Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Nobody's Asian in the Movies

As much as I hate that she didn't use her power to take more creative control, she has a good point.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Ten Warning Signs About Your Acting Teacher

When you're looking for a new acting teacher, how do you know that they're the real thing? Can you tell a credible acting coach from a fraud or a high school English teacher with a passion for drama? Here are 10 warning signs that your potential tutor may not be all they're cracked up to be:

ONE: Credibility - If your teacher has no traceable history, the chances are they're not bona fide. So what would make the teacher credible? Formal qualifications would help of course, plus professional experience but most importantly that they trained at credible theatre institutions, in the UK that usually means an acting conservatory or drama school, and not usually a university.

TWO: Guarantees - A good teacher will never make you any guarantees about fame, fortune and your future. They may whole-heartedly believe in what they teach you, they be sure that their way works, but the moment they start making promises and guarantees, engage your common sense.

THREE: References - If asked, your potential acting teacher should be able to supply you with a dozen names of students that would be only too happy to provide a reference. Furthermore, a great teacher will be able to provide testimonials from people who actively work in the acting business. If they're the real deal, your acting teacher should be drowning in positive testimonials.

FOUR: Impractical - If you sign up for a couple of classes and you have a strange sensation that what you're being asked to do is ridiculous, perhaps it is. Ask your acting coach to explain. If they give a good explanation, give it another month. If they don't, scram.

FIVE: Google Test - Use Google to search for the teacher and read the results. You'll be able to find out about your acting tutor instantly.

SIX: Online Coaching - Believe it or not, some performance teachers are offering online classes. Actor training requires a connection between teacher and student, and I don't mean a broadband connection.

SEVEN: Big Money - If you're signing up to a class, you should expect to pay upfront by cheque, PayPal or some other payment method. However, if your common sense tells you it's a huge fee for what you're getting, maybe reconsider.

EIGHT: Mail Bomb - You sign up to their website newsletter and receive a never-ending campaign of emails designed to move you to sign up to one of their very expensive courses. A few emails is one thing, a systematic mail campaign is another. If they're liberal with the word 'FREE' start using the delete button liberally!

NINE: Off the Topic - Once you sign up for a class, you notice that the class is a discussion rather than a practical class. Obviously, there should be some discussion of relevant matters, but the bad acting teacher will be happy to talk about anything rather than teach you.

TEN: Living Room Studio - Many private teachers use their home, but if they seem to teach all of their acting classes from their crusty, untidy living room. You may want to get out of there!

Mark Westbrook offers private acting classes in Glasgow, Scotland and across the UK and Europe.

Mark Westbrook is an Acting Coach based in Scotland

Monday, January 5, 2009

Every year thousands of hopefuls move to Los Angeles with stars in their eyes, hoping for a shot at the ‘big time.’

And, to a man (or woman) they usually don’t have the foggiest idea of what it means to be an actor. Most will quit acting or move on to something else within the first year or so. However, many will keep plugging away, spending their time, money and effort chasing after their ‘dream’ of becoming an actor.

And, most of them won’t make it either.

That is the reality of acting in Hollywood. Make no mistake when you embark on this journey that you are entering the toughest business on the planet. Seriously. But, in that lies the beauty of it, because the rewards of success in this industry are incredible and they go far beyond the fame and fortune, I assure you.

Acting as a profession is not for the faint of heart, it’s going to take work and lots of it. Make no mistake here, if you are serious about acting, you are going to do that work no matter what…there is no way around it. But, at least work in the right direction with the right information at your disposal.

Like I said, this is the toughest industry on the planet, and the rewards are commensurate for success, but that success doesn’t just happen. There is no shortage of people that book acting work in this town…but there is a huge shortage of people that know how to continue booking it. The difference is in the practical experience that comes from working knowledge and that experience and knowledge takes years to come by.

If you truly want to make acting a career, you will have to learn a lot more than you might think. Acting classes are just the beginning. You then must learn the marketing skills, the navigation of the industry and THEN you actually need to learn how to do the job. Make no mistake; there is a VERY big difference between knowing how to act EMOTIONALLY and how to perform the JOB of a professional actor. That's where most of the books and classes are going to leave you high and dry. The problem is that you need to BE experienced to GET experience, and without it you won't keep working, I promise you! The question is, are you willing to spend the next ten years to get it, because that's most likely what it will take.

If you would like to learn more about the realities of working as an actor in the entertainment industry, please feel free to drop by my website at http://www.actorsconcentration.com

You may also see my blog at http://www.actorsconcentration.blogspot.com

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