There is no one perfect way to becoming an actor or actress other than maybe having a good work ethic and the determination to see things through and put in your best effort and thensome. However, it does help to train to become an actor or actress. There are no formal educational requirements for actors, but training is a good place to start. If you are a student in Adelaide, consider getting a Bachelors of Fine Arts or Master of Fine Arts in theatre or attending summer programs; otherwise, local acting classes and schools can be the best choice for most people.
Getting off on the right foot in this career is having your headshot, acting resume and demo reel ready to go in Adelaide. Your agent that you decide to work with will take them and put them into the agency's database; so you can be viewed by casting directors and production managers. They can then have the opportunity to set up an audition with you if they decide that you may be a good fit for the roles they are casting for. Of course having these things already will be good even if you are not working with an agent at first as the casting director will require you to submit these materials before they consider you for any roles being cast in Adelaide.
One really important thing to be doing as you get started is to make sure you are submitting yourself or having your agent submit you for auditions and casting calls in Adelaide. A lot of the time as you are getting started you will find out about auditions and casting calls through the agent you are working with or by word of mouth there in Adelaide. Going to auditions and casting calls will help you gain great experience and help improve your chances of landing roles. As time goes on and you have gone to more auditions and have landed some roles you will also get better footage to add to your reel and also have better parts that can be listed on your resume.
Of course one of the easier methods you could use before even doing anything else we have discussed is to get yourself a good agent or even if you have already landed a couple of roles, the experience that you have built up in Adelaide will help you impress an acting agent and get representation. With an agent in your corner, this will help you have access to bigger projects and meatier roles.
It is also important that you are prepared for the reality of this business in Adelaide. As an actor, there is no guarantee that success in the traditional sense will come your way. Sure, making it big is about talent–but it is also about having good luck and the right connections. That is why it is vital to make sure you are in show business for the right reasons. Often actors are mainly focused on questions like, “How do I get representation?” or “How do I get work?” but perhaps the first question to ask oneself, if one is just beginning, is “Why do I want to act?” If it is about the work and the process, terrific; if it is about becoming famous, that is a far more elusive goal and one which will lead to disappointment, most likely.
You will need patience and perspective if you are going to make it as an actor. Never, ever look at the prize, that is something that you can not control. What you can control is the work ethic and treating the material with respect. Expect to put in years of hard work before you see the real, tangible results. Rejection is a constant and yes that goes even for more established actors. So make sure you are ready to handle a long string of “nos” before finally landing that amazing gig in Adelaide.
