Essay About Nature Of The Work And People Associate Actors

Career Paper
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*Aspiring actors face frequent rejections in auditions and long periods of
unemployment; competition for roles is often intense.
*While formal training is helpful, experience and talent are more important for success
in this field.
*Because of erratic employment, earnings for actors are relatively low.
Nature of the Work
Although most people associate actors, directors, and producers with the
screens of Hollywood or stages of Broadway, these workers are more likely to be
found in a local theatre, television studio, circus, or comedy club. Actors, directors,
and producers include workers as diverse as narrators; clowns; comedians; acrobats;
jugglers; stunt, rodeo, and aquatic performers; casting, stage, news, sports, and public
service directors; production, stage, and artist and repertoire managers; and producers
and their assistants. In essence, actors, directors, and producers express ideas and
create images in theaters, film, radio, television, and a variety of other media. They
“make the words come alive” for their audiences.
Actors entertain and communicate with people through their interpretation of
dramatic roles. However, only a few actors ever achieve recognition as stars–whether
on stage, in motion pictures, or on television. A few others are well-known,
experienced performers, who frequently are cast in supporting roles. Most actors
struggle for a toehold in the profession and pick up parts wherever they can. Although
actors often prefer a certain type of role, experience is so important to success in this
field that even established actors continue to accept small roles, including commercials
and product endorsements. Other actors work as background performers, or “extras,”
with small parts and no lines to deliver; still others work for theater companies,
teaching acting courses to the public.
Directors interpret plays or scripts. In addition, they audition and select cast
members, conduct rehearsals, and direct the work of the cast and crew. Directors use
their knowledge of acting, voice, and movement to achieve the best possible
performance, and they usually approve the scenery, costumes, choreography, and
music.
Producers are entrepreneurs. They select plays or scripts, arrange financing,
and decide on the size, cost, and content of a production. They hire directors, principal
members of the cast, and key production staff members. Producers also negotiate
contracts with artistic personnel, often in accordance with collective bargaining
agreements. Producers work on a project from beginning to end, coordinating the
activities of writers, directors, managers, and other personnel. Increasingly, producers
who work on motion pictures must have a working knowledge of the new technology
needed to create special effects.
Working Conditions
Acting demands patience and total commitment, because actors are often rejected in
auditions and must endure long periods of unemployment between jobs. Actors
typically work long, irregular hours, sometimes under adverse weather conditions that
may exist “on location.” They also must travel when shows are “on the road.” Coupled
with the heat of stage or studio lights and heavy costumes, these factors require
stamina. Actors working on Broadway productions often work long hours during
rehearsals, but generally work about 30 hours a week once the show opens. Evening
work is a regular part of a stage actors life, as several performances are often held on
one day. Flawless performances require tedious memorization of lines and repetitive
rehearsals. On television, actors must deliver a good performance with very little
preparation.
Directors and producers often work under stress as they try to meet schedules,
stay within budgets, and resolve personnel problems while putting together a
production. Directors must be aware of union rules and how they affect production
schedules. For example, actors must be paid a minimum salary and can work no more
than a set number of hours, depending on their contract. Additional restrictions are
placed on productions using child actors and animals.
Employment
In 1998, actors, directors, and producers held about 160,000 jobs in motion pictures,
stage plays, television, and radio. Many others were between jobs, so the total number
of actors, directors, and producers employed at some time during the year was higher.
In winter, most employment opportunities on stage are in New York and other large
cities, many of which have established professional regional theaters. In summer, stock
companies in suburban and resort areas also