10 Things Every Serious Actor Must Know.

It is normal to here actors say "I wasn't casted for the job because... (This and that)" but the truth is most of them may be wrong on why they did not get a (the) role they auditioned for.

Movie making is a business venture. Somebody invests and hopes to recoup his/her money and possibly make profit in the end.

Below are 10 very important things every actor ought to know about the film industry and advance in his/her career.

1.THE SCRIPT: The Beginning.

The script is the beginning of the film-making process. It is the document or tool that births a movie. A script is a screenplayed story.
We have two types of movie scripts:
(1) The script that is tailor-written to fit some particular actors.
(2) The script that is written with no actor in mind. Open Script.

(1) Scripts that are written with a particular actor(s) in mind can easily be found in the Alaba type of movies (Least I forget we have two brand of movie production: The Alaba-regular brand and the Cinema-elite brand)
Back to the matter- The scripts that are tailor-written requires very few cast, which are all table-cast save some few waka pass roles which most upcoming actors jostle for.
In the audition, you might have read for a character that is obviously a major and you delivered very well. You may immediately think you must get that role but to your disappointment somebody else (that you are probably better than) would be selected to play the role and you would be called back for a minor role. Well, blame no body; the script is tailor-written and table-cast. It’s normal.

2. The second kind of script is the Open script-No actor in mind.
Such scripts are written with an open mind and driven by aesthetics and torrential inflow of ideas in the screenwriter's creative depth. Most of this type of script contains numerous characters and is only the Leading Man and woman that are table-cast (sometimes, the sub-lead are table cast too), most of the major roles are cast during auditions and your physique and delivery determines whether you will get a role or not. This type of script is mostly obtainable in the Cinema brand of movies, short films and Low-To-No Budget films.

2. WHY YOU DID NOT GET THAT ROLE AFTER AUDITION OR CASTING.

I earlier mentioned that movie making is a business venture. Somebody invests and hopes to recoup his/her money and possibly make profit in the end.
This is the mindset the producer (the custodian of the investment) has when approaching any new job, therefore he/she must do all within his power to ensure the success of the product (movie) and this starts (as regards actors) from casting.
The producer and director handle the casting(in Nollywood sha) and most of the lead roles are table-cast with their marketing prowess being the determining factor, then the rest or some of the roles are cast after auditions.

The number one thing that the casting director(s) consider in selecting an actor for a role is the physique, before the delivery. No matter how good you are, if your physical doesn’t match up to the character’s physique you will never get that role(even if you induce or influence the process).

The script is complete and the characters are defined already, the screenwriter will not re-write nor adjust the characters to suit you, you have to fit into the character.

Auditions basically is like showing up and asking the casting director "Do I look like one of the characters in the script? Now, if you look like one of the characters, you would "ask" again; "did my delivery match what the character expresses? If all of the above is yes, that is when you would now be compared to the other actors that are in the same league with you, and then one of you would be chosen to play the role.

Never feel disappointed that you are not selected after a casting, probably all the above question as regards you and the character is NO or there was a stronger actor to you when they were comparing those jostling for the same role.

3. INFLUENCING CASTING.

We often hear that "she slept with the producer/director that's why she got the role" everything is possible but I tell you, Nollywood has grown above that BS. Though some desperate female actors are still falling victim to (most, initiating it) some narrow-minded and unprofessional producers/directors.
Film making is a high risk business and no producer worth his onion would want to compound the risk by sleeping with you and casting you for a major role (if you are not suitable)
No matter how many times you sleep with him/her or induce a producer with material things in order to get a role, he/she will never cast you for a major role if you are not suitable for the role. This also goes for actors that have other form of relationship with the producer. The producer is looking towards selecting actors that can help him tell a story brilliantly and increasing his chances of recouping the investors funds, he is not out to satisfy a particular actor because of some sort of relationship.

Bear no grudge if you are not cast at all or not cast for the role you might prefer by a producer you are very close to or might have induced. If the business fails, you have nothing to lose but he is the one to bear the brunt.

4. "SELLING FACES" VERSUS TALENTED UP-COMING ACTORS.

It is obvious that there is a select few actors that are unofficially branded "Selling faces" in Nollywood(even Hollywood), while there are some actors that are massively talented but hardly get the lead or major roles so as to climb the ladder.

Most established producers in Nollywood usually opt for the "Selling Faces" so as to ensure the commercial success of their movies. Note that this practice is common even in Hollywood as most studios prefer established Acts to star in their big budget movies in other to drive box office sales.
Personally, I don't have any objection to this practice so far as it would give you (the producer) what you want at the end. People go to the cinemas and buy movies, first; because of the face(s) staring in it. So you would understand why a producer would prefer having a Mercy Johnson or Majid micheal in his movie instead of casting a Tope Tadele or Judith Audu who are good but....
In Nollywood, actors sale movies, movies hardly sale actors as the scripts are not exciting enough to illicit massive sales of the movie or recognition when released. So producers will continually go for the "Selling Faces" until you work yourself into that league.

5. IT SHOULD NOT BE ALL ABOUT THE MONEY.

As an actor (that is passionate) you must never place money above your craft. Work towards career development, not acquiring wealth (though I know you have got bills to pay). The money will certainly come when you have developed your career to a certain level.
Don't hinge your featuring in a movie because of the budget. You might as well do a lot of "Thank You" jobs as this is one of the ways to build your CV and gain recognition. You could also feature in as many short films and "Low-To-No Budget" movies (where your transportation and feeding is properly taken care of and you shoot without fee or deferred payment till after sales)
This is the type of movie that announced Tope Tadele who won the Best Actor award at the 2014 AMVCA.

6. DIY: DO IT YOURSELF.

This basically entails taking the bull by the horn but it is only for the actor with vision and immense skills aside acting.
You can produce short films where you get to play the lead. If you can't write a script, get in touch with a writer who can work out a 20-30 minutes tailored-screenplay for you. There are a lot of channels for distributing shorts now. If you can't do it all by yourself, team up with like-minds and produce.

7. TALENT, LOOKS AND ATTITUDE.

To succeed in Nollywood, you must be talented, not just a "by chance actor" who ventured into acting as a result of joblessness or wanting to "belong". To survive in Nollywood you must have huge passion for the game because if you jump into it to make money, you will jet out very soon because you would be disappointed. Therefore, you must be talented before venturing into acting and the passion will keep you going when you start facing the rejections in castings and poor remuneration when you finally get a role.
LOOKS: It’s a show business. Your looks matters a lot just like your talent. Looks doesn’t mean you must look as sweet as Rita Dominic or as cute as Van Vicker. Just maintain a clean look especially when going for casting. Your face and body is the first thing a casting director sees and he quickly assess it with the character in the script. Always ensure you dress well and properly groomed. Your looks determine the kind of role you would be selected for.
ATTITUDE: Your talent and looks might get you some roles but your attitude will determine if you would get to work with the same director/producer in future. Note that producers and directors know themselves; your bad attitude might count against you when another producer selects you for a job and your good attitude will make a producer/director recommend you for another job.
Be yourself and ensure you have or develop excellent communication and interpersonal skills it will help you in castings and locations.

8. DON'T HIDE FROM THE PUBLIC.

The more you are in people's face (Media) the better for you. It’s a show business so you need to do all you can to be in the news, events and were like minds are (Do this only when you are ready to go full throttle as an actor). Build a fan base starting from the social networks(facebook, twitter, instagram etc), Make your presence felt by those around; let them know about you, what you have done, where they can see what you have done; what you are currently working on or about to.
Acting alone can't make you a star, self-promotion isn't a bad strategy but if you can't pull it off by yourself, liaise with a publicist (try to build a rapport with media personalities) or anyone who can help take your brand to the wider world through different channels, most especially the online community because that is where your fans, youths and the next generation are( you would be surprise the tiny number of youths and upwardly mobile adults that read news papers and watch terrestrial TV this days.) Everybody is resorting to online (internet) channels for news and all sorts.eg. If twitter is too complex for you, facebook is still rocking.

9. OTHERS:

Never front sex for a role: You might get laid and stil not get a role. Definitely you can't complain or report to anybody because you will be ashamed of yourself. Worst still, if the producer/director that slept with you choose to "kiss and tell", you would be highly disadvantaged.

You can tip or "flex" a producer/director. Why not, its PR and personal marketing if you ask me but never expect that he MUST give you a role (that you prefer).
But if I'm a producer and you buy me a car, I will always write my script with you in mind sha (hehehe) but you must be good in delivery.

Never try to pull a fellow actor down by painting him/her in bad light to a producer. Sooner than you expect, he/she would be suspicious of your antics and that may affect your chances of getting roles or recommendation from him.

If you have the funds or access to funds, take a bold step; offer to loan a producer, he will definitely reciprocate the gesture and you would stand to double-gain at the end. Some popular Nollywood stars have used this strategy to climb the ladder.

Persevere no matter the setbacks. Follow your heart no matter what people may say. Sunny Ekeh, aka SOLO of the etisalat fame once attended auditions for one year six months without getting a role (not even a waka-pass)


10. Lastly, if all the above fail you, do a sex tape.

(Hides).

Follow me on twitter @JOHNiBLAZE and @vizavimedia

NOTE:
These are my opinion formed from experience, observation and study. It may not tally with what you believe in. Don't forget to drop your comments so that we all can learn and advance to the ultimate goal.