Training, Acting Classes, Acting Techniques

Training

acting training, become a child star, acting classes, workshops, auditions, kids acting coach

Do I need Acting Classes?

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YES! Everybody needs training. Why you may think you're a natural, and you may have some talent, you still need to take some kind of training. You wouldn't think of becoming a ballerina without dance classes, or being a tennis champ without learning to play tennis would you?

If you don't have any experience, then agents and casting directors will expect you to have some kind of training on your resume.

Whether you take drama classes at school or attend a workshop with a visiting casting director, it all helps. There are many companies out there that will put on workshops in your area. Some may even have the bonus of having a talent agent or casting director attend your final class to meet you.

There are many different types of classes and acting techniques. Find out what is available in your local area, then see if they have drop in classes so you can see if you will like them before signing up for a longer period.

There are different acting styles for theater and television. Theater is more dramatic and requires a "larger" presence. On camera acting is much more intimate. It needs to be much more natural. You will hear of many different approaches to acting, like the Stanislavsky Method. It important to realize there are many different techniques, you just need to find the one that makes sense to you.

Types of Training

Whether you attend an auditioning workshop or go to summer camp for drama, try to spend your money with professionals. There's an old saying; Those that can, do and those who can't, teach.
Well, what can you learn from someone who has never had any experience themselves? If the only experience they have is from taking someone else's classes, they're not going to teach you much. It's much better to learn from people who have actually worked in the industry.
What better way to perfect your auditioning technique than with a Casting Director from Hollywood? They can give you valuable feedback and let you know where you need to improve. If there's a director in town putting a a class, then try to attend. If there's a former child star who is now giving lessons, then that's who you want to train with. If you'd like to know more about the industry, then go to workshops that talk about setiquette, or production classes.
Many community colleges will have courses on film making. These are good for production skills, but try to get acting training from professionals in the business. You wouldn't learn to become a plumber from your neighbour who once unclogged his sink. So don't learn acting from someone who has done nothing more than community theater. Unless all you dream of acting in is community theater.

Don't get scammed!

If you have been to an "audition" with a company and they say they think you are great and have lots of potential, but need more classes before they sign you, be very careful. If they want you to spend thousands of dollars on their classes, walk away. If they have brought in some "talent agent" from LA who thinks you've got the look, but needs you to take a specific course, that you have to pay for right now, walk away. If they advertise on the radio for an audition with Disney or Nickelodeon and when you get there they have a sales pitch about training, walk away. These are all ways people will get you excited and then ask you for lots of money.
Of course acting training will cost you money, but you should be free to do training with anyone you wish. If anybody tells you that you have to do training with a specific person before they will sign you, then it's not legit.