Actor Kaitapere

Physical Requirements

Actors need to be reasonably fit and healthy, as the work can be physically demanding. They should also have clear speech.

Useful Experience

Useful experience for actors includes:

• amateur or professional acting
• performance work (eg, kapa haka)
• any sport or other pursuit that involves teamwork
• physical activities such as horse riding, gymnastics, scuba diving and boxing.

Personal Qualities

Actors need to be:

• able to memorise lines
• able to take direction, accept criticism, and work well under pressure
• disciplined and motivated
• creative and imaginative
• able to work well as part of a team and with agents
• strong communicators
• organised.

Skills

Actors need to have:

• knowledge of how people behave and speak, so they can create believable characters
• the ability to project their voice to fill a performance space
• knowledge of a range of books, plays and poetry
• knowledge of different cultures
• knowledge of the New Zealand media industry
• skill in interpreting and analysing roles.

Stunt performers need to have:

• knowledge of different stunts, including which stunts to perform in certain situations and the best way of performing them
• the ability to use specialist stunt equipment such as flying harnesses and airbags
• skills relating to the type of stunts they are performing such as martial arts, gymnastics or driving.

Conditions

Actors:

• often work long and irregular hours, including evenings and weekends
• work indoors in places like theatres, television and film studios, and radio stations. They also work outdoors on location
• may travel to film on location, or if they are part of a touring production.