Skype/Email Interviews analysis

I decided to gather all my interviews together and sum up all my findings to have a bigger picture of my datas collected. Being now towards the end of the race I felt the need to blog more after a few weeks of immersion into drafting the Critical Review..I felt I needed to back up with evidence what I was writing down.

In the past few months I manage to interview 3 people out of the 5 I had decided:
1. Andrea Bassani, Italian musician/composer and casting director
2. David Page, established performer in the West End scene
3. Adam Sopp, also established actor currently working in several job as a voice over, straight actor and TV.

I didn't manage to arrange a meeting with another performer in the London Theatre scene and I'm still waiting for a response from a spokesman person from the Equity Union which I have to consider as a possible contingency in my plans.
While I'm hoping I still be able to get in touch these 2 people I can analyze what I collected so far, which I have to say has been a very good experience in terms of useful information for my inquiry.

Andrea Bassani


I was interested to interview Bassani to have a detached point of view from the UK theatrical scene to compare it with the Italian perception of Musicals in particular. This interested me personally being Italian and trying to work in the UK.
I have to say that I collected interesting differences about the teaching technique used in the two realities.

-Bassani stated the most how much the Italian trainings lack in "teaching the character" (2012) and how much focus is put only in pre-established techniques.

-There's no space given to different acting techniques for instance (he mentions Stanislavsky vs Brecht) and the focus is put more into enhancing the natural talent rather than teaching how to merge it with the rest of a performance.. singing while acting, dancing because there's a feeling behind it that makes you want to dance or wanting to burst into singing because speaking (acting) is not enough. (Bean, 2007)

-For him, the Italian Industry doesn't want the foreign talents into their scene, fearing that the Italian audience may get attached to something that's not existing in the Italian performers as much and then would be put in situation were what's demanded can't be fulfill.
(This, I thought, was something that needed further argumentation to make what stated something true, but being an interview I left it as an objective view and didn't take it as written in stone but left it opinionable.)

-The gap between the two cultures is enormous as the performer isn't seen as a professional yet but more as a vocation or passion, a "hobby" (2012).

-The credibility of Musical Theatre performer as something questionable.

-The artist isn't covered or supported by unions like in the UK (Equity, BECTU, etc..) so keeps the professionality of a performer in danger of not having longevity.

-In contrast with other forms of art such as Ballet and Opera; they have a strong culture in the country and therefore acquired credibility over the years.

-He abolishes TV programs that put a sort of competition idea to the audience rather than understanding and promoting real talents.
In the UK the artsist is taught to use the abilities such as singing, to express what the character wants to transmit and feels, rather the expressing their own vocal capabilities.
(This is somehow a tangent that I realized keeps coming back, something I already found out from my previous interviews/focus group I had with other Italian performers -BLOG 1- BLOG 2-)

One the question that links Bassani with the other 2 interviewers is what is necessary to have as skills for a performer to succeed and what should do to keep u mentally and physically. They all have their own opinions due to their position (performer vs casting director) but most of them seems to coincide to what is expected and what is asked!

-He believes a strong technique is needed along side with talent.

-Being aware of our own capabilities. Limits, strengths, weaknesses. But mainly a strong ability to  move oneself and being able to move the others.

-In Acting and Singing the talent can prevail on the technique, whether on Dancing the techniques is essential.

-Importance of choosing the right trainings and the vary techniques and methodologies offered to be able to have a good preparation under our belt for any type of artistic experience.

To better explain this point I'm here going to talk about the other 2 interviews I had with the performers:


David Page & Adam Sopp


They both are established and working performers/actors in the West End scene as well as TV. They shared with me their opinions on 5 points/questions I wanted to cover with them:

________________

1. As a professional performer, what do you think are the most important requirements for an emerging performer to work in the theatrical industry nowadays?

Adam:

-You need to be so resolute within you that you always wanted to be an actor. Determination doesn't even come close. Without that to beging with you have already failed.

-Time keeping and turning phones off

-Good looking or interesting looking (mediocrity is not an option to stand out) e.g. very fat or very good looking

-Very thick skin. Accepting when you are just not the right person for the part, sometimes your skills have nothing to do with getting a job or not.

David:

-Understand that you are a business, a business of yourself. Good business brain!

-Understanding who you are as a performer and person. Knowing your selling points, your weaknesses and strengths. Never show what you would like to be. Never works!!

-Good networking skills a must. Be happy for who does well. Look out for inspirational people and challenges.

______________________
2. What is your opinion on temping jobs while on a resting period? And If you have some, what's your experience on temp jobs?

Adam:

-He did everything that could possibly come up to gain more skills.

-Everything that can enrich your experiences to then use them back when acting, related or not related to the acting/performing profession.

~Looping
~Voice over
~ Bar tending/waiting
~Role play (e.g. medicine and police students's final exams )
~Nanny
~Bar Host (chatting with people using acting skills..talk for a living)
~Call centre work (the worse one for him but very flexible)
~Cataloging records for a record label company.

-Never had a contract jobs so can always live for acting/tv work.

David:

- Recommends to try few temps jobs, it helps understanding another way of functioning in the world. You can't act without life experience

- On the other hand he doesn't encourage taking too many temping jobs on a regular basis. He believes once you are highly skilled in our profession, you should find a way to make money with the skills acquired.

- It keeps you active in the industry and your passion alive.

- We should be learning and improving at our craft to make the jobs we want more regular.

________________________

3. Did you get your first professional contract straight out of college? if yes What would you have done if otherwise?


Adam:


- He was lucky to being working since a very young age and got work since. But he mentioned a friend of him that is an example of how hard work comes back to you. She is very talented but was the only one not getting an agent after college. She did a lot of temp jobs and fringe work to get agencies to come to see her. She got represented by a small agency and after a while a very good one and got work since then in very big productions.

David:


- He was lucky enough to get a job before finishing college and straight after. He can't say he made the most out of it at the time as he didn't understand how to conduct himself which takes him back to being business minded and having good networking skills.

-He never doubted his vocation and never thought he could do anything else. If you are not that driven forget about succeeding in this career. Just "trying" having a performing career is not enough.

______________________

4. How do you keep up physically and mentally when you are in between contracts?

Adam:

- If he has an auditions that involves dancing he would take a class before to feel more ready not having dancing as his strength.

- He doesn't usually takes acting classes as he believes that audition material give you enough to work on on your own, giving that you have acquired the shills necessary to work with what you have.

-A lot of actors are very wary on taking too many MT jobs as they give you then difficulties on to be taken seriously for a straight acting job.

David:


-Go out and be proactive. The more contacts and new people you meet or connect with the more you create opportunity.

-He never feels out of work because of he is always reaching out to connect with people to work on something.

____________________

5. What is your advice on finding an agent? And do you think it's possible to get professional work without one?

Adam:

-For films, pick up a camera put together a showreel and send them to agents.

-Invite them to anything show you do via letters. They prefer they mail rather than the email. In one glance you can have a good idea of who you are and what You did in your CV. With emails is harder to catch your essence as a performer.

-Always in their rather but Don't hassle them. They do a hard job. They have power but they do the work as middle men between the performer and the casting director.

David:

-Word of mouth the best way. Looking at actors you admire and see who represent them is a good way to find good agencies.

-Always check the agencies' book and make sure there isn't someone "like" you that they already represent. In that case you have a slight chance to be interesting for them.

-It's possible to work without an agent with the use of casting sites where the casting directors contact you directly (Spotlight, Casting Call Pro)

-Agents are good for negotiating higher salary and notice pitfalls in contract.

-Contact casting directors directly. Keep them updated with what you do and take an interest in what they do and what they cast.

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So, with these interviews, I could see how many similar points my interviewers have and on some others their different opinions. The main one that was debatable during the sessions, was regarding temping jobs. I can see how the performers interviewed had a different view on the matter and a very different approach.
With the support of the literatures I found on this topic, I learnt how much being a performer has to deal somehow with temporary jobs. Whether you have a successful career or not, at some point you will encounter a "resting period", it's then up to you if you want (or have) to still have some kind of income and take whatever job comes along, or if you prefer be more selective and "protecting" your professional skills.

Another "fear" for actors I discovered reading articles about temp jobs, is finding the "confort zone" in a resting period. Once you find a job that you actually enjoy, that gives you a salary every month, respect from colleagues and taxes you don't have to deal with a the end of the year, can make you question why you weren't doing it before and forget about your passions.

I can see why some performers can approach temping jobs differently than others, you have to find your own why to then fall back into your profession without problems or anything that olds you back.

Wow, this was a very long post...hope someone can find it interesting rather than long and boring! :P


References:

Bean, M., Nov 2007. Why is Acting in Song So Different?, Journal of Singing [ejournal]

64(2) pp. 167-173. Available through: Ebscohost database. [accessed 23

Dec 2011].


http://www.spotlight.com/


http://www.castingcallpro.com/uk/