How to start acting in movies: beginning a career in film

Here are the best ways to start acting in films.

There are, of course, many other things you should know if you dream of acting in movies. Read on, and discover more tips about how to start acting in movies.

The sooner you start, the better

Many actors have commenced acting later in life and still found terrific success. However, if you’re looking to become successful in the movies, the best time to start on that journey is now. Sign up for acting lessons, start attending auditions, and talk to anybody you know who is involved in show business.

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know

OK, to be fair, it’s also important what you know. You could be the best-connected person in show business, with friends all over the industry, but if you’re a terrible actor, you’re never going to land a starring role in a blockbuster. That said, it does also help to know people.

Have you noticed how many incredibly successful people in movies are related to other actors? Drew Barrymore is the daughter of John Drew Barrymore and is related to other members of the Barrymore family of actors. And it’s not just the Barrymores; consider the Coppola family, for example. Nicolas Cage, Sofia Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola, Jason Schwartzman… these actors and actresses are all related!

Of course, unless you happen to already be a Coppola or a Barrymore, it’s much too late for you to become related to them. But you can still get to know famous people in the movie business. Show up to events and places where people in the film industry hang out. Get a job where you’re likely to be noticed by, and befriend, exciting show business people. They might be able to help you get ahead in the wonderful world of movies.

Build your audience

In an earlier era, the Golden Age of Cinema, studios held all of the power. Faceless men in offices smoking cigars could make and break careers at a whim. Oh, how those days have passed.

Nowadays, social media is king. Having a big online audience will radically improve your chances of being cast in a film. Producers and directors are all looking for a ‘pathway to the audience’ — basically, they want proof that people will watch a film. Casting somebody who has lots of followers on Tik Tok or Instagram means that those followers might go on to buy tickets to a movie.

If you’re looking to make it on the big screen, try making it big on the very small screen: the smartphone. Set up some social media accounts and go viral.

Develop excellent acting abilities

Aside from knowing people or having lots of internet clout, the best way to make it in the movie business as an actor is to be extremely talented. Even a total nobody, with no connections and no social media followers, can make it as an actor in Hollywood if they’re really, ridiculously good at acting on screen.

Get screen acting lessons

A non-actor, somebody who seldom even thinks about acting, might think that screen acting and stage acting is all much of a muchness. This is incorrect. Acting on the screen and the stage are very different disciplines. Did you know that, although Marlon Brando was considered to be one of the greatest screen actors of all time, he hated acting on the stage?

Acting on the stage and acting for the screen are somewhat related, and somebody who learns to be good at one can often master the other. However, they require different methods and techniques.

All of which is to say that, if you’re looking to get into the movies, the theatrical experience is not necessarily the most helpful or direct route. Instead, try screen acting lessons. At screen acting lessons, a master of the craft of acting for the film will be able to show you the ropes and show you the pitfalls to avoid.