If you have a classic look, you may be a fine commercial actress.
If you are interested in the television commercial business, you need to determine which aspect of the field you want to pursue. If you enjoy being in front of people and have an upbeat nature, being on camera may be the ideal career for you. Being behind the camera is another option. Whatever you want to go into may require you to begin at an entry level. Training and education may help you understand what to expect from a shoot day, although most of your knowledge will come from hands-on experience.
Instructions
1. Choose acting if being on screen sounds ideal to you. Commercial actors typically have unique personalities and wide smiles. Wages for commercial actors vary and are set by the Screen Actors Guild. One downside of being a commercial actor is you have to audition often. Becoming a commercial actor may require training in commercial acting workshops. Remember that commercial acting is different from stage acting. It is much more subdued with less movement in the face. Beginning a career as a commercial actor may take entry-level work as an extra or background character, perhaps in a group.
2. Become a commercial director. Your job mainly entails communicating with the actors to get their best performances. Directing commercials is a lucrative career for some. According to Salary List article "Commercial Director Salary," the average salary for a commercial director was $111,511 in 2009. Although you can go to film school, a degree does not guarantee you a job. Becoming a commercial director may take many years of working entry-level positions. You may start off as a production assistant and work your way up to assistant director before finding a position as a director. Also, having a full-time, salaried position as a commercial director may be hard to achieve. You may have to freelance to get your career started.
3. Go into a career as a commercial producer if you have a knack for working with money. Your job entails securing investors for the commercial. You need to ensure that film shoots run on time and do not go over the budget. Becoming a producer typically happens by working your way up from an entry-level position. You start as a production assistant or manning the catering table. If you appeal to the right people, they may help you become an associate producer. The next step is to find a production company that lets you produce a commercial. Getting the position may take a combination of luck and people skills.
4. Write commercials if you are good with using humor and concepts to market products. Commercial writers typically start out writing commercial scripts that do not have a guaranteed outlet on television, otherwise known as "specs." The average salary for a commercial writer was $54,000 in 2010, according to Simply Hired article "Commercial Writer Salaries". Although no entry-level job necessarily prepares you to be a commercial writer, taking production assistant positions on commercial shoots may help. You can get connections and learn what a commercial shoot requires of the cast and crew.
