Why Actors are Always Training
Acting is competitive. The industry is saturated with players from all walks of life. You need professionalism, talent, skills and technique to stand out. Technique & professionalism will separate you from new actors that may have the enthusiasm but lack training. Here's how working actors approach ongoing training in their careers.
Develop a Practice Mindset
Acting is a muscle that requires consistent exercise. Professional actors practice movement, audition skills, stage presence, vocals, and other skills like accents during their down time (when they're not booked for a role). Think of ongoing training as part of the work an actor must do to deliver acting as a service. Always doing the work is the first mindset shift needed for success.
Storytelling is always evolving and no two characters or productions are the same. Through training, you can stretch your acting muscle by taking on characters you haven't yet embodied and identify what skills you need to work on as a part of your long term training plan. This helps you determine what kind of actor you are and what kind of actor you want to be. The same goes for deciphering what kind of projects you would like to be involved in, saying no to projects that won't move your career forward is an important discernment for working actors.
What you should work on
First, train your body. Acting is gruelling emotional and physical work with long hours. There is a lot of demand on your body. A healthy body is as important as professionalism and skill. Physical exercise and a healthy diet prepares you for whatever a director throws at you. Have an athletic skill? Keep up with that training as well, you never know when your martial arts, yoga or gymnastics skills will come in handy for a role.
Attend body movement classes, practice muscle control, train your voice, or take a mime class to learn expressive storytelling through actions. Singing lessons are always good to take even when you are not auditioning for a musical because it will help Improve your vocal range (pitch, volume) and breath control
Work on technique. Depending on the city you live in, you may have in person access to workshops and classes that specifically work on audition technique that shows you how to deliver a performance for an audition that is based on the principles and etiquette that casting directors look for in a submission. You can also find classes that teach you how to break down a script, or reach out to a voice coach that helps actor practice voice control to evoke certain emotions.
How to structure training
Get intimate with your schedule. Determine how much time you have available for training. Use an online calendar like Google Calendar to manage your time, get reminders, and track your monthly activities well. Research and schedule workshops, classes, acting group meetup dates and your own practice time (and auditions when you get them). Depending on your lifestyle you can explore these training structures:
Dedicate a notebook to your acting skills and track your goals, improvement, and feedback from industry professionals
Write down what you need to work on and dedicate time each week to work on those skills
Research online acting classes or educational material like books, articles, and videos you can attend or dig into on down time
Explore formal and informal training. You can attend a drama school and obtain a degree. Or you can take informal classes, training with acting coaches, vocal coaches or other industry experts
If you get feedback in an audition or class, write it down as soon as you leave, implement feedback
Practice by creating your own work
Join clubs, groups or classes that meet regularly
