• Acting on the stage or screen requires dedication and training.theater image by Luisafer from Fotolia.com
  
  Aspiring actors must constantly undergo training to help develop strong acting abilities to compete in this highly competitive career. Whether you wish to work in film, television or on stage you can implement several tips to help enhance your ability to land a job. While you may never become an Oscar-winning actor, with dedication actors can enjoy artistic and financial success.
  
  

Research

• Like with any profession, to be a successful actor you must know the ins and outs of the entertainment industry. Acting is much more than memorizing lines and delivering a believable performance. As an actor you will be responsible for reviewing contracts, dealing with agents and managers as well as knowing the current regulations to ensure you aren't being taken advantage of. Spend time researching the business side of the acting industry. Books such as "Acting is Everything" by Judy Kerr, "Hollywood 101: The Film Industry" by Frederick Levy and "Hitting Your Mark" by Steve Carlson provide information regarding the business and talent side of the film/acting industry.
  
  

Training

• Acting training not only helps develop your talent, but also provides a chance to network with industry professionals within the specific field of acting you wish to work in. Film, television and stage acting all require different skill sets. Film and television acting classes focus on performing for the camera. Screen acting differs from stage acting as the movements of actors do not need to be as emphasized as they would on stage. Film and television acting classes help develop an actor's ability to deliver lines in a natural manner, act within the camera frame and how to share the screen with fellow actors. Stage acting classes work more on body movement, line delivery and enhancing emotions in a natural manner. Acting schools offers a list of acting training categorized by state. You may also find acting classes by searching through your local business directory or contacting local theater organizations.
  
  

Character Development

• Realistic character development is an important skill any actor must comprehend. Character development is a common lesson taught in acting classes as this is how an actor truly transforms into a different person. The most common character development technique used is the Meisner Technique. This technique was developed by Sanford Meisner in the 1930s and it is still one of the most widely used training techniques. This technique teaches actors how to react in a natural way to any circumstance the character goes through. Instead of creating an imaginary or forced reaction, the Meisner Technique requires the actor to react to a situation in a non-rehearsed manner.
  
  Another character development technique involves analyzing a character based on the information provided in the script. When using this technique, an actor writes a surface level description of the character, which is the outer core of the character. After writing this information, the actor then determines why the character reacts the way he or she does. This is called finding the inner core of the character. By breaking the character down and discovering internal struggles of the character the actor can produce a realistic performance.