Actors, producers, and directors work under constant pressure. Many face stress from the continual need to find their next job. To succeed, actors, producers, and directors need patience and commitment to their craft. Actors strive to deliver flawless performances, often while working under undesirable and unpleasant conditions. Producers and directors organize rehearsals and meet with writers, designers, financial backers, and production technicians. They experience stress not only from these activities, but also from the need to adhere to budgets, union work rules, and production schedules.
Acting assignments typically are short term—ranging from 1 day to a few months—which means that actors frequently experience long periods of unemployment between jobs. The uncertain nature of the work results in unpredictable earnings and intense competition for even the lowest-paid jobs. Often, actors, producers, and directors must hold other jobs in order to sustain a living.
When performing, actors typically work long, irregular hours. For example, stage actors may perform one show at night while rehearsing another during the day. They also might travel with a show when it tours the country. Movie actors may work on location, sometimes under adverse weather conditions, and may spend considerable time in their trailers or dressing rooms waiting to perform their scenes. Actors who perform in a television series often appear on camera with little preparation time, because scripts tend to be revised frequently or even written moments before taping. Those who appear live or before a studio audience must be able to handle impromptu situations and calmly ad lib, or substitute, lines when necessary.
Evening and weekend work is a regular part of a stage actor's life. On weekends, more than one performance may be held per day. Actors and directors working on movies or television programs—especially those who shoot on location—may work in the early morning or late evening hours to film night scenes or tape scenes inside public facilities outside of normal business hours.
Actors should be in good physical condition and have the necessary stamina and coordination to move about theater stages and large movie and television studio lots. They also need to maneuver about complex technical sets while staying in character and projecting their voices audibly. Actors must be fit to endure heat from stage or studio lights and the weight of heavy costumes. Producers and directors ensure the safety of actors by conducting extra rehearsals on the set so that the actors can learn the layout of set pieces and props, by allowing time for warmups and stretching exercises to guard against physical and vocal injuries, and by providing an adequate number of breaks to prevent heat exhaustion and dehydration.
| How often do you have to perform public speaking in this job? |
|
|
| How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? |
|
| | | | | | | | Once a week or more but not every day
(34.2800%) | |
|
| How often do you use electronic mail in this job? |
|
| | | | | | | | Once a week or more but not every day
(46.3100%) | |
|
| How often does the job require written letters and memos? |
|
| | | | | | | Once a month or more but not every week
(25.7600%) | | |
|
| How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? |
|
|
| How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? |
|
| | | | | | | | | Constant contact with others
(74.9300%) |
|
| How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? |
|
| | | | | | | | | Extremely important
(88.5100%) |
|
| How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job? |
|
| | | | | | | | | Extremely important
(56.9300%) |
|
| How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job? |
|
| | | | | | Fairly important
(40.3600%) | | | |
|
| How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? |
|
| | | | | No responsibility
(41.8100%) | | | | |
|
| How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers? |
|
| | | | | No responsibility
(31.8700%) | | | | |
|
| How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job? |
|
| | | | | | Once a year or more but not every month
(34.1100%) | | | |
|
| How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements? |
|
|
| How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals? |
|
|
| How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? |
|
|
| How often does this job require working indoors in non-controlled environmental conditions (e.g., warehouse without heat)? |
|
|
| How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions? |
|
|
| How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (e.g., structure with roof but no walls)? |
|
|
| How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or equipment (e.g., tractor)? |
|
|
| How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)? |
|
|
| To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people? |
|
| | | | | | | | | Very close (near touching)
(72.3600%) |
|
| How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable? |
|
|
| How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures? |
|
|
| How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions? |
|
|
| How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)? |
|
|
| How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions? |
|
|
| How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (e.g., operate a jackhammer)? |
|
|
| How often does this job require exposure to radiation? |
|
|
| How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections? |
|
|
| How often does this job require exposure to high places? |
|
|
| How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions? |
|
|
| How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment? |
|
|
| How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings? |
|
|
| How much does this job require sitting? |
|
| | | | | | Less than half the time
(69.3000%) | | | |
|
| How much does this job require standing? |
|
| | | | | | | | More than half the time
(45.1200%) | |
|
| How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, or poles? |
|
|
| How much does this job require walking and running? |
|
| | | | | | Less than half the time
(66.5300%) | | | |
|
| How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling? |
|
| | | | | | Less than half the time
(54.9400%) | | | |
|
| How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance? |
|
|
| How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls? |
|
| | | | | | Less than half the time
(44.2600%) | | | |
|
| How much does this job require bending or twisting your body? |
|
| | | | | | Less than half the time
(53.6500%) | | | |
|
| How much does this job require making repetitive motions? |
|
|
| How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? |
|
|
| How much does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection? |
|
|
| How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable? |
|
| | | | | Not serious at all
(56.4900%) | | | | |
|
| How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company? |
|
| | | | | | | | Important results
(49.4800%) | |
|
| How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? |
|
|
| How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? |
|
|
| How automated is the job? |
|
| | | | | Not at all automated
(92.1400%) | | | | |
|
| How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? |
|
| | | | | | | | | Extremely important
(36.7700%) |
|
| How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job? |
|
| | | | | Not important at all
(65.8300%) | | | | |
|
| To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? |
|
| | | | | | | Limited freedom
(32.6100%) | | |
|
| To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures? |
|
| | | | | | | | | Extremely competitive
(59.0300%) |
|
| How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? |
|
|
| How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.) |
|
| | | | | Not important at all
(86.8800%) | | | | |
|
| How regular are the work schedules for this job? |
|
| | | | Irregular (changes with weather conditions, production demands, or contract duration)
(70.9800%) | |
|
| Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
|
| | | Less than 40 hours
(60.9600%) | | |
|
4.81
4.77
4.68
4.66
4.63
4.55
4.52
4.50
4.47
4.26
4.18
4.16
4.08
3.90
3.81
3.37
4.75
4.56
4.37
4.25
4.12
4.00
3.87
3.75
3.70
3.62
3.37
3.25
3.15
3.12
3.06
2.75
2.62
2.50
2.25
2.08
1.87
1.37