannot sustain themselves. This can happen to any actor, but when it does, the trained actor never says, “I wish I hadn’t spent time training,” whereas the untrained actor might say, “I wonder if I should be better prepared.” Either way, a smart actor will always take a class because savvy professionals should remain curious about expanding themselves. Actor training can never be taken away from you, even if a job is. Training is not only where you expand yourself but where you develop relationships that cultivate your network of collaborators, which leads to sustainability.

The last thing I’ll say about the merits of training is that it’s both the beginning of your artistic development and a springboard that can lead to your first professional meetings; agents managers, and other such professionals are more likely to take a risk on investing in you. Training is the first indication that you have made a commitment to learn and invest in both craft and yourself as you endeavor to be a professional actor. People are more likely to take a risk on someone whose resumé signals they aspire to be educated.

So why a BFA? or BA? Or any other college degree? Is one better?

There is a difference, but one is not necessarily better than the other. I find that college hopefuls, some parents, guidance counselors, and mentors have a tendency to overly glorify a BFA and falsely devalue a good BA degree.

A BFA can be associated with a liberal arts program where you are responsible for taking university general education courses. However, a BFA can also be a conservatory with little or no university general education coursework. A BA (Bachelor of Arts) can be slightly less acting-focused and has the upshot of being more flexible while incorporating more liberal arts and humanities courses. The BA often provides students with an opportunity for minoring or double-majoring in other disciplines. I’m speaking in broad generalities – it is important that you research and understand each individual program’s intricacies, strengths, and expectations.

Determining if one is better than the other is certainly a challenge. In a BFA program, you’ll receive a more well-rounded actor training experience. Such programs are singularly geared toward the student who endeavors to have a more profound understanding of acting as a multidisciplinary approach. A BFA likely incorporates any number of sub-disciplines, such as voice, speech, movement, stage combat, and improvisation as well as additional history and text analysis.

Some BA programs run the risk of being dated or tired. They may lack direction and rigor, often serving the university’s enrollment goal rather than the devoted student. Do your homework and be sure there is mentorship and opportunities within the BA program (or BFA program, for that matter). A BA program is an ideal venture for students who have a desire to study acting while also being unsure if it’s solely the career they want. A good BA program provides curious students with an excellent education and unique opportunities. There are any number of really exciting BA programs that have developed unique experiences for the actor in training.

As a professional who created and runs a BFA, I have to admit that I am curious by those applicants who self-identify as a “BA only” applicant. This student may understand something greater about his or her self, about the kind of storyteller they want to be, the kind of career opportunities they are open to. Ultimately, I think, they want a broader experience and seek to bring that to their process as a creative artist, which is compelling.

My concern is that an applicant might feel a stigma around a BA as being less valued and so their application to a BFA is solely motivated by fear. Fear that they won’t be taken seriously if they are not accepted into a BFA. This is a very dangerous way to think and is totally false. A BFA, quite simply, is not for everyone.

It should be mentioned that there are also some associate degree programs that are worth evaluating. While you can find a good associate degree with great faculty and training, many of these are based on a for-profit business model where volume supersedes quality. I wouldn’t rule these out, but I would advise being cautious and diligent in your research.

Lastly, should you choose to study something other than acting as your college degree, there’s always the opportunity to pursue professional classes while simultaneously studying a different field. Professional classes, given the right teacher and the right mix of students, can be rigorous and impactful. It is important to make sure your teacher has training of his or her own as well as professional experience. You want to know that your professional teacher understands how to conduct a course and deliver content in a meaningful and effective manner. Be certain that it’s a course with defined objectives and training goals, not just coaching. It’s important that you are learning craft and developing technique. Coaching is another discipline and frequently isolated, focusing on the individual. True actor training involves, at a minimum, a partner or partners and, ideally, a small ensemble of talented and dedicated individuals.

I’ve heard arguments for going to a small school where I will get to do everything: write, direct, act, and shoot with or run a camera. And others where they say you should go to a school even where the acting pool is big and competitive. Do you think one is better?

The traditional ideology holds that an actor should train solely as an actor. I still think there is merit to this: you do need focus. Being a dilettante isn’t necessarily the best road to success. However, we are experiencing a revolution where an avalanche of technology is changing how and what actors are capable of producing. So, while actors have a responsibility to fully dedicate and commit themselves to training, there is also an added responsibility to embrace the tools technology offers, using them to complement your ability to tell stories and establish your unique brand.

“You’re seeking to be a trained actor, but ultimately, familiarizing yourself with these other skills can expand your creative collaborations while you’re waiting to book your next gig.”

It’s always been naïve to assume you will be hired for your talent alone. Now, it is irresponsible not to develop additional skills that make you more well-rounded in the industry. All professions evolve and expand; why should acting be any different? Absolutely, train as an actor and let that be your primary focus, but if you want to be a more compelling collaborator, traditional “actor training” is only one element. Seek out understanding and knowledge of how to write, produce, direct, and operate a camera. You’re seeking to be a trained actor, but ultimately, familiarizing yourself with these other skills can expand your creative collaborations while you’re waiting to book your next gig. The opportunities to create your own work and take control of your brand are far greater than they have ever been. Actors can either fight it or embrace it.

It’s critical to understand the difference between large and small schools and the opportunities that are provided or limited as a result of the size and scope of the curriculum. When choosing a university, it is important to be curious about what you respond to and what environment you’ll thrive in. You might want an intimate environment with a strong ensemble base. Here, you’ll be held accountable to standards that are monitored by faculty and staff to ensure your success. Or, perhaps the autonomy found at a larger school might appeal to you, allowing for self-expression with fewer eyes upon you.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to know what excites you, where you thrive, what inspires you as an individual. Ultimately these are questions you have to answer for yourself. To answer these, visit a variety of campuses to find out if you like urban, rural, or country settings. Meet students, talk to them, listen to them interact with each other; can you imagine yourself as one of them? See the work of the students in production or rehearsal. Sit in on classes if you can. Meet the faculty, and ask yourself: “Am I inspired?”

Is there a difference between stage and screen acting?

Yes! This has been a debate for as long as I can remember. The answer I was always told during my training was no. But I disagree. Certainly, at the core, they’re not that different. They have the same fundamental principles (such as actions and truth), but in regard to preparation and execution, I believe they are fundamentally different.

Historically, training in the American theater was for the stage in a time when regional and repertory theaters thrived. Institutions didn’t seem interested in including film and television acting courses in the curriculum. It makes sense: equipment was expensive and challenging to operate, and even good acting teachers didn’t have experience with film and television courses themselves. So the solution was to leave well enough alone. The system...