RIYADH: Being part of the film industry is more complicated than it seems, Egyptian actor Amir Karara said at the Saudi Film Authority’s recent major session, “Building the Cinematic Personality,” at Vox Cinema, the Riyadh front.

“People outside the film industry think it’s easy and when you walk in the streets people randomly say ‘I want to act, what do I do?'” Karara said. But that’s not how it works.”

The two-hour training course is part of the commission’s fourth filmmakers program, which aims to advance the Saudi cinema sector through workshops and dialogue sessions.

Karara covered four areas: techniques for novice actors, building relationships with the team and actors, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and advice for actors.

He said, “If you’re a good actor, you’ll constantly work on yourself. If you’ve taken a master class, take another. You have to explore all the possibilities and try things yourself. Get the principals to notice you.”

He added that with time and with years of practice, the actor will understand his acting style and distinctive look.

He added, “Actors copy each other until they find their own personal style. You see a great actor on TV and then you look at them 20 years later and they’re not the same person. With acting, you change and with practice you get better.”

He said that observing popular themes in the film market and making sure they appeal to the audience is vital to a successful project.

Karara added, “When it comes to being in a new series or movie, I talk to different individuals to get their opinion on it.

“I ask my wife and she asks her friends, and I listen. I even ask my 13-year-old son and I ask him what he thinks.”

Karara has accumulated a world of knowledge after 20 years in the film industry, but it all depends on the most important element: the health and well-being of the individual who wants to make a name for himself.

He said: “The most important part of our job is to pay attention when it comes to your health so you can continue to be a part of it.

“Our job requires passion, hard work, sleep deprivation and exhaustion.”

Through workshops and master classes, the Filmmakers Program aims to achieve three goals: to enhance and develop the public’s passion for filmmaking, to raise the quality of film content in the Kingdom, and to empower talent.