Is it necessary to go to drama school to be successful in the
acting industry?
Not neccessary
Talk about: https://actinginlondon.co.uk/can-you-become-an-actor-without-a-degree/#
Speak also about paul roseby
Within this essay, I will look at the issues surrounding whether actors should look to train at a recognised drama school in order to be "successful". When I mention the term successful, I am referring to somebody who is never out of work and is getting by just by doing theatre or adverts every now and then.
Drama school is an undergraduate/graduate school or a free-standing institution which focuses on teaching drama and theatrical arts to people who are preferably over 18. This is because you tend to have experienced most emotions and have had enough life experience and trauma to draw from. To get into drama school you generally need to perform monolgues, go to group workshops and even sing to a pannel, though they really watch for the theatre of the song rather than the quality of the singing. Famous actors like Zac Efron, Denzel Washington, and Miranda Cosgrove were very successful actors and they went to drama school yet others like Tom Cruise for example haven't. This doesn't completely rule out that going to drama school is necessary because he may be part of a select few who are anomalies and I would like to accept examples like him but to also remember that he may be an extreme case. I will discuss the actors who have prospered in this industry and their experiences with/without drama school in terms of acting jobs, and how often they are at work, and how they made it if they didn't attend one, the opinion of directors and people who run this industry, and then take a look at statistics and how they can guide us to not only find a reasonable answer to the question but to also find out how necessary or essential it is.
As you progress through the year at a Drama School you develop acting skills so that you can perform to a sufficient standard at theatres, and at the end of the academic year this is just what happens. When the showcase is happening, as the drama school would have some connections to agencies and directors, agencies would come and observe the show. This means that your chances of being picked by an agent are way higher than someone whose just freelancing and applying to several acting jobs, all of which have competition who would have a similar look to you, which would be a possible path of someone who isn't at drama school. It is also commonly known that Drama school training is valued by agencies and casting directors and it shows that the actor has gone through adequate coaching, whereas when you haven't gone to dramas school, you are seen as a nobody who may not have conjured up the right amount of training for the job, and therefore you are presumably not as valuable an asset.
A very important reason for why Drama school is going to help you be successful is the connections that are made there. With various different teachers who would have connections of their own, you are likely to always have someone asking you whether you are free to audition for a certain role. This means that you have less chance of getting out of work, especially because you are being referred to a job by someone who is known by the audition panel. When you don't go to drama school, nobody knows you or can refer you so you're in a much less controllable situation. It would seem that it would be the case that going to Drama school can provide you with agencies, jobs, and plenty of connections whereas not going can leave you very confused and misguided on where to go and what to do.
However, some may argue that not going to Drama school is the preferable choice, namely Paul Roseby. According to him “Drama schools are incredibly expensive and the majority of actors don't need three years' training. They need various modular courses every so often to go to. But they don't need three years. You don't need to learn how to act, you need to learn how to sell yourself. You can either act or you can't.“ I would have to agree with his point as when you walk around the market it's generally the ones positioned in crowded places or are doing something very different and unique from everyone else that get the most attention. One prime example of this would be Muhammad Nazir, he was selling fish and came up with a song which he sang loud and clear and he became an internet sensation. It may also be true that not everyone is the same and that three years for one person could easily be accomplished in 2 months for another. Therefore going to Drama School may be a waste of time and energy as you could get the skills in the period of 6 months, and then in that two years and a half you could then try to build connections and look for jobs through the internet.
With technological development over the last decade, websites can now provide you with a platform to show your head shots, show reels, voice reel, and a whole lot more. With this it is now becoming increasingly easier to find out where and when young actors are needed on sets to either play a character in the background or even be cast to a main role in productions or television commercials. This means that even without an agency you can now be self sufficient and apply to as many acting jobs to your hearts content, with the click of a finger. There is also the option of the industries leading platform in self promotion, Spotlight. Anyone can apply to it as long as they have 4 professional credits or have graduated from a year in Drama School. This means that you can always apply for new jobs and always make a little bit of money to keep you going. Which makes someone a successful actor.
Although there are many arguments for going to Drama School as you have an advantage with the option of joining agencies, meeting and working with professional mentors, and many connections with future actors and teachers, it is equally true that in this day and age there are also many ways of getting jobs using technology and modular courses. Therefore it would be unfair to say that it is absolutely necessary to go to drama school to be successful but it definitely has many advantages which could otherwise not be achieved without attending.
Formal three-year drama school courses are a waste of time and money for "the majority of actors", according to the artistic director of the UK's leading youth theatre.
source: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/oct/24/drama-schools-waste-of-money-national-youth-theatre
Sources:
https://www.actorscentre.co.uk/
https://www.thestage.co.uk/advice/2017/how-pursue-stage-career-without-drama-school/
Benedict Cumberbatch
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_Cumberbatch
Samuel L Jackson
https://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/samuel-l-jackson/
Millie Bobby Brown
acting industry?
Not neccessary
Talk about: https://actinginlondon.co.uk/can-you-become-an-actor-without-a-degree/#
Speak also about paul roseby
Within this essay, I will look at the issues surrounding whether actors should look to train at a recognised drama school in order to be "successful". When I mention the term successful, I am referring to somebody who is never out of work and is getting by just by doing theatre or adverts every now and then.
Drama school is an undergraduate/graduate school or a free-standing institution which focuses on teaching drama and theatrical arts to people who are preferably over 18. This is because you tend to have experienced most emotions and have had enough life experience and trauma to draw from. To get into drama school you generally need to perform monolgues, go to group workshops and even sing to a pannel, though they really watch for the theatre of the song rather than the quality of the singing. Famous actors like Zac Efron, Denzel Washington, and Miranda Cosgrove were very successful actors and they went to drama school yet others like Tom Cruise for example haven't. This doesn't completely rule out that going to drama school is necessary because he may be part of a select few who are anomalies and I would like to accept examples like him but to also remember that he may be an extreme case. I will discuss the actors who have prospered in this industry and their experiences with/without drama school in terms of acting jobs, and how often they are at work, and how they made it if they didn't attend one, the opinion of directors and people who run this industry, and then take a look at statistics and how they can guide us to not only find a reasonable answer to the question but to also find out how necessary or essential it is.
As you progress through the year at a Drama School you develop acting skills so that you can perform to a sufficient standard at theatres, and at the end of the academic year this is just what happens. When the showcase is happening, as the drama school would have some connections to agencies and directors, agencies would come and observe the show. This means that your chances of being picked by an agent are way higher than someone whose just freelancing and applying to several acting jobs, all of which have competition who would have a similar look to you, which would be a possible path of someone who isn't at drama school. It is also commonly known that Drama school training is valued by agencies and casting directors and it shows that the actor has gone through adequate coaching, whereas when you haven't gone to dramas school, you are seen as a nobody who may not have conjured up the right amount of training for the job, and therefore you are presumably not as valuable an asset.
A very important reason for why Drama school is going to help you be successful is the connections that are made there. With various different teachers who would have connections of their own, you are likely to always have someone asking you whether you are free to audition for a certain role. This means that you have less chance of getting out of work, especially because you are being referred to a job by someone who is known by the audition panel. When you don't go to drama school, nobody knows you or can refer you so you're in a much less controllable situation. It would seem that it would be the case that going to Drama school can provide you with agencies, jobs, and plenty of connections whereas not going can leave you very confused and misguided on where to go and what to do.
However, some may argue that not going to Drama school is the preferable choice, namely Paul Roseby. According to him “Drama schools are incredibly expensive and the majority of actors don't need three years' training. They need various modular courses every so often to go to. But they don't need three years. You don't need to learn how to act, you need to learn how to sell yourself. You can either act or you can't.“ I would have to agree with his point as when you walk around the market it's generally the ones positioned in crowded places or are doing something very different and unique from everyone else that get the most attention. One prime example of this would be Muhammad Nazir, he was selling fish and came up with a song which he sang loud and clear and he became an internet sensation. It may also be true that not everyone is the same and that three years for one person could easily be accomplished in 2 months for another. Therefore going to Drama School may be a waste of time and energy as you could get the skills in the period of 6 months, and then in that two years and a half you could then try to build connections and look for jobs through the internet.
With technological development over the last decade, websites can now provide you with a platform to show your head shots, show reels, voice reel, and a whole lot more. With this it is now becoming increasingly easier to find out where and when young actors are needed on sets to either play a character in the background or even be cast to a main role in productions or television commercials. This means that even without an agency you can now be self sufficient and apply to as many acting jobs to your hearts content, with the click of a finger. There is also the option of the industries leading platform in self promotion, Spotlight. Anyone can apply to it as long as they have 4 professional credits or have graduated from a year in Drama School. This means that you can always apply for new jobs and always make a little bit of money to keep you going. Which makes someone a successful actor.
Although there are many arguments for going to Drama School as you have an advantage with the option of joining agencies, meeting and working with professional mentors, and many connections with future actors and teachers, it is equally true that in this day and age there are also many ways of getting jobs using technology and modular courses. Therefore it would be unfair to say that it is absolutely necessary to go to drama school to be successful but it definitely has many advantages which could otherwise not be achieved without attending.
Formal three-year drama school courses are a waste of time and money for "the majority of actors", according to the artistic director of the UK's leading youth theatre.
source: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/oct/24/drama-schools-waste-of-money-national-youth-theatre
Sources:
https://www.actorscentre.co.uk/
https://www.thestage.co.uk/advice/2017/how-pursue-stage-career-without-drama-school/
Benedict Cumberbatch
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_Cumberbatch
Samuel L Jackson
https://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/samuel-l-jackson/
Millie Bobby Brown
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