CAREER IN ACTING

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Updated on Nov 9, 2009 05:53 IST

Acting or drama involves bringing to life a character in a story or a situation. An actor works under the guidance of a director. An actor may use stage, films, television or radio as his medium to reach out to the audience. Some people work only as dubbing artists thus using their citing skills through voice alone.

As with all art, the industry is not organized and career paths are therefore, unpredictable and competitive. With the boom in television, however, there are several avenues for aspiring acting to make a beginning.

The Prospects

Theatre: Theatre is the starting ground for most leading actors and actresses today. One could work freelance or with a theatre group. If you choose to work with a production house it will give you ample scope to travel and perform in front of different audiences and even travel abroad. It also builds reputation that can be leveraged to enter higher-paid options like television and film.

Television: The boom in this sector has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for aspiring actors and reduced the dependence on contacts and mentors to get a role. This is also the place where less successful actors from the big screen turn in lean times. Production houses like In-House Production, Adhikari Brothers, Plus Channel, Zee Television, Star T.V Network, Sony Television, etc. hire actors. Work is fluctuating and actors face peaks and troughs.

Films: The ultimate destination for most actors, this is a highly paying option for those who strike it big. Success rates from aspiring actor to star are, however, less than 10%. Most successful actors say that talent and dedication never goes unrecognized, but one has to take one’s chances. Of course, there is place for many actors and actresses who are not “stars” or “crowd pullers” but recognized as talented in playing important roles other than the lead role. Talent and networking are critical factors to success, though nothing can finally guarantee it.

Commercials / VJs: Many actors begin as models in commercials or as talk show / music show presenters and then enter films or television serials. Others are content to work in commercials or video shows. As in all the above options, an initial break comes through contacts and persistence, and then it is up to one’s talent and luck.

The Job

Appearing for screen tests and auditions
Understanding and interpreting the character to be played
Learning dialogue
Rehearsing for long hours both alone and with other crew
Taking lessons in new skills like fighting, dancing and riding as the script demands
Working with costume designers to decide on outfit
Maintaining one’s looks and general appearance
Performing before a live audience, often twice in the same day, for theatre people
Performing before film crew, often with many retakes

Personality Traits

Ability to enter a character’s shoes and perform as him or her
Ability to be uninhibited before unfamiliar audiences
Stamina for long rehearsals, shoots or performances
Clear speech and diction, voice control
Ability to make and honor long term time commitments - movies and television serials take a long time to shoot. Plays require regular rehearsals over many weeks.
Love for the art and dedication to build a career in a competitive industry

Career Progression

Acting is an increasingly competitive profession and it is always good to have some advantages under your belt e.g. training at a recognized drama school is one of the greatest advantages of all. It provides not only the discipline, practical skills and intellectual understanding necessary for a lasting career, but also opportunities to be seen by agents, casting directors, theatres and television companies, so vital to securing that all-important first job.

There are no clear cut rules in this profession and all depends on your talent and getting the right opportunity at the right time. One needs to be prepared for the fact that there are long and unsocial working hours, regular employment is unlikely and, for many, initially income may be limited and need to be supplemented by temporary periods of alternative employment. But acting is a profession in which the personal rewards are immense.

Salaries

Theatre pays either nothing or about Rs 1500 per show to beginners. Theatre is meant to be performed solely for the love of the art.
A beginner in television would earn between Rs 1,500-3,000 per episode. For a weekday serial, that amounts to about Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 per month. As the actor’s reputation rises, so does his or her pay cheque.
In the movies, a junior artist starts off with Rs 15,000. Once you get good recognition in the industry, of course, you could demand your price and the sky is the limit.

Study Routes

Class XII: There are no subject restrictions and this career can be perused with any subject in class XII

After Class XII: While a degree is not essential, a reputed course both hones one’s skills, improves one’s career graph. Most leading actors and actresses have received training in one of the country’s leading institute or belong to a family with a film or acting network. Aspiring actors who intend to put in serious effort into building a career would do well to take a course.
A graduate in any discipline is eligible for the following courses. Most courses require some experience such as “acting in at least 6 productions” for the National School of Drama, or a portfolio in costume or set designing for others.

The teaching schedule at any acting school includes –

The courses offered by drama schools are heavily based on practical work, afterall, their aim is to train students as professional actors and camera work. Students are required to be enthusiastic and motivated in order to meet the demands offered by the course. Typically at the end of the final year the students of most drama schools stage a performance to which agents and casting directors are invited, helping to build the future of graduates.

Admission Procedure and Application Deadline

Typically there will be an audition in a drama school as one of the selection procedures, but there are schools which take in students on the basis of enrollment to the college without any audition.

Places to study –
Best places include -

The National School of Drama, Bahawalpur House, Bhagwandas Road, New Delhi 110001 is the country’s leading institute. It offers courses in modern Indian, classical Indian and western drama, voice and speech, yoga, mime and movement, acting and improvisation, scenic designing, costume designing, stage lighting, make-up, theatre music and theatre architecture

Other include -

Sangeet Natak Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, Feroze Shah Road, New Delhi 110-001
National Center for the Performing Arts, Nariman Point, Mumbai, 400 021,
Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, Usmanpura, 380013, Ahmedabad, India

The following institutes are reputed for courses in direction, cinematography, scripting etc.
Film and Television Institute of India, Law College Road, Pune - 411 004
Institute of Film Technology, Government of Tamil Nadu, Adyar, Chennai, 600 020
Colleges Overseas
USA