15 Tips On How To Survive In The Acting Industry

Written by firassameer in Beginners Guide,Tips & Notes,Tutorials

The idea of acting or filmmaking may sound glamorous. However, many people overlook the difficulties that come with working in the acting industry. One can be a shining star in the industry at one time, and if you lose attention for even a minute, the results can be terrible for your career.

Many people may be forced to ask themselves, “is acting a successful career?” Survival in the acting industry requires passion, commitment, professionalism, and proactiveness.

If you’re wondering how to survive in the acting industry, look no further because this article will give you 15 tips to help you do just that.

Table of Contents

15 Tips on How Do I Survive in The Acting Industry

#1: Be Passionate

To be a great actor/actress, one must be extremely passionate about acting. This is the first and most important quality for success in the acting industry. The desire to succeed in whatever you do drives you forward even in the face of difficulty. Your passion for acting will improve you, propel you to new heights in your acting career, and keep you active and consistent in the industry.

#2: Trust Your Gut

You must believe in yourself in order to be a great actor and survive in the acting industry. One quality of every successful actor is self-confidence; you must believe that no role is too difficult for you to play.

Most of the roles may appear new or difficult at first, but with more hard work and confidence, you will be able to overcome that feeling.

#3: Have a Mentor

To be successful in the acting industry, especially for upcoming or younger actors, you should have a mentor or someone you look up to in the industry.

A mentor whose role and stature in the industry you admire are essential. This could be someone you have direct contact with or not, but it must be someone whose acting role is similar to yours, as this will give you even more motivation to work harder in order to be like that person.

#4: Listen To Those Who Were There Before You

As an actor, you should be aware that other actors have been in the industry much longer and have accumulated far more experience and accomplishments than you. If you want to succeed in this field, pay attention to their constructive criticism and advice.

Because no one has all the answers, you must be open to constructive criticism and focus on improving your weak areas. Most jobs in this industry require recommendations from superiors, and this will help you get those recommendations.

#5: Practice More Often

You may wonder, how do you stand out in the acting industry, consistency is the key to success. To be a successful actor and to stay in the acting business, you must be willing to practice more. Making a movie is all about displaying the script on the set.

No producer will want to work with actors who don’t practice their lines. Always practice learning the script. Practice, they say, makes perfect.

#6: Don’t Be Too Selective

This tip answers the question for those who say I want to become an actor where do I start? A career in acting depends on how many movie sets and roles an actor appears in. Actors need more roles to gain popularity in the industry.

So, actors shouldn’t pick and choose their movie roles. Some movies may seem low-paying, while others may be free roles, but it is better for actors to accept such roles to gain exposure in the industry. This also gives stable jobs for actors, who can become selective when they have attained a level of career height in the acting industry.

#7: Ask Questions

If something isn’t clear, always ask questions to clarify.

If something on the script doesn’t make sense, or if you think something should be changed, say your opinion and don’t just stay silent. This alone can make you more creative and stand out in your industry circles.

#8: Get Side Hustle

This tip actually answers many questions asked, such as; how do actors make money when not working, or How do actors survive financially? And so many others. No matter how successful or high up on the career ladder you are in the acting industry, there may be times when no roles or jobs are available.

As an actor, you must be able to survive both mentally and physically. You must be able to take care of your needs whether you get an acting job or not. Every actor is expected to get other side jobs or invest outside the acting industry. There are several side jobs for actors to engage in to make some extra money.

#9: Stay Healthy

Taking care of one’s physical health promotes mental health. While the acting is a time-consuming and challenging career, it is important to maintain good physical health in order to be able to perform well.

Exercise not only keeps you fit but also relieves stress and anxiety from work. You must also eat healthy foods to keep your body nourished and healthy. You should never be too busy to look after yourself.

#10: Self-Development

To be a successful actor, you must be willing to develop your acting skills. You must keep your skills sharp and be open to new industry developments. Actors must learn to dance, swim, sing, and play musical instruments. The more skills you develop, the more open you are to taking movie roles that require such skills on set.

#11: Learn From Your Mistakes

Nobody is immune to mistakes or perfect. To keep growing in the industry, every good and successful actor must always admit his mistakes and be willing to improve.

#12: Networking

Associating is essential. A good actor maintains good working relationships with all colleagues to increase job recommendations. This actually answers the question most people ask; how do actors support themselves? It is very necessary to network and interacts. Most movie roles are based on recommendations from friends and close associates.

10 Tips On How Do I Network An Acting Industry10 Tips On How Do I
Network An Acting Industry

#13: Attend Film Festival

Actors are often invited to film festivals. This could be a talent show or a festival. This festival is a great place for actors to meet and grow. Any actor who wants to stay in the acting business should take advantage of every opportunity presented at such festivals.

#14: Hire an Agent

It is not new that getting steady movie sets in the acting industry is difficult due to the competition. So, to survive and get more jobs, the actor needs an agent. Agents help you find work even when you aren’t there because they get 10% of every job they provide. This will keep actors employed and able to survive in the industry.

#15: Be Punctual

No producer or director will condone an actor who arrives late to filming. To succeed in the acting business, you must be punctual. Actors are expected to arrive at the movie set hours before the scheduled time to prepare and relax.

Is It Hard To Make A Living Off Of Acting?

Making a living as an actor is possible but difficult. Acting is not a profession that pays a regular wage, so you can’t predict how much money you’ll make monthly. Actors struggle to make a living when they are not constantly on set, but with steady movie roles, it is never difficult.

Is It Hard To Get Into The Acting Industry?

To start an acting career, one only needs natural talent and connections with industry professionals. In some ways, becoming an actor is not difficult. No prior training is required to join a local community or amateur theatre. However, establishing a successful career as an actor is difficult, and the majority of those who try might fail.

Conclusion

Even though talent will do so much for your acting career, knowing how to survive in the industry might just be what you need to maintain or take your career to the next level. Perseverance and bravery are what enable a large percentage of actors to survive in the industry because a lot of moments are more difficult for actors than they appear to the general public.

firassameer

Firas Sameer, a movie director with several video productions for cinemas, festivals, TV commercials.. etc with several international awards and recognitions for his work.

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