Futures
I started this course with a few acting skills from doing GCSE drama so I wasn't very worried about what was to come, instead I was very excited about this course as I knew it was mostly practical work. This appealed to me because I knew I was stronger in the acting aspect of drama than the writing aspect.
One of the first skills I learnt during this course was continuing to act even when I don't have lines (through movement, gesture and facial expressions) and how much that improves my performance. I also learnt how vital it is to warm up before a performance, physically and vocally; before I would often skip warm ups before performances.
Furthermore, I've come to learn skills that I would need to work in the industry:
Good communication - I need to be able to work with others.
Leadership - there will be times I'll need to take the reigns.
Resilience - I need to not let rejection hold me back or impact me negatively.
Perseverance - I need to keep trying no matter what happens.
Research - I should look into whatever piece I'm involved in (context etc).
Flexibility - It's important that I'm adaptable.
Vulnerability - I shouldn't be afraid to be open (e.g using emotional memory).
In our last session we received positive feedback on our performance from the beginning of the course in September, up until now. This is the feedback I received:
- "Your confidence has grown since the beginning"
- "You're very determined."
- "You have a steeliness about you"
- "You're very good at connecting with your character."
- "You work well in a team."
- "Good spatial awareness."
I too have noticed all these things about myself throughout the course and I'm glad it showed through my rehearsals and performances. In terms of constructive criticism, I'm often told that I need to work on my vocal projection as my acting can be 'televisual'.
Where do I want to go?
I plan to complete the second year of this acting course, but I'm still unsure as to what I want to do after the two years at this college. For a while I’ve deliberated on whether I want to go to drama school or university, thankfully, alongside the independent research I’ve done, we had a class discussion on the pros and cons of going to drama school, university or a different path.
Pros:
- Chance to work with and perform in front of industry professionals, which increases likelihood of being ‘discovered’.
- Learn vital skills and techniques that would be useful in the acting industry.
- Get the chance to meet other actors, learn from them, and find out about opportunities from them.
- Agents and casting directors value drama school qualifications.
Cons:
- Drama school is expensive.
- May have to pay for audition and not even get a place.
- Little to no free time so no time for acting opportunities outside of the school.
- Very difficult to get accepted.
- No preparation for the business/marketing side of acting.
Pros:
- A more flexible schedule, time for acting jobs/opportunities outside of the university.
- A good introduction into the world of acting.
- Easier to accepted.
- You get a chance to experience real student life.
Cons:
- The degrees are not worth very much in the acting industry.
- Little chance to connect with industry professionals.
- No preparation for the business/marketing side of acting.
- Same price as training in drama school but training is not as good.
One of the first skills I learnt during this course was continuing to act even when I don't have lines (through movement, gesture and facial expressions) and how much that improves my performance. I also learnt how vital it is to warm up before a performance, physically and vocally; before I would often skip warm ups before performances.
Furthermore, I've come to learn skills that I would need to work in the industry:
Good communication - I need to be able to work with others.
Leadership - there will be times I'll need to take the reigns.
Resilience - I need to not let rejection hold me back or impact me negatively.
Perseverance - I need to keep trying no matter what happens.
Research - I should look into whatever piece I'm involved in (context etc).
Flexibility - It's important that I'm adaptable.
Vulnerability - I shouldn't be afraid to be open (e.g using emotional memory).
In our last session we received positive feedback on our performance from the beginning of the course in September, up until now. This is the feedback I received:
- "Your confidence has grown since the beginning"
- "You're very determined."
- "You have a steeliness about you"
- "You're very good at connecting with your character."
- "You work well in a team."
- "Good spatial awareness."
I too have noticed all these things about myself throughout the course and I'm glad it showed through my rehearsals and performances. In terms of constructive criticism, I'm often told that I need to work on my vocal projection as my acting can be 'televisual'.
Where do I want to go?
I plan to complete the second year of this acting course, but I'm still unsure as to what I want to do after the two years at this college. For a while I’ve deliberated on whether I want to go to drama school or university, thankfully, alongside the independent research I’ve done, we had a class discussion on the pros and cons of going to drama school, university or a different path.
Drama school
- Chance to work with and perform in front of industry professionals, which increases likelihood of being ‘discovered’.
- Learn vital skills and techniques that would be useful in the acting industry.
- Get the chance to meet other actors, learn from them, and find out about opportunities from them.
- Agents and casting directors value drama school qualifications.
Cons:
- Drama school is expensive.
- May have to pay for audition and not even get a place.
- Little to no free time so no time for acting opportunities outside of the school.
- Very difficult to get accepted.
- No preparation for the business/marketing side of acting.
University
Pros:
- A more flexible schedule, time for acting jobs/opportunities outside of the university.
- A good introduction into the world of acting.
- Easier to accepted.
- You get a chance to experience real student life.
Cons:
- The degrees are not worth very much in the acting industry.
- Little chance to connect with industry professionals.
- No preparation for the business/marketing side of acting.
- Same price as training in drama school but training is not as good.
Looking at the pros and cons of each, I'm not inclined more to either university or drama school. They both have cons that I think will inhibit my growth as an actor and in the class discussion, we talked about other paths besides those two.
Other paths
Another path I could take is to leave education and find work (acting jobs) or try to get an agent, though neither will guarantee that I get work. As of right now, I think the best option for me would be to take a gap year, and spend that year auditioning for as much work as possible, attending workshops, just building up my experience and further developing my skills. To prepare for this, I'm going to get head-shots taken and spend this summer applying for as many acting jobs as possible. I know drama school is a great opportunity but I think this it's important to do what I think will be best for my growth as an actor, and not just follow 'the norm', especially if I'm not particularly interested in it, because I will do better if I'm doing what I think is right.
Feedback
My teacher, Rob, mentioned that honest and brutal feedback is not to chastise you but to help you. This is also something I believe you need to understand before you go out into the world of acting because you will receive criticism in the industry, you mustn't let it embarrass you.
Rob also mentioned that "you have to go out and grab it by horns", you can't just sit at home and wait for opportunities to come to you, be proactive.
This is the feedback I received after I auditioned for my second year of the course:
General:
Drama schools look at who's trainable so you can't be late/have low attendance or else they will believe you're not taking your work seriously.
Try to keep heads and eyes up, even when your character is upset or stressed.
Keep clothing black and plain as possible, no Nike ticks, writing etc, on your clothing, it distracts from your acting.
We need to be able to give yourself to someone else's performance and pay full attention, no using your phone or talking while someone is performing. Even though you're not the one being assessed at that moment, you not paying attention can still be noticed and show that you're unable to keep focus.
Have the confidence and belief in your abilities, don't sell yourself short by, for example, using an easy monologue in your auditions.
Do not cut corners, do your homework and research. If you have been given a mark scheme, look through it properly and make sure you're meeting the criteria.
Do not put on an accent in your auditions, takes focus away from your acting, how well you are doing the accent becomes the focus point.
Make sure your monologue is appropriate, if you're told your monologue has to be a certain type of monologue or has to be from a certain time period, always be sure that it fits the requirements; if you're really unsure, call the drama school and ask.
Personal:
I took the thoughts and feelings of the piece into my body very well.
I used the thought process behind the lines very well.
The monologue was too short.
I should play with the piece more, put different emotions into it.
Feedback
My teacher, Rob, mentioned that honest and brutal feedback is not to chastise you but to help you. This is also something I believe you need to understand before you go out into the world of acting because you will receive criticism in the industry, you mustn't let it embarrass you.
Rob also mentioned that "you have to go out and grab it by horns", you can't just sit at home and wait for opportunities to come to you, be proactive.
This is the feedback I received after I auditioned for my second year of the course:
General:
Drama schools look at who's trainable so you can't be late/have low attendance or else they will believe you're not taking your work seriously.
Try to keep heads and eyes up, even when your character is upset or stressed.
Keep clothing black and plain as possible, no Nike ticks, writing etc, on your clothing, it distracts from your acting.
We need to be able to give yourself to someone else's performance and pay full attention, no using your phone or talking while someone is performing. Even though you're not the one being assessed at that moment, you not paying attention can still be noticed and show that you're unable to keep focus.
Have the confidence and belief in your abilities, don't sell yourself short by, for example, using an easy monologue in your auditions.
Do not cut corners, do your homework and research. If you have been given a mark scheme, look through it properly and make sure you're meeting the criteria.
Do not put on an accent in your auditions, takes focus away from your acting, how well you are doing the accent becomes the focus point.
Make sure your monologue is appropriate, if you're told your monologue has to be a certain type of monologue or has to be from a certain time period, always be sure that it fits the requirements; if you're really unsure, call the drama school and ask.
Personal:
I took the thoughts and feelings of the piece into my body very well.
I used the thought process behind the lines very well.
The monologue was too short.
I should play with the piece more, put different emotions into it.
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