So You Want To Be...? career guides – serie

The opportunities for presenters have never been greater. But, although it's seen as a glamorous job and a step to celebrity, being a TV presenter is also hard work, and demands a varied range of journalistic, technical, performance and personal skills.With a background in TV directing, working with professional presenters and training new ones for the TV industry, Kathryn Wolfe takes you through the techniques and skills required to become a successful presenter, including:How to read from a prompt and use in-ear monitoringHow to talk to camera and talk to timeHow to cope with live, recorded, studio and location shootsHow to present from homeHow to present for specialist channels (children's, shopping, weather)How to create a successful CV and convincing showreelHands-on exercises and checklists will guide you through improving your posture, overcoming nerves, developing correct breathing and good diction, being natural, evaluating your performance, and much more. The book is also packed with accessible advice and top tips from dozens of experienced and new presenters currently working on TV. It tells you what happens in auditions, and, above all, how to go about getting a job as a presenter.This revised and updated edition includes new material on self-tapes, presenting from home, and other recent changes to the industry.'Essential and entertaining, this is a superb one-stop shop for anyone aiming at an on-camera career. Invaluable insider insights from a top telly-box talent' Paul Ross (The Big Breakfast, Channel 4; Jeopardy!, Sky One; This Morning, ITV)'Kathryn is the consummate teacher in TV presenting. Skilled at helping people find their own style, while combining with traditional tips and tricks used by more established presenters' Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije (Jeremy Vine, Channel 5; 5 News)'This splendid book covers every aspect of the job. I look forward to seeing you on my telly!' Chris Tarrant (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, ITV)'Accessible, engaging and easily read… a great companion guide on your journey' Natasha Huq (Grand Designs: The Streets, Channel 4)

An essential handbook for anyone who wants to act on television and film – by a leading teacher of screen acting.For any aspiring screen actor, the challenge is to combine all the components of your craft with an ability to handle the technical demands of acting for the camera within the often bewildering environment of a film set.Michael Bray takes you step by step through all the challenges you'll face, demystifying the processes you'll encounter, and helping you develop the necessary skills, including:How to approach the script and prepare your characterHow to maintain your concentration and learn to relax on setHow to deliver your lines and improve your vocal rangeHow to master continuity, eye lines, and hitting your marksHow to tackle auditions to ensure your best chance of getting the jobFull of invaluable advice, extracts from screenplays, numerous illustrations and practical exercises – which can be undertaken on your own, using the camera on your phone – this book is an accessible and authoritative guide to developing a successful career as a screen actor.

A unique guide to every aspect of putting on your own solo show: choosing the subject, raising the finance, booking the venue - and performing it!More and more actors – faced with ever longer periods of unemployment – are turning to the solo show as a way of keeping active, keeping visible, and keeping the wolf from the door! This book is essential reading for anyone contemplating such a move, and comprehensively covers every aspect of putting on your own one-person show.Being a veteran of the solo-show circuit, as a writer, performer and director, Gareth Armstrong is the ideal guide. He takes you step by step through each stage of the process:• Choosing the right material – or devising your own• Raising the finance• Finding the venues• Hiring a bookings manager and other personnel• Arranging publicity• Winning an audienceThere is a special section on that mecca for solo shows, the Edinburgh Fringe, and an extensive appendix covering funding bodies, venues, festivals and more. Throughout the book, Armstrong illustrates his points with case studies of actual solo shows by performers such as Miriam Margolyes, Linda Marlowe and Guy Masterson.'So You Want To Do A Solo Show? is a thorough, meticulous, hands-on, "how-to-do" manual, covering everything from the germination of an idea right through to the costing of the flyers. It is, I think, the most valuable read for any performer who has ever thought "If only I could have some control over the way my career is going"' Maureen Lipman, from her Foreword

An insider's guide to achieving that dream career – by one of the brightest stars in musical theatre.Being in a West End or Broadway musical is the dream of thousands of talented performers. But competition is intense and reaching the spotlight can often require a leap into the dark. So You Want To Be In Musicals? by Ruthie Henshall is your comprehensive guide to building – and sustaining – a successful career in musical theatre, and introduces you to everything you need to know about:Training – how to select a drama school, what to do to get in, and what to do once you’re thereAuditioning – how to choose and prepare your pieces, and foster a positive attitude towards auditionsRehearsing – how to construct your character, work with the director, and develop your own creative processPerforming – how to deal with nerves, what to do as an understudy, and how to sustain that eight-show-a-week routineWorking – how to get an agent, how to market yourself effectively, and how to maintain a healthy body and mindAlong with a wealth of honest, straightforward advice, the book is packed with instructive anecdotes from Ruthie's own glittering career.

An essential guide for young people who want to work in the theatre - but aren't sure exactly what they want to do, or how to get to do it.Many young people are eager to experience the excitement and allure of working in theatre, but often this only goes as far as imagining themselves as actors, on stage in front of an audience every night. In reality, there are more jobs off the stage than on it. They can be every bit as rewarding as acting - and certainly more secure because there are invariably fewer people competing for each one.Using her expertise as Education and Training Editor for The Stage, Susan Elkin encourages aspiring theatre-makers and workers to look beyond acting to some of the other behind-the-scenes options available: playwriting, directing, producing, designing, stage management, administration, publicity, front-of-house, stage door... *She describes what each job entails and how you might achieve that role, including relevant courses and training opportunities offered in the UK. There are also numerous case studies of theatre professionals describing how they got where they are, and top tips for following in their footsteps.Written in a clear, no-nonsense style, this book is an ideal starting point for students considering a career in theatre, but also a useful tool for parents, teachers and career-advisers looking to learn more about the options open to interested young people.* And, for those of you who really must, the book does cover how to get into acting too.

A practical guide for actors who want to find work in the corporate sector, by a veteran with over 1400 corporate events to his credit.Thousands of actors in the UK make their living not from treading the boards but in the conference centres and training rooms of the nation’s corporate sector.In this, the first book to be published about the increasingly accessible and lucrative business of corporate acting, Paul Clayton shows how this sort of work – training, coaching, role-plays, Forum Theatre and live events – can keep you in paid employment, and your skills sharp, whilst you look for other acting opportunities. He takes you through every aspect of the industry, with a series of practical examples and invaluable tips at every stage, including:What sort of work is available – and how you can get itThe various role-play techniques you’ll encounterThe dos and don’ts for offering constructive feedback to your clientsWhat Forum Theatre is – and how to do itHow to handle live events – and escape with your dignity intactWritten with humour and great insight, So You Want To Be A Corporate Actor? encourages you to look at your skills from a business point of view, enabling you to take control over your own career. It is a must-read for any actor wishing to broaden their skills and make themselves more employable at all stages of their career. ‘For actors wishing to utilise their theatrical skills within the corporate world, this book should be their bible. It is crystal clear, informative and irreverent – and lays out in simple terms how actors need to think and present themselves to be employable.’ Janet Rawson, Co-founder of Steps Drama Learning Development

A practical guide to writing radio drama and getting it produced, by a leading radio dramatist and a hugely experienced radio drama producer who have both created award-winning dramas for the BBC.For writers, radio drama offers a remarkable degree of creative freedom, a unique relationship with an audience listening at home or on the move, and a wealth of opportunities to earn a living. But writing for radio is also a very particular craft, with its own distinctive conventions, techniques and pitfalls. And you need to know how the industry works to stand the best chance of getting your play commissioned.This book, written from the dual perspective of a writer and a radio drama producer, tells you all you need to know about:What works well on radio, and what doesn'tHow to hook listeners from the start, and how to keep them listeningHow to format your scriptHow to research and contact the right producer for your playWhat to expect after you've received a commissionWhat happens when you're in the recording studioFull of practical advice, tips and invaluable inside information about the industry, it also includes extracts from many outstanding radio dramas and a series of writing exercises to help put ideas into practice.So You Want To Write Radio Drama? is an essential guide for anybody who wants to write a radio play, whether you're a first-time writer or one currently working in a different medium. It will also be of help to those already involved in making radio drama, or who simply want an insight into how it is written and made.

The definitive guide to designing for theatre – by an award-winning designer with over 160 productions to his name. With a Foreword by Alison Chitty.A theatre designer needs to be able to draw on a wide spectrum of skills, work collaboratively with all the different members of the production team, and deliver designs that work in the testing conditions of performance.This book guides you through everything you need in order to become – and ultimately to succeed as – a theatre designer, including:The various aspects of design – set and props, costume, masks, make-upThe applications of design – opera, dance, site-specific, lighting, video and moreThe skills you require, and the training availableThe journey of a design from page to stage, from your first reading of the script, through research, first sketches, storyboards, technical and costume drawings, and on to the modelThe people you will collaborate with – directors, producers, actors, writers and more – and how to work effectively with each of themFinally, there are sections on landing your first production and furthering your career. Also included is a production timeline to guide you through the mechanics of contracts, copyright, costings, and what you need to have ready at each stage of the process. It is illustrated throughout with designs, by the author and other leading designers.Written by an experienced practitioner and teacher, this book will be an essential guide for any aspiring or emerging theatre designer, as well as anyone seeking a greater understanding of how designers work.'A comprehensive introduction and guide to the world of the professional theatre designer, a key book for anyone contemplating entering the profession' Alison Chitty, from her Foreword

A comprehensive guide to every aspect of producing a show, from raising the money to creating a hit - now revised and updated.This unique guide – the first ‘how-to’ book of its kind on the subject – offers comprehensive, clear advice to anyone producing or selling a show, whatever the venue or scale. Packed full of insights and tricks of the trade, it will give you the inspiration and confidence you need – whether you are taking your first steps in the profession or simply want to know what it takes to get a show on the stage.Drawing on his own experience as a producer of theatre productions at every level – from university, via the fringe, to the West End – James Seabright takes you through each stage of the process:- Having an idea for a show or getting the rights to an existing one- Planning your budget and raising the money- Booking your venue or a tour- Marketing and selling the show effectively- Getting the production designed, rehearsed and onto the stageFrom the fundamental (dealing with contracts) to the frivolous (how to organise your first-night party), every aspect is explained with the help of illuminating examples. There is also a wide-ranging appendix and a companion website with downloadable contract templates, marketing packs and budget spreadsheets.‘Essential reading for anyone contemplating a life in the theatre fast lane.’ Thelma Holt ‘A perfect handbook for beginners and a useful aide-memoire for those of us who’ve been at it for years.’ Nicholas Allott, Managing Director, Cameron Mackintosh Ltd'At last, hundreds of students on arts management and administration courses have a comprehensive reference book. It proves a unique guide for anyone taking their first steps into the world of productions' Anthony Field, The Stage 'Yes! A good book on producing theatre, written by a successful theatre producer!...valuable insights on everything from the creative issues of coming up with the ideas and casting a show, through to tackling touring costs, insurance, marketing, PR and so forth...valuable information for anyone putting on a production of any scale in any setting.' Total Theatre

How to write a play and get it produced - a manual for playwrights.Playwright and former literary manager Tim Fountain guides the budding playwright over the many hurdles involved in getting a play on - from finding a story that only you know, through the detailed construction of the play, and on to the strategies you can use to get it on stage.• What kind of play do you want to write?• Where do you get your ideas from?• How much exposition do you need?• Where do you find your characters' voices?• What should you do when you get stuck?• Where should you send your play?The book also deals with the actual production: choosing directors, designers and actors, and coping with rehearsals, previews and press nights.Includes appendixes of vital websites, and contact details for new-writing theatres, agents and publishers.'A marvellous and invaluable guide... full of wisdom and no-nonsense practical advice on the tricky but thrilling business of making plays' Willy Russell

A hands-on, step-by-step guide to directing plays – by one of Britain's leading theatre directors.Stephen Unwin has worked with hundreds of different actors in a multiplicity of different venues. He is the ideal author of a 'how to' guide to directing.As Unwin himself says: 'Directing plays is difficult. The aim of this book is to lay out what skills are needed, and to give some sense of how you might develop them. The emphasis is on the professional theatre, but the book is useful for directors in other contexts - amateur dramatics, university drama, school plays and so on. Directing is directing, wherever you do it.'Starting at the very beginning, Unwin takes us step by step through: * Choosing the play * Casting * Design * Rehearsal - Establishing Facts, Improvisation, Language, Character, Blocking, Using Specialists and so on * Running the Play * Putting it on the Stage* Opening Night