Skills required to become an actor involve communication and dedication. Ultimately a good actor can suspend an audience's disbelief and convince viewers by portraying believable and charismatic character attributes on stage. An actor must learn important basics for muliple venues. For film or video, for example, an actor should learn how storyboards and screenplays are constructed.
Communication
An actor must have commanding communication skills such as articulate speech. A strong vocabulary and an understanding of language are helpful. Ability to interact with others is essential.
Memorization and Focus
Preparation is required for almost all acting opportunities. Most likely the actor will need to read a script for an all-embracing character. Memorizing a script is essential to succeed. In many situations, a presentation must be carried out exactly as the script is written. A confident attitude helps sharpen your focus.
Timing
Timing encompasses several elements such as pace, rhythm and pause. Pace involves the rate at which words flow together while rhythm is more about how the voice accents and emphasizes sounds. Pause is a technique designed to "relax" a script and allow the actor to sound more natural.
Energy
Stage acting requires vocal projection, which means speaking louder with higher energy than normal conversation. Energy level can be raised by mastering breath control and resonance with vocal exercises that require proper posture so that air flows freely from the diaphragm and through the throat.
Physical Ability
Unless the role is for audio only, the actor must become convincing and animated with gestures, facial expressions and other natural affects.
