How training helps you become a more successful actor
5 ways in which training really does help you to become a better and more successful actor.
You may well ask why you should train to be an actor when you often see young hopefuls being pulled from obscurity to end up being leading roles in big budget Hollywood blockbusters and getting a place in a recognised drama school is about as easy as finding the Higgs Boson!
Here are 5 ways training helps you be a more successful actor and land that dream role:
-
Breaking Bad Habits
Over the years you have been performing you will have picked up habits that will get in the way of your performance. It could be vocal, it could be where you hold tension, it could even be how you perform. When you train these habits are discovered and then removed. This makes it easier for you to develop your skills and make you a better performer.
-
A Tool Kit
At most recognised drama schools you are taught a systematical approach to creating character. This helps you become a consistent performer. It is also key when your inspiration deserts you and you find it hard to get to the truth of a character. This ‘tool kit’ will consist of exercises that help you understand a text, develop the inner life of a character and also a character’s physicality and is essential if you want to be a truthful and successful performer.
-
Extra Skills to make you more employable
Over your 2 or 3 years at drama school you will also develop a great number of skills that you wouldn’t necessarily have available to you else where. 1:1 vocal and singing coaching, movement and dance, stage fighting, physical theatre, the list goes on. All of these skills make you more employable, and remember THAT’S the point of any training!
-
Opportunity to perform in front of agents & casting directors
At the end of your training you will put on a number of public performances which you can invite Agents and Casting Directors to. You will also have a showcase specifically for industry professionals to attend. This is your opportunity to gain representation and network for future employment.
-
Directors will see you have pedigree
Once you have graduated and you are trying to get auditions through your agent or by yourself, where you trained can become incredibly important. Casting Directors and Directors need assurances that you have the stamina and skills to perform 8 shows a week 52 weeks a year and if they see that you have trained this will give them an idea of your abilities. Sometimes all it takes is the name of your drama school to get you an audition, and once you are in front of them, it’s all down to you!
That’s why training is a good thing to do. The Dorset School of Acting offers a 1yr foundation course in Acting & Musical Theatre and part time courses for adults.
