Screen acting colleges 16 plus ( not the Brit school)

[Moneyplantshine]

DS is currently at the Brit School doing theatre but wants to move after he finish year 11 and focus on screen acting.

They like some aspects of the Brit School but find it a very competitive environment with lots of people full of themselves, specially in the performing strands. Also theatre teachers put lots of pressure on the kids (telling kids off in front of each other, etc); in addition on kids putting pressure on each other. Seems a bit much to me. Perhaps it is the industry?

What alternatives are there in London if he decides to continue doing screen acting? Or follow a career in tv and film?

He was also surprised with the amount of written homework in theatre at the Brit. They of course do shows, etc but he wasn’t expecting that much homework. Hoping to do something more practical after 16.

@Moneyplantshine you say your DS finds it a very competitive environment with lots of people full of themselves.

Welcome to the industry. Of course it's very competitive by it's very nature. You think auditions won't be very competitive? The endless self tapes to try and get even a small role and often not hearing back? The fact that the vast majority of actors are out of work at any one time? He'll spend more time being a barista or some such to earn a few quid while living off beans on toast.

You also need to have a huge amount of self belief to cope with the 199 knock backs out of every 200 to survive mentally. This can manifest itself as being full of themselves in some cases.

Sorry but it sounds like neither of you really understand the industry and the need for a very thick skin if these aspects are a problem.

I agree. And I keep telling DS that it is a very competitive career. I would rather they pursue something else.

I don’t know how to discourage it. I don’t want to kill his dreams but have to wake them up somehow. I think I need to have a serious chat with him.

I hope he changes his mind about pursuing a career in acting, film industry 🙏

I'd be asking why he wants to focus on screen acting. What's his motivation to do so? Is it that money is better than in theatre? Does he think it's easier?

He probably thinks it is more money and easier. Not sure how to wake him from this dream. I don’t think he knows the reality of this career. He has always said he wants to be an actor,

What do you know at 15/16 anyway?

Any advice from people in similar position? How do I approach this? Let him find out for himself ? Discourage it altogether? Show him other careers/paths? He doesn’t want the normal office job.

I will ask him this

The audition process and entry demands for the main theatre schools are harder than oxbridge to succeed at getting in. Think of the schools like different oxbridge colleges focusing on slightly different methods and tutoring. As you’re London based the main ones are : RADA; LAMDA; arts ed; central , Rose Bruford; Guildhall and East 15.

Before any slates what I’ve said I’ve had one daughter in Cambridge and one in two of those drama schools I’ve listed ( foundation one , ba the other ) and the selection process for the London drama schools and very limited number of places was far more ruthless and demands talent and that does not guarantee you work at the end or an agent.

Wow he's already at the Brit School so probably in one of the best places he can be. It's a bit narrow to say at this age that he only wants to do screen acting - most actors do theatre as well.

I have a DD who wants to be an actor. She has SEN, realistically no chance of a career as an actor and certainly couldn’t cope with such an unstable career even if the talent was there. So we are in the process of trying to broaden career ideas - we might be in a different place but I get the difficulties in not wanting to burst dreams whilst trying to be realistic.

In terms of teachers putting on pressure by telling kids off in front of each other - I fear that would be nothing to critics or employers.

A certain amount of delusion is needed to pursue a career in acting but this is a bit beyond what's necessary. If the Brit is too pressured and competitive for him, he should probably choose another path in life and do drama as a hobby. Screen acting isn't really a thing to do full-time training in at 16. Hence why most FE institutions (and HE come to that) do performing arts/theatre/drama courses where they can put on plays rather than do abstract training in non-existent films. And honestly, you could learn screen acting on the job if you're any good. It's not like musical theatre where there's dancing and singing to get drilled in.

Most state sixth form/college places will be less pressured than the Brit but they won't be as good for training or industry access. If he wants an easier life, he can just go to the local college and then join the thousands of others auditioning for drama schools at 18+ and see how competitive and pressured that is (check out the current auditions thread on here for a glimpse of how much tenacity that takes), and the industry beyond that is way harder. Maybe he's been spoiled by having it so good from so young. The Brit is literally the only one of its kind. You can pay and send him to one of the 16-18 stage schools, but his attitude doesn't seen to warrant the investment and he'd still have to do theatre anyway.

Thanks. Probably the teachers do it deliberately as a way to prepare them for that world; check if they have what it takes.

Personally I would have hated all that pressure and comparison at such at young age.

I guess the teachers call it ‘constructive criticism’ and the idea is other students can learn from it too. If you are criticised for eg not putting enough expression into your posture, then other students can see what you did that was not good enough and consider how they would pose if they were in that role. But whether that feels constructive or destructive probably depends on the teacher and how resilient you feel at the time.

It is not so much about the acting but about homework, no achieving good grades, not doing well enough, working hard enough. There seems to be lots of written homework in theatre. I don’t think is all the teachers but some of the theatre teachers.

Having feedback about acting, school, etc is fine. But you need to know how to provide feedback; and the reality is that not many people know how to provide feedback,

Just remembered - there's Identity School of Acting (IDSA) in London which is more screen focused and less stagey, might be more his bag. It's the one John Boyega went to and put on the map. They have a Young Actors Course for 16-19 then core course for older students. It's evenings and weekends though I think so he'd do it around other studies or work if he's so inclined. Might not be right but worth a look as it's a different vibe to Brit - www.identityschoolofacting.com/curriculum/training-options/

It might be worth looking at Elstree Screen Arts.

Thank you.

Will have at look. I would prefer a day school though at that age.

Will check it out. Thank you

Honestly, he's not got the right personality for the industry.

It is hugely competitive and needs a thick skin and resilience. Screen acting is probably even more competitive than MT or theatre.

Also written work is a major part of any L3 course.

Mine is studying music at L3 BTEC - her last assignment was 32 pages of writing for one module. She has written homework weekly and every practical assignment needs written proposals, logs and evaluations. The upside is no exams, the downside is they expect proper research and analysis. Only 3 of her year passed their main assessment first go - they all failed the written parts.

I imagine there is an element of the sunk costs fallacy at theatre schools - that so much (energy, emotion, finance, time) has been invested in this career that they have to continue on that path. Some natural talent in a field, and a decision made when a child, doesn’t need to determine your final path