Volunteering - a good idea? and if so, where?
Fri, 21 Sept 2007, 03:07 amsilhouette11 posts in thread
Volunteering - a good idea? and if so, where?
Fri, 21 Sept 2007, 03:07 amHi, I was wondering if anyone could offer me any advice.
I'm 21 and have just moved to Australia from England. Ever since I was little I used to be a drama fanatic and took part in every school show and amateur production that I could. I really loved it. However, I guess I lost my confidence and after the age of 16-ish I stopped pursuing it and decided to do a degree in Creative Writing.
I need to finish my degree out here in Oz, which isnt a problem. I will probably Major in English. Of course, the time has come to start thinking about what I'm going to do when I leave! Scary! I always come back to the idea that I would like to work in some way to do with drama and acting. I can't shake that yearning. I am going to start working on my acting again by doing amdram and some classes.
However, I run through all these ideas in my head but in reality I feel like I know nothing about the industry and where I should focus my efforts. Acting is the ultimate dream, but I'm realising that it may not pay the bills and there are other areas I am interested in. I'm not sure whether theatre or films would be my forte..if either! And I'd love to learn about Arts Administration to understand what that entails.
I figured that the best way to get an idea of the direction I am heading is to get some work experience and volunteer. I have lots of free time until February and really am interested in working in any area of the industry to gain some experience and insight into what life is really like. I'd be happy making teas and cleaning toilets if it meant I got some insight! But the thing is, I've been completely out of the loop for so long and I feel I have no proof that I am passionate about this. I dont feel that I have a good general knowledge of the industry (but I want to learn) and have nothing relevant and recent on my CV.
Especially being in a new country I feel a bit lost and dont know where to start. However, I do have all this free time and dont want to waste it, as it may also be valuable in helping choose classes when I go to uni in February.
Can anyone offer any advice? Or if you are in Perth and need some help in any kind of arts project for someone with no experience...let me know and I'd love to help :)
Thanks so much
Kate
ps. And apologies if this is posted in the wrong section. I wasn't sure where it should go.
Perth Industry
Fri, 21 Sept 2007, 11:47 amDear Kate
In Perth there are lots of opportunities available if you know where to look. The problem is a lot of people do this as a hobby rather then a career which ultimately limits the paid jobs they can do. The other thing about Perth is that to be successful in the entertainment industry you need to be as versatile as possible. You need to throw yourself into it, even if its cleaning floors or scrubbing toilets like you suggested.
Don't let "I have no experience" stop you from starting up. Even the best film and theatre people once had "no experience". The saying in the industry is "Fake it till you make it".
If you want to start acting again but are a little rusty, you can do one of two things: you can either go do workshops and classes, or you can get the hands on approach and start auditioning for student films, amateur productions, or anything else that pays you in experience. The difference between the two is one the teacher will suggest how to do it better, whereas the other you learn yourself which MAY take longer.
!!!BE WARNED THOUGH!!!! Do not accept experience as the only denomination, as long as you can deliver the goods ensure you don’t start doing everything for free, at some point you will need to be paid for you work.
And finally, do your research. Look at people who DO get paid for their work. Not the Heath Ledgers' or Peter Jackson’s' but the people in Perth who are making a living off this industry. There are the Models, Actors, Sound Crews, Camera Crews, Choreographers, MCs, DJs, Arts Admin, Reviewers, etc.
All you need to do is decide which area you would like to start in and then do the leg work ;)
Hope This Helps
Keep Smiling :)
David Green
DRAGON FILMS
www.davidgreenenterprises.com