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As an actor, it is a daunting thing to look at a path in front of you and wonder how you get started. Even the very first step on your career journey can be gruelling\u2014sometimes years in the making\u2014and it seldom guarantees you\u2019ll end up in the place you set out to reach. Here at StageMilk, we talk a lot about the actor\u2019s life and career: how best to navigate an industry that is both exciting and unforgiving. But today, we turn our focus to the very beginning. Let\u2019s explore how to start an acting career with no experience.<\/p>\n
While it is difficult to establish yourself in an acting career experience, there are certain avenues that may give you an all-important first break. Actors with no experience should look at extras work and commercials\u2014both of which could be secured by signing with a specialty agent in either field. Actors can also break into the industry by creating their own opportunities: writing, producing and directing their own films and shows.<\/strong><\/p>\n Before we jump into the topic at hand, just a quick clarification: our focus today is kickstarting your career, not beginning the craft of acting itself. For that, we\u2019d suggest looking at any of our articles on going to drama school<\/a>, taking an acting class<\/a> or our dedicated article how to get into acting without any experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n Along with headshots, a showreel and a strong acting CV, a social media presence is an important aspect of a modern acting career. You\u2019ll want accounts across various social media platforms<\/a>, as well as online casting networks such as Casting Networks<\/a> and StarNow<\/a>. It\u2019s a lot of work\u2014and requires constant maintenance and input\u2014but it radically alters the places that casting directors and creatives might discover you.<\/p>\n Can you find yourself \u2018discovered\u2019 on social media and begin a career there? Yes. What\u2019s more, a strong social media presence is an important factor when you\u2019re being chosen for certain roles, such as a host on a tv series. However, it\u2019s not enough to simply rely on your headshots on Instagram pulling a crowd of potential employers. And it\u2019s doubly difficult if you spend the majority of your time promoting an acting TikTok channel<\/a> than working on your acting skills.<\/p>\n You\u2019re best to think of your brand<\/a> and social media presence as something that supplements your other early-career efforts. Otherwise you risk becoming that actor who posts more pictures of themselves than the jobs they do. That guy tends to signal to the industry that \u201cI\u2019ve not got much going on right now.\u201d<\/p>\n A lot of people interested in the film and television industry get their start working as background actors<\/a> in large-budget projects. Often, casting in these roles relates more to look than anything else, and so it\u2019s simple enough to be hired without so much as a school play on your CV.<\/p>\n To work as an extra<\/a>, you\u2019ll need to join an agency that accommodates this kind of work. It can pay well, and give you some valuable on-set experience at a professional level. The only thing to remember is that an agency who hires you as a background actor is not going to send you for featured acting parts\u2014they\u2019re often less likely to do so when they have you on their books as the other.<\/p>\n Finally, extras roles tend not to count towards your legitimate acting credits. It can be a lucrative career, but actually sets you on a different path than towards that of an actor in speaking roles.<\/p>\n Similar to background acting, commercials can require little experience or training from an actor, provided they have the right \u2018look\u2019. And unlike background acting, commercials\u00a0do\u00a0<\/em>count towards your professional credits on a CV. You can approach an agency with a few headshots, perhaps something you\u2019ve shot at home for a showreel<\/a>, and you may find yourself lucky enough to be signed.<\/p>\n The downside with commercials is how damn competitive they are. Unlike extras work, commercials are open to trained\/established actors as well. And as they pay well for actor and management alike, they tend to be popular jobs to pursue. Agencies will send swathes of actors to each job with the hope that one of them will land the role. Great for your agent, less so for you when you\u2019re competing with your peers.<\/p>\n But, hey: nice work if you can get them. If it sounds like a good fit, then you\u2019d be foolish not to give it a go.<\/p>\n Acting in short and student films<\/a> is some of the best experience you can get in your early career stage. They\u2019re abundant, they\u2019re simple enough to audition for and the commitment to them in terms of your time and effort is proportionately low. Short films are seldom paid gigs<\/a>, but like commercials they count for a lot when listed on your CV.<\/p>\n Short films are win-win situations for actors. If it\u2019s the worst piece of garbage ever made, you\u2019re likely to learn a lot on that set. Observe, bear witness, and learn from the mistakes of others. It\u2019s certain to bond you to other actors on set\u2014who themselves may become industry peers. And even if it never makes a single festival line-up, you still get a recognised industry credit.<\/p>\n If the film\u2019s great, it can mean exposure at competitions, online, etc. And while you may not be working with Steven Spielberg \u2026 you may well be working with his industry successor. Take it from a film school grad: we\u2019re a hungry bunch, keen to pour our lives into our art. Actors benefit greatly from this, and can even find themselves in a terrific actor\/director partnership<\/a>.<\/p>\n Be on the lookout for open castings and auditions<\/a> in your area. You can also search the above-mentioned casting networks sites for opportunities. These gigs tend not to pay much, if it all. But they\u2019re a start, and can lead to more exciting projects by association, or simply by granting you the confidence to keep auditioning.<\/p>\n In fact, even if you aren\u2019t booking any gigs: any opportunity to prepare for an audition is worth its weight in gold when you\u2019re starting your career. It\u2019s an important skill to flex and improve upon, and too many actors let this aspect of their craft stagnate until the Really Big Opportunity comes along. By then, it\u2019s too late to work on your ability to audition\u2014because the rehearsal is the show, and you only get one shot.<\/p>\n So look for chances to audition, line \u2019em up, knock \u2019em down and then forget about them. That way, if you get the gig you\u2019ll be pleasantly surprised! Don\u2019t forget that a casting director might take a real shine to you in an audition; even if you\u2019re not right for that\u00a0<\/em>particular role, they might have something for you in the future.<\/p>\n This point is true for the start of your career, as well as in those quiet times when the phone\u2019s not ringing and your agent is missing\/presumed dead. Write a vehicle for yourself<\/a>, produce an independent play<\/a>, shoot a short film<\/a>. Create your own path into showbusiness.<\/p>\n In an evolving industry that asks more and more of its participants, it is becoming vital to prove oneself as a multi-hyphenate. It\u2019s no longer enough to simply act: you need to stage manage, produce, direct, write. (Maybe not all of these, but at least a couple.) Some actors find themselves writing because their acting work is slow. We say why wait, when you could start getting good at a new career pathway right now?<\/p>\nEstablishing a Brand and a Presence<\/h2>\n
Extras and Background Acting<\/h2>\n
Acting in Commercials<\/h2>\n
Working in Short and Student Films<\/h2>\n
Open Calls and Auditions<\/h2>\n
Creating Your Own Work<\/h2>\n