Actors
endure long periods of unemployment, intense competition
for roles, and frequent rejections in auditions.
Formal
training through a university or acting conservatory is
typical; however, many actors, producers, and directors
find work on the basis of their experience and talent alone.
Because
earnings may be erratic, many supplement their incomes by
holding jobs in other fields; however, the most successful
actors, producers, and directors may have extraordinarily
high earnings.
Actors,
producers, and directors express ideas and create images in
theater, film, radio, television, and other performing arts
media. They interpret a writer’s script to entertain, inform,
or instruct an audience. Although many actors, producers,
and directors work in New York or Los Angeles, far more work
in other places. They perform, direct, and produce in local
or regional television studios, theaters, or film production
companies, often creating advertising or training films or
small-scale independent movies.
Actors
perform in stage, radio, television, video, or motion picture
productions. They also work in cabarets, nightclubs, and theme
parks. Actors portray characters, and, for more complex roles,
they research their character’s traits and circumstances so
that they can better understand a script.
Most actors
struggle to find steady work and only a few achieve recognition
as stars. Some well-known, experienced performers may be cast
in supporting roles or make brief, cameo appearances, speaking
only one or two lines. Others work as “extras,” with no lines
to deliver. Some actors do voiceover and narration work for
advertisements, animated features, books on tape, and other
electronic media. They also teach in high school or university
drama departments, acting conservatories, or public programs.
Producers
are entrepreneurs who make the business and financial decisions
involving a motion picture, made-for-television feature, or
stage production. They select scripts, approve the development
of ideas, arrange financing, and determine the size and cost
of the endeavor. Producers hire or approve directors, principal
cast members, and key production staff members. They also
negotiate contracts with artistic and design personnel in
accordance with collective bargaining agreements. They guarantee
payment of salaries, rent, and other expenses.
Television
and radio producers determine which programs, episodes, or
news segments get aired. They may research material, write
scripts, and oversee the production of individual pieces.
Producers in any medium coordinate the activities of writers,
directors, managers, and agents to ensure that each project
stays on schedule and within budget.
Directors
are responsible for the creative decisions of a production.
They interpret scripts, audition and select cast members,
conduct rehearsals, and direct the work of cast and crew.
They approve the design elements of a production, including
the sets, costumes, choreography, and music. Assistant directors
cue the performers and technicians, telling them when to make
entrances or light, sound, or set changes.
Work
environment. Actors, producers, and directors work
under constant pressure. Many face stress from the continual
need to find their next job. To succeed, actors, producers,
and directors need patience and commitment to their craft.
Actors strive to deliver flawless performances, often while
working under undesirable and unpleasant conditions. Producers
and directors organize rehearsals and meet with writers, designers,
financial backers, and production technicians. They experience
stress not only from these activities, but also from the need
to adhere to budgets, union work rules, and production schedules.
Acting
assignments typically are short term—ranging from 1 day to
a few months—which means that actors frequently experience
long periods of unemployment between jobs. The uncertain nature
of the work results in unpredictable earnings and intense
competition for jobs. Often, actors, producers, and directors
must hold other jobs in order to sustain a living.
When performing,
actors typically work long, irregular hours. For example,
stage actors may perform one show at night while rehearsing
another during the day. They also might travel with a show
when it tours the country. Movie actors may work on location,
sometimes under adverse weather conditions, and may spend
considerable time waiting to perform their scenes. Actors
who perform in a television series often appear on camera
with little preparation time, because scripts tend to be revised
frequently or even written moments before taping. Those who
appear live or before a studio audience must be able to handle
impromptu situations and calmly ad lib, or substitute, lines
when necessary.
Evening
and weekend work is a regular part of a stage actor’s life.
On weekends, more than one performance may be held per day.
Actors and directors working on movies or television programs,
especially those who shoot on location, may work in the early
morning or late evening hours to film night scenes or tape
scenes inside public facilities outside of normal business
hours.
Actors
should be in good physical condition and have the necessary
stamina and coordination to move about theater stages and
large movie and television studio lots. They also need to
maneuver about complex technical sets while staying in character
and projecting their voices audibly. Actors must be fit to
endure heat from stage or studio lights and the weight of
heavy costumes. Producers and directors ensure the safety
of actors by conducting extra rehearsals on the set so that
the actors can learn the layout of set pieces and props, by
allowing time for warmups and stretching exercises to guard
against physical and vocal injuries, and by providing an adequate
number of breaks to prevent heat exhaustion and dehydration.
People
who become actors, producers, and directors follow many paths
to employment. The most important qualities employers look
for are creative instincts, innate talent, and the intellectual
capacity to perform. The best way to prepare for a career
as an actor, especially in the theater, is through formal
dramatic training, preferably obtained as part of a bachelor’s
degree program. Producers and especially directors need experience
in the field, either as actors or in other related jobs.
Education
and training. Formal dramatic training, either through
an acting conservatory or a university program, generally
is necessary for these jobs, but some people successfully
enter the field without it. Most people studying for a bachelor’s
degree take courses in radio and television broadcasting,
communications, film, theater, drama, or dramatic literature.
Many stage actors continue their academic training and receive
a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree. Advanced curricula may
include courses in stage speech and movement, directing, playwriting,
and design, as well as intensive acting workshops. The National
Association of Schools of Theatre accredits 150 programs in
theater arts.
Most aspiring
actors participate in high school and college plays, work
in college radio or television stations, or perform with local
community theater groups. Local and regional theater experience
and work in summer stock, on cruise lines, or in theme parks
helps many young actors hone their skills. Membership in one
of the actors’ unions and work experience in smaller communities
may lead to work in larger cities, notably New York, Chicago,
or Los Angeles. In television and film, actors and directors
typically start in smaller television markets or with independent
movie production companies and then work their way up to larger
media markets and major studio productions. A few people go
into acting after successful careers in other fields, such
as broadcasting or announcing.
Actors,
regardless of experience level, may pursue workshop training
through acting conservatories or mentoring by a drama coach.
Sometimes actors learn a foreign language or train with a
dialect coach to develop an accent to make their characters
more realistic.
There
are no specific training requirements for producers. They
come from many different backgrounds. Actors, writers, film
editors, and business managers commonly enter the field. Producers
often start in a theatrical management office, working for
a press agent, managing director, or business manager. Some
start in a performing arts union or service organization.
Others work behind the scenes with successful directors, serve
on the boards of art companies, or promote their own projects.
Although there are no formal training programs for producers,
a number of colleges and universities offer degree programs
in arts management and in managing nonprofit organizations.
Directors
often start out as actors. Many also have formal training
in directing. The Directors Guild of America and the Alliance
of Motion Picture and Television Producers jointly sponsor
the Assistant Directors Training Program. To be accepted to
this highly competitive program, an individual must have either
a bachelor’s or associate degree or 2 years of experience
and must complete a written exam and other assessments. Program
graduates are eligible to become a member of the Directors
Guild and typically find employment as a second assistant
director.
Other
qualifications. Actors need talent and creativity
that will enable them to portray different characters. Because
competition for parts is fierce, versatility and a wide range
of related performance skills, such as singing, dancing, skating,
juggling, acrobatics, or miming are especially useful. Experience
in horseback riding, fencing, linguistics, or stage combat
also can lift some actors above the average and get them noticed
by producers and directors. Actors must have poise, stage
presence, the ability to affect an audience, and the ability
to follow direction. Modeling experience also may be helpful.
Physical appearance, such as having certain features and being
the specified size and weight, often is a deciding factor
in who gets a particular role.
Many professional
actors rely on agents or managers to find work, negotiate
contracts, and plan their careers. Agents generally earn a
percentage of the pay specified in an actor’s contract. Other
actors rely solely on attending open auditions for parts.
Trade publications list the times, dates, and locations of
these auditions.
Some actors
begin as movie extras. To become an extra, one usually must
be listed by casting agencies that supply extras to the major
movie studios in Hollywood. Applicants are accepted only when
the numbers of people of a particular type on the list, for
example, athletic young women, old men, or small children,
falls below what is needed. In recent years, only a very small
proportion of applicants have succeeded in being listed.
Like actors,
directors and producers need talent and creativity. They also
need business acumen.
Advancement.
As the reputations and box-office draw of actors, producers,
and directors grow, they might work on bigger budget productions,
on network or syndicated broadcasts, or in more prestigious
theaters. Actors may advance to lead roles and receive star
billing. A few actors move into acting-related jobs, such
as drama coaches or directors of stage, television, radio,
or motion picture productions. Some teach drama privately
or in colleges and universities.
In May
2006, actors, producers, and directors held about 163,000
jobs, primarily in motion picture and video, performing arts,
and broadcast industries. Because many others were between
jobs, the total number of actors, producers, and directors
available for work was higher. Employment in the theater,
and other performing arts companies, is cyclical—higher in
the fall and spring seasons—and concentrated in New York and
other major cities with large commercial houses for musicals
and touring productions. Also, many cities support established
professional regional theaters that operate on a seasonal
or year-round basis. About 28 percent of actors, producers,
and directors were self-employed.
Actors,
producers, and directors may find work in summer festivals,
on cruise lines, and in theme parks. Many smaller, nonprofit
professional companies, such as repertory companies, dinner
theaters, and theaters affiliated with drama schools, acting
conservatories, and universities, provide employment opportunities
for local amateur talent and professional entertainers. Auditions
typically are held in New York for many productions across
the country and for shows that go on the road.
Employment
in motion pictures and in films for television is centered
in New York and Los Angeles. However, small studios exist
throughout the country. Many films are shot on location and
may employ local professional and nonprofessional actors.
In television, opportunities are concentrated in the network
centers of New York and Los Angeles, but cable television
services and local television stations around the country
also employ many actors, producers, and directors.
Employment
of actors, producers, and directors is expected to grow about
as fast as the average for all occupations. Competition for
jobs will be keen. Although a growing number of people aspire
to enter these professions, many will leave the field early
because the work—when it is available—is hard, the hours are
long, and the pay may be low.
Employment
change. Employment in these occupations is expected
to grow 11 percent during the 2006-16 decade, about as
fast as the average for all occupations. Expanding cable
and satellite television operations, increasing production
and distribution of major studio and independent films, and
rising demand for films in other countries should create more
employment opportunities for actors, producers, and directors.
Also fueling job growth is the continued development of interactive
media, direct-for-Web movies, and mobile content, produced
for cell phones or other portable electronic devices. However,
greater emphasis on national, rather than local, entertainment
productions may restrict employment opportunities in the broadcasting
industry.
Job
prospects. Competition for jobs will be stiff. The
large number of highly trained and talented actors auditioning
for roles generally exceeds the number of parts that become
available. Only performers with the most stamina and talent
will find regular employment.
Venues
for live entertainment, such as Broadway and Off-Broadway
theaters, touring productions, and repertory theaters in many
major metropolitan areas, as well as theme parks and resorts,
are expected to offer many job opportunities. However, prospects
in these venues are variable because they fluctuate with economic
conditions.
The most
successful actors, producers, and directors may have extraordinarily
high earnings but for others, because earnings may be erratic,
many supplement their income by holding jobs in other fields.
Median
hourly earnings of actors were $11.61 in May 2006. The middle
50 percent earned between $8.47 and $22.51. The lowest 10
percent earned less than $7.31, and the highest 10 percent
earned more than $51.02. Median hourly earnings were $16.82
in performing arts companies and $10.69 in the motion picture
and video industry. Annual earnings data for actors were not
available because of the wide variation in the number of hours
worked by actors and the short-term nature of many jobs, which
may last for 1 day or 1 week; it is extremely rare for actors
to have guaranteed employment that exceeded 3 to 6 months.
Median
annual earnings of salaried producers and directors were $56,310
in 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $37,980 and
$88,700. Median annual earnings were $70,750 in the motion
picture and video industry and $47,530 in radio and television
broadcasting.
Minimum
salaries, hours of work, and other conditions of employment
are often covered in collective bargaining agreements between
the producers and the unions representing workers. The Actors’
Equity Association (AEA) represents stage actors; the Screen
Actors Guild (SAG) covers actors in motion pictures, including
television, commercials, and film; and the American Federation
of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) represents television
and radio studio performers. Some actors who regularly work
in several media find it advantageous to join multiple unions,
while SAG and AFTRA may share jurisdiction for work in additional
areas, such as the production of training or educational films
not slated for broadcast, television commercial work, and
interactive media. While these unions generally determine
minimum salaries, any actor or director may negotiate for
a salary higher than the minimum.
Under
terms of a joint SAG and AFTRA contract covering all unionized
workers, motion picture and television actors with speaking
parts earned a minimum daily rate of $759 or $2,634 for a
5-day week as of July 1, 2007. Actors also receive contributions
to their health and pension plans and additional compensation
for reruns and foreign telecasts of the productions in which
they appear.
According
to AEA, the minimum weekly salary for actors in Broadway productions
as of June 2007 was $1,509. Actors in Off-Broadway theaters
received minimums ranging from $516 to $976 a week as of October
29, 2007, depending on the seating capacity of the theater.
Regional theaters that operate under an Equity agreement pay
actors $544 to $840 per week. For touring productions, actors
receive an additional $113 per day for living expenses ($119
per day in higher cost cities). New terms were negotiated
under an “experimental touring program” provision for lower
budget musicals that tour to smaller cities or that perform
for fewer performances at each stop. In an effort to increase
the number of paid workweeks while on tour, actors may be
paid less than the full production rate for touring shows
in exchange for higher per diems and profit participation.
Some well-known
actors—stars—earn well above the minimum; their salaries are
many times the figures cited, creating the false impression
that all actors are highly paid. For example, of the nearly
100,000 SAG members, only about 50 might be considered stars.
The average income that SAG members earn from acting, less
than $5,000 a year, is low because employment is sporadic.
Therefore, most actors must supplement their incomes by holding
jobs in other occupations.
Many actors
who work more than a qualifying number of days, or weeks per
year or earn over a set minimum pay, are covered by a union
health, welfare, and pension fund, which includes hospitalization
insurance to which employers contribute. Under some employment
conditions, Equity and AFTRA members receive paid vacations
and sick leave.
Many stage
directors belong to the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers
(SSDC), and film and television directors belong to the Directors
Guild of America. Earnings of stage directors vary greatly.
The SSDC usually negotiates salary contracts which include
royalties (additional income based on the number of performances)
with smaller theaters. Directing a production at a dinner
theater generally will pay less than directing one at a summer
theater, but has more potential for generating income from
royalties. Regional theaters may hire directors for longer
periods, increasing compensation accordingly. The highest-paid
directors work on Broadway and commonly earn over $50,000
per show. However, they also receive payment in the form of
royalties—a negotiated percentage of gross box office receipts—that
can exceed their contract fee for long-running box office
successes.
Stage
producers seldom get a set fee; instead, they get a percentage
of a show’s earnings or ticket sales.
