Know 10 Bitter Realities to Be An Actor Before You Fall

The Harsh Realities of Being a Professional Successful Actor

The 10 Truths

1. It takes a lot of things to make it as a professional actor or actress in Bollywood or in TV serial. Luck helps. The talent really helps. Grit and guts are essential. Not every actor who moves to Bollywood or is in TV serials is �discovered� and becomes a �star.�

2. If you think that "I will be discovered sitting at home" or "any one from Karan Johar, Sanjay Leela, Bhansali, Rajkumar Hirani, Priyadarshan, Rohit Shetty, Anurag Kashyap, Farhan Akhtar will notice me somewhere on the Mumbai's street" is what acting is about, you are absolutely WRONG and better, think again.

Amitabh Bachchan
Struggled for 8 years before he was an established star.
Madhuri Dixit
Struggled for 5 years before a true break.
Shah Rukh Khan
Struggled for 20 years before his film was a hit- "DDLJ"
Akshay Kumar 
Struggled for 5 years before a true break.
Irrfan Khan
Struggled for 6 years for a true break
Boman Irani 
Struggle period to be in Bollywood-5 years.

• Read more about their struggle here

3. Acting is a serious profession, one with a long struggle and dignified history. Even without achieving a reputation or becoming �stars,� there are many men and women who earn their livings everyday as dramatic performers in films, theatre or on TV in India.

4. If you asked these professionals how they got where they are, they will probably tell you it did not happen overnight.

5. A career in acting takes hard work and dedication.

6. Chances are when you first start out, you will find it tough to make a living from just acting jobs and will need some other source of income. It takes individuals with a true hunger for the art to continue struggling.

7. Yet, however important a desire to perform may be, it is not the only thing an actor needs. Because acting is both, an art and a craft, the more experience you can get and the more skills you can acquire, the better your chances will be of succeeding professionally and excelling personally. That is how acting coach can help you.

8. Such an acting coach can offer you invaluable help in developing your skills as a performer, learning how the business works from the inside, and making useful connections with other professionals in the entertainment industry.

9. A career in acting is not for everyone. In fact, it is probably not for 94%  of everyone. But that is one of the things that make acting so special and that makes a career in acting so fascinating and exciting for those who love it.

10 Finally, if you are going to do it, give it your best and get the right start with a good education.
Partially based on Source

Know 10 Bitter Realities to Be An Actor Before You Fall

Not Promoting Yourself on YouTube? 9 Reasons Why Should You

A Pity! Not Having Your Own YouTube Channel to Promote Yourself as an actor?

Here are the simple ways to be in the Limelight to filmmakers and casting directors through Your Own YouTube Channel

Acting isn't all about an excellence in the acting craft, be able to portray any type of role, feeling the character and being in the moment. If you can't get a job as an actor, being labelled as �an excellent actor� would be depressing to you. Acting is only possible if somebody's prepared to sit and watch you do it. To survive emotionally and professionally, you've got to both earn a living and fulfill your dreams and self-esteem.

Your fears!

The statistics are terrifying, with something like 95% of the trained or untrained actors out of work for perhaps during a long duration of time.
So, what happens? Shattered dreams and a financial catastrophe, resulting in destroying life!

The trick

Therefore, it is to be in the top 5% out of the above statistics.  How do you do it?
The only way is to promote �you� as a �product� as if you are a businessman / woman running your  �Business�. Let the people who matter like casting directors, production houses, directors, TV channels �know you� among thousands of struggling actors roaming the streets of Mumbai.

However, there is a piece of warning!

Have you developed yourself into � A Good Product� of being an excellent professional actor with an unparalleled excellence in acting craft? Have you taken a personalized, professional acting for a better school or better, from an expert acting coach, an artist teacher?

Don't overlook this factor before you start your business of acting!

Now, coming to an important, though the generally overlooked aspect of business by most of you is marketing and promoting through Video channels!

The reason Why Actors Need Their Own YouTube Channel 

Before you start, you must have show reel, monologue, small films which you have made through your own mobile phone or professionally and portfolio slides which could be uploaded on YouTube. (If you need help, join us for a professional one on one training)

1) YouTube is free

For an actor YouTube is the cheapest and most effective way of marketing themselves.
It doesn�t cost anything to upload videos onto YouTube. If you are a beginner or have a tight financial budget,   you must use this marketing tool.

2) Grab attention

Each minute 300 hours worth of videos is being uploaded onto YouTube and over 4 billion videos are viewed daily. If you upload quality video content, whatever it is, then they are very likely to get lots of followers to their page. The better quality, the most attention, obviously.

3) Reach to a staggering volume of traffic

YouTube has one billion users, and this figure will only keep on increasing.
For an actor, this type of pre-existing audience is very attractive. You can reach out to the large number of people throughout the world for free. Since Google owns YouTube, an actor�s video could also show up on Google�s search results, and could reach the top spot, which could mean large volumes of traffic to their page.

4) Market yourself like a wild fire (Viral Marketing)

People love sharing videos with family and friends, and for an actor, this means if someone likes their video they can share it via social media and send it to others.
This type of viral sharing will create a ripple effect, and the video could be shared by thousands or millions of people. Actors can also add a subscribe button to their videos so that their followers can subscribe to them. The more videos an actor uploads to their page the more people will keep coming back to it.

5) Can upload your best work

An actor can use YouTube to show off their best work. It doesn�t have to be just your show reel or a monologue, but any creative short videos that you make.
Actors can also link to certain scenes in the films that they worked on which the viewers may enjoy. Filmmakers are using YouTube to look out for talented actors, and if they see an actor that has lots of followers they are highly likely to be attracted to that actor. You can upload multiple videos onto YouTube to see which ones your followers like the most, and continue with that trend.

6) Add personal website with your link

Some actors have personal websites, especially the more experienced actors. Having a website makes actors look very professional, especially to casting directors or producers.
Actors that have a page on YouTube are adding a link that will take them to their personal website. This will enable anybody or a casting director looking at your videos to get in touch with you if they like your YouTube channel. Actors can also add their social media links so that others can get in touch via Twitter or Facebook.

7) Upload trailers 

Actors can use YouTube to upload trailers that will help to promote a new film that they are appearing in.

8) Can promote yourself 24 hours x 7 days

When an actor uploads a video onto YouTube they are marketing themselves 24/7.
Once an actor uploads a video it�s there for as long as they want it to be. It doesn�t get taken away and so their videos are always out there promoting them and their work. The more videos an actor uploads, the more effective the marketing campaign will be.

9) Chances of more auditions for roles

Directors and writers are turning to YouTube to release independent projects. If an actor is well liked and has a professional looking YouTube page casting director will be attracted to them and could call them for auditions or offer them a role directly (As it happened to me).

As you can see,  YouTube  really can help actors market themselves online, but also bring a lot more exposure, particularly in the beginning of your career. We are in a digital age now, and for actors, YouTube is the number one destination where they can maximize on large volumes of traffic at no cost. Actors have to promote themselves in the business YouTube is the best
So what are you waiting for? Go create your very first YouTube channel right now, whether you�re planning to use it or not anytime soon.
Based on

An Example of a character actor's YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQWl2lRVtVAUP4C4ellX5w

Not Promoting Yourself on YouTube? 9 Reasons Why Should You

How to Make Video Introduction Casting Directors Want

Arshad Warsi as struggling actor

Whether you're an actor, model, dancer, singer, musician, comedian, variety performer, or filmmaker, it's becoming increasingly important to have a video introduction or a demo reel available online to show off your skills.

Are you a beginner or don't have enough with experience with work (footage) for a video (Demo) reel (film) yet? No professional clips to post?

 Don't worry; there are a lot of solutions available:

You could hire a service like of cinematographer, director, your acting coach or small production houses in Mumbai to shoot your self-introduction or a monologue.
Or even just borrow a friend�s camera, use your Web cam, or record yourself with the video camera on your phone. The video doesn�t need to be long or complex.

Example of my Video Introduction as a character actor

How to?

1. Keep it Simple
2. Keep it limited to around 2 minutes
3. Filming video from a professional source like a cinematographer, a production house for corporate films is preferred, but if you want to save money or have limited financial resources then... 

A. The best option is to contact wedding videographers in Mumbai. Economical and good!

Here are some of them:

http://www.dakshadigital.com/

http://www.3winks.in/

http://www.hirophotographycinematography.in/contact

http://www.radiancevision.in/services/corporate-films/28/#

http://www.webbingsystems.com/corporate-film-makers-in-mumbai.html

The link below is a list and reviews of 18 videographers:

http://www.flatpebble.com/Top-Wedding-Video-Cinematographers-in-Mumbai_SL_32_40_1.aspx

B. Or, just put yourself on tape using any camera you have available. If so then...

4. Make sure the room is quiet (good audio is important!), and ensure that you're nicely lit and framed in the shot.
5. Then say hello, state your name, and say a few words about yourself or your projects. If you'd like, you could also perform a monologue.
6. Then, upload your video to Vimeo or YouTube. (And add your audio clips to SoundCloud.)

How to Make Video Introduction Casting Directors Want

4 Best Tips to Play Strong Emotions Quickly for Success

Bringing strong emotions quickly

Secret of How to Play Strong Emotions Quickly for Winning Auditions | On a Set 

Sometimes you need to cry, be angry, be threatening, or play a powerful villain and that too, quickly as in auditions or on a set due to time constraint.
If you are not an experienced actor or are uncomfortable showing strong emotions in real life, you may feel uneasy acting with the kind of power or intensity called for in emotional scenes.

The basic approach

Perhaps you are afraid to get out of control, but the willingness to lose control will actually allow you to be more in control of the scene. When you lose control, you find freedom. You start to get lost in the character and their reality. Once you get out of your own thoughts (and your own mental blocks) and get into the body and the thoughts of the character, you begin to operate from inside which is connected to the emotions of the character.
I suggest these tips for beginners, based on the successes of very experienced actors. I use it in classes (kids, too) These tips work fast.

The Master Key

The most important for an actor to play strong emotions is a highly developed power of imagination to see and feel as a character a strong emotional situation. Develop it by practice. Take help from your acting coach.

Before the audition or a shot

Sometimes when you find difficult to bring strong emotions quickly (especially if you are a beginner) and are short of time, using your body as a whole, individual body parts like face, hands and gestures to bring emotions triggering from outside to inside may be the answer to a tricky situation. This is my experience and personal opinion though may not be in line of �Method Acting�.

Just physicalize! 

Pump yourself up to get your blood surging... big time. You are trying to get yourself into the exact physical state that you are in when you actually feel the emotion in your own life.

1. Anger

Do pushups or agitate you. I, personally, stomp around, pound my fists and yell and curse to pump my emotions up to get angry. Gets your adrenaline pulsing through your body any way you can. No one cares that you are doing this. They know you need to push your buttons for an emotional scene and are thrilled you can do it quickly so they can get the shot.

2. Crying with tears

Slump or hold onto your body in a defeated or protective way. Perhaps even collapse a bit. I suggest audible breathing as if you can�t catch your breath. Make the ugly sounds you make when you cry. Let your voice be ugly and broken. Let your face become ugly. Be willing to be unattractive.
(Make sure you watch the accompanying video to see how insane I actually get!)

3. Passion 

(A state or outburst of strong emotion)
Generating a strong emotion could be applicable to many situations, when you speak passionately about something. These are great in improvisations, for building characters quickly, and for strong emotions.
For example intense love, desire, longing, frenzy, hero worship, craze, obsession etc. 

Intense Love or sex

To express a strong emotion of love, visualize someone you love deeply and replace your scene co actor with this person you love so deeply and practice your dialogs. Try to make your voice husky and breathless.

For anger

Pick up what your character in the script hates most and do a few minutes� worth of a wild, passionate, angry outburst about it. Pick what is really irritating your character in the scene or the straw that broke the camel�s back that set you off. What drives you crazy? Get madder and madder as you go. Get insane!

For tears

Choose what you fear, what broke your heart, or whatever situation in the actual scene is making you sad and just rant. Get more and more upset as you go until you are sobbing. This will help you to find the buttons to push when you need to call upon those tears again.

4. Scream

This works especially well if you are playing an extremely angry or powerful villain. Just scream bloody murder. Often, if I am taping someone for an audition, I will have them scream and go right into the scene and I just edit out the scream.
For tears, this will get you so out of control that it is easy to break into tears very quickly. Just keep screaming until you are totally broken.

Now go go go forth and freak out! 

Based on

4 Best Tips to Play Strong Emotions Quickly for Success

9 ways to become a charismatic actor and grab roles

Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan. Who is more charismatic?

What do you mean by an actor being "Charismatic"?

Actors with a ?special ?power that makes them ?able to ?influence other ?people, ?attract ?their ?attention, ?admiration and thus become a successful actor

Here are 9 ways you can become a more charismatic actor and get success in film and TV industry. 

1. Casting directors, directors, producers and artist-coordinators tend to consider actors they like. So behave in a way that makes you likable. Be polite and patient. Avoid being crude, rude, gruff, or impatient.

2. People are attracted to people who keep their word. That means when you make a promise to do exactly what you promised. Do it by the deadline, you promised - or sooner.

3. The cine industry trust actors who have their best interests at heart. You exhibit utmost devotion not only to do your best to portray a character, but is willing to do anything to make the project successful. You really are a sincere team worker rather than thinking only about self. So, get truly involved in a project, its problems, and people in the project with your mind and soul. If asked, give them advice that benefits them more than it benefits you.

4. People want to deal with actors who are professional. So first, you need to actually become an expert in your field through practice, research, continuous training, education, and study.

5. You as an actor is in show business. The industry people are attracted to actors who are physically attractive or at least not physically repulsive. So eat right. Exercise. Stay fit. Be well-groomed. Dress well. And pay attention to your personal hygiene.

6. People feel better with actors who are pleasant and "real." They would love to talk to those actors who smile. The best way to show that you're good and real is to be cordial, friendly, and genuinely interested in others. Instead of talking about yourself, ask about them. Ask about their business, the film project, their job, their industry, even their family and hobbies. People respond to people who listen and pay attention to what they are saying. Remember the old clich�: You have two ears and one mouth because you should listen twice as much as you talk.

7. The industry people feel comfortable with those who are like them. The trick here is to identify one thing you have in common with the other person. It could be hobby, movies and celebrities, share market, or anything else. Then, use that to cement a bond between you.

8. People are attracted to actors who are humble. The examples in cine industry are Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra to name a few of them. So don't boast about you, your qualities, money you make. They also prefer to deal with people who are flexible and accommodating, not rigid and difficult

9. People are impressed by people who seem busy. That's why you should never beg for a role to a director or a producer in film or television. Don�t ever say this, even if you need a job badly. Think about doctors. How would you feel if you walked into a doctor's office and you were the only patient? Wouldn't you wonder how good he was? As much as you hate it when you have to sit there and wait, don't you feel more assured when a doctor's waiting room is packed

Which of these �people-pleasing� skills do you have already? Analyze, develop and practice. In case of any difficulty, ask your acting coach.
Based on an article written by Nikhat Shaikh, Client Coordinator at Lakme Lever

9 ways to become a charismatic actor and grab roles

Can't Do Comedy? Missing Chances? Learn Easily Here

Comedy in Bollywood film Grand-Masti

Tell me, who doesn't want to laugh? Especially, even more so in these depressing times! Comedic acting is tough, but if you get it right and then there are plenty of opportunities not only in Indian cinema and in serials but internationally as well for you.

The key factor to do comedy: Learn Improvisation! 

What is comedy?

Comedy is a genre of film that uses humor as a driving force. The aim of a comedy film is to provoke laughter from the audience through entertaining stories and characters.

Types

Absurd Comedy

The humor in these films tends to be nonsensical with exaggerated characters and situations. This type of sub genre often uses slapstick tendencies

Action-Comedy

It combines action with humor. Action-Comedy relies on the characters to bring out the humor, while the action scenes tend to be less intense than in the traditional action movie.

Romantic-Comedy

It attempts to catch the viewer�s heart with the combination of love and humor. This sub-genre is light-hearted and usually places the two protagonists (main male and/or female characters) in humorous situation. Romantic-Comedy film revolves around a romantic ideal, such as true love. In the end, the ideal triumphs over the situation or obstacle, thus creating a happy conclusion.

Horror-Comedy

Horror-Comedy combines comedy with traditional horror movie themes and characters. Horror-Comedy films aim to scare the audience, but also provide comical outlets that let the audience laugh at their fear.

Spoof�Comedy

These films impersonate, ridicule, or scoff at serious situations and people. These films rely heavily on satire. For example tomfoolery, to deceive, to play a hoax, to play a trick or to satirize gently

Slapstick-Comedy

Slapstick comedy is a sub-genre of film that incorporates physical comedy into the story. Slapstick uses visual action, such as harmless violence and horseplay (rough, boisterous play), to depict humor. Slapstick film often relies on comedic timing and a controlled psychical performance of a single actor.

In Bollywood films and TV serials there are only few productions based totally on the above mentioned sub-genres. Indian comedy films/serials may incorporate all of the above or some of the above genre in a single film/serial. Therefore, an actor must learn and practice all the above-mentioned types of comedy

How to be a successful comedy actor

1/ What exactly comedy is. What makes us laugh so hard?
Comedy is about suffering. That�s right � pain, sadness, tragedy, and injustices are all the perfect foundations for a funny story. The old saying, �you�ll either laugh or cry,� couldn�t be truer when it comes to comedy. The more a character is in trouble, the funnier it is to watch � hence the term �comedy of errors.� Desperation, unpredictability and deep situational entanglements force actors to solve improbable (and often crazy) situations with exaggerated (and hilarious) solutions.

2/ Stick to the script.

Comedy is all about rhythm, timing, and pace, and it's your job as a comedic actor to identify those things in each and every piece of scripted comedy you perform.
Comedy, when done right, is like a good song. Just as a musician plays the melody as composed, a comedic actor must stick to the script. That means following the words exactly as written. Don't add or drop words or attach handles to the beginnings of sentences, like "Look," "I mean," "Well," and "So." And don't change the punctuation e.g. exclamation signs, question marks, pauses etc!
3/ Improvisation
Learning the technique and excellence in Improvisation is mandatory. Note that auditions for a comedic may character require improvisation.

Mistakes committed

Unscripted movements

One of the biggest mistakes that can kill a comedic scene is unscripted movement (which are NOT in the script. This includes adjusting your clothes, scratching your nose, stretching your neck, waving your arms, tapping your thigh, rolling your eyes, and so on. Unless movement is specified in the script or by the director, you should stay still, as any extra movement will distract from the comedic rhythm.

Overacting

Do your absolute best not to over-act. Don�t try to be funny. Don�t fake it. Don�t get embarrassed. Don�t expect laughs by over-exaggerating your facial expressions. If the script is well written and funny, then the laughs will come � do not force them! One of the worst errors a comedic actor can make is to anticipate laughter.

Not understanding timing

A very important aspect of comedic timing is pausing for the audience to laugh (that is, if they are laughing). Young or novice actors often get nervous and continue with dialog without a pause, forcing the viewers to either stop laughing or left wondering what they just missed in the dialogue. The amount of time that you should pause for laughter comes with practice and experience.

Develop your own funny style

Think about the all of the successful comedians you know like Mahmood, Johny Walker, Johny Lever. Asrani and many others. They all have a distinctive personality, But how do you do this?

Watch these great comedians and ask the following questions to yourself and seek answers

1. "What makes them funny?"
2. "What does their voice do while speaking major comedic points?"
3. "How is their body language?"
4. "Are they realistically funny, or do they playing the role as a 'character' ?"
5. After watching actors perform their craft, you can then begin to study your own style and then plan to develop as a comedic actor.

My simple formula to prepare for a comedic character

Just imagine and practice-

• If I am an idiot, how will I behave?
• If I am a fool, how will I perform a role?
• If I am a fool but behave as if I am the most intelligent person on the earth
• I grasp things very slowly. People have to explain and repeat things repeatedly. Therefore, my reactions are absurd. I either make a poker face or drop my jaw or just smile or become serious. I am always unconnected 
• I am always in hurry. Many a times though I do not understand, I react as if I knew in responding or replying
• My physical responses are either too slow or abnormally fast
• I am always in incongruity which means out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming

Bollywood comedy films to be watched repeatedly for learning comedic acting

Golmaal 3 (2010), Singh is King (2008), Golmaal Return (2008), Dhamaal (2007), Welcome (2007), Kya Kool HaI Hum (2005), No Entry (2005), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Munnabhai M.B.B.S. (2003), Hungama (2003), Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega (2001), Hera Pheri (2000), Chachi 420 (1997), Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), Gol Maal (1979), Bombay To Goa (1972), **** Padosan (1968)

Join us NOW to get trained: http://topactingcoach.werbly.com

Updated post

Can't Do Comedy? Missing Chances? Learn Easily Here

9 Steps to Help You | Don't Depend Only on Acting Ability

A good actor's frustrations of not getting a break

Do not let anyone fool you.

• Acting ability alone will not help you much in your acting career if you cannot get the right people to see you.

1. This will help you: For the right people, read the relevant post from this blog on good casting directors or coordinators. Just type "Casting Directors" and then "Arist Coordinators" in the search box at the right sidebar of this blog. The relevant posts will open

• It will not help you much if you do not understand the difference between auditioning and working as an actor on a film set.

2. This will help you:  Read and follow the relevant posts on camera acting and auditions from this blog. Put query in the search box as mentioned under No 1 help

• It will not help you much if (preferably), you cannot arrange sufficient money to fund your acting career in such a way so that you do not have to work for someone in order to make ends meet. This will help you to devote 100% of your time and energy in pursuing your dream to be a successful Bollywood actor

3. This will help you: If you cannot fund your living, then the only alternative you have is to take up a part time job, home business opportunities or be a freelance online worker and be patient.

• It won't help you much if you don't truly understand what are the hurdles an aspiring actors have to face before they see a ray of hope. The enormous commitment, a long drawn struggle and an ability to withstand failures, rejections, frustrations you will need to make in order to just get to making enough money to live off, working only as an actor.

4. This will help you: Build your body and a strong personality by joining a gym and learning Yoga, Relaxation, Exercising, Auto Suggestions and Self-hypnotism. Read relevant posts in this blog. This is possible. Save money by rationalizing expenses on housing, local travel, head shots and on show reel. Use internet and web technology as, much as you can. It is cheap

• It will not help you much if you do not know the steps to take not just to get your career started, but to build a base for getting auditions and acting work regularly and not just once a while

5. This will help you: Keep your eyes and ears open. Exploit every available audition and casting notice sources such as web, Facebook, Yahoo and LinkedIn groups, regularly contacting your coordinators to name a few

• It will not help you much if you do not really FEEL with every cell of your mind and body that this is what you really want and there's nothing more that you want. If you don't eat, sleep, drink, talk and walk acting its not gonna work
• It will not help you much if you do not realize what will drive you forward is your undying passion for this career and not the fame, not the money, not the glory, not the red carpet, but the just your love for acting.
• It will not help you much if you don't realize that no matter how good of an actor you think you are or how good others tell you you are, it's not gonna work  unless you are professionally trained and continue to learn and update techniques acting till you die!

6. This will help you: Join a good training school. Preferably, have a coach who wants to help you rather than with an objective to earn only money through you

• It won't help you much if your whole strategy for becoming an actor is built on "I gotta get a Co coordinator and find auditions.",  This strategy that statistics show has a success rate of almost to less than 3%

7. This will help you: Exploit all the avenues at one go. Run around to auditions whenever, wherever these are. Make contacts and friends who would inform you of these events

• Why, in spite of struggling for long periods still not getting acting assignments regularly? It will not help you if you do not identify the reasons and correct your mistakes in your current strategy. 

8. This will help you: Before you start, does a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of yourself and review your strategies and �Change� if required.

Girls, this is important for you

• It won�t help you much if you are shy and reluctant. Bollywood, serials, private feature films or commercials require pretty, tall and bold girls.

9. This will help you: Be bold. Learn to be embarrassingly close to your Co actor in romantic scenes and be ready to kiss. About fashion, shots or prints learn to undress partially until you become a star. Then you can dictate your terms and refuse to do the objectionable scenes.

Refuse sex

Updated Post

*However, this does not mean you should be ready to have a sex. Under no circumstances, you should sell yourself. Be blunt and say a big �NO�

If you integrate your acting abilities with all the OTHER THINGS as mentioned above, you will for sure become a full-time working actor.
( You can contact the author for a free help)

9 Steps to Help You | Don't Depend Only on Acting Ability

Test If You Will be a Bollywood Actor or Will Quit

Do a simple test to find out your chances to be a Successful actor

Answer This Simple Test and Know Whether Can You Be An Actor or Not!

Just tick appropriate against every question

Or

• Copy this questionnaire in Microsoft Word or Note Pad
• Answering all the questions is mandatory. 
• Answer only in 'Yes' or 'No'. Each question carries 2 marks.
• Time: Unlimited
• Maximum: 100 Marks

1. Am I always going all out to compete against my own last performance in rehearsals, auditions and in a shoot?

2. Am I a strong believer in myself as well as others?

3. Have I always helped others without expecting any return?

4. Have I set my long and short term goal, action plan and strategies?

5. Am I prepared to continue to learn and update the acting craft till I die?

6. Am I always taking an action to meet my goals? 

7. Am I absolutely confident while in auditions or in a shoot or in life in general?

8. Am I emotionally strong and thick skinned to take rejections, criticism and rebuke?

9. Am I afraid of making mistakes?

10. Am I reluctant of saying, I was wrong?

11. I  not egoistic and try to boast about myself.

12. Am I disciplined and orderly in managing my life?

13. Am I persistent in getting what I want and don't give up?

14. Am polite and courteous all the times, even in spite of adverse comments?

15. Do I plan in advance to be punctual?

16. Am I well informed?

17. Have I researched on the internet and with other sources to understand cine industry, rules of the game, money required to fulfill my dream to a successful actor?

18. Do I have the patience to wait for years to be a successful actor?

19. Am I willing to take  chances?

20. Do  I always answer the telephone in a polite and professional manner?

21. I don't get carried away by Industry's big names, rumors and promises in undertaking training, roles offered in big films or serials etc.

22. Do I work 10 hours a day on the requirements of "How to be a successful actor in Bollywood' like top body, good looks, excellent voice, proficiency in Hindi and English, excellent acting skills, knowledge of the industry, developing contacts, networking etc. ?

23. Do I forget the failures of the past,  brood and look at each new day through fresh eyes?

24. Do I look for solutions, not problems?

25. Do I look straight at other people in the eyes during conversations?

26. Do I always make a comment 'I like that' or 'That's good,' a big part of my conversation?

27. Do I look for and meet with other successful actors on a regular basis?

28. I never criticize.

29. I never say, 'never' or 'not possible' or 'cannot be done'.

30. Do I reach beyond my 'comfort zone'?

31. Do I recognize and applaud the performance of others?

32. Do I always return telephone calls?

33. Do I reward myself for even little achievements?

34. Do I always maintain a friendly face with a permanent smile?

35. Do I say 'thank you' and 'please' on a consistent basis?

37. Do I share what I have with others?

38. Do I take care with the way I dress?

39. Do I'm always careful of taking a recommended nutritious diet for my body?

40. Do I use a diary to plan for the day, check in the night, whether I have achieved my previous day's plan?

41. Do I walk perfectly like a model normally, and have good posture?

42. Do I pray to my God every day before I start to move out?

43. Am I careful in selecting my friends and have ones from whom I learn and who are always ready to help me?

44. I believe in 'I would rather win a friend than win an argument'?

45. Do I read lots of books to improve my acting craft?

46. I don't chat foolishly on social media like Facebook or post my photographs for receiving favorable comments, thus giving me false hopes.

47. Do I write lots of notes

48. Am I a  good listener?

49. I never indulge in gossips

49. If I have nothing good to say, I keep my mouth shut

50. Am I ready to do another part time job to support me in my pursuit to be a successful actor, in case of a prolonged financial uncertainty?

CHECK OUT THE RESULT YOURSELF.
YES = +2 Marks
NO = -2 Marks
Add up your points:

More than 70 Marks: 

Good Job! You are Gonna Be A Bollywood Star!

Less than 70 Marks: 



  



Either change yourself immediately or Join us to get trained or Forget it! 

Test If You Will be a Bollywood Actor or Will Quit

Learn 9 Lessons from Superstar Hrithik to Be in Bollywood

What it requires to be a successful actor and  to be a star in Bollywood?  

We never do any research, identify the winning factors, learn and practice. Sadly, we continue to remain in our comfort zone of � dreams� and hope that some magic will happen and we will be discovered!
After my long tenure as an acting coach and as an actor, the one man who could be the best learning example for aspiring actors is Hrithil Roshan. Undoubtedly, he is the Best Actor of Bollywood to learn and follow

Why have I arrived at this conclusion?

Here are 9 things that make him the star that he is!

Actors may come and go, even superstars may fade out over a period of time. But, Hrithik Roshan? No way!
He is undoubtedly one of the most noteworthy and consistent actors,. Bollywood has seen in the last few decades.
Everybody loves and adores him. It�s a wonder to see how respect Hrithik has earned from not just his fans, but from the whole film fraternity.

1. Awesome Acting Skills

Acting skills

Right from his first film, the man showed promise of an emerging star. There can be no denying that Hrithik�s performance in every film is applause worthy. He has only improved and maintained excellence from where he started, unlike most other stars who have been inconsistent with their performances.
Learnt to dream, imagine to build his �Characters� and then practice and practice for months!

Apart from his stellar performances in superhit films like �Koi..Mil Gaya�, �Lakshya�, �Jodhaa Akbar�, �Dhoom 2�, �Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara� and �Agneepath�, the man proved his acting prowess with powerful performances. His work speaks volumes about his versatility as an actor, be it comedy, romance or action!

Lesson 1: Learn professional acting craft 

2. Determination and Perseverance 

Determination and Perseverance

Not many know, Hrithik Roshan stammered as a kid.
�Unfortunately, it�s one of those handicaps that is made fun of. Especially kids, you can�t blame them, but they end up being mean because it looks funny. So the childhood of a person suffering from a problem like this is pure hell�� Hrithik once said in an interview. He never gave up. It was ultimately his perseverance and determination that helped him, betters his speech to perfection.

Lesson 2: Develop determination and perseverance. Don�t give up!

3. Hard work

                               Hard work

No doubt to be born to Producer Rakesh Roshan helped him, but he really worked hard to maintain it and to be where he is today. It only takes sincerity and hard work to take luck any further. Be it experimenting with his looks or undergoing rigorous training, the man believes in doing whatever it takes to justify a role.

Lesson 3: Work hard, at least 12 hours a day-breath, eat, live only acting 

4. Style

                                     Style

The moment he stepped into the industry, he literally set hearts on fire with his Greek God looks. It was his personal sense of style responsible for creating a rage among his viewers and fans, something he has acquired over time. To be known as a star, you�ve got to look like one and be it in his films or red carpet appearances, Hrithik always looks a class apart.

Lesson 4: Dress well and decent and take care of your looks.

5. Groundbreaker and Trendsetter

Groundbreaker

It�s our habit to condemn Bollywood while comparing with Hollywood. In such times, Hrithik Roshan did not shy away from attempting a superhero movie the �Krrish� series. In spite of some box office hiccups, you�ve got to give the man due credit for his effort. If Bollywood has a superhero of its own today, it is Hrithik. We may see a lot better superhero films in the coming times, but Hrithik will always be the trailblazer for Bollywood.

Lesson 5: Go on experimenting with everything related to your objective.

6. Incredible Fighting Spirit 

Fighting Spirit 

While shooting some of the most death-defying stunts ever performed in Bollywood for his film �Bang Bang�, Hrithik injured himself so badly, he had to undergo surgery to get a blood clot removed from his brain. There were speculations whether he would ever be able to perform stunts again. But the man fought with incredible determination against all odds and emerged even stronger.

Lesson 6: Be adventurous and take risks. Learn Martial Arts.

7. Dignity

Dignity

The news of his split with his wife Suzanne Roshan broke the media. Hrithik Roshan went through what was probably the hardest time in his life when the media, as usual, blew everything out of proportion, be it the 400-crore alimony amount or Suzanne�s alleged affair with Arjun Rampal. Not only did the man maintain his calm by choosing not to comment publicly, he even came out in support of his wife and cleared all misconceptions with the media about the alimony.

Lesson 7: Be calm and cool even in extreme adverse conditions.

8. Commitment to Fitness

Commitment to Fitness

Hrithik Roshan has been consistently inspiring millions of Indians to have a good and physique and be a  fitter every day. He is not just a heartthrob amongst the ladies, but also a fitness idol to most men. One workout picture of Hrithik Roshan is all it takes to make him trend all over social media.

Lesson 8: Build a �HOT� body with an excellent physique. Join a  gym 

9. A True Gentleman and Networker

Gentleman 

He is a star, has been a part of the most successful film, has women fainting with emotions all over him, is one of the sexiest men alive and is still soooo humble! Be it a candid interview, a red carpet event or a talk show, Hrithik is always a gentleman and earns respect everywhere He is one of the most professional yet warm people in the industry and all his co-stars would swear by that. Superstardom has never gone to his head, and that�s what makes him an even bigger star!

Lesson 9: Be a good human being. Be nice to everybody with a friendly face. 

Article and images courtesy: Source

Learn 9 Lessons from Superstar Hrithik to Be in Bollywood

Do You Know what is a Bad, Good or a Star Actor?

Present Situation

• Available actors on average (Supply): 5000+
• Available Requirement 
• Of Actors in Bollywood (Demand): 100-200
• Others (Serials, Shorts): 100  

Estimated  by cine uawa2015

Are you a Bad, Good or a Great Actor?

Cinema as a whole is subjective.  Performance can be subjective as well. This means, it depends on how the audience perceives you as �a character� you are portraying, and this may vary from viewer to viewer. The choices are different as clearly seen by thousands of Bollywood fans and their preferences.
Therefore, in my opinion, it would be logical to make an attempt to categorize actors from an audience point of view as the bad, the good and the great or a �Star�. We will leave the ugly for another time

What Makes an Aspiring Actor a �Bad� Actor?

It�s easy to define a bad acting from an audience�s point of view � if they don�t feel sold on the performance.

Test yourself

• Horrible acting can be experienced by asking your non-actor friends to read some random dialogue in a scene with any emotion.  They might have some natural ability, but even then, it's probably not going to be natural and good. 
• Now compare this by observing and listening to people talking naturally... Try eavesdropping on a conversation in a restaurant.  In the first instance, your non-actor friends, when delivering dialogs are going to sound like they're reading, not talking on their own.  There's no emotion.  They might try to raise and lower their voices at certain parts, or maybe even mimic voices. But it won't sound anywhere as believable as observed in a normal restaurant conversation.

As such, some of the main factors behind bad acting include:

1. Just blurting your lines in front of a camera or on stage. Talking like the words have been pre-planned
2. Stiff movements
3. No coordination with surroundings or co-actors in a scene. Acting as if there is nobody else in the room in front of a camera or stage
4. Not reacting naturally to external stimuli (words, movements, emotional sequences etc.)

Reasons for being a bad actor

1. Poor or no Professional Training
2. The power of observation, imagination and concentration not developed
3. Script and character analysis not done
4. Inability to bring a character into yourself
5. On a set, inability to instantly switch �on� to a character in yourself and switch �off� from a character to be �into� technical environment of camera, lights, sound, movement and camera limitations and  other instructions
5. Trying hard to �act� a role leading to a fake performance
6. Remaining tense
7. Inferiority complex- like �others are better�, �my Hindi and diction is not good�, �I�m not good looking�� or in contrast- overconfidence, egoistic and stubborn
8. Poor confidence

To summarize- Bad actors are � simply put � bad liars.

A Good Actor

• They may be good liars or not. But a good actor believes in his character.
• A lie is never as effective as when the liar believes it to be true to themselves. As such, good actor is one that, when delivering a performance, does not feel like they are delivering a performance. Instead, they go about reading their lines not because they are commanded to them via a script, but because that�s what the real person �the character� (who they�re effectively portrayed while on set) would be compelled to say in the situation.
• Any actor who can put themselves in this mindset in order to hit this level of naturalism � both with their movement and speech � can be considered a good actor, and if the audience sees you as character X as opposed to �Actor Y who happens to be playing character X�, it�s a job well done.

Reasons for being a good actor

1. They design a their role from the script from moment to moment basis
2. Find out what is common between them and the character
3. Over-learn their lines to the point that they are �automatic�. They come on a set �prepared� and the fear factor decreases
4. How they can �fake� well?
A/ Identify changes in a script (story) or dynamics of a scene B/ how their character changes his/ her rhythm of speech, voice, movements to meet changes required to meet the objectives of a scene or script. They prepare and practice, then just shoot out the moment a director says �Action!�, not bothering about the outcome. A retake can always be taken

But What Makes a Bollywood Star Actor?

1. A great actor has his audience believing in his character. Being natural is one thing. Being captivating is another thing entirely where the audience moves with you-laughs, cries, angry, pity, loves�a nail-biting audience!  In other words, a star can move an audience

2. Another distinction is that a great actor can become so invested in their role, so utterly entangled with the character they�re playing, that there is no distinction between �acting� and �being� when it comes to �action� in front of a camera or a theater show time. For some, this involves a lot of research work and a heavy devotion to �method acting�.

3. They know how to listen. It's fascinating to watch stars in a scene when they're not speaking.

4. They are charismatic (exhibiting a compelling charm which inspires devotion in others). How? -Being nice, empathetic, smiling, doing good to others, disciplined, role model, patience

5. Never terrified

6. Exhibit authority. How? By their commitment, sincerity, excellence in work, devotion and ability to pull an audience and consequently, box office revenues.

7. They do with authority, even wrong in a shot or outside

8. They are excellent in public relations, marketing and promotions

9. They take care of their acting instrument (body and mind) and their general health as a top-priority

10. They set their life goals and work relentlessly to achieve them

11. Finally, a star is vulnerable. 

Great actors share the parts of themselves that most people keep hidden. They are always naked. (Some are literally naked, but I'm talking about emotional nakedness.)  Bad actors are guarded. They don't want to share the parts of themselves that are ugly, mean, petty, jealous, etc.
There are so many examples of stars being naked on stage and screen. Not bothered about their screen image. Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan or Shah Rukh to name a few of them.

Let me give you an example of a top female star:

She plays a middle-aged schoolteacher who is in danger of growing old and dying alone. There's a heartbreaking scene in which she begs a man to marry her. She goes down on her knees in front of him. She gives up every scrap of dignity inside her and lets the scared, hurting parts of herself burst out.
These are the same scared, hurt parts that are inside all of us�the parts we work hard to hide. Hiding them (by holding them in) takes a toll on us, and one of the greatest gifts actors can give is to sacrifice their dignity for us. They expose themselves so we don't have to. It�s  like somebody else is dying for our sins.

Do You Know what is a Bad, Good or a Star Actor?

5 Cheapest Ways to Enter Bollywood Viewing Top Hindi Films

Who says you can't be a Bollywood actor by watching and learning from All Time Best Bollywood Films?

You Can for Sure!

How to Learn From Great Hindi Movies and Enter Bollywood

It�s not that without watching Hollywood Classics and their great Actors, you can�t learn and enter our Bollywood. The cine world of Bollywood has also produced some great movies from which actors can learn the fine craft of acting.

5 Cheapest Ways

Watch and take the following steps:

• Analyze:

1. What is the objective of the film? What the film wants to show to the audience and how the film achieves it?
2. Who are the characters in the film and what is individual�s objective and how he/she archives it?
3. Identify a character which suits best to your physical and mental profile.
4. Try to bring that character into you rather than mimicking him/her. Leave that part of a character which is not congruent (matching) to you.
5. Practice and practice in front of a full size mirror or with friends. Do not make a mistake of copying an actor from a film, for example, do not mimic Veeru or Thakur from �Sholey�. You remain what you are and try to be Veeru or Thakur.

I categorize most of the Bollywood movies broadly as �Masala� movies and the �Others�. I�m sure you know what �Masala� ones are and you hardly learn any acting craft through them.

Examples

• Boy meets Girl, at some point they fall in love. The society or families are against them, but at the end they either overcome all obstacles to be together forever or they fail and die together.
• A common man rises against a fierce evil force - be it the corrupt government, a deadly gangster, or plotting friends or family - he fights them and emerges victorious to live happily forever.

All these "Masala" movies almost invariably contain - drama, suspense, action, comedy, romance, tragedy, satire, social message - all combined into a fun filled 3 hours. 

Films For Our Learning  Purpose 

Get Them NOW!

Get a copy of these films and watch these films carefully. And if you want to observe the quality of acting and learn, put off the sound and then watch actors performing. This will help you to observe �acting� as a critic rather than just a viewer who gets emotionally involved in the happening with the film.
These �Good� films fall under different genre and here are my picks for actors to learn:

However, there is more to Bollywood than just "Masala" movies. Bollywood has also given all time masterpieces in both mainstream cinema and independent movies. If you really want to get a taste of Bollywood, you should pick at least one movie from each genre.
This would be my list:

Genre and Films

Drama:
  1. Pyaasa
  2. Mother India
  3. Mera Naam Joker

Epic / History:
  1. Mughal-e-Azam
  2. Gandhi (film)
  3. Earth (1998 film)

Romance:
 1.  Silsila (film)
 2. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
  3. Barfi

Thriller / Suspense;
  1. Woh Kaun Thi??
  2. Hundred Days
  3. Johnny Gaddaar

Biopics:
  1. Bandit Queen
  2. Paan Singh Tomar (film)
  3. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Comedy:
  1. Gol Maal
  2. Hera Pheri (2000 film)
  3. Bheja Fry (film)

Action:
 There aren't great action movies in Bollywood in real sense. However, these are some recent movies I appreciate which have decent action in them.

• Agent Vinod (2012 film)
• Gangs of Wasseypur � Part 1 & Gangs of Wasseypur � Part 2
• Madras Caf�

All time Bollywood Classics �A Must� for actors

1. Mughal-E-Azam 
2. Mother India
3. Sholay
4. Anand
5. Andaaz Apna Apna
6. Border
7. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
8. Nayak 
9. Lagaan
10. Swades 

Some other learning films from relatively recent times

3 idiots (2009)
Black (2005)
Ghajini (2008)

5 Cheapest Ways to Enter Bollywood Viewing Top Hindi Films