Introduction
Over the course of my second year at drama school, I have been working hard to prep myself for not only third year but the industry as a whole. This year has been important in helping me transition from student into actor. I have learnt so much vital information about the industry that I will carry with me for years to come. This portfolio is my opportunity to compile all my research and thoughts into one place regarding my future career. I have begun to understand how to market myself appropriately for the industry and what steps it is crucial for me to take to be satisfied in my career.
My goals this year were to consume more media and do as much industry research as possible. Though I have watched more than I did last year, I haven’t been able to see as much as I would have hoped for. This is entirely down to my time outside of school being catered to work and nurturing my social relationships. I have however done a lot of research regarding the industry and agents and am extremely proud of myself for the work that I have put in. I will continue doing this work throughout my entire career as I know how important it is to constantly be refreshing yourself on who is around you, what is trending and how to market yourself in the best way possible.
Industry Research
Having little to no experience in the industry, my list of connections was extremely low. Because of this, I made a spreadsheet of people I know that are working in the industry currently or that I would be able to contact for advice or further connections. (see appendix 1) Fortunately, I work outside of drama school with people in the industry one way or another who may have professional connections they could share with me. This spreadsheet is beneficial for me to have as I can clearly see who can be of help for me if I need it and where I can contact them from. I plan to continue to update this as I make more connections throughout my career.
This year, I was very determined to have a clear idea of the kind of work I wanted to do in my career. During my time at drama school, I have had the privilege to explore many different variations of theatre. Through this, I found that I wasn’t as interested in pursuing theatre in my career as I once thought though I adore the rehearsal process and the accomplished feeling that it brings me. I researched into the different categories of theatre and now think that if I choose to do any stage work, it would be commercial theatre. This is due to it being the most practical financially. Due to this, after graduation I see myself predominantly auditioning for screen and voice over work. I have always been very fond of being cast in dramas and thrillers but also would love to work in voice over for animation and even do mocap work for story video games.
Some companies I would love to work with are Naughty Dog (mocap and voice over), Disney (voice over, acting), Netflix (acting), Riot Games (voice over) and Paramount (acting). I am also currently looking into the possibility of character look alike and parade performer jobs at Disneyland Paris. What intrigues me about these companies are their projects but also the financial aspect of it. Due to them being large companies, a project that does well will mean more money for the actors. I did a bit of research into mocap and found classes that offer training. Some of these companies are Studio T3D who offer mocap training, Udemy who offer online courses and Performance Capture Academy who offer in person training classes.
For this, I have been curating a list of agents that represent actors I admire as well as companies that represent actors from similar backgrounds as me. I plan to begin contacting them over the summer to invite them to my third year shows as well as showcase. There are a few that I would also have to submit my spotlight to in order to contact them so as soon as I have made that and have a showreel, I will send that over. The one company that is standing out most to me as of current is Curtis Brown (see appendix 2). They seem to represent clients that get a lot of the work I am wanting to do when I graduate. I have their contact information and have found an agent in their company who I would most like to represent me. I also like the look of Roberts & Day Management (see appendix 3) who represent some graduates in third year who I really admire. Despite the agency being based in London, one of their agents is originally from Leeds. It’s always great to have ties to home!
Appendix 1
https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/section/actors.Appendix 2
Home
Appendix 3
CV
For my CV, I wanted it to look very professional whilst also showcasing a bit of my personality. To do this, I made the text a similar green to a top I intend to use for my headshots. This will hopefully make casting directors and agents associate that colour with me. I have never made an acting cv before, so I looked on the internet for other examples and found a website and followed the suggestions that they made (see appendix 5) . I made sure to leave space for my headshots and credits as I do not have either of them as of yet. I also added a skills section that will reflect part of my spotlight of my strongest skills and selling points. This makes it easier for someone to view them quickly rather than having to access my spotlight for said information. I am not entirely satisfied with my cv due to the simplicity and dullness of it, but I think that once I have more credits to put on and have worked on my template more, I will be happier with it.
file:///C:/Users/44749/Downloads/Grey%20Minimal%20Photo%20Acting%20Resume.pdfAppendix 4
How To Write An Acting CV
Appendix 5
Biography
When initially writing my biography, similarly to my cv I really struggled to figure out what I wanted to write. I wished for my biography to not seem like I was listing qualities about myself and more so an overview of who I am and my wishes for my career. I first spent a while looking at all the previous and upcoming graduate profiles to gage what I liked and disliked about theirs. After this I looked at websites and writing guides that would give me some more ideas for my own biography (see appendix 6) . I did struggle in writing a professional credit aspect as I do not have any previous professional training or credits. For the meantime, I wrote my last project that I was a part of during training and will update my biography as soon as I am cast in my third-year season.
https://www.mandy.com/uk/magazine/article/what-should-you-include-in-your-actor-bio-78955/Appendix 6
https://1drv.ms/w/c/34c39f915b10137f/IQB4ww0bpjwKR44hnIXuRrUaAXmOuz3ICuPy6n1KniHd1HQ?e=FQvIBEAppendix 7
Headshot Research
Headshots are the first thing that a casting director will see of you. It is important that they reflect you as a person as well as your range as a performer. When approaching getting my headshots done, I knew exactly what I wanted my pictures to look like. I was very set on earthy coloured backdrops, deep and warm colours and pictures that showed off a broad character range. I made sure to do extensive research on many different headshot photographers before settling on one that I loved. My research included looking at social media accounts showcasing work, looking on the internet at photographers near me and looking at the current third year headshots to see if I thought any of theirs would suit me.
Before deciding on a photographer, I decided to do a deep dive into seasonal colour analysis. Having dark features and an olive undertone, it was crucial to me that I knew which colours suited me best in order to not look washed out or out of place. To find out my own colour season, I sat in front of my mirror and held up colours of clothing and fabrics that I owned to see which colours complimented me best. After this, I categorised myself as a deep autumn (see appendix 8 and 9) due to the warmth and high contrast in my features. I looked at a few deep autumn colour palettes online and because of this, I have a few colours in mind for clothing that I will wear when having my photos taken.
Whilst doing my research on the current third years headshots, I was immediately drawn to Thara Jordana (see appendix 13 ). I really loved the earthy tones and warmth in the backdrops she uses as well as the natural look everyone has in their pictures. After inquiring with her about price, she was offering £185 with student discount for a 90-minute session and 5 edits. This seemed like a good value to me based on other photographers I had seen such as Yellow Belly who charge £375 for the same package and Faye Summerfield who charges £280 for only 3 edits. The personal experience of contacting her before booking really solidified that she was the right person for me. She immediately sent her FAQS which answered any questions I had and was extremely clear about payment. (see appendix 10-12)
I have booked my session with her for mid-June and am currently planning outfits, hairstyles and poses that I wish to do. After a few chats with lecturers and friends about my possible casting type and the roles I wish to go for, I believe I have come up with a list of character shots I plan to do. These being a gothic/period style shot paired with a blouse, a smiley shot that could work for a romantic lead or Disney character with a brighter shirt, a drama shot with a deeper colour shirt and a quirky/wide eyed character shot. The only con with going to Thara Jordana was that I would have to travel to London for the session. Luckily it worked out well for me due to other plans in London that week however it made me realise how little photographers there are up north that do photography I enjoy. This is unfortunate as I wished to support these businesses being northern myself.
https://www.tharajordanaphotography.co.uk/Appendix 13
Archive
A large learning curve for me this year was learning how to balance work life with my social life. It is a non-negotiable for me to have a part-time job outside of drama school however I found that I was quickly burning myself out with the workload of having two jobs on top of my studies. By the end of the week, I was exhausted and spent my Sundays catching up on sleep and cramming in all the work that needed to be completed for the following week. I did not realise the importance of taking care of yourself until I ended up battling constant illness for weeks on end. This obviously had a huge impact on both my studies and wellbeing. This was when it was apparent for me that I had to change my lifestyle. Whilst I am unable to leave a job at this current moment, I plan to leave my teaching job at the end of this school year. I know this will benefit me in the long run and assist me in prioritising my best work in third year. As well as this, I am already in the process of cutting out bad habits such as unhealthy, quick meals and not spending quality time with my loved ones. This is already proving to have a positive effect on me as I feel happier and healthier within myself. In the sense of having a positive environment for me to work in, I have reflected on the rehearsal days where I have completed my best work. These were possible because of my prep before the day started. I had had a good meal the night before and morning of, was in a pleasant mood, had restful sleep and had warmed up my body and voice well. I plan to take these practices into my third-year rehearsals so that I am always bringing my best self into everything that I do.
The block I feel that stumped me the most this year was the Shakespeare assessment. I unfortunately have never been a fan of his work due to being told in the past that Shakespeare is not for the working class. I also struggle in decoding his writing. Having this preconception, I went into Esthers classes a little more unenthusiastic than I would’ve liked. Despite this, Esther and I had a chat about my dislike and she was very patient in helping me understand his work. I spent a lot of time trying to understand my character Viola and researching Twelfth Night. My findings from this block were that although I am grateful for the experience, I do not wish to pursue any Shakespeare in my career and I am very at peace with that. One thing that I will take from this into the future is that just because I do not like something, doesn’t mean I have to be bad at it.
The lesson that I believe has had the most impact on me this year was Artistic Development with Claire. This lesson has been extremely useful in teaching me about all aspects of the industry. One of the most useful but challenging parts of this lesson were the mock auditions. The only audition I have ever done was for drama school, so I was very new and nervous when Claire gave us the briefings. For the first audition with Claire, we auditioned for a fake children’s theatre company. Though I believe this went well, I knew I could’ve been bolder with my choices. The second audition was for Leeds Playhouse and in front of a panel of teachers. For this one, I made sure to do background research of the play, research on what the next season of shows are at the Playhouse and who worked there that would be important to me. I also made sure that I knew enough about my character to be able to play them truthfully. The third audition was with casting director Suzy Catliff. I took the same approach to my research but also made sure to make clear choices for the characters physicality due to playing an animal. Upon reflecting on the experience of the auditions as a whole, I could have definitely made bolder choices and committed more to my decisions. Though I did not receive call backs or much feedback, I am using it as an opportunity to work harder when it comes to an audition in the future.
Summative Statement
Establishing myself as a performer for the industry has faced a bit challenging this year. However, I have pushed through the struggles and made it through the other side with a pretty clear view of my hopes and goals. I am more excited than ever to start working and to feel fulfilled in my career.
My goal for third year is to embrace who I am and understand that my differences are what make me marketable. I am learning every day to be grateful and proud of where I come from and am no longer embarrassed of my accent or background. Though realistically I know that I will not get an abundance of work speaking in my own accent, I know it is a selling point for me and to push it forward towards agents when it comes to contacting and meeting with them. As well as this, I understand how important it is as a queer woman to stand true to my identity and not hide myself in order to appease others. I am currently reading books with collections of queer monologues and am hoping to find one to possibly use as recorded media for my spotlight.
In terms of industry research, I now have many lists of resources and contacts that I am able to keep so that I can invite people to shows, contact agents or refer back to for website information, any links to courses etc. Though the process of researching the industry has been daunting, I am in a secure place to begin selling myself as a performer. I am aware of my selling points, rough casting type, playing age and the line of performance that I wish to go down. With my research in my back pocket, I now know how to achieve what I want to do, it’s just now putting it into action.
In overview, my confidence and knowledge have flourished this year and I feel very comfortable where I am at in my training. I know how to get to the place that I want to be and which steps it is necessary for me to take. I hope that I can continue to progress and prove to not only everyone but also myself, that I deserve to work in this industry. I am very much looking forward to getting back into a rehearsal room during projects and auditioning for third year.
