by For actors moving to Canada for immigration purposes, things can prove a bit complex for you if you’ve not got your bearing right! And to some, going far from their country into a foreign land is the only criteria and the right career path needed to earn a huge name for themselves.
Of course, so many friends and folks were successful immediately after they flew to Canada, but, that doesn’t mean that’s all they did as actors moving to Canada, especially when they didn’t respond to a job offer.
I must tell you, most times, throughout the early stage of stay in a foreign land such as Canada, it’s a whole lot of stress trying to settle in a nice location, getting to know about the culture and beliefs of their residential town, getting in touch with those who render basic services around your vicinity as it relates to your skills as an actor moving to Canada, and so many other factors.
For someone who wishes to learn how to become an actor as an immigrant of Canada, this doesn’t sound as a bad idea in any way, but you have to understand that this isn’t really as easy as ‘ABC’ just as some may tell you.
For actors moving to Canada, especially for those that were never invited over by any Canadian-based movie producing agency… Yes, you could afford your flight tickets into Canada and all that, but since no one called you over to come, you will have to go through some difficulties in fighting your way into the industry.
Don’t mistake my phrase ‘fighting your way’ for a physical battle against anyone on your way up, all we’re trying to say is that there are several things, some of which will be explained in full detail in this guide, which could be very tasking but still are necessary steps to take for gaining a big name for yourself in the Canadian movie industry.
Actors Moving to Canada: How to Become an Actor as a Canadian Immigrant
Canada’s film and TV productions account for up to $5 billion in the country’s economy, recruiting more than 117,000 people on a full-time basis, there’s really a lot to gain for actors moving to Canada.
The following are needed steps to take when learning how to become an actor as a Canadian immigrant:
- Don’t move yet
- Fix yourself in a strategic location
- Don’t be shy about your intentions
- Study biographies and success stories of models
- Practice some things at home
- Get a job at related firms
- Enroll in acting schools
- Discover your niche and focus on it
- Create a demo reel
- Build your resume
- Apply for acting opportunities and be resilient
These are further broken down thus:
#1: Don’t move yet
For actors moving to Canada, some times the best option for you to leverage on first is not move yet!
To be factual, Canada is a very competitive country and it’s nearly impossible to thrive without a good background in acting. It will go a long way if you can start your career in a much smaller city, may be where you are now and gain more experience before moving to Canada.
#2: Fix yourself in a strategic location
When you finally arrive in Canada it’s important to take note of cities where you can find things like acting schools, local drama scenes, and other movie acting related practices, and pick your residence there so as not to be so far from the flow.
#3: Don’t Be Shy About Your Intentions.
From the old adage: ‘One Tree Cannot Make A Forest’ describes the reason why we’ll emphasize on this point.
You have to first get in touch with people and let them know about your intentions, you can’t tell who will offer you a helping hand. Even if you’re the shy type, you’ll have to see ways to amend that because you’ll really need to be social here.
#4: Study biographies and success stories of models
There’s nothing bad with following the trails of those you can call models. Since it’s a path you’ve never towed, it’s going to help you avoid mistakes and take you faster to your destination.
You can make research about them or ask questions about them to learn more about other actors moving to Canada.
#5: Practice some things at home
If you must earn a place in any Canadian movie industry, you must be able to show high levels of creativity. But being a novice, you’ll have to take some personal practice classes at home; This could involve you doing some things other actors did in a movie.
This way, you’ll start building your composure on camera.
#6: Get a job at related firms
For actors moving to Canada, it’s one thing to want to act, but there’s something else called familiarity.
Of course, you’ll need a job in Canada to cater for your basic needs, pay bills, and all of that, but please be advised, try as much as possible to secure a job in a Canadian-based movie-related company; Either as a clerical officer, cleaner, or secretary, you’ll get to increase your familiarity with acting terminologies and other things.
You may even get lucky to get an acting opportunity from there.
#7: Enroll in acting schools
In the Job market, two things are involved:
- Skill
- Educational qualification
Of course, you don’t have to blame auditions for preferring those with educational qualifications over others, thus, this should be a major reason why you should enroll in any acting school within Canada that’ll be convenient for you.
#8: Discover your niche and focus on it
When learning how to become an actor as a Canadian immigrant, identifying the kind of roles you play best is key to being great in your movie career
You definitely cannot play every single role in the movie industry, so try to remain focused on the one(s) you can play best and be unique for that.
#9: Create a demo reel
Once you’ve discovered where you stand out, it’s helpful for you to publish yourself so the world can see your work. This you can do by taking short videos of yourself either mimicking celebrity actors or doing a creative performance.
#10: Build your resume
As you crave to be the top in your acting career, it’s important to start coupling a comprehensive resume for yourself so that you will be ready to apply for acting jobs whenever needed.
Let your resume include your acting and non-acting experience, like writing and directing as it will make you stand out before your recruiter.
#11: Apply for acting opportunities and be resilient
It’s high time you start trying your luck on acting opportunities.
Look up available opportunities and try your hands on them, but remember, It’s helpful to note that nothing good comes easy and for actors moving to Canada typically, you are likely to go through several rejections before receiving a job offer.
