The decision to join the "acting" crew stems from a place of skillfulness, preparedness, and determination. It is easy to sit down to watch a movie and have a good time watching it because the individuals acting have lived up to expectations. So, if you think you can cause a shift in the entertainment industry with your superb acting skills, you can also get your first movie role. 

Recently, Nigerian Movie, Jagun Jagun trended as #1 in Nigeria and made it to the top 10 movies in several other countries because of the brilliance each actor displayed in the masterpiece. This is the case with several other movies that have been produced in Nigeria. The main gist is that Nigeria is a good place to commence your acting career if you are looking to grow and thrive. You have been looking for an opportunity to at least land a movie role and it hasn't happened? Maybe you should try our tips? Read on! 

Land your first movie role

Process is important to every journey and this is also applicable to "acting". So, while it looks like the destination is far ahead, it is doable. However, you may need to try out the following: 

Talk about who you are

While you may know who you are and what you are capable of doing, other people may not be familiar with your game. So, instead of keeping your creativity to yourself, talk to people about it, randomly tweet about it - " Hei! I'm such a good actor." You could chip it in a conversation or willingly just indulge anyone who cares to listen. You could pull out your phone and show them a couple of videos where you freestyled imaginary scenes and all. Remember what they say about closed mouths? They don't get fed. So, if you really want to land your first movie role, you must communicate your "skills" to people. 

Create content that showcases your skills

There are several content creators on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok displaying every side of their creativity and entertaining people. A content creator may choose to always make videos that show them transiting with different dresses because that's what they do "make dresses". Also, skitmakers and comedians have a cut in the creatives' world and just like them,  if you begin to create content by acting in different scenes that have been fictionally scripted, you never can tell who is watching you and may consider you for a role. Share your content on your Instagram stories, and invite people to like, share, and comment too. 

Join relevant networks

There are also newbies looking to land their first movie role. Being in the company of these people opens you up to opportunities, encourages you, and helps you to learn more than you could ever think of. Also, whenever you need people to assess or evaluate your skill during an acting session, they would be in a better position to tell you what you did right and what you need to improve on. The essence of joining a relevant network is to gather enough strength to be fully committed to the field. 

Invest in acting courses

Regardless of how good you may think you may be, upskilling is never a bad idea. Several online course providers such as Udemy, Alison, Google, and Coursera make sure that courses are available for people who want to add to their skills. Some of these courses are free and for others, you have to pay for them. If you are the type that does not do well with long-duration courses, check for the ones that don't require so much time to get done with and add something new to your already impressive skills. Some of these courses include: 

• Film Acting Course - Udemy

• The captivating actor - Udemy 

• Acting for film, television, and theatre - Udemy 

• Script Writing - Coursera 

• Discover Acting - Coursera 

Create a portfolio

You may find it difficult to create a portfolio because you have not bagged a major movie role. However, those times when you just created content for acting sake can work. Gather every one of your content, pick the best ones, and use them to build your portfolio. This helps you to present something when anyone needs to see it. The idea of having a portfolio is to convince anyone that you have worked on certain projects with some people or even on your own and that you really have all the skills you talked about.  

Scout for auditions and attend

Attending auditions is important for any potential actor looking to land a movie role. Check for available film casting calls and apply. However, before you apply for an audition, make sure that you know what the role is about and see if it is something you can pull off. Also, if you are curious about where to get information about auditions, then you may need to be everywhere on social media - Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and even WhatsApp (because anyone may be sharing information relevant to their status). 

Work with an agent 

For creatives looking to get their first movie role, working with a talent agent may be the best. While you may really need them, you must be sure of whoever you are looking to work with. If you are having doubts, talk to anyone within your network if they can help you out. Also, before meeting with the agent, be sure to have prepared your pitch in such a way that it would convince them and they would have no issues rooting for you.  Agents can also help you find auditions because they always have most of the information first-hand. 

Volunteer

If you are aware of any movie that is happening, you can freely offer to be part of the cast. This usually happens with people making low to no-budget movies and need some particular roles to be filled. When you volunteer, the benefit includes being able to incorporate that project into your portfolio, meeting new people who can be of help in your journey, doing even better with your skills, and most importantly providing you with job prospects. 

Getting your first movie role is achievable, you only have to do a little bit more work. As always, we are rooting for you! Go get it! 

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