We’ve had a few letters recently from people of your age wanting to know how to get into the acting business. There is no hard and fast answer to this, but several routes you could follow which are:

1. Go to a Stage School – there are quite a few around, most of them London Based. The most well known of these are the Sylvia Young School, and Italia Conti, but there are several others with good reputations. Some of these take people on from the age of 11 through to 18, but of course would require a big financial commitment from your parent or guardian – and we’re talking thousands of pounds a year. If you can afford this, and are willing to commit, then go for it.
2. Go to Drama College – probably the best route, as you will do a two or three year course which will ground you in all aspects of acting – and singing and dancing too. Various colleges are known to be stronger in certain areas – Laine’s is known for good dancers, Mountview and Guildford for good all-rounders, RADA and Guildhall for strong actors, and the Royal Colleges of Music for strong singers (some of these now have music theatre courses). All will make sure you are competent in all 3 disciplines, but of course people will be stronger in certain areas than others, and it can be good to be excellent in one area whilst still being strong in the other two. You will also make contacts in the industry whilst at these colleges, and will have a head start when applying for jobs if you attended one of the more prestigious colleges. A lot of these courses also offer degree status these days – this doesn’t mean anything in the industry, but is useful in future if you need to get a ‘proper job’!
3. Do a University Drama Degree – of course virtually all universities offer some sort of performing arts course these days, but very few are really worth bothering with if you are serious in becoming an actor. Unfortunately, they do not really have any cache, unless you’ve attended Oxford or Cambridge. The truth is that most people who are serious about acting do not do these courses, and if you want to be the best, then you need to be working with the best.
4. Do an unrelated University Degree, followed by a Post-Graduate course at Drama College – this is the fail-safe route. Go and do something completely different for three years, which will back you up later in life. Then attend a one year postgraduate course which is basically a hugely intensive version of the two and three year courses. This is the way for people to go who may want to ‘hedge their bets’.
5. Just get out there and audition! – not a route I’d actually recommend, but especially if you’re younger, one which has been known to work. However, it has to be said, it only works if you’re actually hugely talented naturally, and will only work up to about the age of 18. After that, you’ve got hundreds of trained people coming out of some of the colleges and stage schools – all with connections and knowledge of the industry!

There are specialist agencies that represent younger people that you should get in touch with in the first place. Have a look at the Agents Listing on our website which has some of these agencies, but for a more comprehensive listing, get hold of the ‘Contacts’ Handbook. An agent will be able to advise you more on your talent, and what they think you should do. A couple of well known ones are Elisabeth Smith, and Allsorts. These are both based in London, so it might also be worth finding one in your area.

Do have a look at other answers to earlier questions on this page to give you an idea of what lies ahead, and remember that if you want to be a success in this business, it won’t just happen overnight. You have to work at your training in exactly the same way as you would if you wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer, because there are thousands of others who all want the same jobs that you do. You will probably be out of work more than you’re employed, to begin with at least, and there is no career path or financial security. But so long as you are 100% committed to what you are doing, then it can be the most rewarding job on earth.

Welcome to the roller-coaster…….

For you to really understand agents you need to know the business incredibly well, which is one of the elements of the often-repeated CAREER & CV FOCUS workshop, - to help you understand exactly where you stand, FULLY , as well as to learn when agents and casting directors are worth approaching.

Unless you have a good showreel, the most common way of finding agents is NOT asking them to come and see your work, but concentrating your time instead on actual ACTING. Anywhere!. Squeezing in yet another fringe production, working anywhere at all, but always aiming at shows which have large casts, - AND THEN APPROACHING THE AGENTS WHO WILL HAVE COME TO SEE THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THAT CAST. This keeps you concentrated on acting and not on writing pointless letters.

With audition pieces the advantage is that you can choose to study something that you are HAPPY doing. I don’t think it matters TOO much if the speech is sometimes used by others AS LONG AS IT PARTICULARLY SUITS YOU. As to the question of offering a director several speeches to choose from, that only impresses them for a moment; - what they really want to know is if you can do the chosen speech well! By all means have a few which you regularly practice, and, if you are totally confident of two, offer a director a choice, but you must be prepared that day, prepared to do that speech (or both),- READY TO ACT.

Phew, well the answer to this is going to get quite involved, so pin your ears back! Yes there is quite a difference between the various agencies both in the types, and in stature in their respective fields.

Casting agencies and talent agencies are broadly the same thing. With these, although they generally prefer you just to sign with one, there is nothing to stop you signing with several. This is especially the case if you want to work in different areas of the business.

You may choose to do some extra work to gain experience, in which case, there are many various agencies that you can approach. Many of these charge a registration fee, although, in my experience, the best do not, but this can vary from region to region. London agencies are more likely charge a registration fee, because the amount of people wanting to do extra work means that they can do this. It is always best to be wary of the motives of this type of agency though, especially if they charge a large fee, as registering does not guarantee work.

Casting and talent agencies generally work in the same way as extra agencies, in that they produce an annual book that they then send out to various casting directors [CD], in the hope that if the CD is looking for a specific type, they will flick through their brochure. Again you will be charged a (probably quite large) fee for registration with this type of agency. You will not be actively promoted, but will be just one of several hundred (or thousand even) within the book.

The best agent to get if you are serious about the profession, is a personal manager. With these, you enter into an exclusive contract with them, so they have sole representation. Although there are some top agents that represent celebrities and top theatre people, it us unlikely that they will take you on without a body of work already achieved, or unless you have been to one of the top drama schools.

However, the good news is that there are alot of very good agents that will represent your interests. For advice on actually getting an agent, see a response to an earlier question further up this page.

Any agent will want to have seen you in something before they take you on, and if they don’t, then they are not worth joining, because this is the person you are entrusting to promote you to casting directors. They need to have experience about what your professional strengths and weaknesses are so they can do their job effectively.

Rather than recommending specific agencies, here are some questions to ask somebody who is interested in representing you:

1. How may people do they represent? The less, the better, otherwise how will they remember your individual skills, and find time to promote you personally. An average for personal managers is 60 – 100. Don’t forget that the larger agencies may employ several people or more, so that figure can then be more like 50 per individual agent.

2. How many people do they have working at any one time? Again, at the very least you should reasonably expect more than 50%.

3. How long have they been established? If an agent has been around a while, then they must be doing something right. Conversely, there are some very good agencies that have started up recently, that will be hungrier as they need to establish their reputation. For them, you need to find out what their previous experience in the industry is.

4. What the agency sees as their strongest areas? Most will say all areas, but in truth, some are better at theatre, and others at TV, because of the contacts they have built up. And then there are specialist film agencies too.

5. Where the agent sees your career going? This is crucial obviously, as their vision for you must broadly be in line with what you want to do. However, with experienced agents, it is also worth listening to their thoughts, as they can have an objectivity about your career that you will not – we’d all like to think that we can do everything, given the chance.

Finally, the most important thing in choosing an agent is your instinct. How you get on with them, and if you feel you are on the same wavelength, means that they can more effectively get you the work you want to do.

For initial research, go to the agents section on our website, which lists several hundred agencies of different types, and gives you some basic statistics (how long established, how many they represent etc) to help you narrow down your choices. If you know people in the business, ask around and see who you hear good things about.

One more thing. Although your choice of agent is important, don’t forget that YOU are still responsible for your career. They are there to help you, but this does not mean that you can abdicate responsibility and wait for the parts to roll in. They can’t do the auditions for you, and equally, it is up to you to keep in touch with what is going on (reading The Stage, subscribing to our newsletter etc), so that you can suggest things that your agent may have missed – they are only human after all.

It’s only casting directors who think they are God..........

My acting skill is only basic and I've never done stage/theatre. Nonetheless, I do want to walk this path. Should I do part time acting work with 'acting houses'. Should I approach an agent with what I have and pray for the best? Should I also join Equity or Spotlight with my credentials? Do advise please!

Well, this is a hugely wide ranging question, and one that is difficult to give any absolute advice on. Alot depends on your circumstances, and what position you are in financially.

The ideal would be to begin by auditioning for post-grad courses, and seeing what reaction you get from these. There are a huge number to choose from, but the best are those that are in the Conference of Drama Schools (see our links page for links to this site and other recommended courses). Unfortunately, the expense of these may be beyond some people, although there are bursaries and loans that can be applied for to help offset the financial cost.

Whether you can do a full time course or not, it would be important in your position to start getting some acting experience in one form or another. This could be either joining a local amateur company, or a fringe or profit-share production (the standard of people in these especially is usually very high).

Another would be to attend one day workshops with a variety of different people, including actors, directors, and casting directors. Have a look at our events page for more information on this.

Joining Equity is always a good call, although this will not necessarily improve your chances of gaining work, but you should be able to get help and advice from them also. Spotlight at this stage would be irrelevant, as you need someone representing your interests before you do that.

As for being “very few orientals“, although there are less than other ethnicities, they are still very well represented within the industry (partly due to the succes of shows such as Miss Saigon, amongst others), and of course, there are not so many parts to go for. So that is really not helpful to your case.

It could also be worth applying to a few agents, and seeing what (if any) feedback you get from them. Have a look further up the page for more help with getting an agent.

Basically, the message would be to get as much experience as you can, and as much individual advice as possible from various sources, as to where you stand with your craft at this stage.

The other slight obstacle is, I have no passion for stage productions, I did like them as a kid, but the thought of doing them now really doesn't appeal, is it possible to break into acting doing only TV based stuff, such as getting walk on parts, and training myself up in workshops & so on, or do I need to bite the bullet and get myself into stage productions (I probably would enjoy it once I feel comfortable with it).

Wow, we’ve been getting some in-depth questions recently. Your question is interesting, because it covers several points that are common to people new to the industry.

First things first – there is NO easy way to the top in this industry. People are not born great actors – they may be born with talent, but the great actors are those that are prepared to work at honing their craft. As I write this, the England Rugby Union team have won the World Cup, with Jonny Wilkinson acknowledged as being the most influential player with his kicking. Now it’s well known that he practises his kicking anything up to 5 hours a day. Great actors are no different. They are prepared to spend hours doing what is required, and make the sacrifices that entails to be good at what they do.

This of course has many levels, but one of the fundamental rules of being an actor is not to expect any sort of security. Young actors especially can expect to have long periods between jobs, and no actor should expect to be able to support themselves (initially at least) from what they earn from professional jobs. Indeed, from our experience, most actors who stay in the business (apart from the ‘stars’ of course), are those that have a viable second job to fall back on. For most this is either temping, bar, or promotional work. The cliché of ‘the struggling actor’ is unfortunately all too true.

To anyone who is serious about going into the profession, I would say one thing. Go to one of the major drama schools. It’s as simple as that. It’s possible for people to succeed without a drama school training, but your chances of success improve dramatically by having a good solid training behind you. Not only do drama schools give you a good background, but they also provide you with contacts within the industry - all of the top drama schools regularly have casting directors, directors, agents and others as visiting speakers.

Also, being at a top drama school means the likelihood of getting a good agent is increased. Again, although getting a good agent is not the be all and end all, casting directors have told me that when they are looking at applications, the first two things they look at are firstly the agency they are represented by, and secondly where they trained. This might seem unfair to those who haven’t got either, but when a casting director receives thousands of applications for every job, it’s the quickest and most reliable way to whittle people down.

One more point about drama schools. It’s to do with simple maths. There are 21 colleges in the Conference of Drama Schools (see our links page). There are probably about another 30 dedicated drama colleges over and above those, with varying reputations. On average, each year, these colleges will turn out a minimum of 20 actors each. So that’s over 1,000 actors EACH YEAR, all having been trained, all with industry contacts. There just aren’t enough jobs for everybody. Quite frankly, getting into drama school is the easy bit. It’s what happens afterwards when it gets tricksy.

In answer to parts of your question, yes you could probably obtain walk-on work quite easily (see answer to previous question), although again, not necessarily on a regular basis. To be honest, this would not particularly advance your career any. Walk-on work is not some sort of inside track to improving your prospects. Indeed, the best extras are those that recognise it for what it is – a good way to earn money to supplement their other incomes, whatever they may be. You will NOT get anything other than this from it.

The thought that theatre acting doesn’t appeal is, quite frankly, a non-starter. To an aspiring actor, any job that pays money and doesn’t involve removing clothes is appealing. You cannot be that fussy, to begin with at least. To be brutally honest with you, any professional actor who sees your letter will smile broadly at what you’ve written – if not laugh out loud. This business is only glamorous when you’re working. When you’re not, then it can be a desperate struggle to survive, with your credit cards maxed, your overdraft at it’s limit, and the only thing keeping you going is the burning desire to get that next job.

Finally, to succeed in this business requires a mixture of talent, application, sacrifice, luck, and sheer bloody-mindedness, pretty much in equal measure. Unless you’re absolutely sure that you are prepared to stick at things through thick and thin, then it’s not worth turning up. Go to workshops. Do fringe theatre. Get as much experience as you possibly can. Get yourself into positions where you might be able to invite agents to come and see you perform. Then you will be on the way.

But this will take time and determination, and will probably involve giving up your full-time job. If you are prepared to do that, then we wish you all the luck in the world. If not, then join your local amateur society, and enjoy your acting that way, without the risks being a professional entails.

I'd like to know what is thought in the industry of the part-time and evening courses around, and whether it would be worth embarking on one of these, trying to go to open auditions, or saving up for a few years and going to drama school when I'm in my late twenties. Please help!

You are basically stuck in a similar trap to many of having chosen the university route, you now have absolutely no contacts or help with how to progress to the next stage. Again, one of the hidden bonuses of attending a drama school, is that they give you a head start in meeting people and making contacts within the industry, that you do not get from attending university (unless you were in the Cambridge Footlights).

However, based on the understanding that if you can afford it, then a one year post-grad course at a drama school would be by far the best option for you, there are some alternatives:

• Workshops – we feature a couple of clubs on our events pages, however both are London based. We will be trying to expand to include clubs from other areas of the country in the New Year.
• Join your local actors centre. There are three major ones in the UK (to my knowledge) based in London (of course), Manchester and Newcastle. See the links page for more info.
• Private tuition. Have a surf on the net, and go to some of our linked sites, and you will find lots of people offering private coaching sessions.
• Part-time and summer courses can give you an intensive version (although to be honest, in my experience, the one year post-grad courses are pretty intensive any way). Importantly, this can also gain you more contacts.
• Get out there and do it! The best way to find out if you’re good enough, is to go to a few open auditions. You may not get seen for the really top stuff (they are usually on an invitation basis), but you’ve got to start somewhere. If people start offering you jobs, then eventually you can work you way up the career ladder, as the more you do, the more you are likely to be seen by influential people.

All this advice comes with a rider. It all sounds lovely and easy on paper, but you must remember that there are lots of other people out there who all want the really good jobs as well, and a lot of them have probably been to drama school (see my answer to an earlier question). So you are already not on a level playing field. If you choose one of these methods, expect it to take you several YEARS to get to a point where you might want to be – unless you’re either extremely talented, or extremely lucky.

In the end, you have to decide what’s right for you. If I were in your situation, I would aim to get to as many classes and join as many professional clubs as possible. If you don’t live in London, then you must move, as quite frankly without any training, there just isn’t really the work in the provinces available to you, and all the regular classes and auditions are here anyway. Go to auditions regularly, and get private coaching sessions. Do all this, and if your career takes off, then fantastic. If not though, then keep one eye on the possibility of doing a one-year post-grad course at one of the top drama colleges as soon as you can feasibly afford it.

This up-front fees situation is most prevalent amongst extras agencies, which is usually dressed up as a ‘book’ fee. See my answer to an earlier question about agencies for more detail on this.

A good agent will not charge any up-front fee, but rather a commission on what you earn. This varies from agent to agent, and also depends on the type of work you get. For example, a long term theatre contract you can expect to pay 10-15% commission (+ VAT); a TV contract 15-20%; and a one off advert around 25%. This is much better for you, as of course the agent won’t earn anything from you unless they get you work.

Equally this sort of agent will be much more choosy about who they do take on, as they won’t want the hassle of lots of unemployed actors calling them up giving them grief about getting them an audition, if they don’t believe that actor will get work in the first place.

For more information on various scams that con artists posing as agencies pull, there’s a very interesting website (American based) that gives you a fair idea at www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/Delivered/modeling.htm. Also have a look at other questions on this page, as there’s quite a lot of relevant stuff here about approaching agents etc. And best of luck.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Obviously, I'd prefer not to spend too much money on copies/labels etc. but I don't know how much significance agents and casting directors place on the packaging. Do I need ultra-glam labels and cover art? Would a basic label with my name and contact info hurt my chances or would casting directors prefer less bells and whistles?

If you’re on a budget and you’ve got a half-decent camera (preferably SLR), or an enthusiastic photographer friend, there is no reason why you can’t replicate this in your own back garden – my latest professional publicity shots were in fact taken in the photographer’s back garden, but in previous times I have also done exactly that with a friend taking the pictures.

As for the problem of not bearing any likeness to the actual person – that’s for the individual actor to decide what’s in his best interests. I’ve known actors who have used publicity shots that were ten years old, age and gravity having since kicked in. The problem is in perception. I’ve occasionally been told in auditions that I look different to my headshot which was only taken a couple of months previously, and which I (and my agent) thought was a good likeness. Maybe that was just one of my off days……

Anyway, the bottom line is that a certain professionalism of shot is required, but it is possible to do this on a budget if required, so long as you have an obliging partner/friend. Now, where did I put that camera…….

Another big question, this one! None of the staff at Actors-Inc have had any direct involvement in running an entertainment agency, so we can’t give you any first hand advice I’m afraid. However, we can point you in the right direction.

Equity – have a helpdesk dedicated to agents, and you’ll probably be able to pick their brains – especially if you’re a member yourself. Go to www.equity.org.uk for contact details.

The Agents Association – this is set up as an organisation for Entertainment Agents in the UK. I spoke to a lady on the phone there, and she was very helpful. Have a look at their website www.agents-uk.com for more details.

DTI – you have to be registered with the Department of Trade & Industry as an agency if you want to get into this line of work, so you should definitely take a look at their web-site too, which is www.dti.gov.uk/er. If you click on the drop down box at the top of the page, and select Employment Agency Standards, that’s as good a starting point as any. You’ll also need to have a look at the Employment Agency Act 1973, and the Conduct of Employment Agencies & Business Regulations 2003 which both relate to your responsibilities as an agent as well.

As you can see, setting up as an agent isn’t quite as straight forward as you might first think. There have to be lots of checks in place, so you don’t rip-off poor unsuspecting actors by holding onto their pay etc. Unfortunately this still happens despite all of this, as many an actor can testify to.

One more thing, if you are serious about being an agent, then consider the possibility of working in an already established agency first, before striking out on your own. A good agent has lots of contacts, friendships, and general insider knowledge of the industry, which you cannot hope to have unless you’ve worked within the industry for a while within a different role, and got a decent list of contacts from that (eg if you’ve been in a lot of productions as an actor). There’s a lot more to being an agent than meets the eye, something that we actors do conveniently forget sometimes.

We wish you the best of luck!