University can be a very turbulent time in peoples lives, especially if you are only just starting your first year there. Its important to manage your time well and keep on top of your studying, however it’s also vital to find time to enjoy yourself. Acting classes can be a great way to help keep your mind active and also have lots of fun. Vital life skills are taught through acting, things that are useful for your degree, whether its film related or not. In this blog ill be looking at how acting classes can help you during your time at university, both academically and personally.

How can acting help my film degree?


One of the most obvious degrees that acting can help you with, is filmmaking. If this is your degree of choice, you are most likely interested in creating or working within the production of films, which will mean you will work with and possibly direct actors. Understanding what it’s like to act and what you are actually asking them to do is incredibly important and can help you have a better relationship with them. Communication is key, and it becomes much easier when you have some experience being in their shoes, while also helping you to empathise with their position.
This is also applicable to a degree in scriptwriting. Understanding what you are asking someone else to say, and how you would read this script as an actor, can make you double check what you are asking someone else to say, making sure it sounds natural, rather than wooden or unrealistic. If you expect an actor to take your script and dialogue seriously, they have to believe what they are saying and be able to read it off naturally, as no matter how skilled an actor might be, wooden dialogue will always sound strange.


“No script is written in stone. Filmmaking is an organic process and actors can bring the spontaneity of the moment to find the magic in a scene. Equally, they can improvise a good script to death.”
- Alan Parker


Director and screenwriter, Alan Parker believes that a good script can be improvised by actors. Whether to its detriment or benefit, it is good to know that actors have enough understanding of your characters and your script to feel comfortable improvising, showing that they are fully embracing your writing to the point they feel natural playing your characters.

Does acting improve academic performance?
Outside of other film and acting related degrees, acting can provide invaluable skills that will benefit you personally during your time at university, whether these skills directly relate to your degree or not, there is a lot you can learn from acting. Research has shown students involved with drama performance scored higher for their college entrance exams than those who didn’t, the same study also found that students who attended drama performance activities often show better reading comprehension, attendance, and overall focus. The study overall suggests that taking part in drama performances, such as acting classes, can boost your grades and improve your problem-solving skills. This could be due to how acting encourages lots of improvisation and creative thinking, constantly keeping your brain ready for something new as you read for different characters, always looking at scripts from different angles, and applying that to your performance. Acting can train your mind and help to keep it active and learning during your time at university, you may even find yourself with a new hobby or even a new career path.

Can acting classes relieve stress?
Acting can also be a great way of relieving stress, and overall improve your mental wellbeing, something that’s incredibly important, especially if you are just starting out at university. Moving away to university and meeting lots of new people can be very daunting, which can negatively affect your mental health. Which is why drama, and specifically acting classes, can help you during this stressful time in your life. They can help you to express any pent-up emotions you may be feeling through the characters you will be playing, channelling your emotions in a positive way, this can help you to better understand your own emotions and how you can regulate them. Acting classes specifically, offer you a sense of community that you might be missing, if you have recently moved away for university, finding this community can be hard despite all the opportunities to meet new people. Acting classes offer you the chance to meet likeminded people and a great way to meet people who might be in a similar situation.

How can acting help my degree?


More than just improving your academic prospects, learning how to act teaches you skills that are desirable in other degrees and fields of work. Skills such as teamwork, communication and public speaking are all developed through acting and can greatly help with something like a business or marketing degree. Overall improving your self confidence and communication when speaking with other people will help greatly in those industries. In 2024 LinkedIn posted data on its most desired skills, most of which are developed by practicing acting. The articles most important skill was adaptability, something that thrives through acting, adapting involves reacting to new conditions and scenarios, just like an actor does every time they are given a new role, script, dialogue, or prompt. Acting teaches you to adapt through throwing you in the deep end and seeing what you can come up with, and over time, you will naturally learn to react to any and all situations thrown at you.
“Acting is reacting.”
― Stella Adler
The same article also lists communication, leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving in its top 10 skills. All of which are developed by practicing performance arts, they are useful in all degrees, and most importantly, all career paths. Take teamwork for example, acting classes encourage acting out scenes in a group, learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses and working around that. Additionally, problem-solving, similarly to adaptability, it requires quick and creative thinking. Playing different roles, thinking about how you want to portray them and thinking how that character would act and react, are all great ways to develop your problem-solving skills. All of these skills come together to improve leadership abilities, working well in a team, being able to solve problems, and being able to communicate effectively, are all essential skills for leadership positions. More than this, acting sky-rockets self-confidence, which is a necessary skill for leaders, trusting in your own decision making but also being able to listen to your team’s feedback is vital to leading, both of which acting naturally develops.
Another study shows that creative thinking is one of the most desired skills by companies all over the world but especially prevalent in the UK. If there’s one thing acting can teach you, its creative thinking, problem solving and adaptability also fall under creative thinking, as you constantly have to look at different scenes and roles, imagining your characters history, how they would react to X, or how they respond to Y. Naturally this extends to more creative orientated degrees, for example problem solving, something that’s used constantly in computer science, or graphics design, where creativity is key.



Overall, acting is a great way to develop some essential lifelong skills during your time at university, they have been shown to improve grades, boost focus and give you the abilities necessary to excel at your degrees. More than this, they will vastly improve your employability, ensuring you will have the most desirable skills to employers in any industry. Performance arts are shown to relieve stress and help develop yourself personally, they teach emotional intelligence and are a great way of releasing pent-up emotions. However, most importantly, they are fun and a great way to socialise.
Acting classes are a great way to get started, and offer unforgettable experiences, if this is something that interests you, why not try one of our IPM Acting classes, meet likeminded people and give yourself all of the skills could possibly need.

You’ve read the script, that is your blueprint, it’s now your turn to start laying the groundwork to bring your character to life. Crafting and displaying their inherent qualities is all in addition to telling the story and telling you so much about them self. Having knowledge of their personal factors benefit the overall arc of your role; such as their motivations, desires, fears, and past experiences. Knowing what they strive for, and what they’re wanting to achieve is key for figuring out how they’re going to navigate the world that is being created, as well as their relationships; not only with the other characters in the story but also their relationship with the audience, how they should be perceived.

Understanding the Source Material
Unless you yourself have written the script, it’s not your story, it’s best to start by listening and learning. Read and understand what the writer has written about your character and use that as your starting point. This can vary from screenwriter to screenwriter in how much detail they provide; some will describe in depth descriptions of their characters, and others not much at all. Whichever way it is, it’s a starting point for you to be introduced with a simple description of their demeanour or actions that could already tell you so much about them, it’s about building something authentic around that. 

Know the Answers
The fundamental questions of 'who, what, when, where, and why' are essential for in-depth character exploration. Asking yourself these questions, and more importantly, finding the answers to them can create so much context to any aspect of your role’s personality. Think about even the most habitual aspects of your role’s life; their posture, how they walk, what they sound like? 
How is your character different from you? How are they similar? Implementing both of these answers is also a great way to craft something unique. In some parts it’s the fun of make believe, and in others it’s the comfort of the familiar. It's about finding a connection between you and the person you are portraying. So whenever someone asks you why something you’ve done is the way it is, you already have the reasons.  

“You, as  an  actor, should know more about this character than anybody now in the world… It’s for you to bring it to life”
Gena Rowlands quoting John Cassavettes

Can you Hear the Music?
Some actors find music a constructive tool in characterisation. Figuring out what the character would listen to and creating a playlist based around that. 
Even if your character isn’t the kind of person who listens to music, what would be the soundtrack to their world? Listening to a  soundscape can give you a sense of what it’s like to sit in your character’s world with nothing but their thoughts.
This is the process that Lynne Ramsay used for her film; You Were Never Really Here. To ensure that Joaquin Phoenix could get into the mindset of his character, one who has suffered with such a fractured psyche. She said;


“It was brilliant because he works so much on instinct. I just had to get into his headspace as much as possible.
I recorded fireworks on the Fourth of July in this dark garden in Brooklyn. You couldn’t see them but you could hear them. I thought, ‘This must be what it feels like to be in a war.’ I played it to Joaquin and said, ‘This is what’s going on in your mind every day.’”

Build a Relationship
The Director. The person who controls the making of a film.
Other than the actors, it’s going to the person you work the most, and the closest with. It’s important to work together with trust and respect for each other to achieve the same shared vision for the project. Open communication and a shared understanding of what each of you are trying to achieve is vital for a good working relationship, and creating that vision without clash or controversy will result in the best product. Creative differences are inevitable to arise. Openly discussing your ideas and listening to the director's feedback to find a collaborative solution is key to building a strong relationship. Both you and the director should have a shared goal in mind, it’s perfectly acceptable to bring suggestions to the table, like previously stated, you know the character better than anyone after all. As long as you are open to theirs too, build trust with the director, at the end of the day, it is their job to get an authentic performance out of you. By working together and supporting each other, as well as others, you will all achieve your goal. 

Experimentation and Spontaneity 
Don’t just find one path and stick to it. Use the questions you asked yourself, and the character’s answers you created to discover new and interesting characteristics, the quirks you could implement to make the role unique. Come up with new ways to do a scene, or deliver a line. One might come along that surprises you. Improvisation is acceptable within reason, and on some sets it’s even encouraged, this shows a deep knowledge of character, resulting in a feeling of authenticity. When you’re so in tune with this persona, and you believe what they are saying, the audience will believe you too. The dialogue you speak will be natural and the reactions real; Acting is Reacting.

Accepting Criticism 
A humble fact to accept is that nobody’s perfect. You’re not always going to get it right on the first try, you’re going to make mistakes. But what you do with them is more than a triumph for a performance, it’s also a reflection of you as a performer. It is important to listen to what feedback you can get and use that as an opportunity for growth and better understanding the scene, or even the story as a whole. Whether that is on set with your director or co-stars, or even a friend you’re practising lines with, constructive criticism is essential for improvement. Taking it in and understanding it can not only improve your performance, but also enlighten new pathways to take the performance down, it might inspire a new direction to try in the next take. 

Enjoy the Process
Ultimately, building something you can throw yourself into is a privilege for a performer, and something that is all part of the fun of acting and storytelling in general. At the end of the day, most people act because they love it, so love it.

​

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.

“Dying is easy. Comedy is hard” - Edmund Gwenn


This is a well known rhetoric that has long feared even the best dramatic actors in steering well clear of the comedic genre, but it doesn’t have to be true. As an aspiring actor it’s important to have as many skills in your arsenal as possible, comedy is an important tool to have whether its a straight comedy or a kitchen sink drama any piece can have comedic moments. The key to giving a hilarious performance is to understand why it’s funny. “Analysing humour is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies” E. B White.
Breaking down comedy may seem dull however it’s an incredibly important step, the best comedians are like scientists they conduct experiments, theorise and practice until it looks effortless.
In order to master comedic acting you must understand where the humour comes from. Every time anyone has ever laughed it was due to the use of one or a combination of the following principles of comedy.

•  Superiority

Often associated with ‘The dumb’ character the principle of superiority is the theory that if a viewer feels superior to your character’s actions or thoughts they will laugh. An example of this is Kerry from This Country thinking her crumpet doesn’t have holes because it’s upside down. Daisy May Cooper plays this with sincerity, the funny comes from the believability, the character must not be in on the joke.

• Relief

The principle of relief is simply just the building of tension and then the releasing of it. This is a primal instinct we have, we know this because even a baby will laugh at a game of peek-a-boo. It’s also why we are drawn to laughing at dark situations, characters like David Brent shouldn’t be funny but we are shocked into laughing often uncontrollably. Another example of this is in Bad Grandpa when the little boy does an inappropriate dance to Sweet Cherry Pie. The important part of this theory is the build up, as an actor you must make the viewers believe the joke is going one way, the little boy in Bad Grandpa does a sweet dance and then suddenly switches, he had to be as dedicated to being sweet as he was to being inappropriate otherwise the viewers would have seen right through it.

• Incongruity

The principle of putting two opposing things together, the reason why ‘fish out of water’ characters are so prominent in comedic pieces. Examples of this include in the film Airplane! In which a character performs a magic trick, pulling an egg out of another character's mouth and then another one and then a bird.* It works great in slapstick pieces like Airplane! And often involves a great level of physicality, the actor must be willing to fully commit. Comedy is truth! Although this is an incongruous situation it’s important as a performer to find the truth in it and play into that, the ridiculousness will speak for itself, lean into it too much and you will lose the funny.
*This is also an example of the rule of three an important comedy tool, in which you set something up e.g. Pull an egg out of a person's mouth, reinstate the trend e.g. pull another egg out of the person's mouth and then when the viewer think they know what's going to happen, another egg is going to come out, they switch it up e.g. pull a bird out of the person's mouth. This is a reliable joke formula that almost always gets a laugh.


Archetypes are very important in comedy, unlike other genres comedy isn’t necessarily about crafting unique people it’s more about crafting characters that are relatable and easily identifiable. Scott Sedita wrote a great book that talks more in depth about this, but in a nutshell he suggests that there are only 8 different comedic characters:

• Lovable loser - Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation), Sue Heck (The Middle), Michael Scott (The office US)
•  Logical smart one - Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld), Chandler Bing (Friends), Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons)
•  Neurotic - Monica Gellar (Friends), Rachel Berry (Glee), Schmidt (New Girl)
• The Dumb One - Andy Dwyer (Parks and Recreation), Kerry Mucklowe (This Country), Dave Best (The Royle Family)
• The Mean Character - Red Forman (That 70’s Show), Sue Sylvester (Glee), Phil Connors (Groundhog day)
• In Their Own Universe - Phoebe Buffay (Friends), Dwight Schrute (The Office US), Winston Bishop (New Girl)
• Womaniser/Manizer - Lenore (Dirty Grandpa), Austin Powers (The Austin Powers  trilogy), Alice (Stepbrothers)
• The Materialistic One - Cher Horowitz (Clueless), Count Olaf (A Series of  Unfortunate Events), Rachel Green (Friends)
  
  
  These are innately funny traits seen in real people all the time, lean into that, think of someone in your life that fits into these, what quirks do they have? If you are playing a neurotic role, use your real life to inform your performance, perhaps your neighbour is always on your back about the bins, do they have a funny infliction on certain words? Or do they often repeat the same thing, catchphrases can be born this way. Even the smallest of quirks can create a hilarious and unique performance.
  The best comedy actors craft characters that are funny but human, think Robin Williams, all his characters have a redeeming quality something that makes you fall in love with them, even in Flubber when his ‘In their own universe’ character forgets to attend his own wedding Williams plays him not as uncaring but just forgetful. It’s funny because it’s an exaggeration of something that everyone has done, he found the truth even in the silliest of plots.
  It’s important for you to trust the writing. After learning your lines, rehearsing and doing multiple takes, it may lose its effect on you but you shouldn’t lose faith in the material, remember it’s your one-hundredth time hearing the joke but the viewers first. Comedy is a great tool to make viewers fall in love with you, perhaps even securing you a recurring role, so have fun, be playful and lean into what is true. Remember comedy is truth! 

Getting started as an actor can be really challenging and daunting, but if you start small and work your way up its a lot easier to manage. For example, whether you are experienced or not, acting classes are a great place to start and can help you gain and hone your acting skills; while also giving you the opportunity to meet other aspiring actors.

Something really important which we will talk about later is networking, something you should start as early as possible, and if you can do it during acting classes then you will be off to a great start. Acting classes will also help to improve your confidence in front of a camera and an audience, an essential skill for any aspiring actor one that will certainly come in handy if you find yourself on a stage or set. We offer our own acting classes to anyone who's interested, whether you have dabbled in acting before or never even tried it, IPM acting classes are available to anyone who's interested and are a great first step in your journey to becoming professional actor. 
 
After you start to feel more confident in your acting ability and decide you are ready to start looking for roles, starting small is a great way to get your foot in the door. This could be anything from theatre to taking part in student films, both of these are great ways to start getting some experience. Classes are one thing but getting yourself some experience will do wonders for your acting skills and confidence. Once again both theatre and student films are both great ways to meet new people in the same industry as you, and if they like your work as an actor, you could be invited back for another role. Theatre, while not exactly the same as acting for a camera, still provides invaluable lessons in acting and confidence. It will teach you how to convey your emotions to the entire room, and if you can manage to take this and make it more subtle, then it makes for a great transferable skill that will help you with acting in front of a camera. 
 
Now you have some experience under your belt you can start creating your online presence, this includes things like an Acting CV, a headshot, an account on a casting website like Spotlight, Backstage, or Mandy, and a showreel. All of these are vital for an actor to get themselves known and will help you to sell yourself on any roles you may audition for.  
A headshot is essential and will be the first thing a casting director sees when looking at you for a role, so make sure it's a good one, it should always be up to date and hopefully highlight your defining features. There are lots of places that can take a professional headshot for you (including IPM) if you find yourself needing one. An acting CV is a great way to show all your experience in theatre and amateur films while also highlighting your skills, training, and what you can bring to a role. As long as its concise and easy to read you should eventually find some success with it.  
Once you have a headshot and an acting CV ready, you should create an account on any of the casting websites listed above, Spotlight is a great one to start but has some criteria before you can make an account as an actor, such as needing one feature role with equity or two credits where you were contracted as a performer. This is one way of getting an account, another is through training for 1-year full time or 2 years part time, this could be something like acting classes for two years with a reputable studio such as IPM, or going to an acting school full time for a year at a level of at least RQF level 5. Finally, you can get an account through a recommendation from an already registered agent, if you are lucky enough to have an agent already then assuming they are verified by spotlight this is the quickest way. 
You should also make yourself a showreel of your work, try to utilise clips that show off your strengths and skills as an actor and only footage that represents you well. However you decide to make your showreel, at the end of the day what's most important is that it represents you well as an actor and you are happy with its contents. After all of this your online presence should start to come together and you should be able to start getting your name out there. 
Assuming you can get an account on spotlight, you can start auditioning for roles. However, until you have an agent you will have to represent yourself and really put yourself out there as much as you can, because for the time being no one else will. You should try to audition to as many roles as possible, on top of just getting general experience for the roles themselves and also the auditions, this will help you to fill out your acting CV as you slowly replace your older roles. You will also meet lots of people doing this, even if things don't go your way you will still be getting your face out there and you may find you are a good fit for a different role to the one you auditioned for. 
You should have hopefully met lots of other actors and other people in the industry during your time acting. This is a good start to your networking, knowing as many people as possible is incredibly important for an actor and is vital to making sure people hear of you and your work. Things you can do to help further your networking could be attending seminars and workshops on acting, posting about your roles on social media, and even creating your own website. You could show clips of yourself and include your headshot and acting CV on your website. Getting to know other actors can also be a great help, despite the fact they are your competition they go through all the same struggles you do when trying to land roles, you could end up helping each other out with tips or tricks you have both learnt. Again, all of this helps you meet similar minded people and ultimately gets you out there, which can lead to anything happening. 
At this point you should have a good online presence and hopefully have auditioned for a few roles, maybe even gotten cast for them. But any actor should look at getting an agent eventually, someone who will negotiate for you and will competently sell you as an actor to the right people. It's also incredibly helpful if your agent knows lots of casting directors, this would greatly increase your chances of getting an audition which naturally makes you more likely to be cast in something. When looking for an agency try to find one that has the connections you are interested in, this will help you be more likely to find the roles you want. If you are struggling when looking for an agent, try and find an agency that doesn't have what you offer as an actor, this should help you to be accepted as you will be filling a niche that agency isn't already promoting. ​

Are you a parent who has recently been surprised by the ‘I want to be an actor’ phrase? If your child has expressed an interest in acting, it can be an exciting and rewarding journey that will build their confidence, creativity and communication skills. As a parent, you play the most crucial role for them in helping them succeed and navigate the complexities of the entertainment industry. 
Navigating this industry, especially as a newcomer, can feel overwhelming—particularly when you’re focused on safeguarding your child’s best interests. You want to make informed decisions that support their growth and well-being while building your own understanding of how the industry works, we hope this blog will help you in understanding the industry further!

You may be asking yourself, but where do you start?

Before diving into acting classes or auditions, take time to understand why your child wants to act. Is it the excitement of performing, the creativity of storytelling, or the desire to be on TV or film? Knowing their motivation will help you support them in the right way. 

Asking your child what type of acting they would like to do whether it be screen, stage or musical theatre will ensure you can find the right training for them. The right training will allow your child to gain experience whether that's on set or stage that will allow them to understand the challenges and requirements of what it takes to be an actor. 

What should I look for in an acting class? 

• Classes tailored to your child’s age group and experience level.
• Instructors with industry experience in TV and film.
• A focus on building confidence, creativity, and technical skills like camera work and audition preparation.
• Spotlight accreditation.
  
  
  

Some acting classes such as IPM will also offer representation, this gives your child an opportunity to audition for industry casting calls through the likes of Spotlight. In addition to opening doors and building connections, this experience can significantly enhance both your child's and your own understanding of the industry, helping you better navigate the path ahead.
A child's life can already be busy with school, extracurriculars and maintaining friendships, acting can seem hard to fit in however, making a safe and comfortable home space will make all the difference. 


How to support your child at home with acting:

• Create a practice space where they can rehearse lines and experiment with different characters. This space will also be invaluable for self-tape auditions, providing a familiar and comfortable environment where they can perform at their best. Being in a space where they feel at ease can make all the difference in helping them deliver confident, authentic performances and nail their auditions.
• Encourage creativity through activities like storytelling, improvisation, or watching films together and discussing the performances, this can make it an enjoyable and less demanding way to keep the muscle moving.
• Provide constructive feedback, this will help your child grow, it is not always about being perfect but about learning and gaining confidence as a young performer. 
  
  

How can I balance my child’s social life with their acting career? 

While acting can be an exciting adventure and career, it’s essential to ensure that it doesn’t overwhelm your child’s education or personal life. Maintaining balance is key to your child's success. 

• Set a schedule that includes time for acting practice, homework, and downtime, this will ensure your child maintains a balance and scheduled time off.
• Prioritise their well-being, ensuring they get enough rest and maintain hobbies outside of acting. Your child’s wellbeing, safety and joy come first, above and beyond everything else.
• Teach time management skills to help them handle auditions, rehearsals, and school responsibilities effectively. 

We often get asked, ‘how do I do an at home audition?!’ This can be a new and daunting experience for a parent, but auditions and self tapes are a massive achievement that we shouldn’t be scared of, but rather enjoy!

• Prepare thoroughly by helping them learn their lines and understand the character, ensure you read all the instructions given by your agent and the casting director as they will likely have requirements such as IDENTS and format of the file, if you are unsure of anything, ask your agent, they are there to help!
• Show personality, if asked for an ident, this is the perfect chance for your child to step out from others. Introducing themselves with a smile and fun vibe is sure to leave a lasting impression on the casting directors. 
• Stay positive and remind them that every audition is a learning experience, once the audition is done, there is nothing you can do, remember you tried your best and any outcome is positive. Casting directors may remember your child for another role and if nothing comes of it, they have experienced what it takes to do a real audition.
• Celebrate effort, not just results—praise their bravery for showing up and performing. 
• Deal with the rejection together, remember to reassure your child that there are many different factors that go into casting the right person and sometimes, that just isn’t you and something else will always come along!

Many children who are in the world of acting will know about CVs, showreels and interviews far before the general public. These skills will stay with them for life and highlight the importance of building a portfolio that shows their talents. 
We recommend keeping your child’s headshots up to date—typically, children should update them every six months. This helps showcase their evolving personality and charm to casting directors while ensuring their appearance remains current. If your child has representation, they may be eligible to create a Spotlight profile. This platform acts as their CV, where you can list their skills, hobbies, and any relevant experience that could help them secure roles. Agents use Spotlight to submit actors for work, and it’s the primary resource casting directors rely on to find talent. 

The involvement of a parent in their child's acting career is essential for them staying safe, success and overall well being. While it is an exciting and enjoyable time, it will come with challenges that will require your guidance and support. Stay connected with attending performances, celebrating achievements and offering encouragement. Even if you think everything is going well, it is crucial to keep open communication with your child and check in regularly to what they are enjoying and how they are feeling. It is equally important to check in with instructors for feedback on progress and how your child can improve. By staying actively involved, you not only help your child build confidence and resilience but also show them that you’re fully invested in helping them succeed. 
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Acting is a long-term journey, and success doesn’t happen overnight. Teach your child the value of resilience and patience as they work toward their goals. And above all, remember to celebrate every step of your child’s acting journey. Whether they land a role or simply gain more confidence, every experience is a success.

Dyslexia, often misunderstood as a barrier to success, has proven to be a hidden strength for many actors. In the world of TV and film, where scripts, character analysis, and on-the-spot creativity are essential, dyslexic actors often bring unique talents that set them apart from their peers. 
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects around 10% of all people however, with arts this is predicted to triple! People who struggle with dyslexia often excel in creative thinking and problem solving, making them fantastic and resilient performers despite troubles with reading and writing.

Dyslexia is often associated with just difficulty in reading, but it also comes with strengths that are particularly valuable in the acting world:

1. Enhanced Creativity
   Many individuals with dyslexia excel in creative thinking and problem-solving. They approach challenges from unique perspectives, making their performances dynamic and original.
2. Strong Emotional Intelligence
   Dyslexia can heighten emotional sensitivity and empathy, crucial traits for actors. These qualities allow dyslexic performers to connect deeply with their characters and convey authentic emotions on screen or stage.
3. Exceptional Memory for Dialogue
   While reading scripts may take more time, many dyslexic actors develop exceptional auditory and visual memory. Once they hear or see a scene, they can often recall dialogue and blocking with remarkable accuracy.
4. Improvisation Skills
   Dyslexia often forces individuals to think on their feet in everyday situations. This adaptability translates well to acting, where improvisation and quick thinking can make or break a performance.

Some of the most celebrated actors have been diagnosed with dyslexia, a fabulous show of not letting anything hold you back from your dreams. 

• Jennifer Anniston - Known best for her role in 90’s sitcom Friends as Rachel Green, she is a very successful comedic actor and in recent years delved more into drama. In 2020 and 2022 she received a SAG award for her role in hard-hitting drama The Morning Show. 

Diagnosed later in life Anniston, says she “went to get a prescription for glasses…I had to read a paragraph, and they gave me a quiz, gave me 10 questions based on what i’d just read, and I think I got three” and opened up on how her school life was a struggle as she couldn’t retain much information but attributes that struggle to developing a good sense of humour, something that landed her a job in one of the biggest sit-coms of all time!

• Whoopi Goldberg - She has achieved the very prestigious EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards) one of only 21 people in the world to have achieved this. Coming from a working class background, she dropped out of high school at 17 and became heavily involved with drugs, making her successes even more inspiring.

Speaking on how she thinks her dyslexia has affected her she stated “I think perhaps it made me more introspective. Made me more thoughtful, maybe slightly slower in how I do things because it takes me a minute sometimes to figure things out.” Perhaps her thoughtfulness is what makes her performances so nuanced, perhaps she is successful not in spite of dyslexia but because of it!

• Keanu Reeves - In 2022 Keanu was named the 4th best actor of the 21st century. His performances in The Matrix and John Wick franchises are thought of as cult classics beloved by thousands.  

He, like many dyslexic individuals, found his school life to be a struggle and was expelled. Opening up about his early years, Reeves said “because I had trouble reading I wasn’t a good student” he turned to acting as a coping mechanism “I didn’t finish high school. I did a lot of pretending as a child. It was my way of coping with the fact that I didn’t really feel like I fit in” 

• Tom Holland - Best known as the most recent Spiderman, Tom is a BAFTA award winning screen actor, one of the most promising talents of his generation. 

The only performer on this list to get his diagnosis young, Tom was diagnosed with dyslexia at 7 and received support throughout his school years. When he was asked advice on how he juggles an acting career with dyslexia he said “It’s just about taking your time, and giving yourself an appropriate amount of time to do the things you need to do” 

• Salma Hayek - Moving to america from Mexico at 25 to pursue a career in Hollywood, Salma didn’t just have to learn how to thrive in the industry despite her dyslexia, but learned a whole new language and she still ended up being a highly successful screen actor, most notably portraying artist Frida Kahlo.

Salma has now found a way to manage her difficulty while mastering her craft. “It doesn’t bother me now… Some people read really fast, but you’ll ask them questions about the script and they’ll forget. I take a long time to read a script, but I read it only once, I directed [The Maldonado Miracle] and I never brought a script to set” 

Being a neurodiverse performer can have many challenges but it also makes you a highly creative individual which is a huge advantage in the acting world.
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We have some tips here that are sure to help you thrive in your passion: 

1. Use the technology available, in recent times there has been an increase in text-to-speech apps and audio books to help aid in script reading and learning. Hearing the script can aid you in memorising and visualising the script. 
2. Focus on your visualisation skills, Creating mental images of your scenes and dialog will help you see the script as a story to learn. 
3. Collaborate with the directors and coaches, Communicate your needs with directors or acting coaches. They can help tailor rehearsals or provide additional resources to support your process. Although this can be scary, a supportive agent will make all of the difference and remember, dyslexia is covered by the Equality Act 2010, meaning educators and employers alike are obligated to provide reasonable adjustments or support.
4. Break the script down, Divide scripts into manageable sections and focus on one part at a time. Annotate your script with notes, highlighting key emotional beats or character motivations.
5. Practice improv, Confidence can be a real mental block for any performer, but especially those struggling with dyslexia. The brain make-up causes issues with memory and comprehension, but then the anxiety that brings on can be the mind-killer. Understanding the workings of improvisation can reassure you that, being on set is something you can handle!

The creative arts and entertainment industry is becoming more aware of the need for inclusivity and representation, not just in terms of race, gender and sexuality but also disabilities and neurodiversity. Actors with dyslexia bring invaluable skills and new perspectives that are vital to be celebrated by casting directors, agents and the world. 

As an actor it is essential to stay mindful and present as it helps reduce stress and anxiety both on screen and in your daily life. With benefits ranging from emotional intelligence to building resilience in a notoriously difficult industry, we have some proven tips to help you stay mindful in your journey as an actor.  

Acting demands presence, emotional depth and resilience, as an actor, you must bring your whole self into performances, balancing the pressure with being fully present and aware. Mindfulness is a powerful tool you as an actor can use to aid your mental health and emotional well-being.

‘Mindfulness is about love and loving life. When you cultivate this love, it gives you clarity and compassion for life, and your actions happen in accordance with that.’
-Jon Kabat-Zinn

On set, mindfulness will allow you to remain versatile and composed with the pressure and chaos of a film set, whether you have had last minute scene and script changes or you need to stay focused during long days and takes, mindfulness will allow you to remain grounded. 
Off set mindfulness will promote self care, emotional balance and confidence ensuring you can pursue your passion of acting without the pressures or burning out. 

Here are some practical mindfulness exercises tailored for actors:

• Breathing Exercises: Practising deep breathing before auditions or scenes will help nerves and centering yourself, this crucial step will reduce performance anxiety and help you feel more connected in the present moment, allowing a natural performance.
• Body Scanning: Taking a few minutes to notice areas of tension in your body will allow you to release them, promoting relaxation and physical awareness. A step a lot of seasoned actors will do as this allows them to become aware of their physical state to portray characters authentically 
• Visualisation: Allow your mind to succeed and imagine performing the role successfully and focus in on the emotions and energy you want to bring to the role, allow yourself to build the confidence needed and prepare your mind in embodying the role fully.
• Mindful Observation: Spending some time observing props, costumes and your setting in detail will improve your focus and attention to the nuances in the scene, this small but vital part will allow for genuine reactions and add authenticity to your performance. 
• Gratitude Practice: Reflect upon what you are grateful for and how far you have come to help shift your mindset from stress to positivity before performances, doing so will allow you to remove any negative feelings, improving your creativity and presence.

These tips will not only enhance your performances, but also nurture the well-being of the person behind the role (you)! By cultivating your presence, emotional intelligence and resilience, you will improve your craft and find balance in your personal and professional life.
Thriving on staying present, Acting goes hand in hand with mindfulness. Helping you focus on your scene partner, setting and dialog without the pressures of internal thoughts. When you are present, your performance will feel more authentic and natural, following from this, mindfulness will also help process your emotions both on and off screen. With great emotional intelligence comes exceptional understanding of the character you are portraying, allowing for deep and meaningful performances that connect with an audience. Emotional intelligence will also aid you in auditions and on set anxiety, controlling your emotions, breathing and grounding exercises will set you up to perform with confidence and power, maintaining a sharp focus and creativity, all of which will help you stand out as an actor.
It is no secret the world of acting is full of rejection, criticism, high expectations and enormous pressure. Practising mindfulness will help you understand self compassion, resilience and being kind to you and others without losing confidence or passion for your craft.

But how can I incorporate mindfulness into my daily routine? 

Consider these daily practises;

• Start your day with a few minutes of meditation to set a calm and relaxing tone, this can be done with reflection, reading or some time outside. 
• Ground yourself with breathing or exercises such as body scanning or 5 senses before stepping into any role of performance. 
• Reflect on performances, without judgement, and focus on what you have done well and what you could improve
• Focus on the present moment and become aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgement with mindful yoga.

These daily practices will prevent burnouts, maintain balance and allow you to grow and stay open to new challenges and opportunities. Additionally, mindfulness builds stronger connections with scene partners by improving your ability to listen and engage spontaneously. Over time, these practices refine your ability to absorb feedback, identify areas for growth, and approach challenges with calm and resilience.
Though as an actor you may always be looking to improve your acting skills, mindfulness is essential in taking care of your mental, emotional and physical well-being. Through this you can remain present, emotionally available and creatively inspired, while navigating the pressures of this industry with confidence and a thick skin.
So whether you're preparing for an audition, stepping into a new role, or reflecting after a performance, mindfulness can guide you toward a more fulfilling and connected acting journey.