Shoutout to /u/cryoncue for referring to this often enough to make me track it down. Some context: *this was written in 1914*. Don't forget that as you read. Some of the references and cultural things won't land as intended, but this is a full eight years before Stanislavski's troupe would tour the States and captivate a New York audience that included Lee Strasberg, among others, who sought out these actors to teach them the style they were using. Stanislavski did not invent realism, he just attempted to codify it. Laurette Taylor has an interesting history. She worked on stage to great acclaim and in silent films. Her star faded and she was an alcoholic which led to a decline in opportunities, but she absolutely electrified audiences in her final role in 1945 as Amanda Wingfield in the original production of *The Glass Menagerie*. This lady knew what she was doing. Below is her text, excerpted from *Actors on Actors*. --- I have been asked to discuss, for the benefit of those who may go on the stage, the qualities which are most important as elements of success. If merely the financial or popular success of a woman star is meant, I should say that beauty is more essential than magnetism. But if by success you mean all that is implied by the magical word Art—success in the sense that Bernhardt, Duse and Ellen Terry are successes—I should say most emphatically the reverse. And I should add that imagination is more important than either. Mere beauty is unimportant; in many cases it proves a genuine handicap. Beautiful women seldom want to act. They are afraid of emotion and they do not try to extract anything from a character that they are portraying, because in expressing emotion they may encourage crow’s feet and laughing wrinkles. They avoid anything that will disturb their placidity of countenance, for placidity of countenance insures a smooth skin. Beauty is not all-important as an asset, even when the star is not anxious to achieve true greatness. Many of our most charming comediennes are not pretty women. Rather, they are women of great charm and personality. I cannot for the moment recall a single great actress who is a beauty. At least not in the popularly accepted idea of what constitutes beauty. Personality is more important than beauty, but imagination is more important than both of them. Beauty as I understand it does not mean simple prettiness, but stands for something illusive and subde. The obvious seldom charms after one has had to live close to it for any length of time. Being all on the surface, there is nothing left to exhilarate, once the surface has been explored. On the other hand, the beauty which emanates from within becomes more enchanting upon close acquaintance. It is constantly revealing itself in some new guise and becomes a continual source of joy to the fortunate persons who have the privilege of meeting it frequently. That is beauty of the imagination, and that beauty all the really great actresses have. The case of Bernhardt is as good an example as one would wish. In her youth especially, she was the very apotheosis of ugliness; still, through the power of her rich imagination that glorified her every thought and act, she held her audiences in the hollow of her hand. It is the strength and richness of her wonderful creative mind that makes it possible for her to present the amazing illusion of youth which she does even today. It isn’t beauty or personality or magnetism that makes a really great actress. It is imagination, though these other qualities are useful. You see a queer little child sitting in the middle of a mud puddle. She attracts you and holds your interest. You even smile in sympathy. Why? Simply because that child is exercising her creative imagination. She is attributing to mud pies the delicious qualities of the pies which mother makes in the kitchen. You may not stop to realize that this is what is going on in the child’s mind, but unconsciously it is communicated to you. It is the quality of imagination that has held your attention. . . We create in the imagination the character we wish to express. If it is real and vital to us in imagination we will be able to express it with freedom and surety. But we must conceive it as a whole before we begin to express it. There will be those who will disagree with me and say that magnetism presupposes imagination. This is a mistake. Many magnetic actresses are wholly lacking in imagination, their hold upon the public resting chiefly upon personality and charm and beauty. Have you ever gone to a tea party where you met some very magnetic woman who radiated charm, who not only held your attention but exhilarated you until you became impatient to see this scintillating creature on the stage, where you might realize the fullness of her wonder? And have you not felt, when your opportunity came and you saw her on the stage at last, the disappointment of realizing a wooden lady with a beautiful mask for a face, speaking faultlessly articulated lines—an actress who rose desperately to the big moments of her part, and who never for a moment let you forget that it was she, that actress, whom you saw, not the character whom she was portraying? There may have been splendid acting but you were conscious of the fact that it was acting. There was no illusion. She was conscious at the big climax that she was acting this part and that she must reach this climax. She was acting as much to herself as to you. That is not the art of the great actress. The imaginative actress builds a picture, using all her heart and soul and brain. She builds this picture not alone for the people out in front but for herself. She believes in it and she makes the people across the footlights believe in it. Unless she has done this she has failed. She must stimulate the imagination of the audience. An actress should not only be able to play a part; she should be able to play with it. Above all, she should not allow anything to stand between her and the thing she is expressing. How often does an actress play a part so as to leave you with the feeling that you have so intimate a knowledge of the character that you could imagine its conduct in any position, aside from the situations involved in the action of the play? Unless this happens, you feel that after all you have seen a limited portrayal of the character and you realize that though the acting was practically flawless there was something missing. And, in nine cases out of ten, that is because the woman playing the part did not use any imagination. She was entirely bound by the traditions of the theatre. She did everything just as it would have been done by anyone else on the stage. This is fatal. You feel untouched by the play because it was not made real to you. The artist looks for the unusual. She watches everyone, always searching for the unusual in clothes, in manner, in gesture. The imaginative actress will even remember that the French have characteristics other than the shrug! Think of the number of times that there have been Irish plays, of the number of times that the Irish character has been used in the working out of a plot. Yet never, to my knowledge, has an Irishman been played on the stage. (This excepts, of course. Lady Gregory’s players and Guy Standing’s rendition of a current IrishAmerican role.) Real Irishmen have never been played. The Irish can be the most melancholy people on the face of the earth, yet the traditional stage Irish have been lilting colleens and joking Paddies. The most interesting thing to me in acting is the working out of the character itself, the finding of that which is uncommon and the small, seemingly insignificant trait which will unconsciously make an appeal to the audience and establish the human appeal. Too much importance is laid on clothes. In the main, I think that all clothes hamper unless they express the character. Personally, I detest “straight” parts for that reason. They necessitate the clothes that make me self-conscious—or, rather, “clothes conscious.” I want to get right inside the character and act from the heart as well as from the head. That is impossible unless one is free from outside interference. I think actresses pay too much attention to the tradition of acting. That is a great mistake. It cramps creative instinct. I received a good deal of criticism for my walk in The Bird of Paradise. Some of the critics said I should be taught how to walk across the stage. Of course I paid no attention to that. My walk was the walk of the barefoot Italians who carry loads on their heads, and I had learned it from them. It certainly was not the traditional stage walk, but we are living in a time when simplicity and truth are the watchwords of the theatre. The traditional stage walk would not have fitted the character I played. The stage has come to a period of simplicity. A few years ago the direct attitude adopted by the younger actresses of today toward their roles would have been considered ridiculous. The changes have been positive but subde, and the actress without concentration has been unable to discern them. They are the ones who are still sparring for time in their emotional scenes, using the traditional tricks to express grief, joy, surprise, chagrin; and they wonder why they are sitting at home without engagements. They cannot comprehend that the very little basket of tricks which made them the idols of a few years ago fails utterly to get results today. . . The time has come when we may as well realize that we can no longer give a filmy portrayal of emotion and pad it out with stereotyped pieces of “business.” The younger actresses of today express the elemental emotions as the elemental person would express them in real life. There is no such thing as a compromise in the logical development of a character in order to make a theatrical effect. . . Too few actresses follow their instinct. I think instinct is the direct connection with truth. It is not enough to know just what you are to do yourself in the action of a piece; you must know also the exact relation you must bear to every other character in the play. For instance, take the business of dying. You must in your imagination realize not only the fact that you are dying but the effect which your death will have on every character related to your part. You know that you are not dying and the audience knows it, but in your imagination you must really believe you are. The business of dying becomes actual to you; also, you compel the audience to believe in you by the very sincerity of your attitude. This trait is really remarkable in Maude Adams. Recall her work in Chantecler. Without her tremendous imagination to gild her impersonation, this frail little woman would have been hopeless in the part. Yet through her marvelous richness of imagination she produced the illusion of bigness that many women better fitted physically could not have done. One would never say that Maude Adams is beautiful, in the sense that she is pretty or has a beautiful physique; but she has charm, magnetism and imagination. These three make a beauty that transcends mere beauty. Beauty, personality and magnetism are not important in the equipment of a star, when compared to the creative faculty of imagination. The first three qualities are valuable adjuncts, and no one should sneeze at them. But you might get along without the slightest beauty and little or no personal magnetism if you were generously endowed with the imaginative mind.
I came across him through a cry on cue video and have looked a little bit into him. He has taught some A-list actors like Jennifer Lawrence and Ian Somerhalder. I plan on starting monthly classes with him this summer and even the prices seem reasonable. What are your thoughts on him and his studios? Have you ever taken a class at the studio? Any answer on this would help!.
First of all. I'll apologise in advance for the lengthy post, but at this point I need advice and help Since I was 5 years old I've always wanted to be an actor. At times of felt like it's futile and have tried to find other interests but I've always come back to it. I've done work as an extra and a feature extra in projects that are close to my area. The next part will probably lose you all, but here goes. I have had no acting training but I feel like I am good enough to do the work once I learn more tools to flesh out a script. Truth be told the audition process scares me and I struggle with the character I am trying out for. I guess I'm scared too as training formally for acting. I did drama all through high school and a basic acting class during those years too. I guess my question is how do you get to that next step where you can audition for bigger an better projects without having a huge background of study. Classes would probably be fine but is it not possible to find the right agent that can push you forward into auditions. Are there any reputable agents that take on new clients and provide opportunities for those bigger roles? Thanks in advance, any and all advice is appreciated and hopefully I will get there one day.
This has nothing deeply to do with becoming an actual actor but it kind of does. Anyways, I've been trying to become my best ideal self for awhile now & I come across so many videos that say "act like your ideal self to become them“, "create an alter ego, write down what they do & act like them". “Life is one big movie and the world is your stage.” Etc etc. Yet I know all of these things yet when I get around certain people I cannot act like them. It's like I break character. I write down all of the traits & characteristics I want to have but yet I seem to break character in different settings & around people. This is a crazy question but to all of my actors out there how do I fully act like this person & NEVER break character. Any tips? I’ll link two videos where they talk about this below, If you’re more curious. [the “month of acting”](https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTd95XJ9n/) [create your identity through method acting](https://youtu.be/Tb-BsdyRdqw)
I live almost an hour (max.with traffic) outside of Toronto and was thinking of moving right downtown to be within walking distance of the major casting houses. But I am now thinking otherwise because I would have to give up my car to afford the rent in toronto. from what I've heard and read, self-tapes and virtual auditions are now the new norm with in-person auditions happening only AFTER they like of your selftape/virtual audition. I think if I get an in-person audition, once as they at least give me an hour to get to the location, I should be fine living outside the city and just driving in when I'm needed... BUT I'm a newbie actor (who overthinks everything,so bare with me,lol) So my fear is that if i get called for an in-person audition, they would only give me like 20 minutes to get there. Does this happen or has this ever happened to any of you?
I've organised a fundraising event, with comedians and actors for the 16th of April. I'm getting super stressed that not enough people are going to turn up. How do I spread the word and get people to come?
What's up! ​ Feel free to DM me if you'd prefer that over commenting. I'm just trying to get some intel on some of the agencies that I've had meetings with recently since I'm shopping around. I find it's hard to know as an actor what they're like to work with ahead of actually working with them. As far as I can tell, they all have working and booking actors so that's great, this is not about if they're legit or not. I just want to know if anybody here has worked with or maybe knows somebody who worked with them and what their experience was. \- Making Stars Talent Agency (hearing mostly positive things but also some unhappy people) \- Dream Team Talent LA \- Spark Talent ​ Thanks! Again, if you don't want to share publicly, I totally understand so just DM me if that's the case.
I stumbled into having a small role in a local film (two minutes of screen time and two short lines.) I am not an actor and haven't done anything like this since school plays. Is there anything I should know about being on camera or acting in general? Any exercises or warm ups I can do to get ready? I know I'm lucky to get this opportunity without trying, and I really don't want to mess up.
A few weeks ago I got a chemistry read/callback from a self tape that I messed up (I made a [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/acting/comments/tlln4u/i_got_a_callbackchemistry_read_with_a_messed_up/) about it). When I went to the reading the casting director wanted me to read another project. She told me she hasn't started casting yet but wanted to have some actresses read it. I read it and I thought she just wanted me to read it to get a feel for it. No, she wanted me to audition! When the rest of the actors came to read for the first project, she asked me and another actress to leave and practice the second project. Long story short, we kept switching from project to project and I read with different actress. After the reading I left and thought it was pretty cool that I was being considered for 2 projects now. Today I got a message saying... SHE WANTS TO OFFER ME A ROLE FOR BOTH PROJECTS!!!!!! I'm so excited!
Regards, we are looking for male native Ukrainian-speaking actors who are comfortable with, in this climate, participating as talent in our action game voicing Ukrainian military operators. Our Ukrainian talent is unfortunately stuck under occupation and will be adjoining you once they can. Simply read the script in Ukrainian with ad lib encouraged, export the files to our needs and send. Quality equipment and clean sound. Cca 50 lines for $50. Deadline: April 15th. Demos in comments or DMs. Thank You.
Regards, Male Arabic and Vietnamese actors wanted, 50-55 \~ lines - $50, combat game. Native only, simply read the English script in Arabic or Vietnamese and export the files as per our instruction. Ad lib encouraged, usage will be across multiple factions including paramilitaries and national militaries as depicted, including insurgents so only apply if you're okay with that. If you're good, we would love to have you on retainer for when we expand. Quality mic, no popping and noise. Demos in the DMs or in the comments, I'll be checking them all out. Comms through Discord or email are fine. Anyone in possession of the skill and male is encouraged to pop in, we have actors that are first time ventures. Deadline: April 15th
I’m looking for someone to play Lois Lane for my fan film “Superman: Fortress.” She has three scenes, but I’ll link the script bellow, it’s only 7 pages. I’m looking for someone who sounds mature, witty, feminine, perhaps a bit arrogant but only because you have to be confident as a reporter with a military dad. As a fan film I will not be making money on this project which is why it’s only $5 USD. I’m hesitant to spend any money at all, but I’ve had a hard time getting a hold of any fem voices. As with all my voice actors, I’m happy to add your socials to the credits. Anything you can fit in a tweet. Here are the [characters](https://imgur.com/a/UARXKee) And here’s the [script](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g4c-PDA2lTl8Ur6oZEnn5sWTDiW1r4s3vBRVrOgmQKs/edit)
Hi everyone, I recently auditioned for a few a few acting jobs that I really wanted. I put a lot of time and effort into it & personally thought I did good but I guess the casting director thought otherwise. This has been ongoing for a while now and made me feel quite down and even made me contemplate about quitting my dream about becoming a film/tv actor. Has anyone ever been in a similar situation and any advice on to stay motivated, thanks.
What inspires you to become an actor What do you agree and disagree about within the industry How difficult have you found it to get an audition or even getting the part Thank you in advance :)
I really want to become an actress and I'm ready to audition, the only thing is I can't find auditions around me and i don't know any agencies nor do I know someone with connections. If you're an actor or you're informed about acting info's in Malaysia, specifically Sabah. Please help me on how to find auditions or agencies to audition to. Anyone is also welcome to help!
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.
I'm not an actor, I'm a singer and have to sing the song from Chicago by the Velma character. I have to act out a performance of a sexy, flirty e charismatic character.... I'm a big curvy girl insecure in my body, this is the worst CH I could ever do. The performance is fine, but my acting is so bad, I don't feel it at all, it's so embarrassing. Sometime before practices I think of quitting cause I really really don't want to do it. Help/advices pls
I’ve always wanted to act, and I actually consider myself pretty good at it (I know so do most people who want to be actors). Anyways, is backstage a good place to find auditions/extras jobs to start gaining experience?
I'm Sag-E and repped by a really great agency in Houston, Tx. In the past, I've gotten to audition for some amazing projects! Co-star, Recurring, Leads - you name it! But since Covid, the auditions have dropped dramatically despite me seeing other actors in my agency still booking roles. I know they're submitting me for roles since I've been speaking with them and they've told me what they've pitched me for, but I haven't been getting auditions. I've gotten work on HBO, ABC, Hulu, USA and Netflix, so I just don't know what's happened. It's frustrating because I've gotten positive feedback from directors, casting directors, my teacher, and my agent so I just don't know what's going on. I'm 26 and I feel like there's tons of roles out there for me that go with my age and look. Any thoughts on what may be aiding in this slump? ​ I understand location can play a factor and have looked at moving, but my agency get breakdowns from NM, Louisiana, OK, GA, SC, TX and tons of productions film out here - especially GA. I'm just concerned that if I move it'll still be the same.
I’m curious because I hear and see it mentioned quite often that TV actors can’t transition to film well because they lack the skills to act in flim. Although there have been several cases of actors who started on TV shows and became successful on the big screens. What is the major difference between acting on TV and acting on flim? What skills does a TV actor need to be successful on flim?
Hey everybody! I’m a game developer working on a visual novel. There’s many interlocking projects for the game, including a manga and a short webseries about the main character. And that’s what this is about! I’m looking for voice actors (preferably with a younger, feminine voice as the character is a young girl) for the webseries pilot. It will be animated in an anime-style (probably 90’s-00’s era) and will show my main character starting ballet lessons. Comment if you are interested in the job! I’d prefer a US based actor who can work from home.
I have three roles available for the pilot episode of a webseries based off a video game I am developing. The episode will be posted to youtube to promote the game. Talent applicants must be able to sound like a young girl, as the main characters are 10 and 11 years old. Pay is based off of the amount of lines you have (as the episode is only ~5 minutes long), but average pay will be around $100. Please comment any questions you have, I will be happy to answer! I look forward to talking to you!
hello community members! this is my first post here, so apologies in advance if i make a mistake in any way. this question is directed towards people who have representation, some professional credits under their belt, and are constantly auditioning for film and tv. in my gut i feel like my agent isn't working hard enough for me: i've only had 6 auditions since march of last year which does not seem right. i'm also an actress of color, to which everyone says, "wow, you must be getting so many shots. your type is so hot right now." to which i say noooooope not true at all. is it time to find another home? how many auditions do you normally get? is this normal? thank you everyone. xo.
I haven’t auditioned for much and at this point I just want to start auditioning for every show I can find. I’m pretty chubby and worry I’ll have a hard time landing roles. There’s a character in a show I want to audition for who’s described as a “tubby junk food enthusiast”. I know if I do well, that will be my role because of my size. I spend a lot of time advocating for people who look like me and insisting that I’m a person and not just a “junk food enthusiast” in real life. I think the show will be fun regardless but it feels degrading to play a character who’s main personality trait is being fat. Should I just say screw it and audition anyways? How do you guys feel about characters like that when you see them? Are you able to humanize the character and/or the actor?
Hello I'm a new actor and wondering is Fame Street worth it for work and experience? Also the different pay walls, what do you get? Thanks for taking the time to read this.
As someone currently going through the drama school process from a pre-professional curriculum, I'm curious how many actors without receiving any prior training or having any extensive acting experience get into prestigious drama schools for their MA's or MFA's? At the top of my head, Riz Ahmed, Bradley Cooper, and Gemma Chan, all had undergraduate degrees in Philosophy Politics and Economics (PPE), English, and Pre-Law (respectively) before auditioning for the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, the Actor's Studio, and Drama Centre London and getting in. I think even Jeffrey Wright had gotten a bachelor's degree in Political Science before enrolling at NYU Tisch for their MFA in Acting. I'm just curious if there are any actors in this community that got accepted into a prestigious drama school after coming from a different academic or career background.
I'm a seasoned theatre actor, but next week will be my first time ever on a TV set. Theatre is a completely different beast. The more streamlined process, more collaborative room, and less wait time. I'm not sure what to expect on a set other than the opposite of that. Even showing up to the studio today to check in/get tested I felt a tad unprepared and that I stuck out. For my fitting tomorrow and the actual shoot date, what are some things I should be aware of? Do's and don'ts? Recommendations? General etiquette? Thanks in advance. I'm a little nervous, but excited! Edit: It's at Steinman Studios in Brooklyn, if anyone has first hand experience working there.
I know not to expect anything and I genuinely just enjoy meeting other people with the same passions (or not!) and being in an environment I love to be in. But I always hear people say not to do background too much if you want to be an actor. Why is that so?
How long after an agent pitches an actor do they receive the sides from the casting director? (Assuming the CD allows the actor to self tape)
Hello everyone. I am an actor and I have the following doubt. There was a film audition call that I applied for. I sent my video, resume, and some headshots through email. I received a callback a month later and they asked me to audition for an specific role. After reading the description, I decided not to audition for it after all since I didn't like the role and felt it was just not for me. I sent my reply to one of the producers and apologized for my decision. A week later I received the same email for the same role but this time it included an NDA contract which is something that I don't have experience with. My questions are: 1. Should I sign it even when I said that I am not interested in the role or the project? 2. If I don't sign it, would it affect me or look bad on me? Thank you.
Hi there! I currently live in Northern California, and have decided to move to Atlanta, Georgia after doing a lot of research on the best place to live for starting actors. My question is: what kind of job should I get? I really only *need* enough money for food, but obviously I'd like to set the bar at my own place (small and humble is acceptable, if not ideal), a gym membership, and basic costs of acting, such as classes, or the occasional piece of equipment for auditions, things like that. It has crossed my mind that auditions can really come at any time, so it would be nice to have some flexibility in my work hours--all I'd need is the ability to adjust hours in order to do my auditions, and attend acting classes. I'd fit working out and practicing acting in my free time. So, any suggestions?
When it comes to acting, I just love the chase. I never in a million years saw myself in that acting waiting room getting ready to pour my soul out. I basically didn't know what I wanted to do till I turned 19. I just had a love for tv and movies. I have co-stars and national commercials under my belt, but what I love is the chase. Submitting to agents, changing up my pitch email, trying new headshots, new acting classes, trying to out-think the business, waiting for that phone call, etc. Oh, don't get me wrong, I hate the fuck out of it sometimes..but at the end..I love it, I love the hustle of it. The journey truly is the best part and I don't think most actors realize that. anyone else feel the same?
So I’m a junior in HS and I’m currently taking a musical theatre class and learning more about theatre as an art form, and truly living up to my theatre kid potential. I asked my teacher if I could borrow Uta Hagen’s A Challenge For the Actor. He said I could and ever since, I’ve been reading it. I’ve made it up to Chapter 1 pages 14-15. Is it just me or… is the book kind of… boring? I know I’m only a few pages in obviously, and I’m not a big reader (I’m trying to read more since I want to be a writer), but I don’t know if I quite like or enjoy the heavy exposition dumps of what acting used to be like hundreds of years ago. Or am I coming off as too entitled? Am I missing something reading this book? Do I need to have a certain mindset? Thanks.
Hi all, Not sure if this was the appropriate subreddit but I am a 30 year old woman living in Melbourne wanting to pursue acting. I haven’t acted in anything since high school so I’m getting back into it and wanted to join an agency. I’m working in hospitality whilst attending university for arts. Is Real People Victoria worth it? I saw some of their reviews on Google where people were saying they weren’t getting any work and that they had to pay $100’s to get headshots taken. My goal is to be a working actress in New York City. Thank you!
Been self submitting on Actors access for about two months. Got 6 auditions on my first two weeks then absolutely nothing after. Just want to hear about others journeys!
I should start by saying that I understand there's no "One rule fits all" in any performing. I also understand that the client determines the performance for the most part. I'm asking in general. I'm reading a book called V-Oh! and it's very focused on being conversational. It says to match the cadence and tone of a person speaking to their friend. I'm quite new to the business, just under a year, and I'm wondering if I should be performing in a more conversational way? The majority of jobs I receive are commercials. I wonder if I've got a kind of announcer bias in the way I speak on the mic. I certainly don't talk the way I do to friends. I annunciate much better and speak with more emotion whilst trying not to sound like C-3PO. Of course I'm trying NOT to sound like I'm rigid and reading text. Do any of you remember a time when you decided to become more conversational and less Announcer-ish? By the way I have a traditional "British accent" I don't know if that comes into play when compared to Americans.
Hi there! Hope this question is ok here. I'm a queer actor looking to move to the Atlanta area and need roommates! I'm 31 and come from the improv/sketch community in Chicago but am originally from the Southeast (and am currently here) and am looking to be closer to the Georgia scene. Would loves to possibly rent a house in the Marietta area. DM if interested or have any suggestions!
Thinking about taking classes with her
Hey everyone. I just want to ask some commercial actors with experience: When do you usually hear back one way or other after a callback? Do you need to be put on first avail to have a chance after the callback? Do first avail emails come out the same day as a callback? I had a callback yesterday I thought I did really well on, but haven’t heard anything at all. The commercial shoots next week on the 13th and 14th. If I haven’t heard anything, is it likely I didn’t get it?
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I attented a theaterclass after ten years and i really liked it. I got the task to play a old man who wass on the other side of the room dying. His call for help wass him singing a childhoodsong. I had some Stanislavski things on my mind. And the teacher gave me a compliment she said it felt very realistic. But then she elso said, next time she wanted it to have it a bit more theatrical. In some way i'm still confused about it. Isn't it the goal of a actor to bring some in a realistic manner?
"Of the annoying things up-and-coming actors are forced to deal with—getting ghosted by directors and being asked if we’re on Broadway yet—few get under our skin quite like unsolicited career advice. Especially when that advice comes from otherwise well-meaning outsiders and sounds something like this: "It's all about who you know!" Yes, cue the eye-rolls and the groans: another cynical take on the state of our industry. But before we dismiss it outright, I think it's worth digging into why that sentiment can be so triggering. Is it because it undermines our talent? Is it because it makes us feel like a bunch of used car salesmen? It's frustrating to feel that our talent alone is insufficient, that our skills in and of themselves fall short of guaranteeing our success. What's even more frustrating is that it's true." [https://www.artists-strategy.com/blog/do-you-need-connections-to-become-an-actor](https://www.artists-strategy.com/blog/do-you-need-connections-to-become-an-actor)
I am fairly new to casting and have just started utilizing Backstage instead of the usual IMDBPro to find some non-union actors this time. But here's my problem. I input my performers' criteria, age range, height, etc., and I will get many thousands of candidates. That wouldn't be a problem and I would look at every single actor and their reel, but I get extremely frustrated when I am looking for a 14 year old girl, and get 45 year old men as candidates. Really, dude? You can play a 14 year old girl? And in the age range they put 0-120.... okay, can you please get down and show me how you play that embryo that you claim to be? I try to be very open in casting, but this is not only ridiculous but unbelievably frustrating. I would be able to go through so many more eligible candidates if they were actually even close to what I was looking for and not have to waste my time scanning so many pages of delusional people in the meantime. It makes me think I should just give up on looking for non-union and go SAG versus all this hassle. Two questions: Any tips on how to actually get the criteria I am looking for? OR, any explanation as to why anyone would put such delusional criteria? I understand as actors you feel you can play anything, but there is a limit. Also, just so you know, if I am casting for a movie, if you are in my criteria range I will always look at your demo reel. If you aren't the exact look, height, or body type, I will still check out your reel, because if you can act... I mean really act... I will absolutely reconsider my criteria. However, age can be a stickler sometimes, like needing a 14 year old girl. Sorry, but anyone who is in their 20's generally won't work, and any man in his 40's definitely won't work! And I hate to say this, but if you are trying to be one of those people who thinks they can play any gender, ethnicity and any age, like 0-120 or other ridiculous numbers, I'm probably gonna flag you as unusable and avoid your profile for any project. Also, You should always have a demo reel, even if you just do a monologue on your own. If you can pull off both comedy and drama, definitely show it, because in the movies I work on, an actor has to pull off both. When I have thousands of people to look at, I have to do it quickly and if you don't have a demo, I won't even consider you, so you just made my job a tiny bit easier. So I leave you with two tips - Always post a demo reel, and please list realistic criteria in your bio/info.
Just want to warn people about [weaudition.com](https://weaudition.com) I've had some bad experiences with it and I just want to warn people about spending their time and money on this. I have had experiences where actors did not pay me, and I am not the only one this has happened to. When I tried to get in touch with costumer service (many times for different reasons) they never got back to me. The opportunities aren't great, and there are too many beginners on there trying to give advice. It seems like something to do for practice or for newbies. Bad experience. I regret signing up, it was a waste of time and money. Maybe you guys will have better luck but just wanted to put this out there.
I often see actor's real names written on IMDB and therefore on wikipedia and everywhere else. For example Natalie Portman - born Natalie Hershlag, Winona Ryder - born Winona Hershlag, Rebel Wilson - born Melanie Bownds and plenty of others. My question is do they have to list their birth name on IMDB or is it their choice? It seems odd, why change your name as a celebrity and put the name given you at birth on the internet if you want to be known by different name? Or is it that you have to list your real name if you are known by a stage name and if you've changed legally you don't? Does anyone know how it works? So intriguing.
I can’t imagine Will Smith’s headspace right now. Years of carefully curating a career in the spotlight, having your private life blown open and speculated by the whole country, only to practically destroy your perception in one night — possibly to all that pressure, is astounding. I just saw a post on FB that said “we wouldn’t be laughing if Will harms himself” and honestly, all of this can be enough to cause an actor to jump off a cliff. We as actors, know how dejected we can get when we get taken off avail or lose the role to another. I’m praying for his health. But then, I do remember me saying very clearly I wanted to be in his position. In a way, I still mean it but as I’m in my late 20’s and exploring other hobbies and passions, I am thankful for my privacy. I’m thankful I can look like a bum and not worry about pictures. I’m thankful I can work at the same Trader Joe’s as Alvin did and not make headlines. People say it comes with the territory, but I disagree heavily. No amount of press training can make someone an extrovert. Me wanting to perform because it’s my passion, shouldn’t close the door on other things. In my early 20’s, I thought it was a death sentence to be an actor who was a series reg one time and is barely doing much, like a Miranda Cosgrove (at the time) or Kevin Smith. Now? That seems like the goal, tbh. What level of fame do you aspire to?
Howdy, I searched for this but could not find, apologies if redundant... I'm spending a lot of time on self-tapes which are immediately requested in the role listing, not in response to my application submission. I find this to be a waste of time given that my application materials may have resulted in an immediate rejection, which I would prefer if they do not see me as appropriate for the part. I understand that the spec self-tape could help overcome objections, but if I'm already visually or professionally inappropriate, I'm wasting X hours on a tape that would likely merely reinforce that fact for them, or be ignored entirely after a headshot glance. To me it is lazy on the CD's part to immediately require the self-tape, and I have begun using my cover letter to simply ask that they contact me IF I am deemed even of interest to them. I'm not against self-tapes by any means, it's actually part of the fun, IMO. Ultimately, it seems that self-tapes are replacing in-person auditions in an effort to save the CD's time, but definitely not ours as actors. Then again, CD's are reviewing self-tapes AND eventually doing in-person callbacks, but likely far fewer. I'm simply curious whether my "resistance" is inappropriate, whether my assumptions about the value of the spec self-tape are wrong, etc. Thanks in advance for any advice, this is a great sub. Edit: rejections >>> objections
A while ago, I posted about my stand still on pursuing my acting plan (I've also realized I should be saying plan vs dream, though it is both really
I’m from the UK and my newsfeed is always full of such desperation from actors or cringe manifesting posts. I’m not trying to sound negative but do you think posting stuff like this reflects badly on you as a professional?
My gf is an amazingly natural actor. I have seen it up close and I believe she has what it takes. Has absolutely no experience though and we are already “making moves” it seems. It’s happening fast and I’m reading things that have me super back and forth on what to think. For context, we are both 24 and live in Omaha, NE Started out by applying for a workshop class. She got a call to join a zoom call and tryout for the workshop. Did amazing, they were super excited about her and gave her a callback asking her to join. Us having no experience, we got excited and we’re thinking “holy shit, is this happening? Are we starting the process of getting famous?” So she agrees to join and they have another zoom class explains every detail of this. Seems legit. She gets sent a welcome packet and they are asking her to choose different packages and from what I compared them to online, this was very reasonable. It was a year of classes and showcases+”Ipop” for only 2k. This is with International Artists Inc if anyone has heard of em. Claim to have gotten the dude from Spider-Man his job. We were hesitant to pay the 2k but did a ton of research and decided it’s a very reasonable price compared to what others have paid for workshops and they arent claiming to be an agent. It’s a class which aren’t free. We know agents don’t ask for money. Ipop on the other hand was hard to find research on. A lot of scam claims but a lot of people also saying it’s not a scam, it’s just a waste of money. So we are thinking we will do the classes and showcases but skip out on Ipop. She starts doing these once a week classes and the instructor is tearing everyone apart, except my gf. She absolutely loves my gf and thinks she has a very natural talent for this and treats her different than everyone. It feels very good and uplifting. Finally the first showcase comes and she gets a callback from two people very quickly. The first is someone who is representing Ipop. They want to represent her. This is where my first question comes into play. They offered to pay for Ipop. Normally costs 4k, but they liked her so much they wanna pay. Only thing we have to do is pay for hotel and flight. Now I’ve already booked the room to be safe and don’t have to pay until we arrive. It’s in July. Should we go? They promise it’s paid for and if we go and it’s not, we will just use it as a vacation no harm no foul. Is Ipop legit and a good experience/potential for more work? I don’t see the harm if they offered to pay tbh. 2nd question. She got a callback from a talent agency. This agency is called “The Brogan Agency”. This was very exciting for us because it was the biggest one from this showcase we could find. Her mouth dropped and she was jittery. It felt like we had just landed something that most people need a lot of credentials to land and she did it from one showcase with no background at all. We could barely contain our excitement. Thought this was a humongous deal that we got lucky on. One of those “success stories”. This agency has some very bad reviews but we figure that having an agent is better than not and this will just be a stepping stone to a bigger agency and building a resume/reel. Also has some good reviews by people that have credits on IMDB. I looked them up on google maps and they have a location with a name on a window but it’s in a very sketchy alley and feels off. She is going to speak with them tomorrow and get the contract sent over but I cannot find this agency listed on any site that lists licensed agencies. Is this a red flag? Bad reviews/sketchy location/not being listed on the sites that list all licensed agencies does not sit well with me. If she signs this contract tomorrow, then we have a big decision to make regarding uprooting our lives and moving to LA. It’ll be tough to squeeze but if it’s worth it, these are the sacrifices you have to make to get into this business and if we already landed representation and most people go to LA without having that yet, then there’s less risk and why not try it? We already have the safety net of being in a contract. But at the same time, why would they sign someone who is across country, that you’ve seen one time on zoom, and has not a single credential. Unless she is literally that good, which I do believe. I am just trying to verify. I need to know if this Ipop is okay to go to and if this agency is someone we should try to get involved with. We are new to all this and it’s moving so fast we feel like we don’t have much time to make a smart decision. I need help. We have put a lot of time and money into this and are really excited for what’s been happening seemingly by chance but are trying to keep it reserved, but it’s hard. This is such a big deal and it’s looking up for us but It still would be such a massive let down if we got this far and it’s all a joke. My gf is so damn sweet, and perfect and works so damn hard and is professional. She is an absolute angel and deserves success because she worked damn hard to perfect those monologues. Picked the hardest one with lots of changes in emotion and perfected it. This would be so hard to see it was all just bullshit TL;DR Should we go to Ipop if we are being told it’s free and should we sign with what looks like an unlicensed agent that has legit reviews and isn’t asking for money? Sorry to rant like this. I’m in a bit of a manic state thinking about all this because it’s huge and happening fast.
Weeee, you found me!
I'm your buddy Bottie, I was hiding behind the scenes, but now that you've found me I'd be happy to tell you what I'm doing.
I just wrote a few fun facts about Web For Actors
Would you like to take a look?
Click here to check them out. I hope it will cause involuntary audible response.
