What next?

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	Topic: What next?
Posted : 25/07/10 / Views : 664 / Replies : 4 /
michelle-ashton 11 posts last on: 06/02/12 send private reply	I've been out of Drama School for just over a month and am feeling very directionless even though I know I'm doing quite well really. I've had 2 little jobs (unpaid) and I had 3 auditions last week and I've got 1 on saturday. Already trying to juggle working with auditions is a right pain.Luckily my boss is understanding, but I'm only a part timer and it's not the best paid job in the world so I will soon have to find a new one (with a presumably less understanding boss) I have been looking into doing an MA in Musical Theatre, starting Sept 2011. Is this going to be a waste of my time? I feel that my course has prepared me for straight acting work, but not for MT. My dance is no-where near up to scratch, and my ballet class once a week isn't really going to get me to the required level. So here I am, dreading going to my boring job tomorrow. I've made a list of pros and cons, but they seem quite equally balanced. Pros: Being associated with a more reputable school It will be a new experience of living somewhere else (I've lived my whole life in Manchester) A higher level of singing and dance training My career hasn't really started yet, so it will be easier to do it now rather than in 10 years time when I might have kids or something Another year avoiding doing a proper job! Cons: Money!!! I'm just putting off the inevitable, which is that I can't stay at drama school forever and I will have to face reality at some point Relocating means I won't have the same contacts I do up here. I've only just signed with my agent. They might not want me if I can't work for a year, and then it's back to square one! Leaving my lovely flat, where I am very settled. How is everybody else managing to cope?! I'm feeling quite scared and in need of a bit of guidance. :(

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	Reply #1
Posted : 23/07/10
markkempner 1113 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Hi Michelle, You have only just left Drama school, and suddenly found yourself in the big wide world, expected to live and earn as a "professional" actress. Having left the safety net of Drama school, you are now "SELF EMPLOYED" It's just the same for a Company employee within the safety net of a company, he/she leaves and sets up on their own. Your destiny is suddenly in "your" hands…and nobody else! EEEEK!!! Juggling between earning money as an actress, and temp job/s is going to be very important…and you need to get that right ASAP, in order to survive. Being self employed is all about financial survival. If you cannot achieve that… (do not include signing on or any other form of money given for not working) ….I question a person's desire to be self employed…or if they are really right to be self employed? Therefore your direction, I would suggest, is to firmly decide what it is you are looking for as a professional actress? What do you get most of all out of acting, what form of acting are you most interested in, Stage TV, Musicals and so on. What do you want to specialise in. Don't say all of it either!! Once you have decided or drawn up a list….and don't do it in 5 mins…take a week or so to really weigh up what is right for you….you should then have your top two acting desires. If its Musicals…then you need to be a BRILLIANT singer, and a probably a very good dancer perhaps. If those are the skills you need…. then you have to decide…OK…how am I going to achieve that? You also have to put on your list…which way do I like to live, what do I need to earn to a) survive and b) enjoy myself with…..£100 a week….£200 - £300….more/less? This will give you a financial figure to aim at each week/month. If you cannot achieve this amount by acting alone…and there are very few who can…, then a sideline/temp job which will enable you to do both must be sort. If you still cannot reach anywhere near the figure you are after….are you doing something wrong….and or, are you in the right job in the first place?! Where do you want to be based? ….where is best to be based? If it is London….can you survive down there having lived in Manchester all your life….will you really miss your friends and contacts so much at just a 2-3 hrs train journey away once a month…and they can come and see you of course? If you can live and make new contacts….can you earn enough to keep yourself going…rent…rates….food…clothes….FUN etc Will you even have more opportunities in London …or somewhere else from your current location? In short, you need to draw up a comprehensive business plan…in fact 2 plans…1 for your career, 1 for your life. Once you have taken a few days to do this…..you will naturally give yourself a DIRECTION, and an action plan to work too. Just set simple goals for yourself to start with….and realistic dates at which point you will achieve them. Ie: I am going to make contact with 2 casting directors within the next 2 weeks. If I have not done so…analyse why not? Where am I going wrong? Is it my CV…is it my photo? Is it coz I have no showreel? Is it because I just did not do enough about it? etc etc Work it out, fix it….and then reset your action plan again….and off you go with a purpose and a goal to achieve. Another action point: I am going to get myself a job where I know I can take time for castings with a boss or job, that allows that. If after 2 weeks you have not found one….why not….work it out, fix it and try again! The more realistic goals you set yourself, and the more you go for them, the more you will achieve - and a "natural" progression, direction and career path, or target will start to evolve. Your post sounds as though you wanted or expected it all to happen straight away…..if that is the case - we could say to you…Hello…welcome to the real world honey!! However I think from what you tell us, you are just in beginners shock!! You need to really evaluate why and how you chose this career, and if you are a million percent sure this is the career for you…..you will shift heaven and high water to achieve it. I am not convinced an MA in musical theatre, unless it is at a top school…ROYAL ACADEMY etc, is a good thing as opposed doing a three year course. I hear the 1 year courses are not looked upon favourably by West End casting. No doubt there have been several exceptions of course. Seek genuine proffessional advice on this before comitting. Can you afford another year of training though? You can be a student all your life….but at some point…you have to go for it! You can still take on Part time singing lessons with excellent tutors…make them part of your business plan, and go for a singing "exam" and set a date at which point you will have passed it by and at what level. You have chosen by far the most difficult career in the world, I am sure you know that. However, if you are dedicated, really good at what you do, and above all totally professional in your approach…..you will get some form of success. To me if you can survive and earn enough just to get by as an actor…..that is a huge achievement. If after that you then go on to make really good money out of it….your doing completely brilliantly. If after that you achieve large recognition for what you do…..you've completely cracked it. I carefully did not use celebrity, fame etc as something to aim at…..they are nothing to do with what you should be setting your sights on…..I am sure you know that. Achieve a series of little goals…then move on to the bigger goals, don't go chasing after "unpaid" jobs…anyone can get those! You are a professional …trained actress…..get paid for what you do…respect the industry, and it will respect you....not always granted! Aim for that, and you are then off and running in the RIGHT DIRECTION and gaining whatever destiny awaits you. The "not" knowing…is what keeps many of us in the trade….well that, and metal instability of course!!!

Reply #1

Posted : 23/07/10

markkempner
1113 posts
last on: 07/02/12
send private reply

Hi Michelle,

You have only just left Drama school, and suddenly found yourself in the big wide world, expected to live and earn as a "professional" actress.

Having left the safety net of Drama school, you are now "SELF EMPLOYED" It's just the same for a Company employee within the safety net of a company, he/she leaves and sets up on their own. Your destiny is suddenly in "your" hands…and nobody else! EEEEK!!!

Juggling between earning money as an actress, and temp job/s is going to be very important…and you need to get that right ASAP, in order to survive. Being self employed is all about financial survival. If you cannot achieve that… (do not include signing on or any other form of money given for not working) ….I question a person's desire to be self employed…or if they are really right to be self employed?

Therefore your direction, I would suggest, is to firmly decide what it is you are looking for as a professional actress? What do you get most of all out of acting, what form of acting are you most interested in, Stage TV, Musicals and so on. What do you want to specialise in. Don't say all of it either!!

Once you have decided or drawn up a list….and don't do it in 5 mins…take a week or so to really weigh up what is right for you….you should then have your top two acting desires. If its Musicals…then you need to be a BRILLIANT singer, and a probably a very good dancer perhaps. If those are the skills you need…. then you have to decide…OK…how am I going to achieve that?

You also have to put on your list…which way do I like to live, what do I need to earn to a) survive and b) enjoy myself with…..£100 a week….£200 - £300….more/less? This will give you a financial figure to aim at each week/month. If you cannot achieve this amount by acting alone…and there are very few who can…, then a sideline/temp job which will enable you to do both must be sort. If you still cannot reach anywhere near the figure you are after….are you doing something wrong….and or, are you in the right job in the first place?!

Where do you want to be based? ….where is best to be based? If it is London….can you survive down there having lived in Manchester all your life….will you really miss your friends and contacts so much at just a 2-3 hrs train journey away once a month…and they can come and see you of course? If you can live and make new contacts….can you earn enough to keep yourself going…rent…rates….food…clothes….FUN etc Will you even have more opportunities in London …or somewhere else from your current location?

In short, you need to draw up a comprehensive business plan…in fact 2 plans…1 for your career, 1 for your life.

Once you have taken a few days to do this…..you will naturally give yourself a DIRECTION, and an action plan to work too. Just set simple goals for yourself to start with….and realistic dates at which point you will achieve them.
Ie: I am going to make contact with 2 casting directors within the next 2 weeks. If I have not done so…analyse why not? Where am I going wrong? Is it my CV…is it my photo? Is it coz I have no showreel? Is it because I just did not do enough about it? etc etc Work it out, fix it….and then reset your action plan again….and off you go with a purpose and a goal to achieve.

Another action point: I am going to get myself a job where I know I can take time for castings with a boss or job, that allows that. If after 2 weeks you have not found one….why not….work it out, fix it and try again!

The more realistic goals you set yourself, and the more you go for them, the more you will achieve - and a "natural" progression, direction and career path, or target will start to evolve.

Your post sounds as though you wanted or expected it all to happen straight away…..if that is the case - we could say to you…Hello…welcome to the real world honey!! However I think from what you tell us, you are just in beginners shock!! You need to really evaluate why and how you chose this career, and if you are a million percent sure this is the career for you…..you will shift heaven and high water to achieve it.

I am not convinced an MA in musical theatre, unless it is at a top school…ROYAL ACADEMY etc, is a good thing as opposed doing a three year course. I hear the 1 year courses are not looked upon favourably by West End casting. No doubt there have been several exceptions of course. Seek genuine proffessional advice on this before comitting. Can you afford another year of training though? You can be a student all your life….but at some point…you have to go for it!

You can still take on Part time singing lessons with excellent tutors…make them part of your business plan, and go for a singing "exam" and set a date at which point you will have passed it by and at what level.

You have chosen by far the most difficult career in the world, I am sure you know that. However, if you are dedicated, really good at what you do, and above all totally professional in your approach…..you will get some form of success. To me if you can survive and earn enough just to get by as an actor…..that is a huge achievement. If after that you then go on to make really good money out of it….your doing completely brilliantly. If after that you achieve large recognition for what you do…..you've completely cracked it.

I carefully did not use celebrity, fame etc as something to aim at…..they are nothing to do with what you should be setting your sights on…..I am sure you know that.

Achieve a series of little goals…then move on to the bigger goals, don't go chasing after "unpaid" jobs…anyone can get those! You are a professional …trained actress…..get paid for what you do…respect the industry, and it will respect you....not always granted!

Aim for that, and you are then off and running in the RIGHT DIRECTION and gaining whatever destiny awaits you. The "not" knowing…is what keeps many of us in the trade….well that, and metal instability of course!!!

	Reply #2
Posted : 23/07/10
Rachel.Dashwood 24 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	I've also just finished drama school, like you, and thought about doing an MA in Musical Theatre as I trained intensively in it for a year before starting my acting degree. I reckon we're in similar positions! Personally, I now would agree with Mark about MA's. In my eyes now I just see it as a course where you take a variety of lessons chosen from three years' worths timetables. It also seems a great way for these schools to get a nice amount of money from us too however (I apologise if I'm wrong to anyone who HAS done an MA!) Your message sounds quite headstrong and confident. OK so I haven't quite worked out whether I stay at acting or attempt to specialise in MT, so for the past month I've done as much performing and associated work (teching, running etc) as I can to at least keep me in the business and keep building contacts. I'm suggesting to you what I've decided for myself. I'm giving myself 6 months- to do as many acting jobs as I can find, to attempt to find a job with a more understand boss who can give me more flexibility (yeah, some hopes...) and to really think about where my life is leading. This way, I'm not missing out on anything, and maybe something I didn't originally think of will come up instead (I can now rig and tech lights in my drama school's theatres and work there freelance, I enjoy and have some chance of working as a stage manager and producer on a few things...) This is also an agreement with Mark's comment about achieving little goals- I think it's hard to sit down and say "in nine months time I want to have x and y so in 12 months time I can do z", but saying "I want to focus on my dance ability by taking more lessons and trying more styles so that in 6 months time I will be a better dancer" is much more achievable. Sorry if this has been lots about me that hasn't helped... It sucks being a grad who just wants to get out there and do what we do best- along with all the other gazillion acting/MT grads, but all we can do is try, try, audition, plead, chat up and HOPE!

Reply #2

Posted : 23/07/10

Rachel.Dashwood
24 posts
last on: 07/02/12
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I've also just finished drama school, like you, and thought about doing an MA in Musical Theatre as I trained intensively in it for a year before starting my acting degree. I reckon we're in similar positions!

Personally, I now would agree with Mark about MA's. In my eyes now I just see it as a course where you take a variety of lessons chosen from three years' worths timetables. It also seems a great way for these schools to get a nice amount of money from us too however (I apologise if I'm wrong to anyone who HAS done an MA!)

Your message sounds quite headstrong and confident. OK so I haven't quite worked out whether I stay at acting or attempt to specialise in MT, so for the past month I've done as much performing and associated work (teching, running etc) as I can to at least keep me in the business and keep building contacts.

I'm suggesting to you what I've decided for myself. I'm giving myself 6 months- to do as many acting jobs as I can find, to attempt to find a job with a more understand boss who can give me more flexibility (yeah, some hopes...) and to really think about where my life is leading. This way, I'm not missing out on anything, and maybe something I didn't originally think of will come up instead (I can now rig and tech lights in my drama school's theatres and work there freelance, I enjoy and have some chance of working as a stage manager and producer on a few things...)

This is also an agreement with Mark's comment about achieving little goals- I think it's hard to sit down and say "in nine months time I want to have x and y so in 12 months time I can do z", but saying "I want to focus on my dance ability by taking more lessons and trying more styles so that in 6 months time I will be a better dancer" is much more achievable.

Sorry if this has been lots about me that hasn't helped... It sucks being a grad who just wants to get out there and do what we do best- along with all the other gazillion acting/MT grads, but all we can do is try, try, audition, plead, chat up and HOPE!

	Reply #3
Posted : 23/07/10
Fay.Hennell 74 posts last on: 06/02/12 send private reply	Hey, This may seem like a silly question but is musical theatre where you want to work? Is this something you have realised from doing an acting degree or is it that once you have graduated you feel like you need to be an all rounder? If it is the latter, then I know where you are coming from. When I graduated I started looking at jobs and kept seeing 'Strong singer needed with an excellent voice' which is not me at all. However, there are jobs out there which you will be suitable for. You should always be looking to improve your skills but you cannot specialise in everything. If you are looking for a career in musical theatre then you may find you want to continue training, either with full time/part time/short courses. However, if not then take comfort in the fact that you are just out of drama school and there needs to be a transition period. I was graduated for about a year before my first professional, fully paid acting job. Hope it goes well whatever your decision. Fay

Reply #3

Posted : 23/07/10

Fay.Hennell
74 posts
last on: 06/02/12
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Hey,

This may seem like a silly question but is musical theatre where you want to work? Is this something you have realised from doing an acting degree or is it that once you have graduated you feel like you need to be an all rounder? If it is the latter, then I know where you are coming from. When I graduated I started looking at jobs and kept seeing 'Strong singer needed with an excellent voice' which is not me at all. However, there are jobs out there which you will be suitable for. You should always be looking to improve your skills but you cannot specialise in everything. If you are looking for a career in musical theatre then you may find you want to continue training, either with full time/part time/short courses. However, if not then take comfort in the fact that you are just out of drama school and there needs to be a transition period. I was graduated for about a year before my first professional, fully paid acting job.

Hope it goes well whatever your decision.

Fay

	Reply #4
Posted : 25/07/10
michelle-ashton 11 posts last on: 06/02/12 send private reply	Thank you so much for the replies. It really is very helpful. As you said Mark, I am just in "beginners shock". I knew it would be like this. In fact, things are going far better than I anticipated, but you don't quite realise what a situation is going to be like until you're actually in it. I will definitely take on board your suggestions. I really appreciate you taking the time to give me advice. I'm going to leave the MA idea to one side for now. I'll need one eventually if I want to do a PhD, but I think my trouble is that I want to be able to do everything right now and I want to do every kind of acting and play every character! I'm beginning to understand that I can't, much as I might like to. To answer your question Fay, "Is this something you have realised from doing an acting degree or is it that once you have graduated you feel like you need to be an all rounder?" I wanted to do musical theatre originally, but I thought that an acting course would be more beneficial as I would get to do a wider variety of things. I spent the entire first year wondering whether I had made the right choice or not. I now know that I did, but the downside is that my dancing has suffered terribly. I think the reason I've been wondering whether to do more MT training is because I did a workshop for a musical a couple of months ago and it really brought home to me how much my skills have deteriorated. I have now decided that it is worth the money to take on two more dance classes a week as one just isn't enough. I've only been back 6 months after a 2 and a half year break, and of course I'm nowhere near back to the standard I used to be when I was dancing for 15 to 20 hours a week, but that's my own fault for not working hard enough. Thanks again, and I hope your first year out goes well for you Rachel (and the rest of your career for that matter!)

Reply #4

Posted : 25/07/10

michelle-ashton
11 posts
last on: 06/02/12
send private reply

Thank you so much for the replies. It really is very helpful. As you said Mark, I am just in "beginners shock". I knew it would be like this. In fact, things are going far better than I anticipated, but you don't quite realise what a situation is going to be like until you're actually in it. I will definitely take on board your suggestions. I really appreciate you taking the time to give me advice.

I'm going to leave the MA idea to one side for now. I'll need one eventually if I want to do a PhD, but I think my trouble is that I want to be able to do everything right now and I want to do every kind of acting and play every character!

I'm beginning to understand that I can't, much as I might like to.
To answer your question Fay, "Is this something you have realised from doing an acting degree or is it that once you have graduated you feel like you need to be an all rounder?"

I wanted to do musical theatre originally, but I thought that an acting course would be more beneficial as I would get to do a wider variety of things. I spent the entire first year wondering whether I had made the right choice or not. I now know that I did, but the downside is that my dancing has suffered terribly. I think the reason I've been wondering whether to do more MT training is because I did a workshop for a musical a couple of months ago and it really brought home to me how much my skills have deteriorated.

I have now decided that it is worth the money to take on two more dance classes a week as one just isn't enough. I've only been back 6 months after a 2 and a half year break, and of course I'm nowhere near back to the standard I used to be when I was dancing for 15 to 20 hours a week, but that's my own fault for not working hard enough.

Thanks again, and I hope your first year out goes well for you Rachel (and the rest of your career for that matter!)

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