Introduction

So far, second year has been the most challenging and exciting year for me as an actor. I have felt that my skills have vastly improved, and my knowledge on the industry has widened. My favourite part has been the opportunities to perform and explore different characters whilst using my process in lessons like Scene Study and Acting.   

Moving forward, this year has been vital for my growth as an actor because I feel more confident in what is out there for me in the industry and where I fit in, as well as what I can bring. 

In this Portfolio will be a refined version of all aspects of my second year so far, including the challenges I may have faced along the way. 

Industry Research

Headshots

With my headshots, I felt that it was imperative to make sure that I have a range of different shots that can display different characters as well as a bit of my personality so that I don’t just have a set of nice pictures of myself, they need to be character shots. With this in mind, I made sure to do a lot of research on different photographers that have either been recommended to me by other people or further research some that I have seen and liked. For me, I found that the darker, less warm backgrounds suited my casting type, but I also wanted some warmer shots that I can portray different characters so that I have a range of headshots I can send to agents and casting directors. As well as this, I wanted to have the photographer to have a lot of experience in doing headshots and being in the industry, so that they can help to get the look that I wanted. 

One photographer that I was very interested in was Jessica Raphael Photography, who was based in the West Midlands and has taken headshots for a lot of my friends in the past. I looked more into her website and social media and found that she has had a lot of experience with my hair and eye colour, especially in a colder background that didn’t take away from the actors’ facial features (Please see Reference 1). However, I felt that the shots with the warmer backgrounds felt too similar to the cooler ones, and that therefore didn’t really show any differentiation between the lighter and darker tones. I decided to keep them in mind but felt there was a photographer better suited to my style that I could look for.  

Reference 1

Another photographer I looked at was Thara Jordana Photography, who was based in London and did a great price for students. It was £185 for students, which in return you would get five headshots in a 1 hour and 30-minute session. When looking at her website I found that she had previously worked in the industry as an actor, and a big section in her reviews was how good she was at getting the looks that the customers wanted. Her shots of people with darker hair were my favourite that I have seen so far, as well as her range of different contrasting shots.  

I know that when I am booked in for my headshots, I am going to take a range of different outfits that I have been trying to get different looks out of; for example, I will be taking a light blue jumper with me because it is a great contrast to my hair colour and makes my persona look a lot lighter.  

Acting CV

Prior to joining the Conservatoire, I already had an Acting CV for work I have put myself forward for in the past and after looking back on it, there was definitely some changes needed. I started by giving my CV a lot more of a professional look, as it currently looked like more of a regular CV in a word document. I found a template and then started to fit all the pieces together so that it was sleek and eye catching for the casting directors and agents I would be giving it to. This would give me more of an opportunity to be seen, as it is an easier layout to read rather than having to try and find the thing that you are looking for.  

In my previous Acting CV, I had listed pretty much all of the credits that I had in hopes that someone would see all of the experience that I had in theatre, which made the more notable credits not stand out as much. With this, I decided to list the more notable acting credits that also showed a good range of work that I had done, so that they could be easily looked into and I know there would be some information about myself on websites and images, which further validates my work in the industry. As well as this, I took out any information about myself that seemed suggestive and could close off any opportunities such as playing age and removed things that could already be seen in my headshot such as hair and eye colour. Looking back, it felt like my old Acting CV was just listing things rather than advertising and felt a lot more business minded, due to my applications for more corporate acting jobs. I now feel a lot more confident on giving out something that not only represents what I have done as an actor but markets me in a way that is better suited to the industry. 

Please see my Acting CV attached for the final copy (Reference 2). 

Reference 2

Bio

My bio has always been a big struggle as trying to find the balance of being standout and not too personal has been difficult. When writing this bio, it felt like I got my point across well, and it also felt like I still had a bit of my personality in there without being over-bearing.  

A lot of the work on my bio was about making sure that I was memorable, and that there was a broad spectrum of my skills and character range so that I wasn’t typecasting myself as one character. An example of this in my previous bio was that a lot of the roles I had listed were quite emotional, serious characters which I felt like didn’t do me any justice. In realising this, I decided to change one of the credits to my role as Tomaz in The Trials by Dawn King which was the strongest comedic performance that I have played, to show that I am capable of that type of character in professional productions. 

Although a lot of my bio was about acting, I wanted to mention the directing work that I have been doing recently because I feel like it is something that I want to take forward with me into the industry and I do potentially see myself doing alongside acting. This not only gives a more personal touch to my bio but also shows another valuable skill that I can bring to the table which could also land me more jobs in the future.  

(Please See Reference 3) 

Reference 3

Networking and Contacts

Creating connections for me has always been tricky as sometimes I find it difficult to market myself whilst also keeping a good conversation and not making it an interview. I’ve found that more recently it has become a lot easier for me when I have researched into the companies and people that I want to work with in the future and therefore instead of just sending a bland message that I could send to anyone, making it more personalised seems to make a big difference.  

For a while now I have been making a ‘Solar System’, which we were taught by Claire which keeps all of our contacts within the industry down and weekly I would look through it and see if I could reach out to someone I haven’t connected with in a while to keep the familiarity between me and the person or company. I’ve found this for me to be very successful, as before this it felt like I was constantly losing track of who I have been in touch with and therefore I could’ve lost connections with people that I could work with in the future.  

Alongside the ‘Solar System’ I have been trying to find connections between people that I already know and companies or creatives that I would like to create a connection with, which I have been keeping in a document with shows that are in their next season and the people that I know that are currently working or have worked with them (Please see Reference 4). This way I have a conversation starter as well as information that I can use so it doesn’t appear to them that I have made the effort to research them so that hopefully they are more inclined to find out more about me. Recently I have had some success with this when I ended up meeting and networking with one of the people on the list, who wants to have a look at some footage of my acting! 

Reference 4

Summative Statement

Self-Marketing

I would say that from a personal perspective that my ability to network and connect with people is one of my strengths due to having the opportunity to be in rooms with agents and casting directors quite often. Where I feel has been my weakness is having a casting type and something to show to them about what I could be potentially seen as a character and what roles that I would want to play in the future.  

With this in mind, after a Screen Acting Lesson with Matt Lewney, I asked him what my casting type would be, so that not only I would have an opinion from someone who has worked a lot within the industry, but I could use this to support the style of my bio and headshots. Matt said that my casting type was a bruiser or hardman, but in contrary to this he said I would also be good at the “big softie” type character, which definitely gives me a range of characters that I can play. With this information, I started to look into actors who have played both of these roles, and what roles they have played so I can have a general consensus of characters that I can put forward as a reference point for agents and casting directors in the future. I created a list of actors and characters (Please see reference 5) so that it is easily accessible for me to refer to and I can do more research about the companies that the actors have worked for in the past, and then I can potentially contact the in the future. As well as this, it also gives me a range of audition material in the future that I can use for open castings and showcases that suit me.  

Reference 5

Right Now

Currently, a lot of my attention is going towards the projects that we are working on next term, and so I am working on becoming familiar with the play we have been given as well as researching the play’s world so that I am completely prepared for when I enter the rehearsal room process. I want to be as prepared as I can so that not only do I feel confident in the material, but it gives me more opportunity to explore the role that I am given, which I am looking forward to.  We will be performing “Punch” by James Graham, a play based on a true story about a young man who kills another person with one punch- a newer play by a writer that I’m very familiar with. I’ve always taken an interest in new work because I feel like there is less boundaries to characters and more freedom to be playful as an actor, and so immediately when I read this play I found it exciting with the limitless explorations that I can do. 

As well as this, a big part of my studies at the moment has been scene study lessons with Claire Eden, where I have been able to rehearse and perform scenes that I have been considering for the showcase in third year. This has been so beneficial to me, as I have been able to be redirected and I also get feedback on whether the scene suits me and my scene partner, which gives me an idea whether that it should be considered or not for the showcase. I have also been using these sessions to try and widen my reading material for plays, and in doing so I have performed some material that I think could be great for me in the third year showcase. One of these plays was ‘Strategic Love Play’ by Miriam Battye, that was recommended to me by one of my classmates, which I have found to be a great play and after performing it in scene study, I am massively considering putting it forward for the showcase.  

Alongside my studies, I have recently finished directing for the first time on a play for a scratch night, which went very well. I have always been interested in directing and can definitely see myself doing it in the future. I want to try and make myself as multi-disciplined as possible, so that I can broaden my skillset and therefore open up new jobs and opportunities. More recently, I have been offered a role as an assistant director in another play from the work that I did at the scratch night with an experienced director. I am very excited to work with said director as I feel like there is a lot that I can learn from them in the room on the different aspects of what it takes to be a director and how to work in the rehearsal room. I do see directing being a big part of my career in the future, as I find that the rehearsal exploration is one of my favourite parts of being an actor.  

In The Future

For me, when I leave the Conservatoire I will be going to as many theatres and auditions as I can, and with this I have been keeping mind of places and companies that are local to me so that I can attend their sessions and events and create connections with creatives within the industry. As well as the networking component, I can work with new actors and creatives and receive feedback, which will better my work and better myself as a performer.  There are also a lot of new theatre companies that have opened in my hometown that are creating their own work, and with my interest in new work I feel like this will be a good place to go to. Another group that I am really intrigued by is The Birmingham REP’s ‘Studio 8’ company. This is an actor training programme that offers training and paid experiences in hopes to help build sustainable careers in the acting industry. This involves things like school tours, facilitating workshops and theatre productions based in and around the West Midlands.  

Alongside this, I have really taken an interest in improvisation from the lessons with Alex Palmer in first year. When in the lessons, I felt the sense of freedom as an actor because the scenes aren’t scripted or contained. Therefore, I began to research improvisation companies and classes that are closer to home so that in the future I can attend and get involved. I was recommended from a friend an improvisation class by Box of Frogs that has really helped him become more spontaneous and make bolder choices in his acting, so I have made contact already and will be attending their summer sessions. They also hold many improv nights and make theatre that has been created from improvisation work, which is something that I have done before and found a lot of joy in doing so. I find that very exciting as an actor, and after our sessions with Ruth in Artistic Development on making your own work, I think that these classes could be another way I could be successful in doing so.   

Conclusion

To conclude, I think that this year has been a massive learning curve for myself as an actor. I feel a lot more confident in my process and my approach to new work, and I now feel like I have the skills and tools that I would need for not only going into third year but then going into the industry after that. I think that this year has been a great time to apply the different skills I have learnt in the first year, to find out what works for me and what doesn’t. Overall, I have found that now I have my process and the knowledge of the industry I am soon to go into, I feel a lot more comfortable as an actor to try different techniques and make bolder choices in the rehearsal room, which was big struggle of mine in the first year. This has given me better feedback and overall has broaden my horizons of how far I can push myself in rehearsal rooms and auditions. I cannot wait for the third year with all of the auditions and shows, as well as the massive opportunities like showcase to display my acting skills.