Are you a budding actor embarking on your long yet exhilarating journey through the Film and TV industry? Have you experienced any challenges that might be getting you down? Or maybe just finding that the cold, grey weather is blocking your creativity and motivation? If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. The best way to keep going when you hit bumps in the road is to find sources of inspiration, giving you fuel to keep going when times get hard and pushing you towards your end goal of seeing your lovely face on the big screen!


In this blog, I am going to share techniques the greats have used to become the household names they are today, as well as things I engage with when the river of ideas runs dry.


Engage in all forms of media


As an actor, you might think that watching all the classic films and new TV shows would be enough to inspire your performances, however you shouldn’t just focus on the screen to find inspiration as there’s only so much you can learn from one medium that is only a century old. Looking at other sources can open you eyes up to how different stories can be told, informing your performances.


Websites


‘The New York Times’ - Arts https://www.nytimes.com/international/section/arts


A site to see an international view of what’s going on in the current world of art is ‘The New York Times’ Arts section. Staying on top of the international art scene can help fuel your creativity, exposing you to ideas from all four corners of the globe, whilst also keeping you informed of what’s being made today and what kind of characters are excelling in the ever changing media landscape.


Tetragrammaton - https://www.tetragrammaton.com/home


This is less of a website and more of an online art gallery from the brilliant mind of Rick Rubin. For those who don’t know, Rick Rubin is one of the most successful American music producers, producing albums for Lady Gaga to Metallica. Tetragrammaton is derived from Rubin’s podcast of the same name where he interviews a range of creatives. The site, on the other hand, is a curated online space that showcases art, music, films, and other artifacts and a great space to observe and consume art without bias.


Acting specific sites like Spotlight and Backstage


Back to an industry-focused site, some fantastic websites for actors to take a look at are Backstage and Spotlight, where you can find what kind of jobs are available out there, industry updates and what’s casting now so you can practice making audition tapes for the roles you would like to be cast for.


Actor websites


Whose your favourite actor? What do they do that makes you so captivated by them? Research them. What do they do to get into character, how do they push past rejections and where do they turn to get inspired? One day, you will be just like them and help the you’s of tomorrow work towards their dreams.


Books


‘Quiet’ by Susan Cain - about (how relate to acting?)


This book explores the value in introversion and how it can be a vital skill in unlocking creativity and success in a world that typically places more importance on extraversion. As some of the best actors are surprisingly introverted, it is interesting to learn the different beneficial traits gifted by introversion and what can be learnt from this as a budding actor.


‘The Creative Act: A Way of Being’ by Rick Rubin


I know what you’re thinking, another Rick Rubin mention?! As he is arguably one of the most successful and creative individuals out there today, it’s worth taking a deep dive into his work and ideas on creativity to see what can be learnt from his thought process and see what ideas his words can inspire in you.


Podcasts


‘How to fail’ by Elizabeth Day


Knowing that everyone fails, that you too will fail at some things and how to cope with that is essential as an actor. Elizabeth Day’s podcast explores the idea of failure by interviewing a range of different people from actors to sports men and women, learning their failures, what it taught them and how to succeed better.


‘A Beautiful Anarchy’ by David duChemin


If you’re shorter on time, duChemin’s 15-minute podcasts explore the trials and tribulations of life as a creative and aims to provide inspiration to those who crave to create. Listening to this podcast whilst on a walk can help you absorb interesting points and instantly apply what you hear.


Videos


‘Give yourself permission to be creative’ - Ethan Hawke for TED
A video I always find myself coming back to when I am lacking in inspiration is Ethan Hawke’s TED talk. He beautifully uses anecdotes from his life to relate and motivate to an audience of struggling creatives, leaving you with an inspiring instruction to make your own path and not be afraid to ‘play to fool’.


Stay mindful


Now your brain is full of creativity, take a moment of peace. Go on a walk in nature. Enjoy the simplicity of breathing, listening, watching the world around you. Give the ideas space to grow.


Another way to can process your creativity and encourage ideas to flow is to journal. This can help you bring your ideas into the world, without editing or judging. It is also great practice for actors to help develop self-awareness, foster originality and improve memory retention.


Putting this into Practice


So what small step can you take right now to help you keep moving towards your dreams? Obviously, taking IPM’s amazing acting classes are a great place to start to help you practice your acting and allow you to explore different ideas. After this, choose something to read, watch or do that has been explored in this blog and see how you feel afterwards. Even the smallest steps are carrying you towards where you want to be, keep going no matter how many challenges you face.


I will leave you with this quote from Rick Rubin’s book ‘The Creative Act: A Way of Being’ to inspire you to keep pushing through the months to come:


“A river of material flows through us. When we share our works and our ideas, they are replenished. If we block the flow by holding them all inside, the river cannot run and new ideas are slow to appear. In the abundant mindset, the river never runs dry. Ideas are always coming through. And an artist is free to release them with the faith that more will arrive. The recognition of abundance fills us with hope that our brightest ideas still await us and our greatest work is yet to come. We are able to live in an energized state of creative momentum, free to make things, let them go make the next thing, and let it go. With each chapter we make, we gain experience, improve at our craft, and inch closer to who we are.” 


-Rick Rubin, American Record Producer

Building your self-confidence can be challenging, especially since developing it often requires you to go out of your comfort zone. However, with it being such a useful skill, its important to push yourself into activities that help you to develop it. One of these activities is acting classes, a great way to learn new skills and push your boundaries. The classes teach much more than acting, they help develop useful skills, applicable to everyday life, all of which are helpful for building confidence. In this blog I will look at the many benefits that acting classes offer and how they can help you in your daily life, and most importantly, help build your confidence.


Acting classes benefits:
There are many benefits to taking acting classes, whether you are an aspiring actor or not, they can help you in many aspects of your life and career, while also supporting your personal growth. They are a great way to meet new people, develop your skills, acting and otherwise, and most importantly boost your confidence. Even if you have no aspiration to enter acting as a career, taking classes can help build skills such as teamwork, communication, and creativity. Additionally, if you do desire to become an actor, these classes are even more important, teaching essential skills such as audition preparation, acting techniques, and just generally increasing your capability as an actor through exposure to different scripts and scenes. If classes are your first introduction to acting, then they are a great way to get the training needed to put you on the map of agents and casting directors, especially if they recognise the classes you have taken, giving them an idea of the type of training you have undergone.


How acting classes improve personal growth:
One of the universal benefits of acting classes is the incredibly important personal growth you can undergo, learning invaluable personal skills. For example, your emotional intelligence can improve as you take on new scripts and act out new scenes, you will have to take on many different roles that portray different emotions and motivations, which you as an actor will need to understand and enact. Understanding all of these different feelings that you portray, can help you to understand your own emotions to a better degree, this can help you to be more empathetic to the emotions of others too. This generally leads to an increase in self-awareness, understanding, and empathy, all incredibly beneficial skills on and off camera, and can help actors to bring their roles to life.


The actor has to develop his body. The actor has to work on his voice. But the most important thing the actor has to work on is his mind.
- Stella Adler


Actor and acting teacher Stella Adler believes that an actors most valuable skill is their mind, their ability to imagine, understand, and embody their roles in front of the camera, and the ability to empathise, and think creatively off of it. All universal skills that acting classes can help you to develop.


How to network through acting:
Like any social activity, acting classes are a great way to meet new people with similar interests and aspirations to yourself, it’s a great way to make new friends! However, it is also one of the best ways to learn about other sides of the film industry, through meeting industry professionals. Meeting likeminded people at these classes is a great way to improve as an actor, friends you make there can encourage your development, through feedback and helpful tips. Plus having friends who are also actors is helpful when trying to get cast in a role, learning what works for each other while also supporting one another through audition prep. On the other hand, networking and making connections with people already established in the industry, is a great way to improve your chances of getting auditioned for roles, for example it can help you to get an agent, or getting your name known to casting directors, this way you can focus more on acting rather than finding roles.


How can acting classes teach life skills? 
The best acting classes will encourage many practical skills that are just as useful in life as they are in front of the camera. Skills such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, and flexibility. You will learn how to better work as a team while you act out scenes with other people, reacting to each other while working with one another to create an engaging performance. You will also develop your communication skills, with acting requiring cooperation verbally and physically, you need to be able to speak confidently with other people, both on and off screen, to give a convincing performance and understand each other’s thoughts on the scene. Both teamwork and communication can be utilised every day, it’s an invaluable skill to posses and a great example to use if ever asked for one.
Developing problem solving skills during these acting classes will come naturally, through interpretations of scripts and roles as well as improvising lines or scenes. Flexibility is similar to problem solving for an actor in that it consists of being able to take different approaches and change your perspective on roles from what you initially might have imagined. Again, both of these skills are incredibly useful for everyday life and are highly desired in most careers.


How can acting skills improve confidence? 
The thing all of these skills have in common, is that they all help to improve our confidence, being confident in yourself is essential for an actor and there is no better way to get out of your comfort zone, than taking part in an acting class. Whether you are camera shy, or are worried about taking on roles, acting classes will help to push your boundaries and build up your self-confidence.
Emotional intelligence and empathy are good confidence builders, understanding why people feel the way they do can help you to feel comfortable with your own emotions. As well as this, teamwork and communication skills help with becoming more comfortable in your own abilities, while being able to rely on those around you more confidently, which helps develop your own self-worth and confidence. While communicating your ideas or thoughts to others while also listening to theirs is a great way to build friendships and learn to value both your peers and your own feedback.
In short, the best way to improve confidence through acting, is to take acting classes and get out of your comfort zone as much as you can. The best acting classes will purposefully teach you all of the skills you need to build up confidence, and expose you to scenarios you would most likely never see under normal circumstances. If you are interested in developing any of these skills or are interested in acting, why not try one of our IPM acting classes, available to all ages with classes varying at different levels of experience.

Auditions are a very important stage of the industry. They are a time
consuming process for casting directors and they are the gateway for actors
landing roles. Only under rare circumstances do actors not have to audition or
test to see if they are right for a role, so it is vital for an actor to know the
makings of a good audition to make a good impression whilst auditioning
and catch the eye of casting directors.

Engaging Introduction
Don’t feel the need to rush into the audition, briefly introducing yourself and
showcasing your personality can show enthusiasm. Not that the audition
itself isn’t the main purpose, but seeing a bit of yourself before seeing a
character can be more inviting and more engaging for the casting director.
For in person auditions; speak with the casting directors, ask questions, be
friendly and get to know them. It’s important to make an impression, this will
help you be more memorable. Be professional, follow the script; don’t
improvise unless they’ve allowed it, show up on time, and don’t be giving one
word answers. Being conversational shows your interest in the role and your
interest in being there.

Believe What You’re Saying
It is important to understand your character. Explore their feelings, their
motives and what they’re arc is going to be. Don’t just read the lines on the
page, because that isn’t being a character. Character research enhances the
authenticity of your performance. Building a connection to your character’s
inner life will make your performance more believable and helps engage the
audience and their belief in your portrayal.
Analyse the script and really get to know the character, delve into their
backstory and identify their journey and their goals. Consider questions like;
Where did they come from? What does your character want in this scene?
What are they trying to achieve? How does your character evolve throughout
the scene?

“Acting is the ability to behave absolutely truthfully under the imaginary circumstances.”
​- Sanford Meisner

Remember Your Lines
Don’t go into an audition unprepared. Thorough preparation is essential for a
successful audition. Casting directors value actors who are confident and well
rehearsed. Consistent practice, even in short bursts, is key to building strong
muscle memory and deepens the understanding of your character, allowing
you to deliver a more polished performance.

Actions Speak Louder than Words
Reading the lines is a crucial part of the audition, but they’re not the only tool
you can use to show the best performance. Using body language is also a
great way to show emotion and add depth to a character, sometimes without
saying a word. Expressing yourself physically can convey a lot about a
character’s personality, their emotions and their thoughts by using a variety of
different movements; from posture to how you sit, walk, gestures, facial
expressions, eye contact and more subtle micro expressions like a twitch or a
shift in demeanour.

Confidence
Building confidence takes time and effort. While it's important to present
yourself confidently, focus on inner confidence that comes from thorough
preparation and a deep understanding of your character. It’s completely
normal to feel nervous or anxious going into an audition, being prepared will
increase your confidence and relax you in the process. Going back to making
a good impression, keep your head high, enunciate correctly, show good body
language, and don’t forget to smile. Ultimately, the most important thing is to
let your passion for acting shine through. When you're truly engaged with the
material and enjoying the process, your confidence will come naturally.

Know the Format
The general rule for theatre is make sure they can hear you on the last row,
and although that doesn’t apply to screen acting, that doesn’t mean you can
whisper. You still need to be heard, understand how you need to deliver a line,
if it’s softly or quietly spoken, do so in a way that is still heard, it is important
that you are understood. Tailor your delivery and be versatile to the script's
demands, Ensuring, whatever the requirements, your performance will be
impactful and authentic.

Variety
Preparation is vital for the audition, knowing your delivery and understanding
the emotion of the character and reasons and if this changes based on the
subtext of the scene. It’s important to know these changes and use this with
your character. Shifting emotions and seeing how the performance changes
during the scene creates an arc for the character. It’s important to let
performance feel natural, and let it evolve over time. You don’t want to be
giving a one note performance, this makes it harder to connect with the
character if we don’t understand their emotions or their motives.
Variety in delivery is also crucial for a compelling audition. Preparing multiple
approaches to your lines and actions demonstrates a deep understanding of
your character and your ability to adapt. Casting directors may ask you to try a
different delivery for a section or a specific line. Having this already prepared
and practiced will convey the work you’ve done towards this and your overall
passion for the project.

Adapt
You’re going to be given feedback from your audition. It’s good to get some
direction on how to improve, or what you can try differently, or even what you
have done well. It’s key to pay attention to this feedback, have an open mind
about what they’re telling you, remember it, and use it. Think of constructive
criticism as an opportunity to refine your performance and deepen your
understanding of the character. Remember you can ask questions to get a
broader understanding of what they want, then when you use this feedback,
you can respond effectively and show the growth of your performance.
To get used to this, consider running your performance by someone else
before your audition. Getting notes from a friend first, so you can go in with
the best mind set possible.
​
It is important to note that you’re not going to be hired for every role you
audition for, and that is completely fine, every actor has faced rejection, that is
all part of the process, and this brings room for growth. Some roles are just
right for certain people, you have to find the ones that are right for you. The
right roles will come to those who are dedicated, patient and passionate to
their craft. The persistence of an actor will never go unnoticed.