ACTING TIPS, FOR YOUR CAREER IN BOLLYWOOD -70 (THROUGH THIS I WISH TO SHARE MY INSIGHTS AS AN ACTOR/TRAINER WITH MY STUDENTS AND OTHER ACTING ASPIRANTS)

“WHAT CAMERA THINKS OF YOU IS MOST IMPORTANT”

HAVE GUTS TO GIVE YOURSELF A REALITY CHECK

Yesterday I was having an enriching conversation with one of our favourite actors at KREATING CHARAKTERS we groom actors, Adhaya Bakshi (Monty). This fellow is extremely focused and an artiste to the core. I observe him relentlessly working towards enriching his craft.

The discussion was about the steepest obstacle actors face, that is “getting casted”. Booking acting jobs on regular basis. For this one has to understand how the casting director(for that matter a person who sees you for the first time) perceives you, think of you.

Unlike in theatre, the time taken by screen writers to establish a character is very less. So, the actors face and body type should appropriately represent the characters image conceived by the writer and director.

It is not about what you think of your self, or what your parents, teachers and friends think of you. What matters is “What do strangers think of you, when they see our face for the first time?” What have friends told you, they first thought of you when they first met you(before they grew to know and love you for your self)?

Be brave enough to sit before a mirror and look very hard. Look at your eyes, nose, lips, ears, complexion, skin texture and blemishes, the hair line. See the wrinkles on the face or chubby baby face smoothness. And ask yourself, what would audience think seeing this? What sort of message, what sort of character comes across through my special unique looks?

I don’t mean that you are destined to play only one type of roles. But, what I am saying is, that as a newcomer you are more likely to be casted for your “looks rather than versatility.”

My suggestion ” USE IT OR LOOSE IT”

This approach and understanding is deeply imbibed in the actors of KREATING CHARAKTERS we groom actors , Mumbai’s Best Acting School.

(For previous Blogs/ Tips on “Acting Career In Bollywood”
Visit www.kreatingcharakters.in
)

SAMAR JAI SINGH.
http://www.kreatingcharakters.in

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ACTING TIPS FOR YOUR CAREER IN BOLLYWOOD – 69 (THROUGH THIS I WISH TO SHARE MY INSIGHTS AS AN ACTOR/TRAINER WITH MY STUDENTS AND OTHER ACTING ASPIRANTS)

NEVER GET ENTICED BY ACTING SCHOOLS AND TUTORS WHO LURE YOU BY JOB OPPORTUNITIES.

One should be Intelligent enough to discriminate between two facets of a successful acting career. One is to groom yourself to enhance your craft and the other is to fetch acting assignments which propel your career.

I have noticed few acting schools (can’t name them) one run by a big T.V series production house, who are now successful producers of movies as well, another one run by the show man of bygone years, yet another one run by a company which organizes a T.V award function. They all talk about giving break to their students, but so far not a single actor trained by these schools have been signed by their respective production houses.

Apart from these big names, I know of a petty door to door diction tutor who claims to be an acting trainer, was associated with our academy for a while, had this peculiar tendency to flaunt his contacts with big production houses such as Yash Raj, Dharma and all big producers down south, giving false promises to young actors that he would get them casted, poor students in the hope of getting work would bribe him with gifts such as cell phones and digital Video cameras in returns. Isn’t this an another form of “Casting Couch”. But the bitter fact and the Irony is that he could not get his own son casted even in an episodic T.V Show on a regional channel. His paternal pride manifested when the lad got a mute part of a “mountain” in a flop Mytho-Musical T.V show though he mentions such works done by other students as obscure blink and miss role.(DOUBLE STANDARDS!! He has Plenty! He has two names, his son has two names but if any student would mention two names for themselves he would humiliate them publicly!)

Internet and social net working sites are a public platforms, “the deprived politician” had the blatantness to announce his Bhojpuri film on Facebook, which was suppose to launch his son as ‘first romantic star’. He signed nine actors from the Academy without paying them a single penny, was shamelessly distributing sweets in the school celebrating it. It has been more than three years and not a single frame of the said films is shot yet. Mr. Deprived Politician, the actors are waiting for the answer??

Similarly in last October the gentlemen had announced on a social networking site that his school is going to stage two shows of a play, one in Prithvi theatre, next in NCPA. Forget the rehearsals, even the casting has not been done so far. My only query is how can one take young aspirants for a ride? It’s high time, come off this habit of fraudulent promises on public platforms.

This is just a tip of the iceberg. The actor grooming industry is infested with such frauds. There are tutors in the business of training actors who are not even remotely associated with acting. They themselves are struggling since eternity to make their and their children’s career, manipulating and pleasing star kids. They live in isolation, their entire understanding of acting is hypothetical and based on hear say (kahani-kisse). They have never ever faced camera in their entire life or been on stage. They have never smelt the smell of a film studio. Never gone through the turmoil, hardships and pain of rejection on average actor goes through. Yet they are “self proclaimed” acting Gurus.

My request to all young aspirants is beware of such deceptions. Understand that there are two complimentary aspects of a successful acting career, mastering your craft and marketing yourself to find acting jobs. Acting schools help you in the former.

We at Kreating Charakters- we groom actors, The top most acting school of Mumbai, see to it that our actors are aware of these aspects.

(For previous Blogs/ Tips on “Acting Career in Bollywood”
Visit www.kreatingcharakters.in)

SAMAR JAI SINGH
www.kreatingcharakters.in