INTRODUCTION
This portfolio showcases both my current activities and my future plans to firmly establish myself within the industry. It includes key industry research which I have undertaken, which has helped develop my understanding of how the industry operates. Additionally, I explore the various career pathways I am considering, alongside the practical steps I am taking to achieve my goals within the industry and during my third year at Leeds Conservatoire.
Throughout my second year of actor training, I have gradually transitioned from seeing myself as only a student to recognising my place within the professional performing arts industry. This transition has been guided by the tools and advice gained during my training at the Conservatoire, particularly the question: How can I present and effectively sell the best and most authentic version of myself? In other words, how can I effectively market myself in this extremely competitive industry.
HEADSHOTS
I believe the first step in marketing myself effectively is obtaining strong, professional headshots that reflect my personality and casting type. This is vital, as they form the first impression that casting directors and other industry professionals will have of me. Casting directors often use headshots to quickly assess whether someone fits a role before even seeing them perform. This means my headshots must clearly represent me as authentically as possible.
I plan to have new headshots taken before my third year to ensure I have the most up to date and accurate representation of myself. These will then be uploaded to my existing Spotlight profile and CV. Currently, my Spotlight headshots are over a year old and I feel it is the right time to update them, as I have grown both as an actor and in my self confidence. During my second year actor training, I have developed a clearer understanding of my casting which I hope I can portray and translate more effectively in my new headshots.
APPENDIX 1
In terms of personal preference (see Appendix 1), I am naturally drawn to warm tones that I believe complement my natural features, such as my brown hair and brown eyes. It is extremely important that my main headshot reflects how I present myself in real life, its important that casting directors and agents know exactly what to expect when meeting me. A natural makeup look and styling my hair as I would day to day keeps my look consistent with real life. However, I don’t want natural to mean uninteresting. It is equally important that my personality comes through in the images, capturing my true self. This is something I feel my current headshot lacks (Appendix 1), and through my research, I now better understand the importance of this. Therefore, when I have my new headshots taken, my personality shining through and being more visible will be my priority.
I also have learned the importance of demonstrating versatility through my headshots. Subtle changes in my clothing and hairstyle can effectively suggest different character types. For example, wearing a structured jacket or shirt with my hair styled neatly or tied up can indicate more serious roles, such as a police officer or nurse roles that I feel could be my casting and that I would be particularly interested in. In contrast with a more relaxed look, such as a plain top or hoodie with my hair down, can suggest younger or more ‘everyday’ roles, such as a student. These small tweaks allow me to present a range of casting types, clearly demonstrating to casting directors through just a few photographs that I am capable of playing a variety of different roles.
Recently, I auditioned for a comedy pilot and received feedback that, at first glance, my appearance was perceived as “too cool” for the role. However, I was then asked to submit a self-tape presenting a more “geeky” interpretation. This experience was a significant learning curve, as it highlighted how initial impressions based on appearance can influence casting decisions.
As a result, I have become more aware of the importance of demonstrating adaptability within my headshots. It is not enough to present just one version of myself, instead I should aim to reflect a range of potential character types.
This experience also helped me to realise that although it can be tempting to prioritise looking good or polished in my head shots, casting directors are ultimately looking for someone who is suitable for the role and nothing else. By staying authentic and also showing versatility, hopefully this will allow me to position myself for a wider range of opportunities and casting types.
ACTING CV
APPENDIX 2
It is extremely important to me that my CV appears professional and clearly structured. While many roles are cast through Spotlight, there will also be some opportunities where I may be asked to submit a CV independently. Therefore, it is important that I have a professional and up to date CV that is ready to send away at any given time. This will ensure I am prepared to submit all requirements quickly and professionally.
As my Spotlight profile will act as the main source of information for casting directors and agents, I aim for my CV to be simple and easy to navigate. It should include all relevant details such as appearance, contact information, skills, and performance credits without becoming overly wordy or lengthy.
I want anyone viewing my CV to be able to access and absorb the main information immediately. To achieve this, I have presented my details in a clear, bullet-point format (see Appendix 2), ensuring that all information is organised efficiently and easily accessible.
Through researching other actors’ CVs, I felt that some appeared busy and overwhelming at times to read. Given that casting directors and agents often work under time pressure, I feel it is extremely important and helpful to make their job as straightforward as possible. Therefore, I have intentionally kept my CV minimalistic, allowing the most important information to stand out clearly and effectively.
AGENTS & SPOTLIGHT
As part of my marketing plan, I intend to update my current Spotlight profile that I have had for many years. This portfolio project has highlighted to me that my profile would definitely benefit from a full refresh to ensure that it showcases the actor I have grown into today.
These updates will include new headshots, as well as the footage I will collect during my third year at the Conservatoire, such as a professional showreel, filmed monologue, and production photographs from my future show season. As I have been in full time training, on reflection my Spotlight profile is not currently as up to date as I would like it to be. By adding fresh and relevant content, I aim to demonstrate how prepared I am to enter the professional world and gain employment within the industry.
I am interested in work across several areas of the industry, including film, television, theatre, radio, and voice over. As part of my research, I have explored agents who represent clients working across these fields. I have also identified performers who began in a similar position to myself as drama school students and have since built consistent careers across the industry. This has helped make my own career goals feel more achievable and less intimidating.
When considering which potential agency I hope to sign with, I have paid very close attention to the clients already on their books, particularly to see whether they represent artists with a similar look or casting type to mine. I believe it would be more beneficial to sign with an agent whose client list does not already include several clients who are closely similar to my casting, as this may create more opportunities for me to stand out in an already competitive industry.
APPENDIX 3
Due to my strong regional accent, I am interested in voice over work, as it is an area where I feel I could potentially have a strong advantage in, especially with further development to my voice training over the next year. As part of this, I have researched voice over workshops and training opportunities to strengthen my skills (see appendix 3).
My aim would be to either secure a dedicated voice over agent alongside a performance agent, or to be represented by an agency that places clients in both areas. For example, Brennan Artists, based in Glasgow, represent clients who work consistently across both voice and performance.
APPENDIX 4
I have put together a list of agencies that I plan to invite to my third year showcase and contact directly (see Appendix 4).
SUMMATIVE STATEMENT
I found our training in Laban to be a very beneficial part of my skills training. During our American project “The Rimers of Eldritch”, I incorporated my new skills in Laban technique into my acting practice. After exploring Laban in depth during skills sessions, I realised how effective it was in helping me physically embody a character with both precision and efficacy. It allowed me to make intentional movement choices that I believe added depth to my performance.
In my role as movement captain, I also used this technique to support my classmates. Using Laban as a practical tool to help my peers helped me to deepen my own understanding of it significantly. I was able to recognise the contrasts between different movement qualities much more easily and it became easier to portray specific physical detail in characters.
I feel this new skill set led to the development of more detailed and imaginative choices, many of which we would not have discovered without this approach of Laban efforts to the movement work. Seeing the huge transformations in other actors clearly helped me to understand and appreciate how transformative Laban can be. It encouraged me to go even bolder with my choices especially after seeing the change in my classmates’ physicality.
Taking on the responsibility of movement captain has strengthened my interest in pursuing a career as a movement director or choreographer alongside performing, as I found that merging the two allowed me to grow and learn immensly.
In a mock audition with Suzy Catliff, we were given a script from “The Jungle Book”. As this was aimed at children’s theatre, it was essential that my physical choices were bold, clear and fun to watch. By applying Laban efforts, I was able to approach the audition with much more ease and significantly less stress than I have experienced in the past. Embodying different Laban efforts gave me a structured but quick way into the character, allowing me to make confident and intentional choices. As a result, I entered the audition feeling prepared and confident, with a strong understanding of not only the text but the choices I had made within it. I was able to clearly articulate and justify these decisions without overthinking or doubting, which is something I have previously struggled with.
Upon reflection, this audition felt much easier and less intimidating compared to past experiences. In previous auditions, I have fallen into the trap of playing the safe option, which in hindsight can result in a performance that is easily forgettable. However, integrating Laban’s techniques into my process has allowed me to start moving beyond this, encouraging me to take more creative risks and develop more specific, detailed physical characters.
The development in my practice links closely to both my scene study classes with Claire Eden and acting classes with Alex Palmer. In both classes, we have explored comedy scenes where I have learned that making bold choices is essential to the success of a performance.
I have come to understand that it is not just the idea of a character that creates comedy, but the clarity and commitment of the character’s intentions and needs that brings a scene to life. In comedy, leaning into the unexpected is what often generates laughter, as it catches the audience off guard and helps them gain new information about the character.
A clear example of this was when we worked on a scene from “Broken Biscuits” a play by Tom Wells , in which I played the character Megan, who is presented in the text as the group’s leader/mean girl. Initially, I approached the role in a very generalised way by focusing on the obvious traits of a mean girl character in a heightened way. However, when I performed this version to the class, it received little to no comedic response, highlighting how obvious my initial choices were. To challenge this, Alex encouraged me to completely rethink my approach by giving me random actions to play throughout the scene (to impress, to brag, to persuade). Although these actions went against my natural instincts, committing to them forced me to move away from a generic portrayal and instead really focus on what the character is trying to achieve throughout the scene in each moment. The desperation behind Megan’s actions added depth, and the contrast between her intentions and the situation created a much stronger comedic effect. By honing in on what the character is doing specifically and letting that drive the scene is where the comedy really came through, as the character’s desperation grounds them in achieving their needs, no matter how extreme the lengths they go to. In the end, it was the specificity and commitment to action that made the scene both more engaging to perform and more entertaining for the audience to watch.
In my classes with Claire Eden, I workshopped and performed a scene from ‘Holes’ a play by Tom Basden, where I played the character Gus. This role offered a very different challenge compared to playing Megan in a comedic context, as I discovered that the humour of the scene came from committing to the seriousness of Gus’ character. His grounded objective of wanting to get home and distance himself from the chaos and stupidity of the other characters created a strong contrast with their silliness, which is what generated the comedy.
I found that playing seriousness within a comedic scene is particularly demanding. However, I also realised that the bolder and more committed I was to Gus’ intentions, the stronger the performance became. The moments that received the best responses were those where I fully leaned into the objective, allowing my character’s urgency and frustration to drive the scene rather than trying to force humour.
The experience and insight I have gained from these classes has felt transformational for my development as an actor. Moving forward, I plan to apply these techniques to future auditions and professional work. I want to challenge myself to trust my instincts, take creative risks and avoid the habit of holding back and playing it safe due to the fear of judgement. My goal is to enter auditions with a clear and confident sense of character that opposes being ‘safe’, so that my performances are both memorable and engaging to watch. By continuing to build these skills, I aim to develop a more dynamic and versatile acting process that will support me in pursuing my career successfully within the industry.
Throughout this year, I have developed a deeper interest in screen acting. I have gained valuable knowledge about self tapes, on set etiquette, and the differences in acting choices between stage and screen. In particular, I have begun to understand that screen acting requires a greater level of subtlety and control, whilst maintaining a similar ‘big’ energy used on stage to keep the work engaging to watch. However, I recognise there are still areas that I need to become more familiar with, especially within the technical and professional aspects of working on a film or television set.
More specifically, I would like to build my confidence in understanding and navigating call sheets, as well as becoming more comfortable with the terminology used on set. To develop this, I plan to read and analyse mock call sheets, allowing me to break down each section fully and understand how a production day is structured. Moving forward, I will also start reviewing my self tapes more critically, focusing on the specificity of my performance. By combining this independent learning with continued practice, I hope to build both my confidence and understanding in screen acting, preparing myself fully for my showreel in third year and any future film or television work.
CONCLUSION
Overall, this year I have deepened my understanding significantly, not only in my acting skills but also in how to begin working within the industry. I feel excited and prepared to move into my final projects, and I am looking forward to my third year at the Conservatoire.
I feel much more confident going into auditions, and I now have a detailed confident process for approaching them, rather than feeling underprepared. On reflection I feel having scene study classes and mock auditions during second year to be extremely beneficial, as it gave me real insight into how the industry operates and how to prepare for it as well as having the opportunity to experience the true emotions and feelings that go alongside auditions.
In terms of industry research, I feel I have developed a solid understanding. I have a list of agencies I would be interested in and have developed my solar system, which helped me to realise that I have more connections and support than I initially thought. This has made everything feel much more achievable and realistic. I now feel I have a solid starting point in understanding how to promote myself within the industry. I am beginning to think like a professional performer and I recognise the need to be marketed effectively.
Exploring the business side of this career was completely new to me and felt both daunting and exciting. I have realised that this is no longer a hobby, it’s my future career and it has to be managed like any other business. I have enjoyed being pushed to think more strategically about my place in the industry.
Through this process, I have developed a stronger awareness and clearer understanding of my casting type, playing age, and the areas of the industry I see myself working in. This has given me a stronger sense of direction and confidence in how I can begin working towards my goals. At the same time, I realise that these ideas are not completely set in stone. As I continue to develop professionally, my interests and direction may evolve, and I am open to that change. I now understand the flexibility of the industry and how constantly it changes, and recognising this is a strength I did not have before. I feel I am in a position where I can grow as both a performer and an individual while continuing to shape how I present myself to the industry.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Laban For Actors and Dancers – Jean Newlove
