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Top five career tips for aspiring presenters
12th March 2010
Are you an actor or dancer looking to branch into presenting? Or perhaps you've been watching television and thought I could do better than that? To help you on your way here are our top five tips:
- Be specific about what type of presenter you are - are you entertainment, factual or both? If you have an expertise, capitalise on it. Agents, commissioning editors and heads of development all need to be able to place you immediately, don't make it hard for them.
- When seeking representation, you need a showreel to send to agents. It doesn't need to be professionally shot and edited and should be no longer then three and a half minutes. In terms of content, you should consider a piece to camera about something you're interested in, a piece walking and talking and an interview (which doesn't need to be with anyone famous). Avoid a musical montage at the start, it wastes time and agents may not have the patience to wait until it's over.
- Presenter photos are another important tool of the trade - they can be b&w or colour, a head shot or full length but most importantly they should be a true representation of who you are. In this sense they are different to traditional actor-style photos - presenter photos can even be a holiday snap!
- Research the industry - it's so important to know what companies are producing what and who the commissioning editors and heads of development are. The way to do this is to read trade magazines such as Broadcast and start watching the credits at the end of TV shows. Once you have familiarised yourself with these names then you can target them and send them your details.
- Networking - hugely important, keep your ear to the ground, go to networking events, be seen and get around, meeting someone face to face is what it's all about so maximise those chances by getting out there. If you're going to an event – search on Google Images for the people you are likely to meet there. That way you'll introduce yourself to the right person and avoid time-wasting and embarrassments. Remember who you meet and follow up by sending them your details.
For more details on the benefits of joining Spotlight Presenters Emerging Talent section click here.
