NotaPushyMum.Com

This has been discussed a few times on this site but I thought it might be worth bringing up again.

This is mainly for adult actors, though I think there are things to consider for child actors too:

If you are going to offer your acting/modelling services for nothing, make sure you do it for the right reasons and think carefully about what you are going to get out of it - especially if you aspire to work professionally.

If you are an adult actor, I would say the answer is you are going to get very little out of it as a general rule - quite apart from the fact that I think unpaid work is very bad for industry (it's a whole new debate which I won't start here ). Genuine artistic collaborations are one thing, genuine profit-share has a place - most other stuff? Either it's done by enthusiastic, well-meaning, decent people where you might have quite a nice time but nobody notices the work and it doesn't lead anywhere (very common and isn't really very different from amateur work) OR you are being exploited and the people exploiting you may engage you again for nothing, or move on to someone else who will work for nothing or (this is the important bit) move on to pay someone else in the future who will be more useful to them when they get some money.

Paid work isn't always brilliant, doesn't always lead somewhere else - though in my experience it is FAR more likely to lead to more paid work than any unpaid work you do - but paid work is PAID. It therefore improves your bank balance and is a professional credit which CDs recognise and know that you are capable of being employed for money. This kind of credit generally matters a lot more than the unpaid kind. CDs aren't daft and can tell the difference. There isn't normally much of a downside - except for commercial work that's paid way under industry rates (this is where you need a decent agent).

If you are working for nothing to get showreel material you may need to accept that the material won't be that great or that you will never get it.

However - you will probably not believe me and will have to find this out for yourself! I have done unpaid work at the start of my career - I'm only saying this with the benefit of hindsight.

If you are still a child, then I accept that the experiences,needs, demands are different but I would still urge some caution so that no-one takes advantage of you.

If you do decide to take unpaid work -- make sure you are in the driving seat of terms and conditions.

I think the most worthwhile unpaid jobs are likely to be those where you are not promised the earth. Where the hype is minimal. Where the company is honest and enthusiastic and appreciates you putting in your time to help them create their vision. Where you have excellent communication with the company, agreements in writing, a timescale for seeing the finished product/footage (if it's screen work) and where the emphasis is on the organisation of the shoot not on the lure of the red carpet. Where the agreement about expenses is clear from the beginning. Where they are enthusiastic but realistic about their project and are able to display their industry knowledge about the likelihood of further success and exposure.

A lot of the time actors say that they do paid work in the hope that they will be remembered by the director in the future when paid work comes along. This happens a lot less than one might hope or expect. This is because a) if the director hasn't got the money together for this they may have problems getting the money together for anything and b)if the director does get money in the future they are not necessarily going to be spending it on you - even if they want to.

When money is available then suddenly the pool of actors becomes much, much larger. People take fewer risks and in any case will want the very best talent they can afford. Even if the director wants to be loyal and remember you/repay the favour, he/she may not be in a position to do so.

Here endeth another granny lecture

How do you get yourself into the acting industry? To get an audition you normally need a showreel, if you don't have a showreel you need to get e.g. a acting oppurtunity. To get most acting oppurtunities you need an agent and to get an agent you need to have some past experience.. or something you can show them? So how then do you get into this circle... because it seems as if there is no entrance. Please help.... thanks

I think the answer is: it's tough.

In my opinion the best way in is via training on an accredited course - but of course that's not the only way. Getting a showreel together is difficult - but there is now a greater tendency for actors to graduate from acting courses with a showreel, which is a good start. Otherwise you just need to keep applying for the work you are eligible for - maybe T.I.E or writing to corporate video makers etc. Theatre companies (and certainly T.I. E companies) will consider unrepresented actors and so will commercial casting directors. TV and film is more difficult without an agent - but not impossible.

Agents will want to see you in something, it's true. If you are not spotted by an agent at drama school then it is certainly tough to make your mark afterwards though plenty of people do it. I think genuine profit-share (theatre) collaborations are the best bet - though they are hard work and not usually very financially rewarding (and agents don't always go and see them). At least you know you are all in the same boat and working towards the same goal.

I agree that a really great showreel is a worthwhile aim too - and you may have to work unpaid to get this. Interestingly, there are moves afoot to urge the Film Schools to honour the Equity agreements for student films and to provide some payment - it would be really great if this worked. The trouble is, the unpaid work very often doesn't produce really great showreel material - that's the hard truth. The best showreels are from real, paid, recognisable jobs. There isn't an easy answer. It's a vastly overcrowded market and getting work is really hard.

Most actors I know don't earn their living entirely from acting (I know a few who do, but most still have occasional stints pulling pints or temping). Many actors I know also do a lot more work which is not screen based - I think there can be a tendency to forget all the other money-earning (and credit earning) jobs available to actors. In the greater scheme of things there is a lot more paid work for actors that is not on a TV or cinema screen. If you can get a CV together with some decent paid credits, this is likely to interest an agent - if they see that you can earn money, then you have proved that you can be a useful actor to have on their books! If you can interest an agent sufficiently to say "let me know when you are in something I can come and see" then you may want to look at a showcase or a profit-share production and invite that agent (and casting directors).

Casting Directors are very important in this equation and they do go to the theatre a lot - or they send assistants who report back to them. If a CD spots someone interesting they will make a note, look to see who represents them, and call them in for suitable projects.

Thank you so much PG for this totally honest insight into the industry. At the end of the day, an individual has to do what they feel is right for them, but individuals would do well to heed your advice, especially as you say, you have been there and done it! Thank you!

Just to say my DD is graduating this year and has done a show reel and voice reel in her course

do you think people who get agents when they are children are more likely to still be able to either be represented by the same agent or another agent when they reach adulthood?

It's probably an "it depends" type answer! If the child has had success/high profile jobs and has continued to work as a teenager/young adult, then the agent might well want to hang on to them in the hope that this would continue into adulthood. Some agents specialise as children's agents though and might not keep them on as adults (and it might not be the correct representation for them as adults).

I think the question of them moving on to another agent if they have already had representation as a child also has an "it depends" type answer! A good agent will only take someone on if they believe they have a decent chance of getting work (and thereby earning money - commission - for the agent). Someone who has had lots of commercials as a "cheeky chappie" as an 8 year old but little experience of drama on screen or stage after that may not look as appealing as an adult. If the child has had a lot of high profile acting jobs and has continued with these as a teenager then I would guess an agent would be interested - not least because the actor would bring with them a lot of contacts which could be useful for the agency as a whole.

The competition for agency representation as an adult is very different though. For young women in particular it is pretty fierce. I do know lots of people who have struggled to get representation - even with good drama school training behind them - and even with a few professional (though not high profile) credits before drama school.

Also (and I know this has been said a few times - and most people do understand it) if you do manage to secure agency representation this really doesn't mean that opportunities to earn money come flooding in. If you concentrate all your efforts on getting an agent, believing that this will mean you will get seen for film and TV, I'm afraid you are very likely to be disappointed. Work is scarce. Work in TV and film is especially scarce. Work in TV and film if you are not already known to a Casting Director is like hen's teeth. I think that chasing the contacts for work (paid work) should be the focus (and this continues once you've got an agent too). This usually means research and networking and letter writing and theatre going and keeping in touch and keeping your skills honed. These things then eventually pay off and you get a job. Then after that job (which might last a few hours or several months) you have to start the research and networking and letter writing all over again, but this time you will have more contacts to stay in touch with.

There are no quick fixes. Occasional lucky breaks occur, but for most actors this lucky break happens after (and because of) doing all of the above for a while - for some it's sooner and for some it's later. Where some kind of lucky break happens out of the blue for a newcomer they are quite likely to find that they are back at square one after that job has finished - well perhaps not back at square one, but back having to make contacts, do the research etc etc.

This is the problem with acting as a career. It's a series of jobs - some of them lasting only a day - and you have to keep the job hunt going!

pg wrote: There are no quick fixes. Occasional lucky breaks occur, but for most actors this lucky break happens after (and because of) doing all of the above for a while - for some it's sooner and for some it's later. ... This is the problem with acting as a career. It's a series of jobs - some of them lasting only a day - and you have to keep the job hunt going!

You are soooo right - I know many people who have worked their socks off for many many years before getting their 'overnight success'. And not just in performing arts. I dont recall who said it but isn't there a quote that says 'the harder I work the luckier I get'?

At least our kids are developing a work ethic and huge tenacity at a relatively early age.

Deb x