Want to act? Know this first.

WHAT U SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ACTING.

• It is not easy and it is not a by-the-way. It is a profession, a job in which you have to put your time, effort and commitment.  In a feature film, documentary or TV series, there are timelines which are things in the script that determine time of day, date and weather. There are day scenes, night scenes, rainy scenes and so on depending on what is in the script and this cannot all be shot after 5pm like a young woman Cleo once met at an audition hoped. That is why actors/actresses spend more time on the set, working!
• Acting takes patience! It can be monotonous and strenuous because you act for hours and hours and repeat the same scene more than twice in order for the Director of Photography-D.O.P.(locally known to many as the camera man, but in film, this is his title which comes with a lot of professionalism and experience) to take shots of the scene in different angles.
• Acting requires discipline. Know your lines and the story of your character so you are on cue while acting and in sync with your co-actor. Keep time. Respect your fellow cast and the crew. Respect yourself too. Avoid alcohol or partying if you know you are to be on set the next day because this will show on camera, and it might affect your performance and professionalism.
• Acting opportunities are not plenty so the projects are seasonal but the industry is slowly growing. The filmmakers we have invest a lot into a project and sometimes are lucky if they are funded by a sponsor production house abroad or a local company. You as an actor should make your payment negotiations with the people concerned before you take up a role. If you are not comfortable doing it, then don’t because you will waste everyone’s (cast & crew) time including yours.
• Acting is a talent, it should come naturally and if you really feel that you can do it, watch a lot of films, documentaries and biographies to learn more about the actors/actresses’ experiences, acting and anything to do with this field.
• Maintain a good working relationship with directors, co-actors and everyone on cast and crew team once u are an actor/actress because our East African film industry is small and word goes around fast if you are a real pain in everyone’s a**. I am not saying suck up, No! Let your voice be heard but do it in a professional manner. What goes around comes around.
• Auditions should be free, if you go somewhere and you are being charged a fee to audition, then that is strange.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO TO GET STARTED.

• Research: Read Newspapers, magazines and watch film programmes that host actors and film makers. Look out for anything that talks about film as you could find some useful information. There’s a lot you can get off the internet too but be careful because the sources may not be so credible. Research the acting techniques {Meisner, method acting etc}, watch clips of how to do them on You tube. Also take part in plays & have people who will be honest with you assess your performance.
• Notice boards: Always check the notice boards especially at the Kenya National Theatre and Alliance Francaise for any info to do with film or theatre auditions. The more acting experience you have on your CV, the better for a film career.
• Attend film premieres and film festivals: Here you will get to mix and mingle with film makers, actors/actresses and you might get an opportunity to hear of a new project that you could audition for. Film festivals are usually free. Make an effort to attend.
• Auditions: Go for auditions. Every actor/actress should go through this before attaining any role. Don’t worry, being nervous is normal. I can never get used to it. 🙂 But give it your BEST! Ask where you do not understand. Sometimes though, an established actor/actress will be called upon and given an offer of a role in a certain production but this happens after most of his/her work has been seen by filmmakers and they know his/her potential.
• Take acting classes: This is a little tricky because acting classes aren’t available in East Africa but Acting For Film Training School at the Godown Arts Centre is one film company I know that helps nurture acting skills, camera, script writing and so on. You can go there and find out more or google them.
• Modelling agencies: These days, most production companies contact modelling agencies when they are looking for models/ actors. Unfortunately a few individuals have identified this as the new get rich quick scheme so be careful, some of them are scams or use only a handful their ‘best’ models.
• Stay in shape or get into shape: Most of our local celebrities in East Africa gain weight after they start making bank. Nobody invests in their body, be one of the few & you will have an edge over the competition.
• Facebook: Where would we be without it, huh? Make use of facebook too. There are many film groups but u need to search them up and see if any info suits you.