Becoming an actor – still a dream for many. Every year thousands of people apply to drama schools, but only a very small number are accepted. One of the most renowned drama schools in the German-speaking world is the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin. There are more than 1,000 applicants here every year, but only 25 get one of the coveted training places. One person who has managed to do this is Jan Meeno Jürgens. He is about to graduate and Tim has accompanied him: at his drama school and at rehearsals, right up to his first big audition. It quickly becomes clear that the path to the first job is anything but easy, because the competition is fierce: around 200 graduates of state drama schools and 400 newcomers to the profession from private schools enter the job market every year – and that means competition in the casting and audition marathon. To get started in the industry, the Rheinisches Landestheater in Neuss organizes a “Central Audition of German-speaking Drama and Performing Arts Universities” every year. The list of participating drama schools is long: Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts, Folkwang University of the Arts, Otto Falckenberg School Munich, Rostock University of Music and Theatre, Hanover University of Music, Theatre and Media, etc. They all send their acting graduates to central auditions, because there they have the opportunity to show what they have learned in their training in front of a specialist audience (directors, casting directors, artistic directors, etc.). Those who impress are invited to "real" castings - for theatre roles, series or films. However, a job offer does not immediately mean a big breakthrough - on the contrary: there is hardly a profession in which dream and reality are further apart than for actors. Television, cinema screens, red carpets on the one hand - existential fears, temporary employment and job centres on the other. According to a study by the University of Münster (2011), around 55% of actors earn less than 20,000 euros gross per year - 20% even earn less than 5,000 euros. Only 5% earn top salaries of over 100,000 euros per year. It is true that salaries of 1,000 to 2,000 euros for a day of filming are not uncommon, which sounds like a lot at first. However, this is a flat rate that usually also covers preparation, rehearsals, learning lines, PR appointments and any dubbing, and filming days can easily last 16 hours. Anyone who manages 40 days of filming per year is one of the absolute top people. Many others are happy if they can record an audio book or give courses at drama school in between. Some even drive taxis, wait tables or live on welfare for a time. Poverty in old age is also an issue. In short: only a minority can live from acting alone. That's why Tim investigated what it REALLY means to become an actor and got an insight into an industry that involves much more than just glamour and flashbulbs. Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts: https://www.hfs-berlin.de/index.html Click here for the study by the University of Münster "Survey on the working and living situation of actors in Germany": https://www.uni-muenster.de/imperia/m... Information about the central audition in Neuss, including a list of all the drama schools participating this year: https://www.rlt-neuss.de/index.php?pa... ZAV artist placement agency - contact point for actors looking for work and organizer of the casting workshop in the report: https://zav.arbeitsagentur.de/ Article "Nightmare job as an actor" (Süddeutsche Zeitung): https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaf... Article "Actor casting - always the same faces on TV" (Tagesspiegel): https://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/sc... Article "Nightmare factory TV: actors trapped" (media magazine DWDL): https://www.dwdl.de/magazin/27542/alp... Federal Association of Actors - Represents the interests of actors and actresses in Germany: https://www.bffs.de/ueber-uns/ Team: Tim Schrankel, Maik Arnold, Sarah Sanner, Sven Feller Music: Creep - Deadmau5 Waiting times - A. Suchanov You can also find us here: Twitter: / reporter Facebook: / reporter.offiziell #reporter belongs to #funk: YouTube: / funkofficial funk Web-App: http://go.funk.net Facebook: / funk