It is great to have big dreams as you start looking into careers in the entertainment industry around Hong Kong, but you also have to be willing to work hard to achieve those dreams as well. Success does not come overnight in the entertainment industry. Working as an actor or model in Hong Kong will be challenging but just like all challenges it has its rewards as well.
Starting out in the entertainment industry, you need to make sure you learn the skills and hone your natural talent. Take advantage of all the resources that are at your fingertips in Hong Kong. There are a lot of opportunities and work to be found for a beginning actor or model; good looks alone will not help get a foothold in the industry here in Hong Kong. You will find that the skills you learn will see you further than anything else you could have imagined.
The biggest thing to remember as you get started in the industry is to not lose focus on your goals and dreams as a model or actor, the path to success can be very lonely and sometimes there will be many late nights. Sometimes you will find it completely necessary to be away from family and even turn down requests from friends to go out. Do not be discouraged, sometimes to keep our focus we have to prioritize our lives a bit, so we can achieve the goals we have set out for ourselves. The task may seem hard, but the rewards will always make it worthwhile.
A great place to start in Hong Kong is by finding a good talent agent or manager to start working with, they act as mediators between the local directors and casting directors for you. They ultimately work for you. They also are the first to know about what productions are looking to cast for roles and who is looking for models in the Hong Kong area. This should be the simplest part of things for you and as you look for an agent they should be someone that is going to have your career goals in mind.
In Hong Kong you need to understand that when looking at the different agencies in the area, that casting directors and production managers will only work with agencies that have already established their reputation in the entertainment industry and they will avoid agencies that are literally popping up overnight. With this being said, you should also avoid agencies that have the looks of a pop up agency as well. You are looking out for your future here and it is important to have an agency that will match your energy and align with your goals as you start a career in the entertainment industry.
Agencies use large databases for keeping track of their roster of talent they are working with while also showcasing those that are available for work in Hong Kong. This ultimately makes it easier for their clients and bigger production companies to come in and see their full roster and who is there ready to work. When casting directors go into the database they can see things about actors and models that will include their resumes, headshots, reels or any professional photos that the agency has made available for that actor or model.
The client is looking for images that display the talent's commercial appeal in high resolution images or reels. Reels in this industry are usually video compilations of the actor or models best work that they have done since the start of their career in Hong Kong or any other cities they have worked in.
When clients look at the database that most agencies keep they are not just looking at your photos and reels, but they are also looking at if you have the skills that are needed for the character they are casting for and if you already know what is expected of you on set. If you don’t know how to place yourself in front of a camera in Hong Kong it will be hard for casting directors to cast you for the projects they are working on. Having confidence in your skills is really important as you start out as an actor or model.
