Actors, Producers and Directors
Description OES Code: 34056
Actors, producers, and directors express ideas and create images in theater, film, radio, television, and other performing arts media. They interpret a writer's script to entertain, inform, or instruct an audience. Producers are entrepreneurs, overseeing the business and financial decisions of a production. Directors are responsible for the creative decisions of a production. They interpret scripts, express concepts to set and costume designers, audition and select cast members, conduct rehearsals, and direct the work of cast and crew.

Wages, California
Mean Hourly Wage- Actors $57,907
Mean hourly Wage- Producers/Directors $63,773

Wages by California County
• OES Survey
• CCOIS Survey

Hours & Benefits
Acting assignments typically are short term--ranging from 1 day to a few months. When performing, actors typically work long, irregular hours. For example, stage actors may perform one show at night while rehearsing another during the day. They also might travel with a show when it tours the country. Movie actors may work on location, sometimes under adverse weather conditions, and may spend considerable time in their trailers or dressing rooms waiting to perform their scenes. Actors who perform in television often appear on camera with little preparation time because scripts tend to be revised frequently or written moments before taping.

Evening and weekend work is a regular part of a stage actor's life. On weekends, more than one performance may be held per day. Actors and directors working on movies or television programs, especially those who shoot on location, may work in the early morning or late evening hours to do nighttime filming or to tape scenes inside public facilities outside of normal business hours.

Employment Trends, California
Employment 1998 41,000
Projected Employment 2008 55,200
Percent Change 1998-2008 34.9%
Separations 1998-2008 10,800

Employment Trends by California County

Working Conditions
Actors should be in good physical condition and have the necessary stamina and coordination to move about theater stages and large movie and television studio lots. They also need to maneuver about complex technical sets while staying in character and projecting their voices audibly. Actors must be fit to endure heat from stage or studio lights and the weight of heavy costumes. Producers and directors should anticipate such hazards and ensure the safety of actors by conducting extra rehearsals on the set so that actors can learn the layout of set pieces and props, allowing time for warmups and stretching exercises to guard against physical and vocal injuries, and providing adequate breaks to prevent heat exhaustion and dehydration.

Advancement
As the reputations and box-office draw of actors, producers, and directors grow, they might work on bigger budget productions, on network or syndicated broadcasts, or in more prestigious theaters. Actors may advance to lead roles and receive star billing. A few actors move into acting-related jobs, such as drama coaches or directors of stage, television, radio, or motion picture productions. Some teach drama privately or in colleges and universities.

For a list of current job listing, browse CalJOBS or America's Job Bank.

Education and Training
Formal dramatic training, either through an acting conservatory or a university program, generally is necessary; however, some people successfully enter the field without it. Most people studying for a bachelor's degree take courses in radio and television broadcasting, communications, film, theater, drama, or dramatic literature. Many continue their academic training and receive a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree. Advanced curriculums may include courses in stage speech and movement, directing, playwriting, and design, as well as intensive acting workshops.

Actors at all experience levels may pursue workshop training through acting conservatories or by being mentored by a drama coach. Actors also research roles so that they can grasp concepts quickly during rehearsals and understand the story's setting and background. Sometimes actors learn a foreign language or train with a dialect coach to develop an accent to make their characters more realistic.

There are no specific training requirements for producers. They come from many different backgrounds. Talent, experience, and business acumen are very important determinants of success for producers. Actors, writers, film editors, and business managers commonly enter the field. Also, many people who start out as actors move into directing, while some directors might try their hand at acting. Producers often start in a theatrical management office, working for a press agent, managing director, or business manager. Some start in a performing arts union or service organization. Others work behind the scenes with successful directors, serve on boards of directors, or promote their own projects. No formal training exists for producers; however, a growing number of colleges and universities now offer degree programs in arts management and managing nonprofits.

Skills & Other Requirements
Employers generally look for people with the creative instincts, innate talent, and intellectual capacity to perform. Actors should possess a passion for performing and enjoy entertaining others. Actors need talent, creative ability, and training that will enable them to portray different characters. Because competition for parts is fierce, versatility and a wide range of related performance skills, such as singing, dancing, skating, juggling, and miming are especially useful in lifting actors above the average and getting them noticed by producers and directors. Actors must have poise, stage presence, the capability to affect an audience, and the ability to follow direction. Modeling experience also may be helpful. Physical appearance often is a deciding factor in being selected for particular roles.

References
US Bureau Of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook

Related Occupations: Announcers, Dancers & Choreografers

Training: California Training and Education Providers (CTEP)