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Becoming the best you, you can be!

Character building and what makes a truly great actor-

Acting technique is paramount to anyone wanting to be a serious actor. It’s quite easy to imitate a character or even an emotion, but where’s the depth in that? How can you sustain or repeat again what you might have found intuitively? Do you even know what you did or how you did it?

The goal of a trained actor is to become a fully realised three-dimensional character, with a rich backstory. I must believe the character you play is truthful and not a cliche, a caricature, a thin external representation of someone who barely resembles a human being. I must believe what you say is real and that you’re not reciting, spouting or commenting.

Great acting, like great writing, is often in the eye of the beholder, but audiences almost always know when they are in the presence of something special. Talent may be enough to get by on screen and TV, but with a few notable exceptions such as Kelly Reilly, the untrained actor often fares badly on stage. The performances that most often thrill us are those where instinct and technique are both in perfect balance but also opposition, and flamboyance and inner life collide head on, transforming feeling into thought and words.

Dealing with rejection- vital for actors to know!

Actors are such sensitive creatures. You take every rejection personally. When an audition or meeting doesn’t go well, you respond like the apocalypse is knocking on your door. It must be an exhausting way to live.

Remember back in high school when every heartbreak felt like the end of the world? Part of growing up is learning that wounds heal and life goes on.

Learn to accept rejection. An acting career is a strange thing. You spend more time looking for work than actually doing it. By that standard, you’re going to be dealing with a lot of disappointment in your life. Auditions will not always lead to bookings. Agents and managers will pass on you. Critics will attack your work. That’s just the way it is. So learn to accept rejection as a way of life, and keep moving forward.

Don’t ignore your feelings. When someone rejects you, it’s natural to feel bad. You can’t just shrug your shoulders and groove on down the road to your next disappointment. That’s how spree killers are born. So feel free to wallow in misery for a little while. Knock back a few drinks. Shake your fist at the sky. Do whatever it takes. But then you have to move on. Nothing is gained by dwelling on the negative. 

Most rejections aren’t about you. If a casting director doesn’t give you a callback, she might be rejecting a choice you made in the room. Or maybe you’re too young for the part. Or too old. It could be anything, but I’ll tell you what it’s not. It’s not you. The casting director doesn’t think you’re a despicable human being who shouldn’t be allowed to grace her precious set. She’s just making a choice. And the same is true for guys like me. Agents pass on actors for all kinds of reasons. The quality of your soul is rarely one of them. 

Keep acting! The best way to get past rejection is to focus on the part of your career you like the best, which is acting. So put up a scene in class that allows you to shine. Strut your stuff. Remind yourself that the art of acting and the business of acting are two separate monsters that don’t always hold hands as they skip through the park.

 

Start your acting career today with Perth Film School

Classes and courses available for all ages and levels, every day!

For more information contact us at www.perthfilmschool.con.au

contact@perthfilmschool.com or call us on +1300 588 798

Don’t dwell on your dreams, anything is possible, if actors have gotten to where you want to be, then why can’t you?