Not Sure? Read on…
I’ve been watching The Voice and I’m addicted to it. I love new judge Rita; she’s doing a great job and I love the camaraderie between all four judges. They’re game for a good laugh, which appeals to me BUT they also know their stuff.
X-FACTOR
It’s entertaining and I appreciate it’s started the careers of many hopefuls who have gone on to have huge successes but it’s not really my cup of tea. I respect the show but I don’t LOVE it.
THE VOICE
Now that IS my cup of tea. There are no gimmicks, arguments or sob stories to pull in the ratings, just raw talent. What I LOVE about The Voice is that it’s a nurturing environment and the emphasis is on the craft. It’s a vocal school. I know this because I auditioned 2 years ago. The initial audition was great, we had a vocal warm up from an international voice coach, I was made to feel very welcome and supported then we got down to business – and that’s what appeals to me; I learnt a LOT.
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO ACTING?
Acting is not about gimmicks and neither is your training. Any acting school that is going to train you up properly needs to do all of the above – NURTURE YOU, have excellent knowledge of the craft, SUPPORT YOU and allow you to develop in a safe environment and encourage you to succeed just like The Voice does.
WHAT CAN I DO?
You need to ensure you never stop honing your craft, keep learning and be disciplined with yourself. If you’re going to have half a chance of succeeding in this industry you must always be on TOP FORM – don’t ever allow yourself to get rusty or fall into the arms of gimmicks because there are tons of fresh faced actors being churned out of the many drama schools everyday and they might just have been practising religiously!
PRACTISE, PRACTISE, PRACTISE
every single day, then go out in the industry when you’re ready, it doesn’t have to be when you finish the course it has to be when it feels right for you. Know that it can take many years before you have any major breakthroughs with your career, but if you’re always in peak condition with your craft you will stand a better chance.
BE DISCIPLINED. STAY FOCUSED. WORK HARD. ENJOY IT
HERE ARE MY TOP 5 EXERCISES TO PRACTISE EVERYDAY
1. Practise sight – reading. Pick up anything and read it aloud to learn to connect to words.
2. Practise line learning. Challenge yourself to learn a monologue a week. Start on day 1 and aim to have it learnt by heart on day 7 – you’ll also build up your repertoire for auditions too.
3. Work on your instrument (your body). Voice work is just as important as being able to act. Practise vocal warm ups and diction exercises each day.
4. Look after yourself – eat well, exercise, rest plenty. Although it’s a sad fact, more often than not people are cast on their look. Present yourself well.
5. Read everyday; familiarise yourself with the classic scripts, read up on practitioners to build your knowledge of the craft and educate yourself.
6. Ok I said 5 but I have one more important tip. LIVE LIFE. You can’t possibly act well if you’ve locked yourself away and have never experienced anything so go and enjoy yourself and see what this world has to offer then use your experiences in your work.
Louise x
