(SHR5C004A~001) Haydens Portfolio

Year 2 artistic portfolio.

INTRODUCTION

During my 2^nd year of studies I have begun preparing for 3^rd year shows, with refining audition practices to all the preparation involved leading up to the shows. I have started thing of myself as a marketable product in the industry because that what I am and will be. This realisation has led to long chats with myself and piers about everything from Headshots, agencies and CV’s to how to vocally warm up on a public train ride to an audition.

This portfolio contains all they key learning moments from this past year and all the marketing materials I have created. I have also added strategies and tactics to further my knowledge within the industry and the craft of being an Actor Musician.

INDUSTRY RESEARCH

To prepare for going into the industry as an actor musician, I looked into a range of theatres across Leeds, Liverpool and Wales that match the work I’m interested in, especially physical theatre, comedy and intense drama. I focused on companies that either produce their own work or do touring productions, including subsidised producing theatres, commercial theatres and community led companies (see image 1)

Looking at both current and past productions, I started to see clear differences in what each theatre focuses on, for example Leeds Playhouse has done Macbeth and also the Who’s Tommy, which shows a mix of classical drama and actor muso performances, the Liverpool Everyman has done productions of Death of a Salesman which is more text driven work. In contrast, Slung Low create large scale immersive productions and lots of community driven work, (image 01)

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I found that Theatre Clwyd do large scale productions including Pantos like Jack and the giant bean stalk which are relevant to me as an actor musician. These theatres highlight the more commercial driven side of the industry.

This research helped me see where I fit within the industry, based on my training as an actor musician I am drawn to the physical and ensemble-based work, like the production of reception in Slung Low. I also want to develop my skills in more text based as seen in the Everyman and Playhouse. At the same time the opportunities for more musical based performances are at the Theatre Clwyd.

My headshot and name are the most prominent elements of my CV, as they are the key identifiers casting professionals remember. I used a special font for my name to reflect my personality. The layout uses bold headings and clear sections so that all information is easily accessible.

The most relevant information is placed at the top of the CV, allowing for a quick casting assessment. The subtle design choices and colour help outline my blue eyes which are my most prominent features.

The credits I have included reflect the styles of work I am interested in engaging with, including actor musician shows and contemporary performances.

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Headshot research

After researching and comparing some photographers (see image 02) I decided that L1 photography would be best suited for me. Reason being is how natural the images feel and look. The headshots have depth and clarity, but don’t rely on over stylised editing to create that effect. Instead the lighting feels soft and honest which allows they eyes and face to remain the focus. I was especially drawn to this because it gives the photographs a professional quality whilst still feeling open and genuine.

In comparison, the other photographers I looked at, such as Mark Skeet and Steve Lowrey also produced fairy strong professional headshots. However, their styles felt too polished or stylised in a way that doesn’t really suit what I am looking for at this stage. Some of their headshots (see image 02) relied more on contrast or a more defined look, which while effective, it feels less adaptable across a wide range of casting opportunities. But I’m looking for something that feels neutral and flexible, instead of something that puts me in a specific type cast.

I found that the L1’s headshots of people with similar colouring to me, hair, eyes and skin, were photographed in a way that looked balanced and natural. This is really important to me because these features can easily be washed out or made to look too harsh depending on the lighting. In the headshots I looked at the warmth and brightness of those images brought out those features clearly whilst maintaining the natural look. Although L1 is not the cheapest option I researched, price is not the deciding factor for me, The photographer is also very close to where I am based at home.

I want my headshots to show warmth, openness and professionalism, but also act as a blank canvas that allows me to be considered for a range of roles, from contemporary screen work to more classical or family-based theatre. The natural tone and clarity of L1’s work reflect the kind of energy I feel I bring into a room.

What I want to do/create

Being in the second year of my training I feel far more secure and confident in the direction that I am heading in compared to first year. During first year I found the experience overwhelming as I was being exposed to a wide range of practitioners, disciplines and ways of working all at once. Whilst it was valuable it left me unsure about where I specifically fitted within the industry and what areas I wanted to prioritise. This year I feel much more focused and grounded in my training. I have developed a clearer understanding of the skills I want to strengthen, particularly in my musician ship and my knowledge of practitioners. I find that I am now actively retaining what I learn and applying it rather than just being exposed to it.

Following graduation, I see myself building experience across both performance and musicianship, initially through playing in bands and taking on smaller scale theatre work. I recognise the importance of developing consistency and experience early on.

Productions that reflect the work I want to do include rock n roll pantomime, which is high energy with live music, The Crucible which h is more text driven work and offers phycological depth and also the Bat Out Of Hell which shows the high scale intensity of music led performances.

I would also like to act in plays that are about boxers. This is a topic I am very passionate about because I am yet to see a play or film about a boxer or fighter where it really looks like they are having a fight, I have researched some boxing plays (see image 3) that I would love to work in. I feel like I can show what it means to be a highly skilled boxer on stage. And with my experience I feel like I can translate the emotional journey a real boxer goes through to the audience. I would also love to write, direct and star in a play/movie about a boxer/fighter. I would spend most the time on the stage combat side of things because that is what lacks in every fighter production.

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Key Learnings

Screen acting

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In first year I really enjoyed my screen acting classes but as I went into my second year, I realised that I don’t know much about the industry of screen acting itself and what it entails. If I got a role on a film/TV set, I wouldn’t know what to expect. So, this year I made it a mission to understand the terminology used in that industry and what to expect going into it (see image 4)

Artistic development

Throughout second year it became increasingly apparent that I was unaware of the industry around me. By that I mean, what types of theatres are they, what does that mean for me, who are the important people in these theatres, how do these theatres get money to start. These are important questions that I needed to figure out (see appendix 5). When that was all figured out it struck me that I had little information on the relating arts industries such as voice acting which opened doors to the realisation of the opportunities in that industry (see image 6)

Acting

During 1^st year with acting, i rarely breached the surface of character research and often times just thought and spoke about my character and the world of the play. I never really dug deep into the fine details of my character which is what sets apart a good actor from a decent actor. So going into my second year I really tried to get down with my characters by asking myself written questions to genuinely figure them out. Once I figured them out, I could become them. (see appendix) I found it useful this year to write out how I am feeling about the character and the process of learning the character and the play (see appendix) this often helped me uncover any questions or feelings I had about the play.

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When drafting my biography, I aimed to create a clear and structured piece that highlights both my performance strengths and musical ability as an actor-musician. The structure remained consistent across drafts to ensure clarity and accessibility, following a format commonly used within the industry.

In my final draft (see image) I selected words such as ‘energetic’, ‘versatile’ and ‘enthusiastic’ to reflect both my personality and working style. I chose to begin with my musical ability, as this is central to my identity as an actor musician and a key consideration for casting professionals. This allows my strengths to be communicated clearly without diminishing my development across multiple instruments.

I then included a concise overview of my training ad performance experience, highlighting contrasting roles to show my range. Professional work was incorporated to show engagement beyond training. Finally, I finished with my motivations and future ambitions, ensuring the biography reflects both my current skillset and direction as a performer.

Who I would like to work with

Thinking about the future and company’s I would like to work with after I graduate, also got me wondering about what; directors, casting directors, agents/ agencies and playwrights, I would like to work with too. I like the idea of working with the director Tamara Harvey as I have seen her rock n roll pantos like jack and the giant beanstalk at Theatre Clwyd and its some of those shows that inspired me to become an actor musician. I would also like to work with a playwright who has a similar style to Sarah Kane as I enjoyed working on extracts of blasted and enjoyed the impact that genre of theatre had on me and the audience. So, I would love to work with Alice Birch as she has done similar work such as ‘anatomy of suicide’ and ‘many moons. Another amazing playwright I would love to work with is Chris O’Connor. I would like to work with him because he supplies new emerging work like ‘through it all together’ and works with the Leeds Playhouse, where I would also love to perform. I like the fact he also does the classics like ‘Frankenstein’. I have done some research on what agents/ agencies I would like to work with. Morello Cherry is a solid option for me because I know they supply a lot of auditions for professional roles (Netflix and west end). Penny Lane actor’s agency is another good option because I am family friends with the owner and I feel that would help with the number of auditions I get, the agency also hosts free master classes every month in ; accents, acting, music. It also helps that they offer auditions in film and TV. Articulate Agency is a Leeds based agency that deals with a lot of high-end drama and film roles. I have a friend who is in that agency who says there’s a large inflow of audition tapes which sounds perfect for me. And my end goal agency would to be with Curtis Brown agency as they have a really good crossover between TV/Film and theatre and it would be amazing to be under the sae agency as Robbert Pattinson and Stellan Skarsgard.

SUMMATIVE STATEMENT

This year has taught me a lot about what it’s like to be an Actor Musician and what my process is. Whether that be a vocal warmup exercise or a pirouette in one of Carlys classes. I feel confident that I am a well-rounded actor musician and prepared to go out into the industry and get and make work.

One of my biggest learning curves came this year came when Claire Edan helped me discover that I was using what she called ‘Haydens Stage Voice’. This was where I put on a bigger more unnatural voice when performing. That note came back again during mock auditions with Lucy Casson, where I did not get through which was partially due to me using the ‘Haydens Stage Voice’ again. Difficult as that was, I needed to hear it and am now getting it gone and bringing in my natural voice.

Another major learning curve this year came in FM, where I was playing an alcoholic student. Because of my own past experiences with alcohol, I found it affecting my performances as I was lacking the balance between personal connection and technical control. Tyrel (our director) helped me find that balance by telling me that it doesn’t need to be a character with my version of alcoholism, he said also said that I can create my own separate version. I have also become much more aware of how tension in my body effects my performances on stage. Esther pointed out that I carry high tension in my neck and shoulders, once I noticed I realised how much it closed me off physically which also links to what Tyrell was saying. During Macbeth I learned that I need to stay more actively aware of my scene partner and more open to them.

The project that shows off my growth in the best light would be the Rock n Roll pantomime we did of ‘A Lad In Leads’ where I played Abanazer. The process showed me how much stronger I’ve become as an ensemble member and actor-muso. We had to learn a lot of material very quickly and it demanded that I balance learning songs, lyrics, stage work and script all at once. It made me put my sight readings, vocal and physical warmups and organisation into practice because I wanted to arrive ready for work every day. It also pushed me in performance because I was able to write and perform a rap on stage for the first time which was an epic experience. Alongside that, the Moors, directed by Sean Linen was a big turning point. Playing The Mastiff (a dog) made me realise that I can much more unusual work than I had previously given myself credit for. Developing my American accents has been a real breakthrough as it was my biggest struggling points last year and now one of my most effortless practices.

This year has also changed how I understand my casting type. At the start of the year, I thought I am more suited to the ‘rough’, ‘bully’, ‘cool’ roles, but have learned from Matt that I am the more ‘goofy friend’ kind of role. Voice and movement training have been supported that shift. Jo has kept reminding me that my voice is very naturally resonant and carry’s very well, but I need to stop pushing it and forcing it because it ruins the sound. This made me tailor my voice and physical warmups to relax my vocal cord area and the muscles in my neck and shoulders especially.

The Moors

What I have found helpful this year that I will carry on into our 3^rd year shows was my rehearsal process techniques from The Moors project directed by Sean Linnen. What I did differently was the amount of detailed research I did into the world of the play and characters (see images). Doing that really made me comfortable in the Mastiffs skin and allowed me to correctly explore the world. Another practice that I will continue is when Tyrell was working with us on the ‘FM’ script. I wrote myself out questions about my character and answered them (see image) this not only helped me discover more about my own character but also helped me form my own opinions on my character. I also journalled the process too (see image). This just helped my mental health as it stopped me getting confused on what we were doing and how I was feeling. During accent/voice lessons with Collette, she taught me a valuable lesson on unpicking a person’s speech (see image). This really resonated with me because I feel I have now got another tool to help unpick and understand the speech of future characters in 3^rd year shows.