New! 5 mins Exercise for Actors on Stage vs. Film Acting

Actor Rajat Kapoor,  Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee | A stage and film scene

I had been working a lot with young actors experienced in nothing but theater. They come to me fresh from their theater acting school with bad habits learned from teachers who haven�t acted in decades, and ask me to teach them the mysterious art of �film acting.�
I smile and ask �Why this simple question?�
Finding them looking embarrassed at my question, I explain them in simple words:

• The only difference between acting for film and stage is the venue.
• A film presents your performance to viewers at closer range. There�s nothing �deep� about the difference; it�s just like moving from outdoor Theater to a small room.
• In film, you are acting in front of a camera, and you need to speak in a normal voice with restrained body movements. And on stage, you are standing on a river bank talking to a group of people standing on the other side across the bank and trying to listen to you and understand your gestures. So you have to speak loudly with a bit of exaggerated gestures.

Stage Vs. Film

Stage Acting Vs. Film Acting Exercise
Emotion: Anger     Attitude: Frustrated

I gave them the following two liner to prepare

"Kya samzha hai mujhko? Dekh loonga teray ko! Meray khilaf zhoonti gavahi di! Kis se paisa khaya tooney? Beta nahin to yanhi tuzhe maar daloonga!"

When they memorized their lines, I told them to deliver in 2 different ways




Situation 1
Deliver your lines briskly walking 10 feet, shouting, eyes popping out with exaggerated hands and body gestures

Situation 2
Deliver your lines walking slowly 3 feet, speaking your lines hissing with teeth clenched and with  facial expressions without exaggeration. (Only your hand and fingers raised to, if need be, up to shoulders only).

Under Situation 1, it was Acting for Theatre
Under Situation 2, it was Acting for Film

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Why 90% Aspiring Actors for Bollywood Fail and Exceptions

The Fact File of Actors: Why you Fail And Solutions

1. "The only people who succeed as actors are those who have to be actors". This is something I have been telling people for years. If you can be happy doing anything else in life, you may fail to be an actor.
2. If you start on a doubtful note wondering if acting is what you should try to do, you will fail. Remember, those who have to be actors do not wonder or even care much about those things. They just go out and be actors because they must do that. If you have any reason why you may fail-- lack of money, attitude problems like oversensitive, angry young man/woman, worrying type who easily gets disturbed, language, diction, voice, height, weight color of your skin etc, you may fail. 
3. Many struggling actors keep doing the same thing over and over in spite of their techniques failing, expecting different results.  Those who have to be successful actors go out and be actors because they change themselves and their strategies, mostly on the advice of their personal coach or some industry guide.
4. Acting is not just a career choice; it is a lifestyle choice! It involves a great deal of self-motivation, sacrifice and continued effort. If you are not a good self-starter, if you cannot live without the common comforts and conveniences and/or if you cannot be persistent to stay with your desire for years to be an actor in spite of everything, then you will most likely fail. 
5. For an actor, success is not fame and fortune, success is an ultimate objective his existence.
6. Lastly, my strong views are:  Apart from getting trained from a school (if you choose so), have a coach (mentor) for a reasonable period of time. If you blindly try to become an actor on your own without guidance from someone who knows the Bollywood or TV Serials or Commercial casting game,  your chances for success are diminished.  
7. It won�t be wrong to point out that finding a coach who is willing to help you and then ignoring his/her advice is not only rude, but also is a way to fail. (Based on source)

Bollywood Super Stars Who Failed to Become Successful.

Here are the exceptions that understood their mistakes, persisted for a long period and changed themselves in every aspect of their craft and attitude reaching to the top:

1. As a nobody, Manoj Kumar worked as a ghostwriter at different studios for films and was paid Rs 11 per scene.

2. Much before becoming mega star, Amitabh Bachchan spent some nights on a bench on Marine Drive in Mumbai. It is also well known that he was rejected by a radio company more than once. Big B was not even given a chance to audition. Many a times he was rejected in auditions.

3. Former BCCI president PM Rungta paid for Dilip Kumar�s tram tickets as the struggling actor had no money to go to film studios from his home. After initial rejections he worked on his attitude and was a great star!

4. As a newcomer, Madhuri Dixit got plenty of negative feedback from the industry. Even then reigning star Meenakshi Sheshadri was among those would feel Madhuri did not have it in her material to succeed in Bollywood.

5. After tasting failures in her initially, Zeenat Aman was ready to pack her bag and return to Germany with her mother. She analyzed herself as per a coach and then it happened. She was selected in �Hare Rama Hare Krishna� (1972. The rest is a history!

6. Dharmendra was the winner of a talent hunt, yet he had to bear extreme hardships for a year till �Bandini� came his way. There were numerous days when Dharmendra did not even have a morsel of food, it has been reported. Another story goes that a producer once refused to pay for Dharmendra's taxi fare (His attitude?), following which the actor got very upset. Shashi Kapoor then took him home, and they had lunch.

7. Amjad Khan slogged for 10 years, did some insignificant roles and had virtually no money when �Sholay� came his way in 1973. The day Khan signed the film, his son Shadaab was born. There were also stories that Salim-Javed were unhappy with Amjad�s performance and wanted him replaced. Khan survived all that and went on to create.

8. Sanjeev Kumar, who is rated amongst the greatest actors of Indian cinema, had failed a screen test conducted for a Rajshri film. He was part of numerous C-grade stunt films before turning the tide with some amazement.

9. At a recent event, Shah Rukh Khan revealed that he had to struggle for 20 years to get his super hit. When he came to Mumbai he did not have money to eat. He even slept on the roads for many days near Oberoi Hotel. He and his friends used the Oberoi washroom, behaving as they stayed at the hotel itself. SRK also recalled that in those days he did not even know that there was Mumbai beyond Haji Ali.

10. Govinda, who used to stay in a Chawl in Virar, would go to Rajshri Studio every day, but was rejected on the basis of being too young and with a bad diction. Not disheartened, On an advice from an expert (Coach), Govinda  made a show reel in which he was seen acting and dancing, and showed it to the production house.
Source

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4 Top Tips to Work on Your Role to Be A Great Actor

The "role" you got to play in a film or a play is called "Character"
The goal of any actor, is to be able to tell a story as a "character", so the main task from first reading to final performance is to develop that "character". This makes you a truly great actor!

Nothing thrills a casting director or a director more than a truly creative portrayal of a "Character" by an actor!.

From  a social and practical point of view what a "Character" in the role is which you intend portraying? And then, how to work and create your "Character" from the script?

Basically, his research shows that it�s you. And �you� are created from moment to moment from different circumstances. That�s what it is. That�s what creates different �you�s.�

• Hot Tea spilled on you at a restaurant. A different you is triggered.
• You ask your love mate to marry you. She declines. A different you is triggered.
• A stranger asks you for directions. A different you is triggered.

Let us try to analyze a "Character" and how  best to create within you  

A �Character� in a script which you are trying to create, then, is not what we think it is or, rather, what we want it to be. It is NOT a fixed, easily identifiable set of closely related traits (attributes), and it only seems that way because of the way our thought processes are organized. Consequently, we built up a profile of a �Character� like a bundle of fixed habits which remain the same throughout the entire period of the �Character� in a script (Story). Seldom have we changed it based on tempo-rhythm of a story, circumstance and context.

1. One of the reasons of this could be our ignorance of the objective of the script and the �Character� and how this objective is achieved by a story writer. Perhaps a lack of analysis of changes in a story and how my �Character� will behave.
2. So just like in our personal life, circumstances and relevance in a script may evoke the many-sided traits (attitudes, emotions, attitudes etc) and reactions in a �Character� and we have to work on a character's profile, keeping in consideration how a character trait will change.  Personally, sometimes we like what we have created, sometimes we don�t. 
3. Learn our selves. If we can learn our own selves, our traits and how we behave in different life situations, we can explore  a �Character� better based on the changes in the script and become everything we want in our work: fearless, vulnerable, expressed, and transformative. Just like as we aspire to in life.
4. In my opinion, we have never to struggle hard on ourselves to be a particular and a non-dynamic �Character� as narrated in a script. That may not look real. Instead, create a vibrant profile of a �Character�, develop and sharpen those traits which match you and drop what doesn�t match you. Based on source

Some other simple tips

To facilitate the above, work on questions and  answers

While analyzing and creating your "Character" from the every change in the story (script), ask yourself

1. Who am I?

2. Where am I?

3. When is it?

4. Where have I just come from?

5. What do I want at this moment?

6. Why do I want it?

7. Is it different from what I did in earlier situation?

8. How will I get what I want and by doing what?

9. Is it creative and real about once what I have decided to do?

Updated recent post

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What is an Actor? 50 Great Views by Celebrities!

Main Tera Hero: Bollywood heartthrob Varun Dhawan along with his bombshell co-stars - Ileana D'Cruz and Nargis Fakhri

Hi aspiring actor!

Your main goal as an actor, is to be the face (and body) of the human condition. Think of yourself as a diplomat for all mankind. The beauty of acting is the ability to "play" in the role of another human being, representing him/her to the best and most natural of our ability. The acting is communication. You, as an actor, have the honored task of creating (or recreating) life on the stage or in front of a camera. You must be able to reflect all sorts of characters, some of whom may even seem odd or distasteful to you. That's the challenge and the reward of acting!

One of the first actors is believed to be an ancient Greek called Thespis of Icaria (year 12 BC).

The skills required to be an actor

Acting requires a wide range of skills, including vocal projection, clarity of speech, physical expressivity, emotional facility, a well-developed imagination, and the ability to interpret drama or comedy. Acting also often demands an ability to employ dialects, accents and body language, improvisation, observation and emulation, mime, and training on stage/ film combat. Many actors train at length in special programs or coaches and schools to develop these skills, and today the vast majority of professional actors has undergone extensive combat practice. Even though one actor may have years of training, they always strive for more lessons; the cinematic and theatrical world is always changing and because of this, the actor must stay as up to date as possible. Actors and actresses will often have many coaches and teachers for a full range of training involving, but not limited to, singing, scene-work, monologue techniques, audition techniques, and working with  co-actors work.
Based on

Here is what celebrities say about acting

1. The acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.

~ Sanford Meisner

2. An actor is a fool for God.

~ Gerardine Clark

4. The best acting is instinctive. It's not intellectual, it's not mechanical, it's instinctive.

~ Craig MacDonald

5. That's what makes acting so attractive. You get to break all your own rules.

~Gerardine Clark

6. Acting should be bigger than life. Scripts should be bigger than life. It should all be bigger than life.

~ Bette Davis

7. Acting is standing up naked and turning around very slowly.

~ Rosalind Russell

Acting Quotes

8. Acting is not about being someone different. It's finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there.

~ Meryl Streep

9. Good acting -- real acting is impossible to spot. Do you ever catch talents like Robert Duvall or Kathy Bates acting? No. I defy you to show me where.

~ William Esper

10. Stop explaining yourself. Shut up and act!

~ Craig MacDonald

Practical Acting Quotes

Acting quotes to remember when you're working.

11. Find in yourself those human things which are universal.

~ Sanford Meisner

12. The more personal, the more universal.

~ Gary Ballinger

13. An actor has to burn inside with an outer ease.

~ Michael Chekhov

14. Use what you know. Don't worry about what you don't know.

~ Michael Shurtleff

15. The actor has to develop his body. The actor has to work on his voice. But the most important thing the actor has to work on is his mind.

~ Stella Adler

16. An ounce of behavior is worth a pound of words.

~ Sanford Meisner

17. Conflict is what creates drama. The more conflict actors find, the more interesting the performance.

~ Michael Shurtleff

18. If you really do want to be an actor who can satisfy himself and his audience, you need to be vulnerable.

~ Jack Lemmon

19. Creating relationship is the heart of acting. It is basic. It is essential.

~ Michael Shurtleff

20. Listening is not merely hearing. Listening is reacting. Listening is being affected by what you hear. Listening is active.

~ Michael Shurtleff

21. Whatever you decide is your motivation in the scene, the opposite of that is also true and should be in it.

~ Michael Shurtleff

22. Humor [in a scene] is not jokes. It is that attitude toward being alive without which you would long ago have jumped off the 59th Street Bridge.

~ Michael Shurtleff

23. Every scene you will ever act begins in the middle, and it is up to you, the actor, to provide what comes before.

~ Michael Shurtleff

24. The first step to a better audition is to give up character and use yourself.

~ Michael Shurtleff

25. Competition [in a scene] is healthy. Competition is life. Yet most actors refuse to acknowledge this. They don't want to compete. They want to get along. And they are therefore not first-rate actors.

~ Michael Shurtleff

26. Honesty isn't enough for me. That becomes very boring. If you can convince people what you're doing is real and it's also bigger than life -- that's exciting.

~ Gene Hackman

27. Take nothing for granted. Make an emotional discovery as often as you can find one in every scene. Ask yourself: What is new?

~ Michael Shurtleff

28. There's only one reason why a character drinks: to seek confrontation. To fight for what they want in ways normally denied them.

~ Michael Shurtleff

29. My job is usually to express emotion as freely as possible.

~ Meryl Streep

30. I'm curious about other people. That's the essence of my acting. I'm interested in what it would be like to be you.

~ Meryl Streep

31. I think the most liberating thing I did early on was to free myself from any concern with my looks as they pertained to my work.

~ Meryl Streep

32. I believe in imagination. I did Kramer vs. Kramer before I had children. But the mother I would be was already inside me.

~ Meryl Streep

33. All an actor has is their blind faith that they are who they say they are today, in any scene.

~ Meryl Streep

34. The most difficult character in comedy is that of the fool, and he must be no simpleton that plays that part.

~ Miguel de Cervantes

35. Actors think more with their hearts than with their heads.

~ William Esper

Funny Acting Quotes

Acting quotes to make you laugh.

36. Show me a great actor and I'll show you a lousy husband. Show me a great actress, and you've seen the devil.

~ W. C. Fields

37. Acting is all about honesty. If you can fake that, you've got it made.

~ George Burns

38. The theater has never been any good since the actors became gentlemen.

~ W.H. Auden

39. Actors die so loud.

~ Henry Miller

40. I love acting. It is so much more real than life.

~ Oscar Wilde

41. If I wasn't an actor, I'd be a secret agent.

~ Thornton Wilder

Even More Acting Quotes

42. The word theatre comes from the Greeks. It means the seeing place. It is the place people come to see the truth about life and the social situation.

~ Stella Adler

43. I'm a skilled professional actor. Whether or not I've any talent is beside the point.

~ Michael Caine

44. Acting in theatre or television or screen is only for the irrecoverably diseased, those so smitten with the need that there is no choice.

~ Michael Shurtleff

45. Why, except as a means of livelihood, a man should desire to act on the stage when he has the whole world to act in, is not clear to me.

~ George Bernard Shaw

46. There's nothing more boring than unintelligent actors, because all they have to talk about is themselves and acting. There have to be other things.

~ Tim Robbins

47. Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.

~ Stella Adler

48. I think your self emerges more clearly over time.

~ Meryl Streep

49. I need to go where people are serious about acting.

~ Meryl Streep

50. The work will stand, no matter what.

~ Meryl Streep

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Wanna be in Films? Don't Miss Advice from Superstar SRK

An Inspiration to Aspiring Actors! Super Star Shah Rukh Khan

�It took me 20 years to be an overnight success�: Shah Rukh Khan (Source)

This shows how much of hard work, time, patience and perseverance is required to be a successful actor. This is a lesson to all struggling and aspiring actors. SRK may be perhaps the only superstar who in spite of the fame and tons of money works 14 hours a day or maybe more, even today!

So, dear aspiring actors, Don�t dream an overnight success.

An inspiration for many, Shah Rukh Khan says struggling actors should be concerned about their craft rather worrying about looks.
Asked whether he would like to give any tips to struggling actors, he said: �You have to work hard and focus on acting. Yes PR and portfolio are all important, but acting is more important. Focus on acting.� 

Now a superstar, Shah Rukh had entered the movies with �Deewana�, in which he played a second fiddle, and worked his way up to be a superstar.
�Nobody becomes an actor by planning things. Don�t focus on your clothes or make-up. Focus on your acting,� he said on the sidelines of his birthday celebrations. SRK turned 49 Sunday.

The actor rose so high in the firmament that he was given the title of �Bollywood Badshah�. The 49-year-old says he takes pride in being an outsider who made it big in filmdom.

Shah Rukh said: �I feel proud about the fact that I am an outsider. This industry has been harsh at times� at times it loves you and at times it punishes you.�

�There are a lot of people responsible for who I am today. I don�t think I can ever play character Shah Rukh Khan in any film because I don�t think my personal life is so important. I think I am too small a person and have a long way to go,� added Shah Rukh.
(Source) November 4, 2014 2:03 pm

Why Shah Rukh Khan focuses on "To be concerned about your craft?" Because, though developing your looks, body, voice and marketing and promotion is important, nothing can really replace excelling in the acting craft! Yes, to be a top professional actor! It's like a quality of a product and its beautiful packaging. Both may be essential for a product to sell, but obviously, quality comes first. Isn't it?

Therefore, it is strongly suggested that you develop your acting craft by getting professionally trained either by an acting coach or by a good acting school. 

And the final words; continue updating your craft periodically till you die!

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No Break in Films? Worried? Depressed? 7 Proven Solutions

Worry and Depression is common with aspiring actors

Scientifically-Backed Terrific Ways To Stop Excessive Worrying and be a Successful Actor

Worry is something that all actors deal with, but it is one of the most dangerous emotions actors (also even non actors) experience. Worry is scientifically proven to harm us in many ways. Worry hurts, especially actors emotionally, physically, and mentally. Worry takes many different forms and we all have a different response to it.
There are some great ways to combat worry though.

Listed below are 10 scientifically backed ways to stop excessive worrying.

Worry, feeling uneasy or troubled, seems to plague multitudes of people in our world today. It's human nature to be concerned about the bad situations. In case of actors, bad situations could be 

• Continuous or frequent rejections in auditions
• Resultant long periods of inactivity leading to financial instability
• Poor performance on a set and consequently, getting replaced by another actor
• Lack of appreciation
• Lack of acceptance
• Shattered self-image of being most beautiful or handsome
• Lack of knowledge of Bollywood and TV serial world
• Sarcastic remarks by casting directors, coordinators or even by co-stars on poor acting, not memorizing lines properly, and camera acting knowledge
• Consequently, developing bad habits like alcoholism, womanizing to name a few! 
• Self-pity, negativity, brooding and depression 

In our creative world or even in our personal lives, if we not careful, the devil called �worry� which is beyond reasonable will destroy our lives.
Worry is like a rocking chair�it's always in motion, but it never gets you anywhere. So why do we struggle with it? And what good does it do? Worry is the opposite of faith, and it steals our peace, physically wears us out, and can even make us sick. When we worry, we torment ourselves.

In my long career of more than 50 years as an actor, filmmaker, an acting coach and marketing expert, I have suffered with all the above symptoms, but I resolved to win over this devil and fought out successfully with determination and patience

 

Solutions to Fight Out the Devil of �Excessive Worry�

 

 

 

  1. Exercise

Exercise helps to produce happiness, feel good group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system and having a number of favorable body functions (endorphins). Exercise reduces stress in so many ways. You can get your tension out through kick-boxing, yoga, running, swimming, and so much more. Exercise will give you a new path to focus on that is not worrying. Exercise lets you focus on getting better yourself. With the focus on health, you will naturally stop worrying.

2. Develop the Habit of Writing (Journaling)

Keeping a diary (journal) can be a good way to stop worrying. By writing down your thoughts, you might see that they are not anything to worry about after all. Writing can be very medicinal. It helps you get to the heart of the issue. When we write, we don�t worry about anything but the words on the page. Just write about anything that makes you happy, sad, stressed, or angry. A study published in Psychotherapy Research showed that participants who wrote daily their feelings are likely to have lower levels of anxiety than those who were not writing.

3. Speak it Out (Venting)

Talking to someone about your worries is a great way to stop them right in their beginning. Often, someone else will have advice or something to add into the conversation to make you feel a little calmer.  Don�t be afraid to ask the other person�s advice while speaking with them. Attempt to find someone who has been in a similar situation as you are in. Knowing that the worry will eventually end is beneficial, so keep that in mind.

4. Be a Volunteer

The best way to stop thinking about you is to be a volunteer of some social service or help someone else. When the focus shifts away from us, we see that our problems are small in comparison to the problems of others. Changing your perspective may change your mind about what is worth worrying about. Many experts, (for example Rodlescia Sneed,
CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, Department of Psychology, USA) claims that volunteering is vital to stress reduction. Other studies claim that less than 100 hours a year is enough to make a big difference is how you handle worry. So get out there, find an organization that you are interested in, and see how your worry decreases.

5. Meditate

Find a calming mantra to fixate your mind on throughout the day.
Learn Yoga and Pranayam, Self-Hypnotism and Auto-Suggestion. Slowly, you will learn to relax and be worriless in just 3 to 5 minutes, lying down, sitting or even standing.

(For actors, we at (Bollywood Best Actor Academy 9920991661) are perhaps the only personalized acting coaching in the world which designs this technique based on individual requirement, teaches and ensures an actor's or a common person's success.) 

6. Be Creative

Creativity, like exercise gives a great outlet for stress relief. Put all your emotions into making something just according to your �beautiful�, maybe a nice poem, a piece of art or a recipe. Or develop a new hobby like singing, dancing, storytelling for kids, cooking etc.  Creating something is a good use of time, unlike worry. Creativity gives us the option to change anything, unlike worry.

7. Pray

Speaking to a higher power about your problems is a safe way to get relief from worry. Acknowledging that there is something or someone looking out at you, for you will give you peace. Find encouraging mantras, verses and quotes from your religious books to get peace and motivation and get rid of excessive worry. A popular prayer in English that helps a lot of people release worries is which goes-

 �God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.�

Remember, when we focus on finding creative ways to address our issues with excessive worry, we will succeed in beating it once and for all.

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7 Acting Skills Hacked! Schools Don't Know or Teach

Many of you have gone to good acting schools, got a fancy piece of certificate which says � Certified Great Performing Actor� and come out elated thinking that now all top directors will approach and you will become a Bollywood star, soon!
In school, you played lots of lead roles, and took lots of acting, voice, and movement classes, studied Meisner, Stanislavsky etc... etc.. Wow!
Fancy certificate in hand, you move in Mumbai week after week with inappropriate headshots, a mediocre small type role in an unknown short film or in a TV serial and wonder �Where are all these high paying acting jobs I�m supposed to be getting? I was a top student in my acting school and now what�s happening?� As the time passes and you continue to fail in auditions, slowly the truth starts dawning upon you� there are certain parts of my acting craft like how to fight tension and nervousness you have not learnt and secondly, there are some aspects apart from the craft of acting you do not know.
The clock is ticking and you may or may not realize there is this whole �business� side of acting nobody had told you about. Wake up! You need to change your approach, be nice, and come up with a game plan.

Things they may not know or forget to train in an acting school:

1. You aren�t a star. 

You may have gotten a standing ovation for playing a particular �character� or an improvisation along with co-students in an acting school class, but once you have completed the course and out into this ruthless competitive world of �looking for a break�, REMEMBER- you are not yet a star. You will be in the audition room with people who don�t have any training, who have never taken an acting class, and yet have bagged roles. Some of them already have tons of big TV serials and film credits. And guess what? They are up for the same character you are auditioning for. Accept this bitter truth! Everyone is in the same boat now, trained or not!

2. Remember-the acting is a business, also. 

It�s one thing to be a good actor; it�s another thing to be a �smart� actor. An acting school is all about the �art.� They try to make you a good product. In the real world, it�s about the �business� in a highly competitive market. This market is a �buyers� market and here the buyers are influential agents and coordinators, casting directors, directors and producers. This is not a �sellers� market until you become a marketable �Star�, which at present means �you� and thousands of others like you!
Nobody is going to come knocking on your door begging you to act for them. They don�t have to. There are hundreds of aspiring actors knocking their doors who are ready to work for free, just to get a break. Firstly, you have to do the work to get noticed by these �buyers�. You have to promote yourself through your casting coordinators, agents, online and offline social networking, Email marketing, mailing, developing personal contacts, meeting production houses, casting directors and other people in the industry.
You have to combine artistry with the rules of-�How to be successful in a business�, if you want to make money doing this and support yourself. That means to begin with killer headshots, a good 2-3 minute demo reel (show reel), great audition monologues (that aren�t overused), and then add to this what I have mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Did your acting school train you on how to run this �business� of acting?
Therefore, you have to be a damn good CEO (chief executive officer) of your own �Business� apart from a being a good actor.

3. You can't live and expect based on �Your Past� right away. 

Initially you may  go for small roles, may be one liner roles, like saluting a guest and saying �Good evening sir� or if you are a female, just standing behind a doctor as a nurse. Depressing!
Yes, you were the lead in all your shows in school. Everyone told you how great you are. Now you have to go back to the bottom. The truth is, you won�t be seen in a TV serial or in films on regular roles without concrete television or film credits under your belt. The reality is that most actors, will have to start with co-star and guest star roles, and slowly build up their profile decorated with work clips before they are even considered for auditions for major serials for regular roles on television or in a film from a major production house. This might take years, and having a survival job (or three). Patience is the key.

4. You are a particular �type.� 

Not talking about dating with your girl or a boyfriend here. In an acting school, you play all types�you stretch, you play characters twice your age, play different emotions and attitudes and even switch genders! Now you are in an open cut throat market of Bollywood Mumbai or in a TV serial or commercials as a model. Remember, you now have a five-year age range (not 40), a height, a type of voice, an ethnicity, and a character �type� that defines you e.g. Villainous, chocolate boy, sexy and hot girl, village type, innocent etc..etc. There are thousands of other actors who have the same type. Accept and own it, embrace it, be the best actor in your type.
(See my previous post on Do you know your actor "type"?) 

5. You need to �be king or queen of the audition room.� 

When it comes to an actual performance on a television and film set, you can be an amazing actor, but terrible at auditioning, or a terrible actor, but wonderful, confident, and charming in auditions. You have to be �good in the room� as they say. You have to learn the fine art of as that is the gateway to your getting the job, and getting casting directors to �trust� you. Take an audition class may be with a private acting coach, see yourself on camera, and learn how to �Great� on screen. You have to understand tone, the rhythm of television, what works on camera, how to take down your performance for a medium shot, how to embrace your personality, make strong choices, and be authentic.

6. You are nervous and tense. 

It�s written all over your face. You are not comfortable and are tense in front of people, in front of  the camera, in your approach, attitude, posture, you forget your lines, and you are breathing heavily and sweating, oh my god what have done to yourself? A high degree of tenseness and nervousness is the biggest enemy of an actor and a sin. Though you might have learnt relaxation exercises under Stanislavsky techniques, but in my opinion, they are inadequate in today�s rapid paced filming environment and especially in the case of Indian actors who relatively are oversensitive. What they need is a well-planned individual exercises combing Indian and western techniques under yoga+ self-hypnosis+auto-suggestion. After a few sessions and continuing the practice, a student learns to relax his body and mind in less than 2 minutes even while sitting or even standing. Amazing, isn�t it?

7. �Be simple� 

If you don�t learn the art of acting for the camera, you will simply look �out of everything� technically and craft wise or your acting will be deemed �theater-y.� This is the most important, and takes a pretty good time to learn, which unfortunately schools don�t have because of the number of students and need to train individually.  Most casting directors for television and film will tell you �just keep it natural,� or �don�t act, just say the lines.�
And you start thinking and arguing in your mind �But I went to best acting school where it was taught �to be in a character� and imagine �If I�m so and so�

It doesn�t matter in practicality. You are no longer playing to your teacher in an acting class. Keep in mind you are playing to an HD camera three feet away, which magnifies everything you do, and even the smallest gestures can seem too big, and trying desperately to be in a �character� is dangerous. Be economical with your gestures, subtle with your emotions, and use your eyes. Just think and feel, instead of showing.

Training from an acting school can open doors for you. It can be amazing, and can give you the tools and technique to have a long, successful career. But being a professional actor is a different ball game and requires an additional set of skills, which involves all the above I have mentioned mainly knowing the market and how you fit into it, so you can put what you have learned in a school to good use. Training from a school is an invaluable part of the equation, but it�s just that: part of the equation.

(Admin: The author of this post and this blog apart from being an International Acting Coach, An Actor and a Filmmaker is an Ex-Vice President, Marketing in Multinational Companies for more than 30 years and an authority on marketing and training.) 

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16 Good and Relatively Cheap Acting Schools India

Take care in selecting a school!

To choose a good acting school is hard. To know how to choose well is harder. And to choose correctly in this Maya Nagri called Mumbai  where you have all the shades of people-good, bad and ugly is harder still, perhaps too hard.

We understand the human instinct well because it invariably follows a name and a fame whether it's a product, a person or being an aspiring actor-an acting school. Sometimes our dream, our passion and consequent  impatience for a quick success makes us blind. We forget an age old saying that "Everything Which Glitters is not Gold!". However, later we find out that our decision was wrong and through the experiences of others,  we realize that perhaps a little known product or a person or an establishment would have been a better choice.

Most of the aspiring actors join an acting school because of its publicity, name, the man behind the school or the number of students joining a school.
In my earlier post (This one) I have mentioned top acting schools of India. There is no doubt that they have a good reputation and some are really good and can join them if you can arrange sufficient money.

The question is by charging few lacs as a fee for their courses, whether they are cost effective or not and secondly, whether or not they have upgraded their training techniques with the changing times? And what happens after you have completed a course and have come out? Do they keep their doors open to help you or the doors are closed? What is the experience of others?
All these questions point to one single fact-

Investigate, Research and Research before you make your choice!

• Because, remember when you make a choice, you change the future! 
• Great Heroes or Heroins in films are made by the paths they choose, not only by the talent or powers they have.

Many of blog readers have asked me to give a list of more schools which are likely to be good, and may not be as expensive as the famous ones.

Here is the list with availaibIe details. 

You are strongly advised to visit these schools, investigate and then decide:

1. Monttage Film And Television Academy 
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-61616875
25a/ 303, 3rd Floor, Suyog Chs, Bimbisar Nagar, Near Mahananda Diary, Western Express Highway, Goregaon East, Mumbai - 400065
www.monttage.com

2. Attraction Acting Institute
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-67625307
G H Malkani Hall, Opposite Juhu Gymkhana Club, Near Juhu Church Bus Depot, Juhu, Mumbai - 400049

3. Figa (Frost Free Institute for Grooming Actors)
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-71044456
1003, Crescent Royale, Opposite Infiniti Mall, Behind Maurya House, Link Road, Andheri West, Mumbai - 400053
www.frostfreeproductions.com/figa

4. Puppets Acting Academy 
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-61429094
Evershine Nagar, Near Movie Time And Peoples Gym, Malad West, Mumbai - 400064

5. Rang Rasia Acting School
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-45106479
RUDRAKSH BUNGALOW, Near Janki Devi School, Four Bunglow, Mhada, opp.janki devi school bus stop, Andheri West, Mumbai - 400053
www.rangrasiaactingschool.com

6. Shweta Tiwari Creative School Of Acting
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-49173878
Office No 15, 2nd Floor, Hira Panna Mall, Oshiwara, Behind Shreejees Restaurant, Andheri West, Mumbai - 400053

7. RDG Management (Acting and modeling)
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-61425902
Office No 537/538, 5th Floor, Ijmima Complex, Near New Infinity Mall, Off New Link Road, Malad West, Mumbai - 400064
www.rdg-management.com

8. S R M Film School (In central Suburbs)
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-49172130
Mini Film City , Bamandev Compound, Near Swastik Hometown, Kasarvadavli, Ghodbunder Road, Thane West, Thane - 400601
www.srmfilmschool.com

9. Make Me Filmy
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-67305133
Plot No 42/42, Opposite Janki Devi School, Near Telephone Exchange, Mhada, Svp Nagar, Four Bunglows-Andheri West, Mumbai - 400053
www.makemefilmy.com

10. Actor Studio India
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-61621361
602, C Wing, La Chappele Building, Before Ryan International School, Malad West, Mumbai - 400064

11. Expression Acting School
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-49171043
Society No 81, D-6, Near Jankidevi School, Four Bunglows, Mhada, Andheri West, Mumbai - 400053

12. Little Actors Club (In South Mumbai)
Contact Information:
+(91)-9320130013
+(91)-22-22842845, 22842846, 22842847, 22842848
Hormuz Mansion, Near Cymroza Art Gallery, 72,Bhulabhai Desai Road, Breach Candy, Mumbai - 400026
www.aceproductions.biz

13. The Ita School Of Performing Arts
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-67731349+(91)-22-26347637, 61950301
Ground Floor Unit No 2, Techniplex 2, Near Goregaon MTNL, Opposite Hotel Grand Sarovar Premier, S V Road, Goregaon West, Mumbai - 400062
www.itaspa.in

14. Jehangir School Of Speech & Drama (Good for theater, speech and acting-South Mumbai)
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-23515270, 23513788, 23515604
4,Darbhanga Mansion, Near Usha Kiran, Carmichael Road, Cumballa Hill, Mumbai - 400026

15. Anahita Dastoor
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-26616339, 26614478
Ground Floor, Mazda Chaman, 13 Dattatray Road, Santacruz West, Mumbai - 400054

16. DON Bosco (Central Suburub Mumbai)
Acting and music classes
Contact Information:
+(91)-22-24145223
DON Bosco Comms, Opp Khalsa Colony, Matunga East, Mumbai - 400019

We can provide more names on request

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Dreaming to be a Bollywood Actor? Wake Up or Get Lost!

Amitabh Bachchan Past and Present- A Long Struggle Story

The Dream and Reality

I meet people all the time who say that to be an actor in Bollywood and in TV serials is their life�s dream and the No. 1 priority. They just jump into sea without knowing how to swim or whether the waters are ice cool or boiling or shallow or deep! They are so much deep into their fantasy of becoming an actor that they believe and fall prey to sharks and cheats of this industry who promises them an entry into films or serials.

Many of the aspiring actors who want to join my coaching ask, "Will you get me a role in TV serials or films after training?" And the reason they ask is due to a total ignorance of a selection process in which nobody can guarantee you a role except a casting director or a director depending upon how you perform in the front of a camera in audition and that you are the best to portray the character of the story you are auditioning for.

They just don't get the importance of getting professionally trained either by a good school or by a coach. Or selecting good coordinators or a need to promote themselves through networking and developing industry contacts.

After struggling for some time the interesting thing is that even though these folks have either postponed or completely stopped working toward their dreams, they still say that acting is their No. 1 priority�their dream. But it�s not what a person says, it�s what they do that demonstrates the truth.

• I think there are a few different reasons for this difference between A. Wanting something and B. Doing what it takes to get it. I believe most reasons are related to fear: If you never really try to succeed you can�t really fail. We all have some level of fear and if we are not aware of it we can never overcome it.
• First, you should courageously ask yourself: Do I really want to be an actor? The soul-searching honest answer may be that you are attached to the fantasy more than the reality. Because if the answer to this question is yes, the next question must be, What do I need to do to be a successful actor? The answer to this is a real reality check. 

1. Do you know each and every step to become an actor in cine and TV world, especially in India and Bollywood where there is a cut throat competition among thousands of aspiring actors?
2. Are you willing to prioritize the work that is required to become an excellent actor?
3. Are you ready to then work in every possible way to support that process; make the personal sacrifices necessary; and remove all obstacles with a fully committed spirit? Because if you are not, you might be attached only to your dream�not the reality.

I am amazed at Amitabh Bachchan He has worked for almost 50 years in Bollywood and still approaches every scene in a film or (now) on TV shows with fresh creativity and enthusiasm. And if you back to his beginning, he was rejected numerous time for bad looks and voice and immature acting. However, once he understood the game and how to win that that game, he was "committed" and worked relentlessly not only for a day or a month but for till he is alive! And the result is that his dream became a reality. He is an extraordinary actor who applies this level of commitment to everything in his life from his acting in his being a wonderful human soul.

Reading the life of Amitabh Bachchan, now do you realize what is required to be a successful actor?

Not everyone can achieve Amitabh Bachchan's level of success, but everyone can be in the process of pursuing their dreams. And if we do that�if we are doing what we love�then we are truly successful.

So, my dear aspiring actors: Is it only your dream to be an actor or are you making it your reality?

The blog you are reading now is one of the most unique online free sites to tell you what you have to do to be a successful actor. Take it as your Bible, your Ramayana or your Quran for acting. It only requests you don't remain in your dream-

Wake Up and Work to Make it a Reality 

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Guaranteed Entry! Follow These Golden Rules for Bollywood

Is it easy to get a Bollywood role?  Crowd for one of the auditions

Your Instrument in top shape

1. Make yourself look HOT!
Build up your physique and leave the competition behind. This is in your hand and determination

• Take care of your acting instrument and develop it by training regularly by-

A. How to use every part of your body e.g. Top of head, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, voice, neck, shoulders, hands and fingers for gestures, chest, waist, legs and walk
B. Mental faculties- sensitivity, emotions, logic, reactions, how to relieve tension by relaxation etc.

Ace Your Performance

2. About the fear of forgetting lines- Don�t worry. A retake can always be taken. The director wants just one good take. Learn new scientific and yogic memorizing techniques.

3. Be simple.

4. Don�t force a character on yourself. Find the character in you. Remember, a casting director (director) wants innovative reality and not artificiality in portraying the story�s character to bring originality and freshness.

5. Don�t worry about the quality of your performance. Just respond and start on �Action�

6. In front of a camera while giving a take, speak with authority, even wrong.

7. While performing, avoid uncertainty at any cost. It is a deadly sin.

8. Analyze script or lines and character carefully. Then develop your character.

9. While preparing character and performing, Take time (few seconds) to cross the bridge from-

A. Listening to responding
B. One subject to another. E.g. A shock followed by better news, a child falling, but not hurt
etc.

Winning Secrets

10. Aspiring actors! - Don�t believe everything is good and your dream will be fulfilled tomorrow. Test water before you jump to swim. Don�t trust industry people before a research and proper references.

11. Female aspiring actors! - Keep a logical closeness or distance from industry people. For girls, it is a fire. If you go too close you may burn and if too far you may freeze.

12. Develop a �Thick Skin� for living as an actor and climbing up to the top. This is absolutely necessary to bear rejections, disappointments, the bad behavior of others towards you etc.

13. Be an extrovert, shun shyness and develop a certain degree of �barge in� (just walk in attitude). This will help you in building social networking and meeting industry people. Remember, being a good actor is like a good product. People should know and use this good product or else the �product� fails. Avoid being �a diamond in the dust�!

14. Plan and arrange reasonable amount of money to fight long periods of inactivity and consequent financial instability

Final Rule

Remember 

Good networking, personal contacts, learning auditions, hard work, perseverance and all other points mentioned above are necessary, but are not a substitute to an excellent acting ability of an actor. Therefore, you MUST go on training sharpening your talent�.till you die!

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Do You Know Your Actor "Type"? 7 Ways to Avoid Rejections

Here is a challenge to conquer!

So often, as actors and performers, we have a hard time knowing how others see us. What is my type which the viewers would like to see and appreciate? We want to play the sweet innocent girl or a leading man when we would be better suited to play the hilarious comedy character or some other side kick. What we forget, is that trying desperately to get roles simply because we like to see ourselves in that �character� may be responsible for our rejections and failure as an actor, whereas accepting and celebrating the type for which we are best suited will allow us to stand out as a total rock star and hit success that might never be possible if we went against our type.
Just follow these steps and you�ll find a new sense of freedom knowing you have a more focused plan as an actor who knows his/her �actor type.�

1. Find Your Actor Type

These are the characteristics that others (casting director, directors and audience and general viewers) more easily connect to an actor upon first impression. Note this has less to do about who you are as an actual person and more about how you are perceived.  Actors like to fight this and say, but I�m so much more than what I look! I�m an actor and can portray any type!
Sure, you can explore the depth of your talents in a class or with a coach,� but it is important to make it easy for casting directors that you�ve yet to work with.
Good audition postings have breakdowns that explain the �type� they are looking for and it�s smart to know whether you fit or not, and then if you go, knowing "yes, I meet the type�, you have a brighter chance of grabbing the role.

2. Research

There are literally hundreds of �types.� They range from broad to specific. Some breakdowns will include specifics such as age, voice type and sex. Some will be a little more broad.

Examples  
HERO OR HEROIN, LEADING MAN/WOMEN, OLDER CHARACTER ACTOR,  HERO�S FRIENDS ELDERLY, DIRTY,LEADING VILLAIN,  SIDE VILLIAN, STRONG MAN, SWEET SENSITIVE ETC 
Think of all of the films and TV shows you�ve seen and start to notice how you would describe the characters in just a few words.

3. Know Yourself

This is often difficult. But, if you don�t know yourself, how can you expect casting directors to know anything about you. Especially when they only have your headshot/resume/audition to go off of. Start by answering these questions�

• What age range I can play? (Not how old you actually are)
• What is my physical type?
• When people look at you who do they see? Hero (Ye to hero lagta hai, yaar!)  Young, Old, Thin, Heavyset, Curvy, Toned, Trendy, Rich upper class (Rahis  baap ki aulad lagta hai),  Sloppy etc.
• What is my type? What personality/energy I give off? 

4. What type or attitude I show and how do I react to different situations in life?

Check and explore yourself

Aggressive (pushing type), Anxious, Arrogant, Shy, Confident, Curious, Determined, Disapproving, Jealous, Dejected, Happy, Horrified, Hurt (physically or mentally), Indifferent, Innocent, Interested, Lonely, Obstinate, Sheepish, Look Suspicious, Sympathetic, Indecisive, Ambitious, Irritating, Easy going, Imaginative, Humorous, Affectionate, Sleepy, Stiff neck, Bored etc.� etc.

5. What is my vocal type? 

Do you have a base voice like Amrish Puri, Amitabh Bachhan or Arjun Rampal? Excellent! You are suited for leading man, police or army officer, a good affectionate brother or villain.. Or do you have a thin or shrill low volume or high pitched voice? Dharmendra or Akshay Kumar?
However, let me tell you-voice quality can improve significantly with practice and scientific vocal exercises

6. Ask Your Friends, Co Workers and Your Coach  

I know it is INSANELY difficult to try and separate yourself from your craft. Because you are what you are selling in this business. So, once you have gone through the grueling task of trying to answer the questions in #2� put your answers aside and ask your friends. Here�s the most important aspect of asking your friends, co-workers and teachers. After you ask them � LISTEN!!! Don�t disagree or argue. Listen and take some time to really think about what they say. It�s true that some people might
be way off, or some might give the answers that they think you want to hear � but you are sure to get a few really great answers if you take the time to actually ask a handful of people and really sit with their answers.
If you feel shy asking for advice, I suggest you to contact me. In my case, you are approaching a neutral person. Accept yourself as told and march ahead on your path of success and t up and do it anyway.

7. Conclusion: Compare

Personally, I consider it�s bad to compare yourself to others as it may lead to �copying� and �(mimicking�� but in this case (finding your type) you have to start somewhere. Find a successful actor who has a type similar to yours. Then go for the roles they have played and become familiar with them.

•  If you are a kid/teenager start by looking for actors who are your current age, and then also do this for actors who are a bit older than you. In children�s films or theatre you�ll sometimes play parts that you aren�t right for yet� but that you will be right for eventually. 

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