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Hi - sorry I'm posting this here as I'm actually 20 and therefore possibly not the best napm candidate, but I don't really know where else to ask!

I just finished my BA degree in Drama at university and am living in London, and I want to pursue acting, always have. Below is my plan of action... I was basically wondering if you could see if there are things which would really benefit me that I'm not doing... I know this is a strange request, but I really would be very grateful!

x I am saving up for professional headshots (I have one already, but the photographer was a friend and that's not the main thing they do).
x I have a couple of monologues learnt which I love, and bought a couple of acting books to keep inspired
x I am a constant checker of mandy/talentcircle in an attempt to build a showreel.
x Am considering joining starnow or similar (castingcallpro is more expensive and I'm worried about finances, is starnow worth it?)
x As my only experience is within university and 1 short student film which I don't think is good enough quality for show reel, is it worth applying to (non high-end) agencies or should I wait to build up some more experience first? I feel like it's unlikely for someone to get back to you from just a headshot, same goes for casting peoples.

(Obviously, the obvious advice is to go to drama school, maybe on a postgrad course. However, whilst I really have considered it over the last year, due to my financial situation (I couldn't afford the fees alongside rent and bills etcetc) and the fact that I have been told drama school isn't completely necessary by some filmy people, at this stage I figured I'd give that thought a go but apply in a couple of years is nothings happening once I've worked hard and saved up enough from my flexible (film crew related) job. However, I do want to look out for workshops etc where poss.)

Any thoughts on what I am not doing which would make things easier? It's hard without an agent, and I'm in the usual cycle where I need experience to get one, so any advice on who to contact, gaining experience, etcetc would be super handy.

Thanks!

Welcome to NAPM!

I am couple of years younger than you so I don't really feel that qualified to advice you.
I just wanted to reassure you that the age specific audition sections on this site do go up to 20 so your not out of place here! Continue to keep checking this site as we do sometimes get castings for people of your age.

You may also want to visit the blog screenterrier or follow them on twitter as they often post about open auditions and agency openings and specifically cater for young actors of all ages, including those right up into their mid twenties.

Good luck

There are some incredibly knowledgable people on here who I am sure will lend a hand with advice too
Welcome to NAPM

you've come to exactly the right place for advice, so don't worry - there are so many experienced NAPMs on here, in the industry themselves or helping their dds and ds's.
You're course at Uni will be very helpful, but as for now going to Drama School, it is indeed expensive, so it is catch 22 as you say, but some post grad courses do have scholarships and bursaries and there does seem to be more funding opportunities for such courses now, which may not be enough to cover fees, but worth looking into.
There are lots of courses that will be helpful such as Acting for Camera/Screen, and Auditions help - such as at the Actors Centre, London,where you don't have to be a member to enrol, - or at the top drama schools, where they also do short courses - you can PR a bit there too - worth getting the training in. Getting involved in amateur theatre is a good thing too, to keep your hand in, and as said look out for open auditions too.You can also audition for National Youth Theatre, before you're 21 I think !
Getting professional headshots is a must (search this site for recommendations or ask on here for one in your area) and sending off the cv, perhaps saving up for a showreel, to send to agents and see what happens basically.
Experience is necessary, but those taken on by agents have varying degrees - some with very little, some with a lot of professional credits.Although a lot of this industry is being in the right place at the right time, and being 'seen' - it could be naive to think you don't need training or experience for film - 80% of actors on screen have had some form of training.
Friend of mines ds joined an extras agency, and after a few jobs, he was given a line in one of the top tv dramas, and now, he seems to always be working !!! so don't rule that out either, as it is a 'way in' so to speak. Some good ones such as 'Ray Knight' in North London. - Have a search on this site for related questions on all of this - there'll be a wealth of information from previous posts that you will find helpful.

Welcome to the site.
I do recommend Starnow it's a great place to start make connections, gain experience. Some high profile jobs have appeared on there recently too.

Also watch out for modelling collaborations you could possibly do time for prints (TFP) work and get a free portfolio (always a plus when watching the pennies). Watch out for the ones that advertise that can afford to pay and don't. Sometimes the odd suspect advert appears, you can always ask advice on here about any worries. If you're a young looking 20 there'll be opportunities to play down (in age). Many 16 year olds are played by 20 somethings.

Good luck

You could also try registering on Casting Network, they have lots of jobs (several paid) in the 18-30 age range.
My dd has had lots of castings through Starnow, some have been excellent and lead on to other (paid) jobs so I would say give it a try. You don't have to pay to look, then when you see something (or a few things) that are suitable, you could pay for a short membership initially to see how it goes.
Good luck.

Wow, so many replies so quick!

I did see the 16-20 section ruby95, and luckily for me, as someone very young looking, this will be just right - And have bookmarked screenterrier thank you!

Genevieve - thank you also. I've thought of actors centre and short courses, and whilst I can't really afford it just now I definitely will sign up to things like this next year - especially as it will be a while since doing practicals at uni by then! But definitely worth me trying to save up some money for drama school if the time comes.

Any idea on where to find fairly 'good' agents who may consider auditioning you with less experience? I'd still like to build more experience for now (and luckily for me a friend who is a wonderful editor has offered to make things up into a show reel when the time comes, which would obviously be some kind of asset).

frisbee, how do you get into doing print work? And as above, I'm definitely a young looking 20.

I've made up a starnow profile so I can sneak a peek at all the castings and pay up when necessary!

Thanks so much all! It's really nice to not be alone

I presume your drama degree concentrated on teaching drama, as opposed to doing it? It does seem the uni have left you amazingly unprepared - however, that's not your fault. The advice so far is excellent. The real snag for a 20 year old graduate in London, is that you're up against the 20 year old graduates from the performing arts colleges/unis - who will have, as part of their course, loads and loads of experience. So I suggest you also try to put together something that shows what you've been in - because your experience is the only selling point you have at the moment. It's not clear if you have much experience at performing - were you in any amateur societies? Maybe at uni? Having an agent is only of use if yo8 have marketable skills, and an agent wants a 'complete person' - or they can't put them forward. It's a bit horrible, but have you done a skills audit? Look at your existing skills and knowledge and categorise how good they are. Pretty well nowadays it's common for people to be multi-skilled. As an example, part of what I do is what used to be called light entertainment - so it's comedy, dance, pantomime, children's entertainment and holiday entertainment. We only ever take on all-rounders nowadays - so even if we want somebody for 90% technical or stage management, there's a chance they may have to go on, so we get them to read, usually in an informal setting - just to get a guide as to if they can act. Depending on the show, we'll also expect them to be able to at least move, if not properly dance. Practically everyone we see can act, sing and dance - some can also play instruments and this makes them really useful. So your skills audit needs to look at:
Acting
Singing
Dancing
Stage Management
Technical
Musical (instrument)
and often these skills come in really handy
Makeup
Hair
Costume
Driving license

It's quite common now for people to be multi-skilled, especially when they come from the popular places - so having some ability in these areas, it doesn't need to be brilliance, just competence, sets you aside.

I can't talk about more serious drama or TV from my own experience, but in my area we'll have people who are 'officially' termed as acting ASM - who have proper parts, but they also rig the shows, do the get-ins and outs and can fix things on tour when they need it - often props and costumes. They also do the UV scenes dressed in black and wear the silly monster costumes - that kind of thing. They are just as good putting a set up as they are learning the script for a new scene, and are just really useful people to have on board.

If you are more serious, then again - Shakespeare can often need additional skills too! Last year a tour of stately homes saw many of these skills - there was music, some movement (not really dance) and of course acting - but it was very much hands on stuff.

Is this the kind of thing you'd like to do? If it is, and you don't have these skills - then getting them should be your first priority - the main reason being that you'll be just one person waiting for their break, and the more jobs you say no to - because you can't do them - really limits your career path.

I guess the real question is simply how good are you now? If the answer is excellent or exceptional, then grab the agent and work. If you have gaps, then it's more difficult because other people don't have them, so next step is to fill them. Let us know 'where you are' at the moment and maybe we can suggest a way forward - however it may not be more education - a performer's career isn't that long for many people, so another 2-3 years of study and debt might not fit?

My old students, despite all their protests, often became teachers rather than performers, and then did their performing in amateur organisations!
Self-employment status

Hi Paulears. That's right - it was 50% theory based and 50% practical.
Unfortunately, I haven't done amateur since I was at college, when I was in a couple of plays - I didn't know if that was worth putting on a resume or not? Since uni, I have just done numerous short plays as part of the course and got a part in a short film last year. I preferred the filmwork, I felt like it was more naturally suited to me as it was weirdly more introverted, and perhaps also as I have a huge passion for film (I work part time as a runner on shorts etc).
I guess I have done a skills audit, in my own time, although I didn't know what this was called! Whilst I do play instruments, have basic knowledge of dance and singing, my key skill is definitely acting. And I feel confident with acting. I love working with good characters. I think I can do a good job, although it feels strange writing that and I don't want to be presumptuous.
Honestly, I would not do drama school not in terms of 'developing as a performer' - although I know some skills learnt would be useful and don't want to undermine this at all - but I definitely would be taking that route mostly so I had more integrity as an aspiring actress.

Hope that answers your questions a little. Thank you for your interest/advice.

My best advice would be to produce a performing CV, so you could be, er, a little economical with ultra-accuracy - and use the college and amateur work to bolster it up. There's a bit of a catch 22 here because a decent agent isn't going to want to promote somebody with no experience of professional work, and you don't get access to many jobs without the experience!

I suspect that you'd actually have learned an awful lot at drama school because they tend to work in the industry way, when a drama course tends to do things quite differently. As a guide - I'd rapidly join an amateur organisation and get some experience of real scripts - because short plays are never quite the same as being given a thick script and little time to get off the book. It's these kinds of things that trip up unprepared newcomers. I personally hate the A Level type of drama where everything is little chunks - very useful for characterisation stuff, but lacking in the real pressure of time and structure. Amateur shows always want really good people and it is a great way to learn the interaction side of things. I'm perhaps reading into your reply things you maybe didn't mean, but I get the impression that much of your attention is on yourself - and what you're missing is working with others. It's fairly common on drama courses to only find a few who are good actors, the rest having interest elsewhere. 'Having a passion' is a phrase that on applications usually translates as "I'd really like to, but haven't managed it yet" so be wary of this one. If you are an actor, and not a singer or dancer - then you have to face it that it's going to severely limit the scope of what you can go for. The industry is generating each year far more entrants than there are jobs for, yet the ones I see constantly working do pretty well. They are able to go up for almost anything. Some can be the fairy in a panto, then go into Les Mis, then into WWRU, then on a TiE tour, then a period play, then a bit of TV - without this versatility they would be working in the call centre far more often.

I don't want to put you off - but if you want to make a living out of this industry - you need to up-skill in your weak areas. There are not many jobs out there really, and far too many people going for them. When you get established it's easier to specialise, but as a newcomer - putting bread in the table is no joke! If you want to work in the industry as a fill in for something else, it won't matter - but the reason drama schools are popular is that they teach people what the audience needs. Studying drama teaches you the theory of acting and how it is received - but it doesn't teach you to be a performer - that's not what it's for. Of course there are people with no skills whatsoever in acting who get a break and do it, learning as they go. The trouble is these kind of opportunities are in practice, very, very rare.

The people on the TV talents shows are proof of this. Only a very small number are still around a year later. In my own area, the local amateurs seem to be made up of ex-actors who now work in insurance or telesales, because they're pretty good, but can't make a living out of what they enjoy so much.

Please don't get put-off, but you need to find some kind of 'hook' - something that will make you a wanted commodity. I hope you find something. Paul

Great advice from everyone here!

Welcome to NAPM.

I'd like to add to your "to do" list the recommendation to visit some Fringe/Arts Festivals. You can volunteer for some and sometimes get your expenses covered. I know most about the Buxton Fringe, but of course there are lots of others. Here's a link to a blog post by Underground Venues - not sure whether they are still looking for volunteers, but worth asking them if you are interested - http://underthefringe.com/blog/

The reason I suggest this is because it would give you the opportunity to socialise and network with lots of people like you. People who are making their own "work" (though not all are making it pay, that's for sure) and many of them will not have been to drama school. Some of them will have been to drama school but still can't get any paid work and so are putting on shows at Fringe festivals for a variety of reasons.

It is important to recognise, as everyone has pointed out/alluded to, that the marketplace is hugely overcrowded. I think it's very hard for those outside the profession to grasp just how overcrowded it is. There are so very many people wanting acting jobs and sadly very few paid acting jobs to go round. If you are interested in getting paid screen work, you almost certainly do need an agent. Happy to give more thoughts on this if you think it would be useful.

I think you're doing the right things. Getting a good agent is not easy, but you can do quite a lot without an agent and the more you do, the more interested agencies will become. I recommend getting the Actors' Year Book.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Actors-Yearbook ... 1408145650
It has quite a lot of contacts in it (agents, theatres etc) but it also has lots of really useful articles about bits of the profession you may not be aware of and includes advice on approaching agents and casting directors etc. I think it's a very useful book for those starting out. You might also be interested in An Actors Guide to Getting Work (Simon Dunmore).

Hi Paulears. I think some of my wording is just me getting carried away, but what you're saying is true - and your emphasis on 'up-skill'ing. Thank you again
And I hope I find a hook too!

pg - we learnt a lot about 'making theatre' in some of our practicals in a way which would be suited to fringe, so that's really good advice. There's always next year if I am too late
Put those books in my 'amazon basket'. Thank you

You were asking about TFP modelling. Look on the modelling section of Starnow. When I said if you can pass fo younger... I meant on acting jobs there have been open castings on Screenterrier not that long ago looking for 20 year olds to play down.
Have also private messaged you about agent.

There are theatres in London just off the westend that offer young people very cheap but very high quality training that also allow you to to be in the right place sometimes for new production. I am thinking at the Lyric Hammersmith where you can join the theatre course for something like 30 pounds per term or the BAC, Battersea Art Centre.

thanks so much for all your replies everyone - taking all the advice on board and looking into things For example, looking at the lyric/bac courses at the moment begolina