A lot of people are passionate about acting, some are just natural at it, there is no single recipe to being an actor. Most often, aspiring actors take different paths to becoming professional actors. In South Africa, breaking into the industry is very difficult, this is because there are not enough new productions taking place and the established productions tend to hire professional actors. This is a guide on how to start an acting career and become an actor in South Africa.
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1. Do drama at School
All talent needs to be nurtured, if you aspire to be an actor then you have to start at school. That’s if you are still in high school. A lot of South African schools tend to offer drama as part of the lessons, especially in Creative Arts. If your school has very little opportunities for you to practice your craft then you might look to going into a school that does or practice outside school.
2. Outside experience
If you can’t afford to change schools then you must seek getting experience outside school. I used to be part of the Youth team at the church and most often, we would be required to act on certain occasions. This is very different to getting actual acting lessons but it gives you a platform to practice and validate whether acting is what you really want or not.
You can also get outside experiences by joining local theatres and playhouses. If there is absolutely nothing you can partake in, in your location then you might want to invest in yourself and travel to other places.
3. Study the industry
It is advantageous to have knowledge about the acting industry as a whole, this will help you in understanding how things work and how to position yourself. Studying the industry will help you avoid a lot of beginner mistakes, learn more about the role of agencies, how auditions work. You should also read books about acting techniques and the talent of acting as a whole.
This will give you a significant advantage and will make you feel like you know what’s happening and a significant boost in confidence. The internet is an amazing place with ample loads of information but actual books on a subject far outweigh general blog posts. Reading will also increase your creativity and vocabulary and develop you as an actor.
4. Get educated
A diploma is not a prerequisite to acting, a lot of people are successful actors and they have no formal education. A diploma will not only give you an opportunity to learn more about the craft but will also give you valuable contacts. That’s one of the most beneficial things about a diploma/degree, you will get to meet people who have the same aspirations as you, these people will teach you a lot you and so will you.
Some of these people might have valuable contacts in the industry, this will give you a huge boost. It is much preferable than starting from scratch with not contacts, especially in South Africa.
5. Go to auditions
This is where the hustle begins, you will need to go to a lot of auditions, you might get rejected. In fact, you will likely get rejected on most of them when starting out, but that’s just how things work, going to a lot more auditions will increase your chances of finally landing a role.
6. Do not be choosy
When starting a career in acting in South Africa; you need to accept every chance you get to showcase your skills. Act in short films and films you may consider to be below your grade, you can act a short film and create a memorable character. All these will add up to boost your resume.
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