Expert: Phil Nemy - 3/8/2004

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Hi. I am a highschool student and for the past three years at highschool I have taken all the drama/acting classes and i am interested in acting as a career.  I have always wondered in the general aspect of things?  What is harder Theater or doing films? (Not that HollyWood crap)
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Sean,

Thanks for writing. I'm not sure that I know what you mean when you ask is Theater or doing films harder? In what manner are you asking about is it harder? Harder work? Harder to get started? Harder to make a living? And what profession are we speaking of: acting, directing, writing, producing, working a crew postion?

Can you be more specific so that I might be able to answer your questions?

Thanks.

Phil

Ya srry about that, I was in a hurry.  I mean in terms of an actor and making a living?  Are rehearsals longer hours? Is there more to memorize in a script?  what pays more? (generally)  Audition process? getting started? projection of voice?  flexibility of movement? ex theater is just limited to left-right basically

Could you compare and contrast doing film or theater, as in an actor's perspective?

I hope i was specific.  I not a big typer.
-Sean
Answer -
Sean,

Okay, got it. Both film and theatre are very difficult in which to make a living as an actor. Most actors make a living doing something else in the hope that one day their big break will come and they'll be able to make a living as an actor.

Rehearsals in the theatre are longer, usually 6 weeks, Mon-Fri, for an eight to ten hour day. Film rehearsals, if they hapen at all, are usually only two weeks and generally only 4 to 8 hours a day. Some film directors never rehearse their actors until they are on the set. Their feeling is they don't want the actors to lose the spontaneity of the scenes.

Performing a play or musical usually runs about 2 hours on average. The actor will keep performing as long as there is an audience. A typical shooting day is a 12 hour day and can occur day or night depending on the needs of the scene. A typical shooting schedule is anywhere from 30 days to 60 days, with big films like LORD OF THE RINGS requiring over 150 days of shooting. Actors can be on location on a film set for 4 to 6 months.

Both actors must memorize lines. However, a theatre actor must know his lines every night that he performs. A film actor can forget his lines and do the scene over again as many times as he needs to.

The audition processes are the same - you read for the casting director. Sometimes, when you are an unknown and a studio wants to see what your chemistry will be like with your co-star, they will ask the actor to do a screen test. There are no screen tests in the theatre.

Theatre actors must project their voice to reach the back of the house. Film actors don't have to worry as highly advanced microphones will pick up their voices, even if they whisper.

Both actors mush be in good shape to withstand the long hours and difficult work. Both must be able to move their bodies well.

Theatre is NOT limited to just left-right. It can be upstage/downstage, left stage/right stage, you can be flown in on a wire, you can enter/exit from the house. Film actors work within the space of the set. The movement limitations are set only by the director and the camera's movement.

Hope this helps.

Phil

Ya that helped alot.  Now my question is on education:  Does education really matter  i e university  because I want to go to university to study theater/Film.  I really want to act and be on stage and take the medium seriously, like how a dentist takes his work seriously or etc...  NO one especially my parents take this feild of study (acting) seriously that I know. They say "You be making no money and be very poor, and good luck even if you pull 40,000 a year!" is that true?  How much does a typical actor make a year?  why do the general people don't take acting seriously, like a science study?

If I go to university to study Theater and film, how many years should i take? Do agents view plays that the University puts on to "seek out" actors? speaking of agents, and talent agents. Do I need one?  Is it really important to have one in this business? why?  How much do they cost? How much of your pay do they receive?  Do I need one this early? or should I wait until after university?

I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. does location matter? I mean do I have to fly and move to Hollywood so I am closer to bigger acting businesses?  How is Canada for the entertainment industry economically?

Are TV shows the same as film?  How are they different?

uhmm i think thats all the questions I really have ...  If you could answer them like you did with my previous ones I be one happy guy!

-Sean

PS-I have always wonder, How does SNL (Saturday Night Live) work?  I mean  do they only get a week of rehearsal?  Is it actually live? and all the costume changes! holy man thats crazy!

Thank you so much

PPS What is your book? I want to buy it now! you seem very knowlegable!

Thanks again!  

Answer
Sean,

Education definitely DOES matter. If you want a career as an actor, and you want to be taken seriously, then you need the best education in the training for actors that money can buy. You want to seek out a profesional actor's training program. Only consider a university or college that will offer you this type of program and offers a BFA degree, not a BA degree. A BA degree will not give you the conservatory-like training that you seek.

BFA schools are four-year schools and upon enrollment, you have declared your major. You will study theatre 5 days a week for roughly 12 hours a day, and on weekends you will continue completing your homework and continue rehearsals. These types of programs are difficult to get into - you must audition and they only take the most talented students. They are even more difficult to remain in. The work load can be intense and often students are cut from the program if they cannot keep up. Schools like Carnegie Mellon, Julliard, Yale, NYU, Northwestern, Webster College, Cal Arts, NC School for the Arts, etc. all have excellent actor training programs. You'll have to investigate what is available in Canada as I am not familiar with their programs.

The reason your parents and others don't take acting seriously is because of what I said in my earlier emails. It is a very difficult profession in which to make a living and support a family. Only 5% of the professional actors in the USA are employed as actors at any given moment. That's not a very promising statistic, but it is a real one. Most actors do not make a living from acting. They make their living doing other things. They pursue acting because THEY LOVE IT AND CANNOT DO ANYTHING ELSE OR THEY WILL DIE! You have to decide if that's the kind of life you want because the reality is that you will probably live on the edge of poverty most of your life because you won't make a living as an actor. And if you're not living at a poverty level, it's because you've found some other way to make a living and that means you aren't givint the attention to your acting career that you need if you want a shot at even trying to succeed at it.

I know I sound pesimistic, but I want to be as honest with you as possible. Bottom line is this: if you cannot get up every day and be happy without pursuing a career as an actor, even if it means you don't get any work from acting, then you should follow your heart. But if this does't sound appealing to you, then you should look in your heart and find something else that moves you passionately and follow that instead.

Talent Agents will seek actors perform in plays, but don't kid yourself into thinking that a Hollywood agent is going to fly to Manitoba to see your work just because you sent him an invitation. Hollywood agents make the rounds in LA and NYC. That's it. If you want to work in film and television, you definitely need an agent.

To find out more about agents, read my book, GET A REEL JOB. There's a lot of info about LA, Hollywood, agents, directors, etc. in the book that can be of help to you. You can find it at Amazon.com or you can order it at the book's website at www.reeljob.net. If you order it through the reeljob.net, I offer a money-back guarantee: if you don't think it was helpful after reading it, return it to me in re-sale condition and I'll send you a full refund.

Agents don't "cost" anything. Which means if an agent tells you that you have to give him money in order for you to represent you, then RUN! An agent ONLY makes money if he books a job for you. If you get paid for the job $500, then an agent will take 10% of that pay, or $50. Managers usually take 15% but can take more as they are not regulated like agents are. I wouldn't worry about getting an agent or manager at this stage - go to school and develop your craft. You can get an agent after you've finished school.

Eventually, you will have to move to Los Angeles or NYC if you want to pursue a television or film career. There is a lot of work in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, and Montreal, and the best way to tap into that arena is to get to know the casting directors working in those cities. 95% of film and television is cast in LA. However, if a film is shot on location in Canada, some of the smaller roles will be cast locally.

TV shows and films are shot essentially the same way. The difference is the budget and the schedule. Films can be made for anywhere from $1.0 mil US to over $100 mil US while one television episode is usually shot for $750,000 to $1.5 mil US. A sitcom is usually shot for $500,000 to $1.0 mil US. Film schedules can go from 20 to 150 shooting days depending upon the demands of the script. Television episodic is shot in 7-8 days. Sitcoms are rehearsed in front of a camera for 1 day and shot in one additional day. TV Movies vary from 20 to 35 shooting days.

I understandthat SNL rehearses for about a week and a half, and then the show is shot live. Yes, they make very fast wardrobe changes and often read their lines off of cue cards. Whenever you see the actor glancing away from their fellow actor to a place off-camera, they are usually looking at the cue card to remind them of their lines.

Hope this helps.

Phil