Knowing your acting type is great (if you don’t know your type or what a ‘type’ is read the earlier articles in this series) but if you don’t use that knowledge to maximize your acting workshop and acting class than what’s the point of knowing it.
First, if you’re not taking acting workshops or acting classes then WTF ARE YOU DOING?! Professional Acting isn’t a hobby, it’s a career, it’s a sport, it’s a craft. And to succeed in this business you must be out-running everyone else on that industry treadmill. You need to be hitting the artistic gym daily in order to be ready to out-shine the millions of others in this world looking to snag that next opportunity. I could go further into the importance of training, and the various types of training one should be doing on a regular bases, but that’s for another article. What’s important to consider right now is that workshops and classes aren’t cheap, so be sure you are using every minute in that room as an opportunity for growth and development. The best way to do this is to chose an acting scene for your classes and workshops that fits what you would be cast for in co-star, guest star, and recurring roles
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love stretching my limits and abilities. Taking on the complex underbellies of Harold Pinter, or the elusive adventures of William Shakespeare but there is a time and a place for the workouts that expand your craft, and a time and a place for the workouts that define your craft and if you’re looking to partake in the world of TV & Film you must define your craft in order to get that career on solid ground. Also, if you’re like most emerging actors, the training budget is finite. That means you should be working out the acting muscles to get those roles you are going in for (or hope to go in for) right now. There will be time to explore when your career does, or at least when your budget does.
Look for script scenes that is so specific to your voice that memorizing the text almost becomes natural and fluid. By using acting scenes that is inline with your type & voice you open room for development and growth in other key areas, like vulnerability, listening/responding organically to your scene partner, and hopefully, surprising yourself along the way. Those surprising moments deepen your human experience, making your work more specific and thus more universal. A breadth of human experiences turn a good actor into a great actor. It all starts with knowing your type, picking scenes that align with your type, and putting in the hours to harvest your craft.
ScriptClips Tip:
With ScriptClips you can search for acting scenes from tv and film scripts that are unique to you and your type by entering keywords within the search bar, or selecting ‘Subtype’, or ‘Additional Description’ and entering in the keywords of traits that would fit your type more specifically. Click here to login to your free account and filter through the libraries using these dynamic search features to find the best script scene for you.
Author: Christian Telesmar is a professional actor living in Los Angeles, CA. He received his Bachelors (BA) from the University of Washington as well as his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from the University of Washington School of Drama’s Professional Acting Training Program (PATP). He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Kaplan University School of Business. He is known for his work in Stomp the Yard 2 (2010), Sense and Sensibility (2014), and BONES on FOX (2015). He is also a freelance Creative Director and Writer, having won awards for his promotional work with Microsoft Windows 7, Wal Mart, and Pepsi Co. He enjoys hiking and is an avid Seahawks fan.
