Simon Pollard shares his top tips for young actors hoping to build a career in film
Simon Pollard – a longstanding associate of Sparks Film School – works as a director and acting coach to professional actors. He has extensive experience of helping young actors to build their acting toolkits and deliver exceptional performances on both stage and screen.
One of his latest projects, Blitz (2024, dir. Steve McQueen), stars Elliott Heffernan (10) as George, a young boy evacuated during World War 2, who seeks to find his way back home to his mother. Simon supported Elliott for this role.
We sat down with Simon for a Q&A about his time working on Blitz and his advice and top insider tips for young actors working – or seeking to break into – film roles.
Simon, firstly, tell us what an acting coach does?
As an acting coach for film roles, it’s my responsibility to work with an actor to ensure that they are fully prepared in the lead up to the shoot. Then to be on set every day to help with warm ups and to help prepare for what’s necessary for the day ahead.
On any film, it can be helpful to have a coach to spend time with an actor, or a group of actors, to focus on their preparation, rehearsal and performance, so that they are ready when they come to set.
It’s a very bespoke role, because every actor is different and needs something different, in particular working with young actors. Some of them may have never been on a film set before. Some of them may never have even acted at all before. Elliott, who played George in Blitz, had only done one school play before, so he had no professional acting experience and certainly no experience of acting on film.
It was my responsibility to prepare him for what that film shoot was going to be and so we spent about six weeks leading up to the shoot where we would read the script, we would talk through the lines, we would rehearse with Steve [McQueen – the director], but then we would carry on rehearsing ourselves as well.
In terms of tips for young actors, I always want to get to a place – I think this is really important for any actor – where you’re not worrying about remembering lines. It shouldn’t be a memory test when you’re on set. You want to get to a point where the script is part of you. So, a lot of the work I was doing with Elliott was about really understanding who George is, and also, a lot of understanding the historical context.
We went on a trip together to the Imperial War Museum. We did a lot of research around the period, what it would have been like to have been a child in the 1940s in London, how life would have been different in the 1940s to how it is now.
We also did a lot of work around what a film set is: what people he can expect to see on a film set, what job each person is doing, unpicking a lot of the language around the film set – basically, a lot of what the students at Sparks do. For young people who haven’t gone to Sparks, or haven’t been on a film set before, understanding what it means when someone says cut or when someone says action, what a clapperboard is, etc, so that when you go to set, you’re not overwhelmed by the number people or how it all works.
One of the activities that we did during our prep period is we made a short film together, where I got him to be the camera operator and we talked about different types of shots. Of course, some actors won’t need all of that.
Everyone needs their own bespoke toolkit, it’s about building up that repertoire of tools, even things that some actors later in their career might take things for granted, such as how to learn lines, how to warm yourself up. It’s about helping actors build techniques that work for them on how to approach a text, how to find a character, how to get your body, mind, voice into character, how to focus on set, all of these things.
For a lot of actors, they really like to spend the time playing with the text pulling things apart trying things out. A lot of the time on a film, it’s a time-sensitive environment and a director might not have the time to be the one doing that in detail with an actor beforehand.
Contact time between the actor and director might be limited. What an acting coach – for an actor of any age or any level of experience – can provide is that focused time to explore the character, playing around with the text, offering an outside eye or an alternative perspective for an actor to build into their performance.
Of course, it’s going to be the director’s final say, and the director will also be part of that process as well, but it’s an extra resource to help support the actor in the process.
What can a young actor expect, working with a director for the first time?
It’s really important to be flexible as an actor. Sometimes when we learn lines we’re really conscious that we want to get them in our body, get them in our system and we might learn them in a certain way. One of my tasks as an acting coach, and one of my tips for young actors, is to try lots of different ways of delivering different lines, so you have plenty of options.
If a director goes “Can we try it this way?” then it doesn’t throw you to be doing something differently from what you’ve rehearsed. You’ve got to be able to adapt and adjust. That’s actually a really difficult skill and it’s a skill that a lot of professional actors don’t have as well.
I think the most important thing, and one of my top tips for young actors is to be able to listen. Really listen to what the director is asking of you and ask questions if you need to, don’t just pretend or try without making sure you understand. If there’s anything on your mind, if there’s anything you’re worried about, if there’s any idea you’ve had, anything you’re thinking about, you’ve got to ask it.
If anything that has been said is not clear, you’ve got to ask. If you’ve been asked to do something and you’re not actually quite sure, don’t just pretend or just try, because time can be so limited on a film set. Get it really clear in your head. Do whatever it takes to get to that point. Ask what is expected of you. Listening and asking questions is super important.
I would also say, and this is such a difficult thing to learn, but it’s to not take anything personally. As an actor of any age, this is so important. We talk a lot about resilience in this industry, how to be resilient.
As creatives, we’re often very in tune with our emotions, and so it’s very easy if something happens if a line gets cut or we get told we don’t need you for this scene to kind of think “What have I done wrong?” but you have to remember the size of these films and the scale and the different departments and the different things that have to be achieved and that you’ve been hired to do a job.
You’re going to do that job well, but it’s one of thousands of jobs on a film set and actually there may be so many different factors as to why changes or edits are made.
What about the technical aspects of working on a film set? What can a young actor expect when they arrive on a film set for the first time?
There is a lot of waiting around on a film set. You might get brought to set a couple of hours in advance, or sometimes even earlier. You’ve got to be seen by the hair and makeup team. You’ve got to be seen by the costume department.
The act of getting into costume makeup is actually far more complex than you would imagine each day because they’ve got to match the shot with when we filmed the scene before that we did six weeks ago, we’ve got that this piece of hair was sticking up here.
Continuity is something that’s super important. People will take so many photos to make sure that this smudge of mud is in exactly the same place. It’s a very precise art, so that might take some time. Also while that’s all happening then on set all the team in charge of set and cameras and everything they’re all doing their setup as well.
I know actors sometimes complain about the early starts on film sets, but what you have to remember is, however early your start, there’s a whole other department who have been there probably at least two hours before you were there, preparing for you to arrive. So, as a piece of general advice and one of my tips for young actors, I would say try not to complain too much because everyone has long days.
Once you’ve got your hair and your makeup and your costume done, then the sound department will come and see you. They’re probably going to fit you up with a microphone, you’ll likely have a microphone and mic pack within your costume. There is usually quite a bit of waiting around during this time and this is when I would make sure we do a full warm-up, physical, vocal, and mental as well to get focused. Maybe run some lines for the scenes that we’re about to do.
Then you’ll get called to set, which will probably be a short walk or sometimes a little bit of a drive away, and you’ll go on to set and again that’s where you see there are hundreds of departments.
For Blitz, we filmed at Leavesden Studios on huge sound stages. There is one scene in particular, set at the Café de Paris nightclub, and in one of the soundstages, they literally recreated the whole of the inside of the Café de Paris in the sound stage. It’s absolutely incredible. The detail was amazing.
Around the actual set, there are lots of tents set up with each department. There is a tent for all the sound team, a tent where all the makeup team will be. There are tents for actors to hang out in when they’re not needed.
On this type of production, there will be screens up everywhere, so that even if you’re not standing right on the edge of set, you can see what everything looks like on camera. I know this is something you cover at Sparks – it doesn’t matter if you can’t see something in real life, because ultimately it’s always about what it looks like on screen.
With a film, it’s often very stop-start. There is going to be setting up lots of different shots, running the same scene lots of times, but filming it from different angles, close-ups, wide shots, and so it can get repetitive as well. For a young actor going on set, just being prepared for the fact that it is quite repetitive and there is a lot of waiting around is a good idea.
I also think that what’s really difficult for young actors is that you have to have schooling at the same time. So, there will be a tutoring tent or a tutoring trailer, and every time you step off set, you’re whisked off for tutoring. Whereas an adult actor can really focus on their role, young actors have to swap between these two worlds all the time. Every minute on set is taken up, so it can be quite challenging at times.
Also, films aren’t necessarily shot in chronological order. You’re shooting across various locations, you’re working with a whole load of actors and crew, who might have different availability, so you’re not always together, and you aren’t shooting in a linear order. Sometimes you might be on set shooting one scene from the very beginning of the film and then one scene from the very end of the film because that’s just who’s available and you’re using that location.
You mention the challenges of balancing tutoring time with time on set as an actor. What is your advice and tips for young actors dealing with that?
It’s about being really adaptable and focused. A technique that I find really really useful is to put together playlists of songs, a playlist of sad music for example, songs that make you feel sad, that make you feel reflective, that you could just listen for a few minutes to help you get your head in that emotional place before you then step onto set. it just kind of brings you back to that world or brings you back to that frame of mind.
We often put together happy playlists as well, because if an actor has been working on a really emotionally taxing scene, they have maybe done it a few times and if they’ve had to cry or if they’ve had to shout or get angry or deal with complex issues, we don’t want to dwell on that for too long, so when you come off set, play some happy songs for a couple of minutes to kind of snap out of it and have fun.
I really like playlists for this. I know some actors use perfumes to achieve something similar, so it’s using our different senses to get back in the zone.
Also, it really comes back to that prep period, which as one my top tips for young actors, I can’t really emphasise enough. If you know that you’re fully prepped, then you’re not going to need to worry about coming back to set thinking “Do I know my lines?” if you’ve just come out of the classroom.
They are long days and that is really tough. It’s important to take care of yourself physically. Value your sleep, learn how your body works. One of the things about a film set is that there can be lots of food and unlimited snacks, but if you know that you’re sensitive to sugar, then try to eat sensibly. Don’t introduce sugar highs and crashes into the day.
I think I mean the most important rule of everything really is have fun. In the moment, it can feel tough like you’re being pulled in all directions but ultimately you’re doing something that’s really, really fun and an amazing time that you won’t repeat, even on your next film set. Try to find the joy in it.
There will be times, and I say this to actors right at the beginning of the process, when you’re going to get really frustrated. You’re going to get really angry with yourself and with other people. That’s okay, everyone has feelings, but ultimately, just remember like this is an incredible experience.
I suppose kind of speaking to that same thing, another super important piece of advice that I would give to a young actor is to be nice. That sounds like the easiest thing in the world, but I think – thankfully not with anyone I’ve worked with! – sometimes people can lose sight of that.
Everyone has a job to do on a film set. And for every department, that job is the most important thing. If one person isn’t there or one person can’t do their job for whatever reason, the whole thing falls apart. You’re just one part of a massive team and everyone’s important. Be nice to everybody. Be polite.
Even when you’re feeling rubbish, when you’re feeling angry, just remember to be nice and be polite because nobody wants to be spoken to rudely. No one wants to have arguments at work, regardless of your age, regardless of whatever job you do. But also as an actor, it’s a cliché, but it’s true: you’re only as good as your last job. Your reputation is super important, so as a tip for young actors, in fact, as a tip for all actors, I’d say you always have to think about how you’re coming across and aim to be a nice person to work with.
What is your advice or your tips for young actors hoping to break into the film industry?
There’s no easy answer to this. It’s tough.
You have to keep your eyes out for open calls for young people or parents of young people. Follow every casting director you can find on social media because for a lot of casting directors that’s going to be their first point of call.
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that not all social media posts are legitimate. Make sure your parents/guardians are aware of this activity and verify that all casting directors are real via their company websites].
Remember, this is a two-way process. Lots of casting directors are actively looking for new talent. I know a lot of actors, who have never done anything before, are thinking “How do I do it? I don’t have the connections.” but for a lot of casting directors they’re looking for someone who doesn’t have the connections.
Everyone wants to find that brilliant, hidden actor and you could be that person. So that’s kind of the good news. Don’t think because I’m not in the industry I’m not going to get anywhere. There will often be shoutouts, call outs from different casting directors.
Post-covid, the industry now relies so much more on self tapes than it ever did. It used to be all about having to get yourself somewhere in order to do an audition. And now, most people have access to a phone or a camera. Making a self tape to submit to an open call is actually a far simpler process than it’s really ever been in the past.
Look for those call outs and just apply for everything that you’re suitable for. Don’t apply for anything you’re not suitable for. As an actor, your greatest tool, your most useful skill is yourself. That’s not just a cliché, and this is what I try and instil in particular in the young actors that I work with, when you’re cast in something it’s absolutely not about being the best.
You haven’t been cast because you’re the best actor in the world. If you’re in the final stages of auditioning for a film, it might be between you and one other person. When you get cast in that role, not because you’re better than the other person. The fact that you’ve both got that far is incredible and it’s testament to the fact that you’re both good at what you can do. The person who’s going to get the role is the person who’s most “right” for the role. The person who the director sees as the most appropriate for that and the casting team sees the most appropriate for that role.
You could be in the same position for another film with exactly the same other person and they’re going to get the role because that other person is the person that particular director thought was absolutely perfect for that part. If you don’t get a role don’t take it personally. It’s not because you’re not brilliant. It’s not because you’ve done something wrong, because you messed up. You just weren’t the most “right” for the role this time. It can come down to appearance, the pitch of your voice, your height… It can come like the tiniest things.
It’s so important, when you’re sending off self tapes, try not to pin all your hopes on one opportunity. Just send off as many as you can, because somewhere someone is going to see your footage, what you look like, your performance and go, “Yeah, that’s what I’m looking for at this moment in time.”
Casting directors want to find the right people for roles. So, you may not be right for this role, but they’re going to go, “That person’s interesting. Let’s keep them on file for something else.” And you never know, two years down the line, you might get a call from a casting director who says, “I know you submitted for that film two years ago, but actually we think you might be right for this. Let’s try that out.” So my top tips for young actors would be to put yourself up for everything that you can.
What is your advice or tips for young actors when making self tapes?
My top tips would be to really put the work in, really prepare for it. It’s not enough to just deliver the lines, you have to have thought about them and thought about the character.
Everything that you need as an actor is in the text. As an actor in your prep period, it’s your job to be a detective. Every single bit of evidence that the writer has given you in that text.
Look for the answers to “Why do I say this? What do I think of that person that I’m talking to? Why do I say that word to that person and not another word? Why is there a question mark at the end of this line? Why is there a pause between these two lines? What does that mean?”
It’s not just about learning the lines, it’s about understanding the lines, understanding the character. As actors we make choices. With a self tape you have to make those decisions yourself, you’re the director, as well as the actor. It might not be the choice that the writer had in mind.
It might not be the choice that the director would make, but by taking creative control in that moment, you’re showing the casting team what you bring to the role, and that you have ideas, which makes you exciting to work with. What can you bring to the role? What is the “you” version of that role?
Try to not think about it as giving a performance, but going try and make this role as close to you as possible. Try and make it feel as natural to you as possible. How would you say that if you were having that conversation? How would you say that line? So try to present as much “you” in your self tape as much as possible.
What are your tips for young actors to build up their experience?
For young actors it is about just doing as much as possible for the experience, and also for the love of it. You don’t need it to be a professional role if you enjoy it, and if you’re learning from it.
Join a Youth Theatre, or go to Sparks classes, for instance. The great thing about Sparks is you get to learn from both sides of the camera, which is all genuinely useful experience that helps to build up your skills.
Always keep an open mind and always try to be flexible too. There are some schools of thought in film production that are averse to “stage schools” because it’s a different kind of acting, but if an actor can be flexible, if they can go “I can do it this way, as I’m being asked to do here, but I can also do things another way,” then I think all acting experience can be valuable.
It’s about never being stuck in one way of doing things. The way that one director wants you to perform is not the same as how another director might ask you to perform.
Just always being mindful that working with one person or on one project is never the answer to everything. If you can always keep coming back to yourself, every job that you do, you’re going to learn something and every person you work with, you’re going to learn something.
Blitz is available in cinemas now.
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Find out more about Simon’s work as a director and as an acting coach >>
To learn more about Sparks Film School’s youth filmmaking classes, take a look here >>
