In a highly competitive entertainment industry where 95% of actors can be out of work at any one time, it’s important to understand the transferable skills you most likely do each day to utilise them to help get that all-important work between acting roles. In this article, we’ll explore six key work transferable skills with examples of where you naturally use them every day.
As an actor, you spend your days researching and embodying different characters.
You adapt to your speech patterns, take on new accents, and play with different emotional ranges.
All of this encompasses time management and requires training to hone your craft.
The acting skills you naturally use daily are fundamental transferable skills needed in a wide range of industry sectors.
So, let's explore six key transferable skills you learn from the world of acting.
1. Communication Skills:
The first is an obvious one: communication. From verbal to non-verbal, actors excel in this skill.
Communication is a fundamental part of acting that goes way beyond dialogue delivery.
Actors not only deliver lines but convey emotions through facial expressions and gestures, as well as how they move their bodies to convey the depth and authenticity of emotions and create compelling performances that speak to a range of diverse audiences on stage or screen.
Actor Communication Skills:
Delivering lines with clarity and emotion.
Engaging with the audience during live performances.
Collaborating effectively with directors and fellow actors.
2. Empathy:
Understanding and embodying characters on stage helps actors develop a deep sense of empathy.
These skills are fundamental in fostering meaningful relationships and portraying diverse characters on stage or screen that go beyond the surface level.
This empathetic connection allows actors to step into the shoes of others, understanding their struggles, joys, and complexities on a deeper level and deliver performances that touch the hearts of their audiences and foster a sense of shared unity and understanding.
Actor Empathy Skills:
Understanding and portraying the emotions and motivations of their characters.
Relating to diverse characters and situations to deliver authentic performances.
Connecting with the audience on an emotional level.
3. Adaptability:
An actor is a chameleon, and adaptability is fundamental in helping them jump between different roles and mediums.
They must be flexible in taking on last-minute script changes and adjusting and pivoting their performances to last-minute director and producer requests.
Just as actors must be ready to embrace unforeseen challenges on stage or on set, individuals in their personal and professional lives must also be prepared to adjust their plans and strategies in response to unexpected circumstances.
This flexibility allows actors to thrive in adversity, cope better with stress, and overcome obstacles.
Actor Adaptability Skills:
Adjusting to different roles, genres, and performance styles.
Responding to changes in scripts, direction, or live audience reactions.
Navigating various settings, from theatre stages to film sets.
4. Teamwork:
Collaboration is fundamental to acting.
Actors rarely perform solo and collaborate closely with directors, other actors, and crew members.
Therefore, teamwork is essential for an actor's success.
They must work cooperatively to become individuals with whom industry professionals want to collaborate.
Additionally, actors must work closely with their scene partners, and a good working relationship creates safe spaces where all actors can thrive.
Actor Teamworking Skills:
Collaborating with cast and crew to create a cohesive production.
Supporting fellow actors during scenes and performances.
Contributing to a positive and productive working environment.
5. Resilience:
Actors experience a significant amount of rejection, from auditions and work; and are likely one of the highest job roles to experience this, among many industry sectors.
This rejection is a common aspect of their daily journey in acting.
Building resilience in the face of adversity and setbacks is crucial, enabling actors to bounce back stronger and better prepare for the next audition and achieve success.
Actor Resilience Skills:
Handling the pressure of live performances and repeated takes.
Bouncing back from auditions or roles that didn't go as planned.
Maintaining dedication and passion in a competitive industry.
6. Critical Thinking:
Analyzing scripts, developing characters, and portraying emotions require actors to think critically and make creative decisions.
This skill sharpens problem-solving abilities and enhances decision-making skills in a variety of scenarios.
Actor Critical Thinking Skills:
Analyzing scripts to understand character development and plot nuances.
Making creative decisions about character portrayal and performance delivery.
Solving problems that arise during rehearsals and live performances.
Conclusion
The skills honed in the world of acting—communication, empathy, adaptability, teamwork, resilience, and critical thinking—are invaluable and highly transferable across various industry sectors.
These skills are cultivated daily through the natural demands of an actor on stage and on screen.
By recognizing and harnessing these skills, actors can navigate the competitive landscape of the entertainment industry while opening doors to new opportunities and professional growth beyond acting roles that can support them between acting work.
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