HowToDoThings.com Drama & Movies

How To Become an Actress

Ashtyn198 — Mon, 08 May 2006 12:18:00 -0500

Acting is one of the hardest professions to break into. In fact, the vast majority of actors in the world spend more time unemployed than they do working. However, if you feel you have what it takes to have a successful career as an actress, and you have the means to support yourself while pursuing your dreams, then you should take the plunge. You never know when or where you could be discovered.

Competition, especially amongst actresses, is extremely stiff. The road of an actress is a hard one. It requires patience, dedication, the drive to succeed, and talent. If you do not have these things, you should probably look into finding a career that better suits you.

If you are still interested in becoming an actress, and believe you have the ability to succeed in this extremely difficult business, then you can use the following tips to improve your chances of making a career out of acting.

How To Become a Voice Actor

Michael 129 — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 13:28:00 -0500

Many people associate acting with handsome leading men or beautiful leading ladies being projected on a fifty foot screen. Some may think of trained actors walking across a professionally designed and lit stage every night on Broadway. The truth is, many of the most successful actors and actresses step into small, unglamourous recording studios every morning, often wearing worn blue jeans and a t-shirt. This is the world of the voice actor, which can be every bit as challenging to break into as other forms of acting. Here are some suggestions for finding steady work in the voice-over trade.

Training for voice actors begins exactly as it does for any other acting profession. Start out by learning the craft of stage acting in school productions, community theaters or through private instruction with an acting coach. It is very important for voice actors to understand the physicality of a character.

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How To Make Stage Props

Marilisa560 — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 22:43:00 -0600

Stage props -- or more specifically, properties -- are the items that actors handle or interact with onstage. A director may choose to use many, few or no props at all. The choice is generally based upon the type of play or the atmosphere that a director wishes to produce.

Several plays are typically performed with the absence of props or with just a few (George Orwell's "1984" and Thornton Wilder's "Our Town," for example). I once acted in Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" with complete period costumes and dialogue, but no props. The play was set exclusively in a boxing ring.

A lack of props forces the audience's attention solely onto the actors. It can give a play depth and heightened psychological quality. I often find props distracting if they are not used naturally. It is also sometimes difficult to see or distinguish them.