The best professional actors are like chameleons.
They can transform themselves to play any role they need to. They’re experienced in a wide range of work from movies and TV shows to adverts and social media content. They are experts at taking briefs or scripts and bringing them to life.
Today, many actors have also started dominating the digital world. People can now hire actors online to create content featured on social channels like YouTube or Instagram. If you're a business or a brand looking for an actor to make your products or services look good, it's now easier than ever.
Hiring a professional actor can be daunting – you know that there are a lot of capable and trained actors out there, but finding the right actor for your campaign, role & budget was previously a manual and time-consuming task.
Our guide below will help change all of that!
How much does it cost to hire an actor?
The cost to hire an actor varies significantly depending on the type of work they are hired for, their experience, and where you're hiring them from. However, if you want to give yourself a ballpark figure or have a rough idea of what might be involved in your project, this guide from theright.fit might help.
In Australia, depending on the service you require and how experienced an actor is, rates may vary anywhere between $95 to $350 per hour or $700 to $2900 and up per day. The rates can also depend on whether you're hiring them from an agency or on a platform such as theright.fit.
What to look for when hiring acting talent
When you hire an actor, the person needs to be exactly what you need for the role. They need to have the right skill set, looks, and personality traits that reflect your brand or company. If you're looking to create content for traditional media -- such as television, you'll want someone with extensive experience in this area who can act professionally and confidently on camera. If you require an actor to create a web series on YouTube, then it's important that their personality or presence is captivating so that the audience would remain engaged.
As an example, if you're working on training material about business ownership and want the character to be able to speak and move like a real-life entrepreneur, then consider actors who look the part and at the same time, are eloquent speakers. If you're struggling to find the right actor, you may want to consider hiring a voice artist who can do quality voice overs while a bit player can act out or portray the role as cameras roll during your video production.
Each actor is unique and has their own strengths and weaknesses. It's important that they're suitable for your brief. Just because someone registers great on-screen doesn't mean they'll be good at every task you require them for.
How to save money when hiring an actor
The best way to save money when dealing with actors for hire is to understand what your production needs before you hire someone. Do you *really* need actors or would models suffice? If you know exactly what kind of actor you need, it will make the search easier and more efficient.
Also, consider looking for the best actors for your money outside of the traditional channels. Online marketplaces such as theright.fit eliminate the need for middlemen. Since actors, models, and other creative professionals and artists are able to directly sign up on the platform, you'll be paying them for the actual work they do vis-à-vis when they are being managed by an agency or a handler where there are commissions involved.
If you find an actor (or actress) who has the skills you need and is easy to work with, then keep them as a go-to for future projects. It's a good practice to continue working with the same performers whenever possible because it makes the hiring process easier and saves you time in finding someone who can meet your requirements.
In addition, you can save a lot of money on hiring an actor by following these simple tips:
- Make sure they have plenty of positive reviews from other clients who have hired them in the past. Contact their references if you need to.
- Hire someone who is already based in your area so you don't need to pay any expensive travel costs.
- Find ways to save up on the extra stuff like wardrobe, travel, and accommodation.
- If you're tight on budget, check if you can hire actors for free. A neophyte who looks forward to their big break would probably agree to be filmed for fun as long as they can benefit from exposure and career advancement.
6 Practical tips to hire an actor in Australia
There are many considerations when looking for the right actor to play a role in your production. Regardless of whether you go through an agency or use an online marketplace, these practical tips are applicable for any hiring scenario.
Tip #1: Be clear on the kind of project you would want to produce
Is it a TV commercial, a social media campaign, or a YouTube series? From this, you will be able to set a standard and strengthen the list of qualifications you are looking for in an actor. For example, do they need to be able to read from an autocue, or learn a long script? This will help you succinctly write the brief when casting.
Tip #2: Review their acting experience
An actor’s resume says everything about the roles they have played, their professional acting training and qualifications, and gives you a great indication of their prior experience in projects similar to yours. Check their past work and work samples. Have they done short films or stage work? Have they worked with film stars on a huge production or are they only good as entertainers in kids' parties or events?
This will let you know if the actor is capable of going from one character to another, especially if the project requires them to perform multiple scenes or characters to play.
Check out their showreel or any examples of past work they have appeared in. You may want to ask them to come in for a casting call, or have them do a self-tape where they can record themselves performing their lines and send it to you. Seeing and hearing this would give you a glimpse of their acting chops.
Tip #3: Define your budget for the shoot
It helps if both sides agree on certain inclusions and exclusions. Both should have a clear idea about your budget. Discussing compensation and deals is critical, and it is important that usage details and rates are set upfront and agreed to.
Tip #4: Get crystal clear about the role
The more information you can provide potential candidates about the look and skills you’re looking for, the more suitable applicants you will receive. Looking for someone with a specific accent? No tattoos? Particular hair colour, age group, or eye colour? List them all in your brief. The more information you can add, the easier becomes for the entire team producing the video or creative asset.
Tip #5: Maintain open communication
Reach out to your prospective cast members, and see how they respond to the script. A self-tape will generally give you the feeling of whether it will be easy for both of you to work on the project or not. Once a talent has applied for your job, you are expected to communicate with them openly.
You should be able to ask them questions and also discuss your project in detail. You can also share images and mood boards in the chat, so you can decide who is going to be the best fit for your project and see the energy and professionalism they bring to the project, which will set a great actor apart from others!
Tip #6: Read recommendations
When hiring an actor, you can contact people within the industry to see if they can vouch for your chosen talent. Meanwhile, if you prefer to hire actors from platforms like theright.fit, you can easily see their ratings and reviews from past clients. This makes it easy to see which brands have endorsed them. Their ratings give you a quick and easy way to see how they have performed on other campaigns. This makes it simple to see their experience and trust that the actor can deliver during your shoot.
Where to find actors in Australia
Now that you're almost ready to hire an actor, you might want to get more detail on how and where you can find them. Here are some ways to locate the best cast members:
- Look for actors via gig-sharing marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr.
- Look for local talent using generic marketplace listings on Facebook or Gumtree.
- Recruit via local talent agencies.
- Get recommendations from industry friends through word-of-mouth.
- Consider hiring actors from online platforms like theright.fit!
Looking to cast an actor? Click here for the top tips you need to guarantee a successful partnership
Why choose theright.fit to hire actors?
Looking for an actor used to only mean calling various agencies for quotes, reviewing their work, and asking for references or relying on their resume of work. Online platforms like theright.fit have changed all of that.
Simply post a job at the rate that suits your budget and it will automatically match you with suitable actors that match your brief. Unlike an agency, you get to manage your own budget and chat directly with the actors to discuss the role and requirements. This allows you to manage all payments, contracts, and insurance. Plus, you only pay when the job is done. At theright.fit, there are over 5,000 top-tier professional actors, screened and ready to work, ready to pitch on your projects.
Acting is a serious profession, and as such it’s important for actors to find the right platform to showcase their work. While there are a number of online directories where you can hire an actor from, none of them offers the same level or type of service that a dedicated platform does.
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