ACTOR AS A CAREER | CAREER GUIDANCE SERIES | INSPIRING MINDS

 

If you’re someone who has good vocal projection along with ability to express emotionally as well as physically, you have an option to take it to a professional level.

You can be an ‘ACTOR’.

Surely you would need to practice the skill and get trained in it, but presence of above mentioned qualities can be a big asset for this profession. As these are some of important qualities of an actor.

Brief description of the profession: –

With ability to express emotionally as well as physically, main job of an actor is to project different roles and characters.

They have to bring the director’s vision into reality by portraying various roles on various different platform. They need to reflect the essence of the character to the audience, through their ability to express.

 

Skills required for the field:

• Vocal projection/ speech clarity: For clear and effective delivery of dialogues, one should have clear voice and correct delivery.
• Good memory: As an actor one needs to memorize a lot of lines and scripts for a particular role.
• Imagination & visualisation: One need to have clear visualisation of the scenario that needs to be portrayed, according to the script for making effective screenplay.
• Expression: Both emotional and physical expression is needed to bring out the essence of the character on screen.
• Voice-modulation: For effective delivery of the dialogues one needs to modulate their voice according to the scenario.
• Confidence: As one need to perform in front of camera and audience, self-confidence is must.
• Sense of rhythm: Many times, actor needs to dance and there are many songs in a movie or play, for which it is necessary.

 

Job scope:

Acting is a very vast field and highly competitive. One needs to strive to get a big break in this industry and personal networks work as an asset too. Though there is range of career option for actor and so many platforms available.

• Movies: Actors play various roles in movies.
• Television: Actors play various roles in different kinds of tv shows/ serials etc.
• Theatre: Actors play various roles on stage in front of live audience.
• Web: Internet has brought a great boom in the field of web series, and a lot of actors play various roles on different shows and series aired on internet.

 

How well does the job pay?

It can be very well-paying job and led to a very glamorous life, though no fixed salary can be predicted in this field. It depends on the amount and level of work that you get.  Also, it various according to the kind of role you’re playing. In general, a stage actor can earn up to 1k to 10k per show.

Television offers more pay, and as an actor in tv serials one can bag up to 2k to 20k initially or even 2 lakhs per episode or more once established.

Film is even bigger platform, and initially one might earn like 50k or 2lakh but as an established actor it very easy to earn 50 lakhs and even in crores. It all depends under which banner you’re playing the part and which part.

Even in web series it depends on role and level of production house.

 

Job environment:

Typically, the job of an actor involves shooting for long and odd hours, coping up with directors, producers and writers. Memorizing the scripts and fitting into new character for every role is basic job of an actor.

Initial days can be very struggling until you have contacts and find your break. But, once established and gained fan following your life can be very exciting with high earnings.

Though, as an actor one needs to have a thick skin and be okay with paparazzi, because once you get famous you tend to get a lot of hate comments along with appreciation too.

 

How do I get there?

IT IS ONLY THE SKILL THAT MATTERS IN THIS FIELD, THERE IS NO EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION NEEDED TO BE AN ACTOR.

Anyone can be an actor if they have the zeal and talent to make it through, though for training this is what you should do.

1. Complete 10+2 in any stream.
2. Pursue Bachelors in Mass communication/Any Discipline for 3 years.

OR

2. Pursue Diploma in Acting (Multiple Specialization) for 1-2 years.

OR

2.Pursue Graduation in Mass Media course.

3. Pursue specialisation in Acting course.

 

 

ENTERANCE EXAMINATIONS

NAME OF THE COLLEGE	ELEMENTS INCLUDED IN THE EXAM	MONTH (ROUGH ESTIMATE)
National school of drama	Aptitude and Acting Skills	March
Barry John Acting Studio	Admission on the basis of first come first basis	November session begins
Whisling Woods International	General Aptitude Test, Monologue, SOP- State of purpose	Selection Process- Dec, April, May, June (Entrance around Dec 14) – Tentative dates

 

 

TOP INSTITUTES IN INDIA

• National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi
• Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune
• Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi
• Barry John Acting Studio, Mumbai
• Whistling Woods International, Mumbai
• AAFT, Multiple location
• Delhi Film Institute, New Delhi
• Acting Institute, Mumbai
• National Institute of Film and Fine Arts, Mumbai and West Bengal
• Digital Academy The Film School, Mumbai
• Centre for Research in Art of Film and Television (CRAFT), New Delhi

*THERE ARE MANY THEATRE GROUPS WHICH ONE CAN JOIN FOR LEARNING ACTING. IN DELHI ‘MANDI HOUSE’ AREA IS FAMOUS FOR THEATRE GROUPS. GROPS LIKE ASMITA THEATRE GROUP ETC, ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR PERFORMANCES, ANYONE WHO HAS SOME TALENT CAN APPROACH THESE GROUPS AND BE A PART OF THEM.

 

PROS:

• Pays well once established.
• Get to travel a lot and play different roles.
• Gain a lot of fame and publicity.

CONS:

• Uncertain and unstable field.
• Work long and odd hours, can be very hectic.
• Have to deal with paparazzi and public attacks.

 

So, if you interest, calibre and personality match to requirements of this profession, you can learn more skills and plan ahead to go in this.

Apart from this, if you have any other career related query or some other interest area that you want us to take up, you can comment down below and let us know that. Also, you can contact us directly for psychometric tests and personalized counselling.