How to become an actor?

[Someone]

Will making movies and posting them on YouTube help. I am going to buy a green screen, proffesional camera, and all equipment. I already have most of them. I want to direct and act. Can this help.

[Katrina E.]

Making your own YouTube videos might let you experiment with acting and film making and learn some things. But producers, casting directors and talent agents are not combing YouTube looking for new talent - so unless you end up getting millions of followers or something, you're not going to attract the attention of anyone important. So, in that sense it's not going to be very helpful.

Professional acting (and directing) is a business. It's not a lottery. Actors are not just "discovered". But you can use the internet and social media as tools to help market yourself to help your career. There's no one way to be an actor, but SOME of what you need for a professional career:

* Talent

* Training. You'll want good, quality acting classes and workshops with well-respected instructors. Not only does it help improve your skills, but it's one way to start to network in the industry.

* Experience. You'll have to start with what you can get. In the beginning, most of the work will be for low-to-no-pay things Iike student films. But with so many people wanting to be actors, even those jobs are very competitive. Remember there are THOUSANDS of wannabe actors just like you all looking for experience. Being in your own movies is not going to impress anyone though.

* Marketing Materials: Professional head shot, acting resume, and an acting reel (video of your on-screen work if you're interested in film/tv) among other things. You have to market yourself effectively to talent agents and casting directors to get jobs.

* A licensed talent agent. You get an agent by convincing one that you have the talent, training, experience and commitment to book professional jobs. Good luck!

* Several well-developed monologues for auditions. Read plays and scripts - all kinds - and keep an eye for characters and monologues you want to develop.

* Great auditioning skills. Talent agents get you auditions - it's up to you to book the job.

* To be a member of an actor's union (SAG-AFTRA for screens or AEA for stage) or at least an understanding of how unions work.

* An understanding of the business end of acting. You're going to have to research to understand the casting process, who the players are, what they do (and don't do), industry contracts, and other things. So read the industry trades/websites like backstage.com or Variety and books about what it takes to have a professional acting career. Books like "Self Management for Actors" by Bonnie Gillespie "Acting Make It Your Business" by Paul Russell's and "Acting as a Business" by Brian O'Neil might be helpful.

* A good network of connections in the industry. Understand that networking is not just getting to meet people in the industry - it means being able to show people in the industry what you can do and convince them that you can make them money if they hire you.

* A strong foundation and healthy ways to cope with the stress of trying to work professionally. You need to be able to handle rejection, competition and instability. You'll be rejected far more than you'll be accepted. For professional work there will be literally thousands of actors all submitting for one job. Only a few will get invited to audition. Only one gets the job. There's a lot of judgment during audition including your looks, you need to be comfortable with yourself and your looks and not get obsessed with your appearance. Professional acting is EXTREMELY competitive.

* A way to support yourself besides acting. Every acting job you get is temporary, so you always have to be concerned about when/if you'll get another job. Most professional actors don't support themselves by acting alone.

Good luck.

[nothingbutnet]

Be your character, live your character, see the benefits of living life through someone else's eyes. But most importantly empathize with your character and see them as another aspect of yourself.

[Cogito]

Posting stuff on Youtube might be fun - but it won't help you become an actor in any way.

No acting professionals - casting directors, agent, producers or directors have time to waste, trawling though the hundreds of thousands of terrible, amateur videos which get posted on the internet every week.

The only way to become a real actor is to devote several years to getting a really good training and loads of stage experience.