Written by: Bernice Breckon
One of the real exciting things about being an actor is meeting amazing people like directors, producers, casting directors, crew members and fellow actors. You make these connections with industry minded people and you just feel the energy that resonates from everyone around you whether it’s onset, in a workshop or at an audition. It’s a great opportunity to learn what other actors are doing to further their careers. You would be interested to know I have found that a majority of actors don’t know how to further their careers and in some cases wouldn't even know where to start. When I decided I wanted to be an actress I thought to myself, ‘How the hell am I going to do this?’ It was obvious that I needed training but as a mother of five – yes that’s right FIVE – and working fulltime there was no way I could leave my job and attend a drama school fulltime for 2 years. My two youngest babies were under the age of 4 and day care costs were a killer. In the years to follow I would search for afterhours or weekend workshops or masterclasses, which were no existent in Wellington in the late 90's early 2000's. I applied for roles on Star Now – now that was god send – this was where I got my first extra role and it was my first time on a film set. I loved it and all I wanted to do was get in front of the camera more except I didn’t know how. A couple of years later I found a 6 week course with an amazing actress, director and coach, Miranda Harcourt. There I met an actress and for the life of me I can’t remember her name but as we got to chatting she told me she was auditioning for roles on Shortland Street (NZ Soap) and the movie Avatar. So I asked her how did she get these auditions, she told me through her agent. The thought never entered my mind. I needed a blinking agent ‘dur!’ She gave the name and number of her agent and they invited me into their little boutique agency. I got auditions for TV Commercial’s and landed one of them and I got to be on my very first international mega buster movie set, Avatar. My experience on Avatar really cemented my passion and desire for acting. My husband and I decided to move to Sydney, Australia where I found the opportunity to work my day job as an IT Professional and study acting after-hours. Until doing this course I hadn't realised how much I didn't know about acting and the business of acting. Like Acting is a Business? You bet your cotton little socks it is and guess what or should I say who the business is. YOU. Yes as an actor you are your business and you must build your business, market yourself and keep yourself well trained. I feel fortunate and blessed in my 24 year journey in pursuit of acting which had led me to Sydney and Hollywood. Having spent nearly 2 years in Los Angeles I learnt so much more, experienced a different world, and happy I made that leap to train, live in and film in Hollywood. If you're seriously thinking to start a career in acting I have created an Actors Kete (Toolkit) Online Essentials Course designed to provide foundational information and skills about acting and the business of acting.
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