Have you ever seen yourself playing the role of your favorite Nollywood actor? Have you imagined yourself accepting awards as the Best Actor/Actress of the Year? Then this report is for you.
Breaking into Nollywood goes beyond desire or having a dream, you have to be willing to put in the work.
First things first you need to have the right motive. You must also ask yourself why you want to have a career in the acting profession. Then, ask yourself if you want to make a livelihood in acting based on passion for the craft or just to be famous. Your motive will determine how far you will go in Nollywood.
- Attend acting classes.
In the world of showbiz, being talented isn’t just enough. You have to be willing to get trained. A good acting class will fuel the creative fire that lies in you. By attending acting classes, you tend to stretch your acting capabilities and improve your acting skills on a regular basis. Acting schools like Royal Arts Academy, Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts and the Pefti Film Institute will groom you in that direction.Actresses like Belinda Effah attended the Royal Arts Academy.
2.Attend auditions
You cannot become an actor if you don’t showcase your craft. You have to attend auditions and create visibility for your acting talents.No one will discover you if you just sit down at home and expect to be discovered.
For audition updates you can follow @auditions.ng on Instagram
3.Leverage on social media
With social media you can start your acting career without necessarily attending an audition. The likes of Josh2funny Woli Arole, Wofaifada, McLively and others, became famous first on social media before ever getting movie roles. You can start by having your own YouTube channel where you post your monologues and showcase your craft.
- Leverage on networking
Networking is a huge part of becoming an actor–the more people you know, the more acting opportunities you are likely to find. It is important for you to start meeting people in the acting industry as soon and as much as possible. Acting is a people business. You need to know the right people to be able to get into Nolywood, Attend industry events and be willing to meet new people.
- Start small
Small steps are often the beginning of great accomplishments. Yoruba actors, Ijebu and Kunle Afod started in in the industry by being errand boys. You have to be humble enough to serve in Nollywood.
In the words of Ijebu:“I faced different challenges when I first got into the industry. On the other hand, I won’t really call them challenges because one needs to undergo some form of training. When I was in Ibadan, I trained at the Authentic School of Drama owned by actor and filmmaker, Muyiwa Ademola. I trained under him for seven years. He trained me on camera movements, facing the crowd and other things. The training helped me a lot. One of the challenges I faced was having to buy food for people that I knew I was older than just because they got into the industry before me.
“I said on my Instagram Live video recently that anybody coming into the industry has to be patient, focused and prayerful. One could spend 10 years in the industry without succeeding and one may spend only six months and people would like you. You also need to be humble.”