Know your industry
I think it is increasingly important to be an expert in your field to have a long-lasting and prosperous career. An acting career is no exception. However, I also think it is very important that you understand other areas of the industry. It will give you an additional edge in the short run and may only keep you current in the long run.
For instance, you should know the difference between a grip and a gaffer on your set. Additionally, it's important to know the difference between an executive producer, a line producer, and associate producer. It will be particularly helpful if you understood some of the dynamics in the industry around those names and what they and how the different jobs can be viewed differently depending on the project and the people involved and how deals were set up. Knowing what it means to be above the line and below the line are important keys as well. These are just a few examples. This is not an exhaustive list nor is it sufficient to just look up these terms.
I took Robert McKee's 3 day "Story Seminar" a while back and remembered learning tons about writing scripts. And though I write, I have not undertaken the act of writing a script. Even so, I learned a lot of things that will help my acting. I recommend at least a basic script writing class for all actors who are serious about acting. I have a friend who recently told me that the reason her film didn't make it in to Sundance is because the acting wasn't good enough. She accepted the responsibility that she couldn't get the performance she needed from her actors and took an acting class to learn their language. Now that's taking charge of your career! Some of the actors on the rise that I know help out casting directors for free when they can. They learn for free and are appreciated by those they help. There are tons of things to do in this industry between auditions.
I'm one of the lucky few who started in production and moved in to acting. That's exactly opposite of the way others usually graduate in the industry. A lot of actors begin acting and move in to production. A lot of successful actors become directors and if you take some directing classes you'll have a better understanding why that is a sometimes a natural progression of things.
I did temp work at several of the major studios and learned a lot by being a temp in the Stills Department at Sony, being in the Global Real Estate Department at Universal (when it was Universal), and other things. While the RE department wasn't directly related to film making, it helped me understand the complexities of the studios. It may never be anything specific that I use per se but having an understanding gives me confidence and allows me to speak intelligently whenever I'm on a studio lot and someone strikes up conversation in line at the commissary or on the way to the studio store.
If you can get on the lots to do headshot drops, I recommend you go around lunch time if you can. You can eat in the studio commissary and meet people just waiting in line. Don't go in with an agenda, but do go in with an open and curious mind. This industry is full of extremely and creative people and it takes many teams to create a thriving studio.
Also when you understand the studio system, you can be a very empathetic person when it comes to people who actually call you in for auditions and even those who have to consider you for the next big television series or their independent film. If you've ever been lucky enough to contribute to making independent films or motion pictures of any kind, then you know that enormous amount of work, effort, imagination and creativity that it takes just to put a film together. Do you know it takes similar efforts to get distribution and creating the marketing tools necessary to get the word out? There is much to know. I recommend you learn as much as you can as you go. Stay focused on your acting, but know other parts of your industry. It may just give you edge that gives you the confidence and the appreciation of others that help you book your next role.
As is always the case, the choice is yours.
My best,
Sarah Jean
For instance, you should know the difference between a grip and a gaffer on your set. Additionally, it's important to know the difference between an executive producer, a line producer, and associate producer. It will be particularly helpful if you understood some of the dynamics in the industry around those names and what they and how the different jobs can be viewed differently depending on the project and the people involved and how deals were set up. Knowing what it means to be above the line and below the line are important keys as well. These are just a few examples. This is not an exhaustive list nor is it sufficient to just look up these terms.
I took Robert McKee's 3 day "Story Seminar" a while back and remembered learning tons about writing scripts. And though I write, I have not undertaken the act of writing a script. Even so, I learned a lot of things that will help my acting. I recommend at least a basic script writing class for all actors who are serious about acting. I have a friend who recently told me that the reason her film didn't make it in to Sundance is because the acting wasn't good enough. She accepted the responsibility that she couldn't get the performance she needed from her actors and took an acting class to learn their language. Now that's taking charge of your career! Some of the actors on the rise that I know help out casting directors for free when they can. They learn for free and are appreciated by those they help. There are tons of things to do in this industry between auditions.
I'm one of the lucky few who started in production and moved in to acting. That's exactly opposite of the way others usually graduate in the industry. A lot of actors begin acting and move in to production. A lot of successful actors become directors and if you take some directing classes you'll have a better understanding why that is a sometimes a natural progression of things.
I did temp work at several of the major studios and learned a lot by being a temp in the Stills Department at Sony, being in the Global Real Estate Department at Universal (when it was Universal), and other things. While the RE department wasn't directly related to film making, it helped me understand the complexities of the studios. It may never be anything specific that I use per se but having an understanding gives me confidence and allows me to speak intelligently whenever I'm on a studio lot and someone strikes up conversation in line at the commissary or on the way to the studio store.
If you can get on the lots to do headshot drops, I recommend you go around lunch time if you can. You can eat in the studio commissary and meet people just waiting in line. Don't go in with an agenda, but do go in with an open and curious mind. This industry is full of extremely and creative people and it takes many teams to create a thriving studio.
Also when you understand the studio system, you can be a very empathetic person when it comes to people who actually call you in for auditions and even those who have to consider you for the next big television series or their independent film. If you've ever been lucky enough to contribute to making independent films or motion pictures of any kind, then you know that enormous amount of work, effort, imagination and creativity that it takes just to put a film together. Do you know it takes similar efforts to get distribution and creating the marketing tools necessary to get the word out? There is much to know. I recommend you learn as much as you can as you go. Stay focused on your acting, but know other parts of your industry. It may just give you edge that gives you the confidence and the appreciation of others that help you book your next role.
As is always the case, the choice is yours.
My best,
Sarah Jean
posted by Sarah Jean Fry at
6:45 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home