Brosnan Pierce - In-depth acting

A s a child you were very extrovert, always prancing around in front of the mirror, doing dress up, putting on shows with your siblings, performing songs, characters, possibly even speeches. Maybe you put on little shows in front of your parents, maybe even your extended family. Whenever there were family gatherings, birthdays, Easter, Christmas, it was always your cue to perform. How cute, adorable and funny you were. As you got a bit older perhaps you got involved in school plays and then went on to study drama for A level. Maybe you were encouraged to take the LAMDA exams (Graded Examinations in Communication and Performance). Or perhaps you did none of the above but could crack a good joke at parties or do funny imitations or just had a good personality. Your friends and family always told you, You would make a good actor, youre so funny, you should act. Lets face it, all you have to do is turn on the TV and see so many reality stars, singers, comedians, performing up a storm and going into acting why not you? Why not indeed! Well, it looks so easy, just watch the soaps, I mean all theyre doing is acting naturalistically, whats so difficult about that...? Anyone could do that. And then theres the movie industry, how glamorous and well paid. If only that was me up there, thats what I want to do, be an actor.

Theres nothing wrong with having aspirations and ambitions. Thousands of young hopefuls do. There are many ways to break into acting and Im not setting out to quash anyones hopes and dreams but talent is cheap and Im afraid its not enough to rely on talent alone the profession is far too competitive for that. I am going to tell you about the reality of the industry and the benefits of training. It would be churlish of me to say there was only one route re training and only one methodology re technique. There are many paths one can take and Im about to set out, from my many years of experience, what I believe is the best way to go about gaining acting skills and why technique is the key to your success as an actor.

I strongly believe that the actors who apply the system correctly are the actors who stand the better chance of nailing their auditions and booking the job. Whether it be for youth theatre, amateur or professional theatre, musical theatre, film or TV, commercials or modeling, I believe you can apply specific methodology to set you apart from other actors who are just relying on their instinct and talent. Whats wrong with using your own natural abilities, I hear you say? Nothing, but why rely solely on your charm, charisma and personality? Once you understand that winging it will only get you so far and a little bit of the right skills will get you quite far, then it seems to me, if you want to be a serious actor, there is only one choice - that is to get some acting technique under your belt now.

I believe that acting training is not just about learning skills, it is a holistic approach about grooming and preparing yourself your mind, body and spirit. You should be fine-tuning your observational, listening and concentration skills as well as developing your imagination and allowing yourself to be forever curious. Dont be afraid to ask questions. Be in touch with your feelings and emotions. You should allow yourself to be open and playful let your inner child remain active throughout your maturity, otherwise theres a danger of becoming too closed, self-conscious, reductive, serious, analytical and cynical, which is not useful for an actor. You should be aware that as you develop, learn and grow as a human being, the richer you become as a person, the richer you will be as an actor.