Skills Every Performer Should Master | Joseph “Joe” McInerney | Business

Standout performers have all mastered a specific set of acting skills. Talent is a given, but there are a few other techniques to finesse to take the industry by storm. From learning how to deal with rejection to marketing your brand, here are seven essential acting skills every actor should master.

Memorization:

It’s up to you as an actor to bring the script to life. This makes memorization one of the essential skills that an actor needs. Preparing properly by memorizing your lines helps keep production on schedule, allows the creative team to make changes if they find issues with the dialogue, and ensures other cast members can perform their best in your scenes together.

Communication:

Acting itself is communication. You have to be a skilled communicator to artfully tell the story you’re performing both for the audience and for your potential scene partner. Listening is just as critical in communication as talking.

Body and Voice Control:

If an actor’s voice and body are instruments, keeping them fine-tuned is essential for any meaningful performance. Understanding how to manipulate your vocal range and physicality will work wonders for your character work.

Script Analysis:

From the first audition to performing on a set or stage, an actor must understand how to break down a script . Think of it as gathering clues to understand the writer’s overall vision-while also discovering who your character is and how you will portray them.

Having physical, mental, and emotional stamina is a big part of the job. Between the long hours on set, the deep emotional work it takes to bring a character to life, and the regular hits of rejection, it’s essential to have the fortitude to see things through to another day.

Taking Direction:

Taking direction is a vital part of the process. After you’ve created your character and made your unique choices to book the role, a director will inevitably give you a note to change something about your performance.

If you’re kind to everyone you work with, chances are the creatives will call you in for other projects they’re working on. After all, kindness is the foundation of connection and relationship-building.

In the entertainment industry, are the ones who help bring a production to life, so having these skills will be something that will have talent recruiters looking for you.

Originally published at https://josephmcinerneychicago.org on June 10, 2022.