Pursuing a career in acting

[Treeabove]

Looking for advice from people on the same boat.

DC is coming to the end if year 11 in a performing arts school studying theatre. I have a few questions:

They will get UAL level 2 Diploma in theatre: How useful will this be?

They said they need professional photos taken and an agent. How do they go about doing this?

How important are theirs GCSES grades for their future ?

How do they go about applying for jobs? They would prefer screen acting but conscious competition is fierce.

What about further education? How hard is it to get into acting schools? Which ones should they apply to? Do they need this or can they just start auditioning for jobs.

We want to be supportive but the reality of a career in acting is hard.

Noone in my family is on this field

They don't make it because they aren't capable of being an architect etc, not because it's so massively oversubscribed that 90% of people who are qualified can't get a job at any one time.

That’s definitely not true for medical graduates. There are far more applicants than posts available, despite national shortages in most specialties

No, there's nothing else I wanted to do so I don't regret it. I regret not totally following the conventional path and not going straight to drama school after my A levels.

I'm not on benefits! I work part time at something else, a side hustle I guess.

Yes but surely it's not the case that 90% of medical students don't go on to work consistently as doctors? That only 2% of medical students make a living from a job directly related to their training?

My husband and I are both theatre professionals (not actors) and I always said to my daughter that she should absolutely not even consider acting unless there was literally nothing else she could do and still be happy. She did NYT and lots of other stuff but is now happy to have it as a hobby and is at university studying something that isn't drama.

Well, and because medical school is a pressure-filled time with increasing responsibility and unholy hours, which you work while studying for notoriously difficult exams! It’s easy to either flunk out or decide it’s not for you.

What reasons you gave your daughter? Badlly paid? Competitive? Nearly impossible to get jobs?

That is very low indeed; but at least you were doing what you wanted and since you didn’t see yourself doing something else

OK, that’s what I assumed. As you say, nobody does it for the money, but unless you have someone else financially supporting you, earning much less than the median wage for a long time would obviously impact on your quality of life, savings and (slightly boringly) your pension - your future. Of course, you have to keep money for tax and pay your agent.

I guess it’s one of those professions people are passionate about (at least to begin with) in which if you don’t give it a go you always regret it.

That is what I think, let them try, find out if it is what they really want. I am not encouraging but not discouraging it either; just trying to be supportive and ensuring they have a backup

All of that.

Hi OP

I just came on to add something Re headshots.

My DC applied to performing arts colleges in the US (age 18). Those colleges require headshots and a resume in a professional style.

DC paid their best friend to take the photos. They are very good!

I'm very surprised that the school isn't giving this information, surely that's what you are paying the fees for?!

And one more point. DC got a callback from one of the major US schools that feeds Broadway.

They had 2500 applications for 12 places this year.

That's how hard it is to get into drama school!

My son is an actor, he went to The London School of Dramatic Art which he really liked. It was a 3 year course. It's important to get professional head shots done and then write to various agents. He was lucky as an agent approached him. What was invaluable was going on various tours. They do audition but you don't necessarily have to have experience. Look up White Horse Theatre - They do a nine month tour around Germany performing to schoolchildren.

This is very helpful. Thank you

What other tours did he do?

My DD went to Guildford school of acting at the age of 20. She had a great time and graduated with a first but ended up coming home because she decided she didnt want it enough. This was someone who had lead roles in am dram and after leaving drama school. She wanted more, the house car and family etc. very few were successful although some were.
She came home and did University course for teaching and is now in a promoted post in a school. Some of her friends also did the university course so they could be supply teachers when they had no work.
My suggestión to your son would be to go to university or college and get a qualification and if they are still keen do the post grad in drama or musical Theatre.

Christ, it wasn't that bad! I wasn't eating gruel. Nobody supported me either. I'm married and everything was 50/50. I even supported him when he got made redundant.

Well, it wouldn't be, would it? When you have a partner to split costs with.

He also did an England tour. The company is called M and M, they perform in local theatres, schools etc. Since he completed these tours my son is sent various auditions by his agent for which he does a self-tape. He hasn't hit the big time yet but lives in hope of the big role. He's done various commercials which are very lucrative and keep him going financially for quite a while. He also is a London tour guide which fits in with his odd acting roles. Hope this helps.

Another mum to an actor/MT DC. Eligible drama schools entitle you to register on spotlight even if you are unrepresented. Schools should declare if their course is spotlight eligible.
My DD graduated last year got signed by a big agent got small 3 month job at Christmas, did have west end lead role audition then agent cut her.
She self repped for a few months and got herself several auditions - the jobs are advertised on spotlight so if you are eligible you can self rep.
She has now been signed by another agent.
Her side hustle is teaching performing arts this means she basically has no evenings or weekends. She pays her bills with her side hustle earning about £23k in the last year she supplements with her side side hustle of baby sitting.
Hustling needs to be second nature, hustling for acting/mt jobs, hustling for teaching jobs, hustling for baby sitting.

Drama school degree (combined with ability to play the piano) gave her the qualification to teach and her spotlight eligibility.

This is useful information too. Thank you

Re earlier poster, I think Bristol Old Vic is no longer doing any undergraduate admissions.

Re Jon Cake - Jonathan Cake

I'd strongly advise your child to audition for NYT and the musical theatre ones too if that is their thing. I think auditions are closed for this year but you could try next year. It's 11-25 so plenty of time.

It's very competitive and might give your child a bit of context as to how hard it actually is in the industry.

In addition, if your child gets in there are lots of opportunities for classes and development activities. Regardless of whether they go on to act professionally these will be great fun and a great learning experience. My daughter did it and made great friends there as well as having an absolute blast.

That stat isn’t helpful. Actors don’t work the hours, say an accountant does. Benedict cumberbatch doesn’t work 40 + weeks a year. One advert can pay £5-10k in a weeks work. So they don’t work all the time. Also - actors work in many roles - front of house, writing, tv production etc. they aren’t all starving!

I didn't say they were starving. Are you an actor? Do you know any? Most actors are out of work most of the time. And yes, if you are working on a film it would be 40 hours a week or more if you had a leading role.

Most actors might be out of work for months on end then maybe do a job for a few weeks then out of work again. That's the way it works. In the out of work times you do other jobs. The other jobs aren't acting jobs so you are still out of work as an actor.