NotaPushyMum.Com

Hi everyone!
I've been following the board for a little while now and finally thought it was time to bite the bullet and get involved properly!

So basically, I've done a few amateur theatre/film projects and I'm thinking of putting together a CV to use on Mandy and Talentcircle (thank you for unknowingly getting me into those!) and possibly to send out to agents to see where it gets me. I've had a look through other threads about making CVs so have got the basic idea of layout etc, but there's a few little things I was thinking of including, but would like the opinions of you people who are good at and experienced in doing this- if you don't mind!

Firstly, I don't have much film experience to put on my CV, but I was involved in a promo video for my school. There's no dialogue on it and I just had to show someone round a bit- but as I don't really have any other filming experience, would it be worth adding it on?

Secondly, I play the flute in an ensemble and have played in quite a few local concerts with them- not acting obviously, but would this be useful to put down or would it just seem a bit pointless?

Lastly, I've just finished doing GCSE Performing Arts, and have performed a few times as part of the course. They were all pretty big parts, so would it be worth listing them individually to beef up my credits, or just mention somewhere that I've done the course?

Sorry to have rambled on a bit, and I hope they're sensible questions, but pretty new to all of this stuff, so any help at all would be really appreciated!
Thanks very much in advance, and looking forward to getting involved in the forum

Hi there and welcome to NAPM.

All perfectly sensible questions it seems to me!

Here are my opinions - you may get different opinions from others!

I don't think I would bother putting the promo video in your credits. I think you could mention it in "additonal information" if you wanted to, but it's not acting and is really more akin to being in a documentary, so I don't think it belongs with other credits.

Definitely put down your flautist skills - someone might want a flute playing actor one day! Similarly, include any sporting expertise you have. This kind of thing is different from the promotional video because you have a skill others may not have, whereas really anyone can be followed round by a camera person showing someone round the school

I think you can include your GCSE credits separately. This seems quite reasonable to me. Anyone looking at your CV will see that you are just starting out. If you have played major roles at school (even if this is course work rather than a production) this could be of interest. Just make sure that you make it clear that they are school performances. Drama school graduates will often include roles they played at drama school on their first CVs. Everyone has to start somewhere. As you get more experienced and get more credits then you drop off the "lesser" credits. It's a balance though, you don't have to cram your CV full of things just to pad it out - this fools no-one! Recent school credits in interesting/challenging roles are fine - mentioning that you played a star in nursery school nativity probably not so good...

Good luck!

Wow- thanks very much, that's all really useful to know!

Just as a cheeky extra question (that I'm sure you've answered before- sorry!), how would you go about writing a cover letter to agent asking for representation? Am pretty confident of how to word one to a casting director, but not sure how to go about doing one to an agent!

Thanks again- you really do seem to be some sort of omniscient force on this site I have to say!

Hi there

Here you go:
http://www.notapushymum.com/phpbb/viewt ... er#p157580

Definitely some sort of omniscient force!
Again, thanks very much for your help- really really useful!

Listen to pg, she has all the answers, we all take her advise, she is our mothership!

Haha, so I can see- I definitely will! :P