We have found 21,084 posts across 4 actor forums:
Creature Performance by bring_me_egg • last post Mar 18th
Anyone here have experience in creature work? I find this to be an interesting niche in the world of acting and have been wanting to aim my pursuits in that direction. I’m wondering if anyone has anecdotal experience to share or knows how an actor would even break into this type of career? Does it mostly come down to your look or appearance? Is there training that goes along with this kind of discipline?
LA Studios that audition and place new students? by Possible_Ninja • last post Mar 17th
Hey all, I've got 10+ years of experience working in the biz, but newish to LA and trying to get into a good class. Several reputable studios here seem to operate with an "everybody starts in the same class" mentality. I've looked at Lesly Kahn, G Charles Wright, Graham Shiels. There's some mention of "placement" at some of those, but it's a little vague, seems like just different groups in the same class level. Maybe this is an old-school thing or a different market thing, but I've studied at studios elsewhere with very explicit auditions and "beginner, intermediate, advanced" or "level 1-5" classes and so on. I'm not thrilled with the idea of dropping a bunch of cash only to spend weeks or months in a room full of people who have never acted before, or people who are just "trying it out", etc. No disrespect to beginners - we were all beginners once! Curious what other experienced actors restarting class here have done. Are there good studios that audition folks and sort them into different levels? Or is this how it goes here and I just have to suck it up? Thanks!
Advice? by Fit-Factor988 • last post Mar 17th
My manager keeps submitting me to industrials and I’ve been considering telling him I don’t want to be submitted to those, is this valid? Or is this something we as actors should be doing or have to do? Is it something I SHOULD be wanting to do?
IMdB "starmeter" help! please click link and send any tips to keep it low? Currently meeting with Agents so I'd like to get it back down to 20k! by koko_mmm • last post Mar 17th
I'm emailing a bunch of new agents and of course, my IMdB rating went from 20k to 200k this week! Trying to get it back up, the only way I can find is to get a bunch of people to click on it. [https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm3726570/?ref\_=instant\_nm\_1&q=koko%20marsha](https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm3726570/?ref_=instant_nm_1&q=koko%20marsha) If anyone has a second I would appreciate a click, and/or any advice. thank you actors!
SAG question by dancergrl20 • last post Mar 17th
Hi all! I’m SAG Eligible in LA and my theatrical agent really wants me to join—he says that I’m not getting called in because CDs don’t trust actors to be able to pay if they book. However, my commercial agents don’t want me to join until I have to (since that’ll cut off so much work). Have any SAG actors noticed more auditions after joining? I’m nervous to join because I only have a few credits and don’t want to cut off commercials and indie work, but I of course would love to bump up those union theatrical auditions. Thanks!
HELP new actor with no experience trying to find roles by Prior-Specific6496 • last post Mar 17th
So i just started taking acting classes a couple of months ago, but im already super eager to try and get some projects. for reference, im 20 years old, and ive signed up for backstage. but i have no experience, and thus cannot provide a video reel or anything. does anyone know some other ways i can start to slowly make my way into the industry?
Is Tim Blake Nelson a good actor? by Flatulent_Fragrance • last post Mar 17th
Headshot-Age Range-Character Type Feedback by AutoModerator • last post Mar 17th
Use this thread to post your headshots for feedback, get info on your age range/type, find good headshot photographers, ask any questions you may have about headshots. If you are posting a DIY headshot for feedback, and not just a snapshot in order to get feedback on your age range/type/etc, it is advised that you do at least some basic research on what actor headshots look like--composition, framing, lighting. You will find a Google Image search for "actor headshots" to be very helpful for this. Non-professional shots are fine for age/typecasting; please keep in mind that one picture is a difficult way to go about this. Video of you moving and speaking would be ideal, but understandably more difficult to post. For what it's worth, the branding workshop at SAG-AFTRA recommends a five-year age range. That's inclusive, so for example 19-23, 25-29, 34-38, etc.
What sort of acting-related jobs do you do? by glassrobin • last post Mar 17th
Apart from pursuing the industry staples (film, tv, voice, theatre), what other types of jobs are people out there doing? We have a pretty unique skill as performers and I feel like sometimes actors aren't aware of the types of acting adjacent gigs available to them. In my city, we have a well-known medical school that does simulations for training and evaluated situations. That means a lot of work for actors believe it or not! I work as an SP (standardized patient) and I get anywhere between 5-30 hours of work a week. It dies down in the summer, which is great because that's when the industry is at high time for us anyways. The best part is that the administration is so understanding of taking time off for auditions, so it never feels stressful to do that when I need to. I've also done murder mystery dinner theatres. Those are fewer but pay pretty good and you get a free meal. I get to play a bunch of zany characters, which is fun. It really stretches me as a performer because 50% of the audience isn't really paying attention so it feels a bit like Shakespearean to have to fight to be heard and move the story along. Curious to hear your experiences!
Casting Voice/Mocap Actors for a new Gaming Comedy Animation, pls get in touch for info. (Link to work below) by finners11 • last post Mar 17th
Casting Voice Actors for a new Gaming Comedy Animation, pls get in touch for info. (Link to work below) by finners11 • last post Mar 17th
My lovely wife is a beginner actress, and just got hired as a body double & stand-in for some famous lady in a Netflix show about boxing. How best to capitalize on the situation? What to expect? by jostler57 • last post Mar 17th
So, my wife will basically be the body double for the leading actress in just about any shot that doesn't need a direct look at the lead's face, as well as a big dance scene, since my wife is highly trained in dance. She will not be a stunt double, as far as we know, as they never asked her to do that, and it was never discussed in her meeting about it. We figured it's a great opportunity for her to watch & learn from master actors doing their thing, network her ass off (and become friendly with the casting director), and earn a bit of cash in the meantime. They even said she should learn the lines -- is she going to need to feed lines to costars, do you think? Any advice or info about these situations is greatly appreciated!
You're Not There to Get a Job, You're There to Do One: Audition by azthemansays • last post Mar 17th
> You’re Not Going There to Get a Job. You Are Going There to Present What You Do. You Act. And There It Is. And Walk Away. * [Brian !Cranston](https://actingmagazine.com/2018/06/bryan-cranston-dont-audition-to-get-the-job/) I've noticed a recent uptick in anger/despair/frustration posts about the lack of feedback/booking that's the current zeitgeist of the industry at large. As far as feedback is concerned... why are you giving up your power by seeking validation for your abilities from those that would hire you? If you want feedback your source should be from class work, your agent and/or manager... those are sources whose livelihoods rely on your success, and who are oftentimes more than willing to give feedback. The CDs, directors and producers aren't there to provide validation, they're being paid to do a job: shoot something. As far as booking is concerned... you need to try to have a paradigm shift on how you view success in this field, otherwise all that will happen is all that jealousy, rage and frustration will build up to a breaking point where you decide to leave the industry. Stop comparing yourself to others or looking at your booking rate as a metric of progression. You know what are good metrics to use? Being called in over and over by the same casting director for progressively larger roles, as well as callbacks/recalls/holds/pins/etc. That means that they recognize that you have ability, as gatekeepers for productions, and are opening the gate for you. Don't be frustrated if they bring you in multiple times for multiple roles on the same show/movie! That simply means that they believe in you and your abilities and are just trying to find the best fit for the production. When CDs stop bringing you in... that's when you should start being worried. Until then, just keep doing what you're doing and once you're done with a tape/audition just throw it away and move on to the next thing... #TL;DR: Focus on process and not outcome in order to have the mental fortitude to continue on that long winding path. * Source - a professional actor who's been at this for a couple of decades and watched too many people rage quit in that time... out of many I've met along this journey only a handful are still actors.
Casting for A Small Feature by InfiniteAardvark • last post Mar 16th
We're shooting a feature film, it's based off a British play and takes place in the worlds of Orwell's 1984 & Terry Gilliam's Brazil. It's hilarious, surreal and intense. We're talking about a shoestring budget but we did get a local production company so we have all the equipment and crew needed – camera is the Red One. The creative team is a mix of British, Israeli and Albanian. Half the film is cast, we're missing three men with excellent English, preferably a British accent but doesn't have to be, ages 20 to 40. Corporate look. Technical details: the goal is two weeks of rehearsals then seven days of shooting. We're based in Tirana, Albania. Pay is 1500€ per actor. If this fits you PM me, we can zoom and I'll send the script, moodboard etc. Where would you post an ad like this? Here? Let me know. Thanks
Is 26 too old to start Acting? by ChicoTallahassee • last post Mar 16th
I'm 26M and have no experience in acting at all. I've always been afraid to pursue my inner calling to becoming an actor and always been afraid to get unsupportive comments from my family and parents due to my dream of pursuing a career that was very little respected in my brick and mortar entrepreneur family. My father always kept going on about how he built a business from scratch with just his two hands. He always advised me to never become an employee, but rather an employer. Therefore I tried to pursue a college degree, which I never completed. I did complete high school. But that was about all I did. Enough about my past. Now I want to pursue a career in acting. My ultimate dream would be to participate in a Marvel Studios movie. MCU has always been my inspiration and the actors there are my favorites. I have a YouTube channel about irrelevant stuff. My channel has nothing to do with acting at all. It's more about reviews and tips for camping. I'm not successful on YouTube at all. What should I do to fulfill my wish in becoming an actor in a Marvel movie? Or even any movie to start with? Should I relocate? Currently I live in a very rural area in northern Europe. My native language isn't English, should I perfect my pronunciations? Where do I start? Thanks for reading and replying :)
And now for the good news. by louisasnotes • last post Mar 16th
Three weeks ago, I came across an Ad for the role of Claudius in Hamlet later in the year. An audition tape featuring 2 contrasting Shakespeare pieces was required by the next morning. I just didn't have time, but sent in my usual TV/Movie Reel along with my Theatre-focused CV. A week later, I was given a 'call back' audition date and time. I spent two weeks learning the character's lines in 2 completely different characters along with a loose script to explain why I was doing them in these specific ways. Two weeks ago, I auditioned via Zoom, got the chance to for both and offer my explanations and this morning was informed I got the role (Yay, me.). It won't be until the end of the year and there's plenty of time for things to go wrong, but it feels 'proper' that I used the time given to me to showcase something I wanted to show, rather than simply giving a performance of something I thought they may want. Between 2020 and 2021 I did over 50 taped auditions (thanks to the record keeping of my meticulous Actor App.) and didn't book a single gig. However, I DID book two juicy theatre roles, 2 Indie movie roles and a V/O! In all of these successful cases I auditioned 'in person', gave the performance and explained my Method in how I got to that point. I realize now that I haven't 'lost it' - I simply don't respond to a remote audition trying to discover a character based on someone else's skimpy character rundown. I also found out this week at a Union meeting that in the last 2 years, the casting process has gotten so busy in our City, there's a good chance that your audition won't even be seen by a Casting Director. The first cut may be done by an assistant, a receptionist, or someone else. If they don't like the look of the first 5 seconds, you probably won't make that first cut. I think I'll be waiting until the traditional 'in the room' auditions return, be the professional I want to be, and start feeling a whole lot better about myself than I have done over the last 18 months. Keep going, everyone - it may not be you.
NYC ACTING BEGINNER by Glass-Rub-9627 • last post Mar 16th
Hello, I'm moving to NYC next week (very spontaneous last minute decision...) for a few months. I've already lived for a few years in Manhattan cause I went to university there so I have friends and I know the city but I've never tried working there. This time I want to try and work there as an actress, see how it is, how things go etc. Any advice ? How does being an actor work over there ? Is there places where you can meet people, certain things I should know (website, people...) etc? I'm totally new to the industry over there so any help & tips is AMAZING! Background info : I followed theater classes at the Lee Strasberg Inst. for many years. I've been to university in NYC. I've done a little work as an actress in Paris (movie, ads). I also speak fluent English (no French accent but not usa accent). I don't know how to dance nor sing. I don't know dialect/usa accent. no green card nor part of a union. PS: I'm also looking for a good singing teacher (not too expensive, maybe group class) and dialect teacher.
Mixed Race/Ethnically Ambiguous Actors, what has your experience been like? by sykigogi • last post Mar 16th
I’m a mixed race actor and I look very “ethnically ambiguous”, or am sometimes white passing. I will never lie about my real background or conceal it, even if I lose out on an opportunity. I don’t blame actors for playing outside of race, I believe that as a smaller actor, it is up to casting to bring people in who are authentic, but I still would feel bad playing outside of my race/would be worried about backlash. I was wondering what other “ethnically ambiguous” actors have experienced (in general) and what your thoughts are on being submitted outside of your race. I realize it’s a little silly to be worried about “backlash” as a small actor, but, there’s the internet, and I believe in authentic casting when it is possible. Anyway please share your experience here, I’d love to know how the industry is for you right now as a POC who may or may not be “seen” as one.
Need Advice! by Dwayne_Man9323 • last post Mar 16th
Here's the thing. I'm a 29-year-old trying to get started as a voice actor by uploading some fan narrations of Thomas and Friends and doing some characters. However, there are two issues I have. One is the quality of my sound, and the other is my tools. Currently, I'm using a blue yeti and my sound qualityAudacity, but I can't help but feel a bit fixated on the background noise and wonder if I should wait until I move to another house. My room is next to the living room, so my mic picks up the TV and other sounds and has a wooden floor. I even used the noise reduction in audacity, but I feel as though it isn't enough, and I don't want to pay who knows how many dollars to get a program that reduces noises and other junk because I'm poor. I've even tried the closet as well, but it still picks up noise, and it's too small for my big butt. Thankfully, we're moving close to October, so that's fine, but there's also the chance that I could end up with a slim picking room. So, my question is, should I stop worrying about it and just upload what I have or should I wait for a bit? Any feedback will help to get me out of this impasse. I've also included pictures of what I have. ​ https://preview.redd.it/n6iei7u3stn81.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f5722661e5e07ed59f4bc1399ec6c6951d7b025 ​ https://preview.redd.it/ub0hv0c7stn81.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fbaf729daef96c041e5aedc3c8f631a706d67d43
Is anyone feeling discouraged? by Inevitable-Anxiety57 • last post Mar 16th
I’ve lived in NYC for 5 years, I went to a 2 year musical theatre conservatory. I feel very well trained as an actor but lately I haven’t been booking anything. I know rejection is the name of the game in this business. But I’ve been feeling depressed for not booking anything, and it’s bad enough we had the pandemic hiatus from it. But I see my friends are booking stuff and I’m just so envious. I don’t even care if it’s paid or not I just want to story-tell and it’s an outlet for myself. But lately I’ve been in such a rut i’m thinking of quitting and to stop submitting altogether. I think it would help if in person auditions were back because at least I feel like i’m making an impression in the room, with self tapes I don’t. Even something as far as a callback would make me feel a bit better. I’m wondering if anyone can relate? /: