Hello all! Wondering if anyone had insights into the acting scene in Canada, how possible it is to make a living etc? I’m an American with a decent career out this way but the um…. Political climate has me a bit concerned. Wondering if immigration as an actor is a realistic possibility or more or less a pipe dream. Thanks so much.
For the United States, nearly all pandemic restrictions are gone for most states. I want to know how many people who started pre-pandemic are still acting; how many started because their career went remote or ended and started voice acting; and how many people just working a "normal job" to make ends meet, but still want to be a voice actor. Thanks in advance, you may find this poll will help you feel like you are not the only one in your situation and get inspired to continue the journey, or get back on it. [View Poll](https://www.reddit.com/poll/tpujtm)
So I am battling an internal struggle and would like to just hear what people have to say. Ever since I was a little girl film sparked everything in me that was fantastical, dramatic, and made me a dreamer. Movies have always been a huge part of me and I always wanted to be on the screen too. In high school I planned to go to school to be an actor after I graduated, but was met with “oh that’s a BIG dream huh?” My family is very supportive, but I didn’t meet many others who thought I could make it. I’m from a small town, have no connections, and not a lot of theater or film experience because here’s the other issue: I’m terrified. I did a play or two in school and I did short films in college with friends and we won every competition we entered for each one of them. I had so much fun and felt great! But I always struggle with that fear. Auditions terrify me so I’ve never done one. I have no training whatsoever. But people “say” I’m good. I know I look good on camera and I think I could be great if I got more training and just stopped being scared. But I’ve also given up on the dream because I know how hard it is to get in and most of the time you have to be related to an actor or know someone in the business. I’ve just gotten into grad school and I’m pursuing a masters in couple and family therapy because I’m also passionate about being a therapist. I’m excited for it, but once in a while, especially when I see a great movie, I get that nagging in my chest reminding me of that dream. I’m worried that I’m stopping myself and that maybe acting is what I should be doing, what I’m meant to do. I’m just worried that I’m never going to be satisfied and I’m gonna be thinking “what if?” the rest of my life. Will this feeling go away? And is it okay that I didn’t follow this dream? I know I’m not the only ones who feels like this. So how do I cope? TLDR: my first big dream was acting and I gave up out of fear and doubt of my ability to even get into the industry. I’m now going to grad school for my second passion, mental health therapy, and I’m worried that the nagging feeling I have that I’m “supposed” to be an actor and will never be truly happy if I don’t will ever go away.
This is about a particular thing that happened today, but I have seen similar discussions in public forums in the past. Basically, people will say that a thing that happened HAD to be real and unscripted because they could see how emotionally affected the actors were (whether it was actually real or fake isn't really the point of this). Pretty much what they are saying is that they don't think those actors are good enough at acting to fake it. There was somewhat similar discussion when Marriage Story came out and that script-to-screen comparison video was being shown a lot. Non-actors were flabbergasted that the 2 actors were following a script and not just doing improv, because the actors made it seem unscripted. Does this idea that actors can't act just come from people seeing so many bad actors as they grow up, in school plays or something?
I cannot agree with vocal coaches, many of them heavy hitters in the VO industry, who say that non-fiction is harder than fiction. Surely fictional dialogue is the hardest thing that a voice actor will attempt. First, you have endless choices. Let's take anger: Dave yelled. Is that a loud yell? Not necessarily. Dave could be so angry and upset that he tries to yell but the sound gets stuck in his throat. Anger can be quiet; an angry whisper can be menacing. Second, you have degrees of realism; outside of Shakespeare, a stylized sub-genre, everyday people do not speak in a Sir Laurence Olivier monologue from Hamlet. People stutter. People pause in strange places. People um and arr. People drag out words as they think. I am a realistic dialogue guy. At least I try to be. That includes psychological realism; if Joe is running from the fearsome Red Dragon of Death he isn't going to be speaking like a Yale Professor. But in somewhat less extreme situations there's still physicality. PHYSICALITY? You scream that it's only aural. Well, it is: you are still breathing. Breath reflects emotion; if someone is thinking of lying then their breath will subtly reflect that BEFORE they say something. I try to subtly capture that. Thus I will never use an effect to remove all breath until Hell freezes over. Obnoxious breath yes, if that doesn't add something. But remove all breath from a read? Never! I suppose in all this we make our dialogue choices about realism. Such choices make dialogue one of the most creative, fun things in voice over in my opinion. Where do you go on such a realism spectrum? I suppose that there are limits; it's not often realistic to mispronounce every word. Well, a drunk illiterate guy I suppose. Never had one of them - that would be fun to read. By the way as an aside William Shakespeare was a normal, earthy guy; he got fined for keeping too many hops in his shed for making beer. He was not any kind of hippie. He would have said the same curse words that we all say. He would have wanted realistic, earthy performances; Laurence Olivier's Hamlet speech would have bemused Shakespeare quite a bit!
I (28M) am not an actor but my girlfriend (27F) of 4 years is. She has a masters in acting and I met her after one of her plays. 3 years ago she signed with a prestigious tv and commercial agency and since then we’ve been doing self tapes for possible roles. The problem comes with the fact that I’m not an actor, I’m monotonous, can’t sing a lick (no fluctuation in my voice at all). I’m comically bad at reading these lines. I’ve been researching what I can do to help her out, I sit in a line of site so she has a place to look when acting out scenes, I set up the lights and even got a fancy microphone to help with production quality. I also read the best thing an actor can do for self tape is to have another actor to run through the lines so the scene comes off more fluid and real. I can’t help but think these self tapes sound super comical with my monotonous voice in between her acting. Should I start trying to add life into my lines so that it seems more like a scene, or is my monotony not as serious a problem as I think? I have gotten better after the years, but let’s just say there’s a reason I don’t aim for entertainment.
Hi! I’m new to the industry, I have a rep on AA along with their phone number and email, and quite a lot is happening at once within the last week or so, I think i’ve mostly got my Actors Access(AA) account set up, small resume, 2 photos. Should I upload a 6min sides videos? What should I do from here? How do I text my manager/agent? Are they even an agent if I haven’t done official “signing” with them yet? Where can I go from here? Thank u!
Hi so I’m based in London, here’s a quick run down of me! I started going to a part time acting school because I had zero direction in life and was looking to try new things and challenge myself! I quickly found that I fell in love with acting and had great feedback (for a complete beginner). I started setting myself goals like get cast in a small play that the school was putting on, which I achieve! Did a lot of rehearsals but it fell apart due to clashing schedules with other actors, however I was great full for the experience! I then aimed at getting great feedback on a showcase, graded by a top level agency, to which they gave me phenomenal compliments and had no criticism and have achieve small goals around that also! So here’s the question! I have never worked in the industry and have only done part time school so spotlight is out of the running, I am at a complete loss at how to get my foot in the door and start honing my craft, I would love to just get some experience, any advice?
TLDR at the bottom for those who don’t need the background! Hi all and thank you to anyone reading this. I’m not an actor. At best I was a bad slam poet when I was younger. Through a friend who lectures at a local film school, I was invited to audition for a role that both my friend, and eventually the director, thought would suit me. Some of the scenes turned out great but I still wince at some of my wooden expressions. That aside, it was generally a wonderful, if not surprisingly emotionally taxing, experience. The director and I still speak and are on great terms. He’s passionate about film and he’s introduced me to some wonderful art. His enthusiasm is catching! A few months down the line from the screening, he says he’s looking to make some passive income and wants to sell some of the stills to a stock image company. While I don’t plan on, or currently, have a career where my image is a sacred piece of branding, I do like to have control of how my image is used. My previous employer used my pictures for internal marketing and I rejected their request to use it for external purposes for this reason. If this deal is made neither I or the director will have any control over that. I don’t want to prevent him from profiting off his hard work, but I’m having a difficult time deciding if I sign off on the sale. Any advice or thoughts from people in the industry? TLDR: Director wants to sell stills from the film I acted in to make passive income and I’m uncomfortable with the idea of my image being used for unknown purposes.
*We are looking for volunteers, who identify as professional actors or are training to become a professional actor, to take part in a virtual focus group where you will be asked to discuss your experiences with mental and physical health while acting and as a member of the entertainment industry. Participation is compensated and will last approximately 90 minutes. Participation also includes a short questionnaire that will last approximately 5min.* *To learn more about this study, or to participate in this study, please follow the link or QR code below in order to complete an interest and availability form or please contact:* *Principal Investigator:* *Madison Oberndorf, BA* *201-889-5632* [*mo86019n@pace.edu*](mailto:mo86019n@pace.edu) *This study has been reviewed by the Pace University Institutional Review Board.* *Interest and Availability Form link:* [https://pace.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV\_aVK0oxH2XxOFTjE](https://pace.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aVK0oxH2XxOFTjE) https://preview.redd.it/wa7df4cmlqp81.png?width=1294&format=png&auto=webp&s=b68fd01a5331dc2d419dbc648e9b91bc15aabe0d
Dear voice actors, I am developing an Action RPG and need voice actors for the game. Take a look at the trailer to learn more about the game: [https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/256872392/movie480\_vp9.webm?t=1648243147](https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/256872392/movie480_vp9.webm?t=1648243147) If you are interested then please reply to this post or send me a DM so I can share character descriptions and dialogue with you. Participants will be given due credit if their work is approved. Pay rate: between 1 to 100 USD. Terms: payment will only be given if your work gets approved + I will be the copyright owner of the dialogue files
I registered for Central Casting in LA to be a background actor a couple days ago and I've just been waiting to get job offers. It's only been like 2 days but I haven't gotten any emails or texts from casting directors yet. How long does it usually take to start getting offers with Central Casting or is it just random? Is there anything I can do to better my chances? Thank you
I'm a recent drama school grad, and I have an agent (pretty decent - initially things were slow, but for the last few months I've been getting roughly one audition a week). I was with my actor friends, and someone said that getting signed with Curtis Brown is impossible unless you know people to recommend you. And that led me to think that actually I don't know anyone who's (young and new) signed with one of the "top" agents... without having close friends already in the agency, or some kind of connection. That's not to say they are untalented - they're amazing actors. My actor friends were basically saying that the top 5-10 agencies are monopolising the industry. I don't know how much I believe it as I am getting auditions and my agent isn't big by any means, but it led me to think... Is there any validity in this? How much are other actors auditioning? I'd love to hear people's thoughts. The UK industry is very unique and honestly as a recent grad it's hard to understand how it works.
On my last Sub Reddit Voice Acting post, I took everyone's advice about taking Voice Over classes and I have found a Voice Over Class/Studio in my City. My question is what are some Advice & Tips you would give to an aspiring Voice Over Actor? And once I'm able to get done with the Demo, how would you say is the best way I should go about landing a Voice Over role?
Hello everyone, I am a new actor and recently did 2 student slient films. I was just wondering how to put them on my resume, do they still have the same wording (lead, principal, supporting, etc...). For the first film there was a lead (4 out of 6 scenes) and 2 other people in the film (2 out of 6 scenes), I was not the lead. The other 2 roles are benefical for the film but not the main characters, I was wondering would this role be considered principal or supporting or something else. For the second film I was only in 1 very short scene, where I am a security guard and escort the lead out of a building. What would this role be considered. Thank you all for your help in advance. Edit: sorry forgot to mention that I am in Toronto, not sure if that makes a difference or not.
I just signed with a new commercial rep earlier this month. My first commercial rep ever. I've booked a few non union commercials before ever being repped, so I do have some commercial expierence. They mentioned to me how they want me to write down all my skills, how well I can do them, take a picture of me doing each skill and a video. I think this is a great idea, I do. And I've been working on all these materials the last two weeks. I was just curious, do these pictures and videos hold a lot of weight when Casting decides who gets called in for an audition? I'm guessing an agencies submission holds more power then self submitting with these assets? As far as videos go, how long are your skill videos? Can they be a little fancy? (Different camera angles, background music, color corrected, etc.). Not distracting with filters and transitions, just nicely put together VS just a quick iPhone clip. I only ask cause I do cinematography on the side, so I already have the equipment and camera/editing skills. Its fun for me. But I just don't want to overdo it if casting just wants a quick 10 second iPhone clip of me shooting a basketball. Would love any insight!
Do any LA actors have any recommendations for Stage combat or stunt classes in LA specifically designed for actors? Its something I really want to learn. I go out for a lot of bad ass female roles, and I really want to add some stage combat classes to my resume. Stuff like stage fighting (punches, kicks, falls, etc). I found one class but its about $3000 for the week, and thats just not possible for me. Ideally I'd like to find a place that films a fight reel for you after the course is wrapped.
To think I went to my first audition back in 2008..fucking hell that was so long ago. Within my first months or so of acting, I booked the lead feature in a feature film. Holy hell I thought I was hot shit, long story short, I wasnt. If anything, that feature held me back from advancing in my career. Sure, the feature traveled in the festival curcuit and the director turned down a netflix deal, this way before Netflix was Netflix. Blockbuster was still around. But I didn't my first headshot session in till 2010...I didn't really start taking classes till like 2014-2015..I had bookings sprinkled in here and there, small regional commercials and one national. Booked my first speaking role on a network show in 2018. Second speaking role in 2020 on an Apple TV show. I don't even have a moral of the story, all I can say is I have no regrets on my career. Well, I do. I wish I did the professional things sooner. Taking good headshots, training, networking. I thought I was a bigshot because I was the lead in an indie which went nowhere. Well, it was me and 5 others..I'm the last remaining actor, and I was the most non-experienced out of all the actors..and I'm the last who remains in the business. The most talented - he passed away and the rest moved to LA and drowned in the big ocean that LA is.
For context: I am in Los Angeles. I have no official acting experience and no idea how these things work. I have been approached many times for my looks and told that I should look into modeling, etc. I’m half Afro puerto rican and half German/austrian and have an ambiguous look. I used to be a dancer as well. I don’t want to spend a lot of money for an agent or anything, I don’t know how agents work to begin with. I just want to find something to try out, but have no idea how or where to look for audition opportunities. Any advice would be very much appreciated!
Today in Reno there was a public audition for "the celebrity experience" run by Adrian R' Mante who played Esteban in Suite life of Zack and Cody. It was at the Atlantis hotel in this giant ballroom and there were a bunch of people there, they started off by showing everyone a video presentation with Adrian and some other actors who got their start through the program, then they lined everyone up to wait to audition for Esteban himself. What they don't tell you until later is that this program isn't very beneficial if you're broke and I am unfortunately. I got a callback and at first I was really excited and in disbelief because I didn't expect to and up until this point I didn't even think about the cost and that I'd basically be paying a shitload of money that I didn't have for only a .01% chance of maybe getting an agent. So yeah just wanted to vent, I'm bummed, I called out of work and everything before I got a reality check that this wasn't my one way ticket to an acting career. Just wanted to come on here and seek some solace and see if anyone has had similar experiences with things like this.
So I’ve been auditioning a lot on backstage and I just got callbacks for 2 pretty large projects that would take most of my time up the next few months, but I’ve yet to hear anything back. I know that most people ghost actors when they aren’t interested so I’m wondering if it’s ok to continue to audition and submit self tapes even if I have these two projects that I haven’t been rejected from yet. I’m just a little scared that if I continue to audition and I get a role and then find out that I got a role on the bigger projects I’ll have to quit one and wouldn’t want to do that so they have to scramble to find someone new. If you can’t tell I’m fairly new to the acting game
I am going to write my finals in the german equivalent of highschool and I really don't know what I want to do afterwards. Movies have always been an interest of mine and I also often fantasized about acting / being an actor. I never took an acting class or anything and I don't even know if I am a decent actor or not. I am also rather introverted and I assume that will make it more difficult for me. Now to my question: Where do I start acting? How can I find out if I am a good actor or not? Is it a full-time thing or can I study something else at a university and practice acting on the side? Any answers / tips are greatly appreciated.
I’ve been looking for the best place to ask this question, so if anyone knows where I could get the perfect answer please let me know :) sorry if this is the wrong place to put this. I should probably just find a careers counsellor! I am super passionate about voice acting - though I have no desire to actually do any voice acting myself. I’d love to work with and around voice actors, in an adjacent field or just behind the scenes. I’m currently studying Game and Narrative Design at university, and have a degree in Communications as well. I don’t really have a ‘dream job’ right now, but I really want something I can work towards by combining my love of games/writing/communications and voice acting! If anyone has any advice or can point me towards some roles that exist in the industry that I can research, even if it’s the most niche job imaginable, I’d love to hear it!
Hi Reddit! I am 14F, about to be 15, and I think I really want to get into acting but it's difficult to find casting calls around my area that wouldn't interfere with school/education. They're not in my location, and to be honest my parents would probably not be willing to travel to those places for it. After watching the *Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts*, it re-ignited my admiration for actors/actresses, and for a while, I've been wanting to become an actor. In middle school, I was part of a play we did, *Singing in the Rain*. I played a supporting character, and to be honest I was not a very good actor. I don't know how to act, and I've tried to fit acting classes into my schedule since my school offers them but due to graduation requirements sadly I can't fit it in. My hope is one day to be in a big movie like Harry Potter but right now that just seems super far away. I know this post might come across as kind of negative, but it's something I've been wanting to do for such a long time now. Any advice? Thanks in advance. EDIT: Also, if it helps, I'm Asian and I'm pretty average height and build. I'm in high school currently.
I think I’m a very good actor naturally. Since I was young I’ve always played games with my mates and like acted out scenarios and I always thought I was sick Just a few months ago I had some guy who runs some theatre come to my school to help us with public speaking and i was messing about, taking the mic (not of him), just being a class clown kinda thing. And he was loving it, he was saying how he thinks I have a future in acting and how he genuinely sees Hollywood in me. I know he might just be making me feel good, but my whole life people have said comments like that to me. And I just saw a TikTok explaining how there are social media pages who are willing to take up young actors and find them shows and movies to be in (even if it’s a very extra small role). Like I’m not interested in proper theatre though, just show appearances and stuff . My main question is how do I get into that actor kinda thing, like a lot of the people in top boy(show) have never had any experience, how do I get into something like that
I’m a young actor starting fresh at 27. I say my commitment has been great this month to the craft. I’m reading books on acting techniques, acting classes next month. I work out every day! I’m pursuing martial arts, some singing too. In my first ten auditions, I got two callbacks and one gig! (Currently filming) \[I’m still Non-Union and not ready for representation. I need more work under my belt.\] I submitted my headshots and mini slate for the role of a gay teacher, and the emphasis in the character description was a person of colour. (I’m straight) A day later, I got an email from the casting director requesting an audition. It seems like a solid production! It’s SAG-AFTRA, a web series, and the producer worked on ABC for many kids' series. Here’s where it gets tricky: I need to know from any of you seasoned acting veterans on r/acting of how to approach this audition. First: Is it wrong that I applied for this role? Second: There is a scene where my character strips (not full nude). Should I strip or not strip? Now to the hypothetical: I got the part! Oh wait, there’s a gay sex scene. The coordinator is present to guide us through the intimacy, and it feels safe. I’m a try anything once type of person. The questions I have are: 1. Is this a role too big to be played by a new actor? 2. Will this help display my versatility as an actor? 3. Will it draw me back in being typecasted in future productions? Thank you.
1) What should I do in order to start my acting career? I think I should take acting classes but I don’t know of any acting classes in England, the only thing is Stagecoach 2) For anyone who does Stagecoach, is it film and tv acting or theatre acting? I’ve watched a couple of videos about Stagecoach and to me it looks a lot like theatre instead of film and tv 3) How does one get an agent? I read online that you need acting experience, what does this mean? Like taking acting classes or already having had a role? 4) I’ve nearly finished school so this shouldn’t be a problem however if I get a role during school what do I do? Can you simply leave school like that? 5) Is there a major difference between film and tv acting and theatre acting? From what I can tell film and tv acting is more realistic where as theatre acting is sometimes exaggerated. 6) I have a book about acting and it mentions union and non union, could anyone explain what that means? 7) In order to become an actor do I need to take drama as a college degree or A level? Is that necessary? 8) Can one live off being an actor? I understand that you don’t always get the roles you audition for therefore for some time you may not have a ‘Job’ but when you do get a role, does it pay well? 9) American accents. Most casting calls require an American accent and I have a British accent seeing as I grew up in England, is it hard to learn the American accent? Where can I learn an American accent? 10) I don’t usually hear about actors with mental illnesses, could I still become an actor even though I have anxiety? (It’s not anxiety about performing)
I see Second City mentioned a lot for aspiring Toronto actors. However, their description for acting classes seems to revolve around comedic acting. Is it even worth it over places like Armstrong if it’s just catering to comedy? Thanks.
I attend Kimball Studios near Union. Not liking the program, there isn't much sense of community and the teacher-student relationships are abysmal. I don't feel that my art can really grow. Plus...they don't do monologues... wtf.. how do u teach students to audition w.o monologues... How's HB Studio, the Barrows group, or Stella Adler? I'm looking to learn Shakespeare or perform Greek classics. I take acting very seriously, it's an incredible craft. Please if you have any knowledge for an actor in NYC look for Shakespeare/The Classics lmk!
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.
Hey everyone! I’ve been feeling a bit frustrated lately. I was on a nice consistent level of work before the pandemic and that has just completely gone away. I’m not trying to be ungrateful, I work a fair amount for a Canadian actor but lately I’ve been kinda pissed. I’ve been on hold like 6 times with the same casting director and I’m waiting to hear about a supporting role and I know I won’t get it because it’s been about a week and a half. Im trying to focus on my auditions but I’m stuck in this funk. Like I know I’m doing good work because otherwise I wouldn’t be on hold but it’s just so aggravating to not break through. Ughhh just venting. Hugs to everyone.
I don’t mean anything serious like cancer, in which you would have to take a long break. But I also don’t mean like just the sniffles where you can down some DayQuil and keep plugging away. I’m talking about when you get something where you’re coughing up gunk out of your throat every other minute, the glassy bleary eyes, the hugely congested hacking away etc. basically, where it’s bad enough that you COULD come in, but if you come in everyone is going to be like “ew stay away from me” and you’re literally disruptive on the set because you can’t keep your fluids together Lol I know that with theater there are understudies, and with film it could be possible to push back production a day or two. But if you were a series regular in like a sitcom where you’re making an episode a week, or even less, how do they manage that? You can’t really push back production. They’ve got to get the episode done. If you had a guest spot they could replace you, but if you’re a series regular you can’t miss, and you’d be missing the entire episode. I’m not in this position now, but im curious as to what would happen. It’s my spring break right now and I’ve literally been sick the entire week retching and it hit me that how could I do anything like this in a tv show episode that must be finished on a deadline! Thanks
Hey y'all! I'm a musical theatre actor who decided to get a VO setup to do some remote work in between gigs. I've worked consistently on stage since I graduated college but am having a hard time finding a foothold in the VO industry. Where is the best place to find auditions, what demos/materials should I have recorded to showcase myself, and are there any tips or tricks you wish you knew when you first started? As of right now, I've just been recording spots and sending them out. I have a membership to [voices.com](https://voices.com), a pop filter, sound proofing, a scarlet 2i2, a Shure SM7B Dynamic Cardioid Mic, and Adobe Audition so I think I have at least a decent set up to start out
Hello, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this and if it relates to your experience or not? (Hopefully the formatting is not a problem, for some reason it added extra spaces when I copy and pasted it from the doc I wrote it in). I feel compelled to share some stuff about some actor insights I've picked up along the way, and hopefully you get something out of it. I am currently based in Los Angeles and before that I was in NYC. I consider myself a good actor who could have representation but that hasn't happened so far and why will be some of what I talk about. The industry is hell. It just really is. I think there are a lot of good actors around who give up because they get fed up with the grind. There are two sides to being an actor one is the craft of being an actor, the other is being a good business person and a hustler. I believe most good actors are interested in the former, the craft, but the reality is that to get work it is somewhere around 70 - 90% the latter, you just have to hustle, and that stuff can be really gross. All good actors want to be Gary Oldman or Carey Mulligan, or working on a movie with a great director, like Christopher Nolan or Guillermo del Toro etc. but that is such a rare position to be in. And I don't mean in that specific place in the business i.e. an A list actor in a A list directors movie, but to be working on a quality film where you feel satisfied with your work and the project you are in. That work absolutely exists but it is difficult to come across. This concept of the dividing line between the gross business and "authentic craft" is everywhere! Top drama schools do a really good job of walking the line between seeming authentic but actually just being a bit of a machine, and that is what so much of the business is about. There are a lot of independent places to take classes, some of those are authentic with awesome teachers, but a lot of them are hustlers who name drop, sell you their book, and pack their class with as many actors as they can. The reality is a lot of people just see actors as this desperate commodity to exhort money out of, the endless actor targeted spam is a testament to that. Many of the "experts" or gate keepers i.e. acting gurus, or casting directors, get a big power trip out of their interactions with actors. So often for them to like you you have to be really good at kissing ass and being a charmer. In my opinion there is a lot of narcissism in the business and so there is this love hate duality between a lot of people. A lot of casting directors faun over A list actors while looking down at actors who are nobodies. There is something toxic about that to me. I think it's the same reason why some acting teachers and people in the business are verbally abusive. We don't often hear about that but it definitely happens. It is not about being good. You think it would be right? At least I did. I cared about being good, and I still do, because what matters to me is the craft of acting. This is not what matters in the industry. What matters in the industry is being marketable. If a CD of agent thinks an actor is marketable and the actor isn't especially good, they will just hire an acting coach to get the actor up to speed. Then if the audience likes them they will get more work, if not, they will be cast aside. Being good is a bonus that might help your career and longevity but it is not essential. The good and marketable actors are who we see at the awards shows every year, those are the actors we think of, that very small percentage of all the actors in the world. Most others who are working might be good, a lot aren't, many just fit a type. Bryan Cranston is a good example of a working actor who people realized was awesome and so he got better roles and recognition. The majority of the work you come across is not super fulfilling. If you don't have access to well paid work that isn't going to have a large audience, all that is left is that the work itself is fulfilling. That is the most important element in my opinion but that can be hard to find. Let me describe finding work as an actor. If you don't have representation you don't have access to projects with a decent budget, those films are usually good projects or they are at least professional because the filmmakers are taking it seriously or they wouldn't have been able to raise the money, and they have hired professionals who are good at their job. While it does happen, it is rare that the casting department of those films are going to look on job boards. If they do it is usually because they have a particular niche they are casting for. So if an actor doesn't have access to those jobs all they have are the job boards, and those gigs can be tiring to trawl through. The quality of work on offer runs the gamut. There are people who don't know what they are doing and are unprofessional. There are unpaid gigs, which I have gone back and forth on being willing to do. There are jobs that aren't very inspiring or don't sound very interesting to me personally. There are bad scripts. There are jobs that make you feel like a commodity. Those kinds of things can make up the majority in all honesty. Now, you do find awesome projects on there and that is rewarding and satisfying to be a part of. To work on an awesome project that is being made on a shoe string is appealing if you believe in it, but those things are hard to come across. Jobs boards just start to have a natural negative association in your mind, a thing that takes more of you than it gives. Sometimes you look through a job board with optimism and a fresh mind, other times you sigh and scroll. You start to crave better options, but you know you need representation for that so you give up on wasting your time on Backstage and decide you are going to try and get an agent. You decide that concentrating on the craft is not getting you anywhere. You realize you need to work on the hustle. As I mentioned, the hustle is a bit gross. There are arbitrary rules about what you should and shouldn't be doing. It is a Catch-22. You need to already be doing the work to get work, you can't expect an agent to make your career for you. A CD is unlikely to cast you if they have just met you, even if they like you, so you have to be familiar to them. This means sending out postcards, which I've never done, being on Twitter and liking their posts maybe, going to their workshops etc. Hustling. Then maybe you will get a line on a show. It always amazes me to think that those one liner parts are coveted roles. They are hard to get! And yet they mean nothing. That actor has put years into trying to make this work and that might be as far as it goes for them. Or maybe they get another bit part, a slightly larger part etc. Maybe they are lucky enough to get a recurring role. Again though, that might very well be as far as their career goes. It doesn't even come down to whether they are good or not, it's just luck, if someone likes them and they have a part they think they might be good for. Around LA I've met a lot of hustler actors, they are about advancing their careers, they don't have a lot of time for people unless they can advance their career in some way. They can be a bit abrasive in my experience. The best people are the people who are in it for the craft. There are less of those though, especially in LA. The nature of the industry creates hustler actors. Because those are the people that survive or just who you need to be to get work, meanwhile good actors who aren't interested in the hustle eventually walk away. Lastly, there is the lifestyle outside of the hustle. Actors need to be available at all times, your general 9 - 5 doesn't mesh well. So you need a flexible job or a part time job. That means not having health insurance and being paid garbage. Being an actor is a constant expense, you need to be in classes to stay fresh, you need to pay for casting websites, and you need headshot updates. This is on top of your website costs, and maybe if you need to pay someone to edit your materials. I feel like most actors who stop acting do it gradually. They don't want to be broke, and they don't enjoy the hustle, so they work full-time to earn better money and they eventually stop going to auditions because it's too difficult to go to them. They still want to act, and in their mind they haven't given up on it, until one day they have. It's hard to justify when the pay is so low, or the gigs are so infrequent. Bartending and serving is frequently seen as good work for an actor, but that is a job with diminishing returns because eventually it will pay less as you get older. The better paying jobs are going to young attractive people. The experience is also not an investment. Unlike other jobs where the years doing it can add up to better pay. Lastly, I said lastly before but I actually mean it this time. Actors are not respected. That's not strictly true. A list actors are respected, that very small percentage. B and C list actors too. And a bit part might elicit a response from someone not in the industry. But otherwise no. You could say it's even the inverse of respect. It doesn't matter what an actor personally gains from acting, it doesn't matter that acting is an art that is a form of self-expression, that it is a creative act that most people can't do. Most people have even fantasized about being an actor. Most actors have chosen a hard road, and they are doing it because they love it, and/or they are very ambitious and are willing to take a huge risk. No, none of that matters. People only judge a persons choice to act against A list talent. For the most part those people are the only actors that matter, and if you aren't one of them you are seen as a bit of a fool. This is true of no other art form, if you paint, play an instrument, or dance, people will respect it even if you are not doing it at a national level. But acting seems to equal how famous are you. As I kind of mentioned above, respect for an actor even wavers by people in the industry, CDs, agents, teachers, all have variable opinion of actors. As an actor you have to accept that most people will look down on you for choosing to do it. I've mentioned a lot. If it sounds like a mess, it's because being an actor is messy, and that all why most people only do it for so long. There is another way I believe and that is working outside of the system. Personally I no longer care about the industry machine and I just want to work on good projects. I heard it said somewhere that you shouldn't network upward you should network laterally and I really believe that is the best approach. So I am looking to build community with actors and filmmakers who want to make good work. Even if that isn't work with me, I am interested in knowing about what you are doing and supporting your work. I believe that the future is going to be outside of the industry. I think with streaming and how much more accessible film making has become, which is still relatively recent, the future will change. I think there will be more quality work and the industry bureaucracy will one day be a thing of the past. If you interested in connecting feel free to reach out and DM me. See even that sounds gross to me! But I mean that sincerely, this is why I hate the hustle! Either way, would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. TLDR: If you read all of that I'm astounded, if not the tldr is: Being an actor is an industry hustle that a lot of good actors walk away from. I believe the future is in building community and working outside of the industry system.
I (15) might be over reacting, but I can't help but feel upset over this. I'm not in need of advice. It's just a vent I want to make. I'm a leading actor in my school's drama club. My teacher is envolved with some directors. They are making a movie that envolve scenes in my town. She asked me if I'd like to audition for it. I immediately said eyes because it's a small town that is no where near any big filming centers. It's not every day a chance like this pops up. 30 minutes later, she enformes me they found another person for the role. I felt so bad. I couldn't even show them what I'm capable of. It's highly unlikely a chance like that will appear here and I can't move to a place with more opportunities because of obvious factors. I know I should just get over it and wait for other chances, but I hate to lose.
And yes this is for a ***union*** film- and no it is not an indie or a low-budget film. Can *someone*, *somewhere*, *somehow*, PLEASE set some standards/regulations on this stuff in the US! It's absolutely ridiculous that actors can get 14 pages of sides and we're expected to submit the audition tape within 24 hours. If they want us to do a lot of scenes/pages, then fine, but I want at least a week (preferably longer) to memorize it and film it. If they want a quick turnaround (within 24 hours), then fine, but it should be limited to two full pages. I mean, *come on*, the UK has had these sort of rules in place since the pandemic! Okay, rant over. Time to study- and, yes, I will be using a teleprompter.
Hi, all! I just came across [this](https://www.backstage.com/casting/house-of-helsing-462971/) casting notice on Backstage, and it honestly seems too good to be true: non-union with $1500 weekly pay for a series filming in Armenia (which tbh might not actually be the best place to be right now...). The attached sides are good, too, not "just write something so we can get actors". The platform seems legit, if small - but the problem is that I can't find any evidence of any specific individual attached to the production, or a specific production company, or literally any other mention of the project outside of the Backstage listing. Usually I'm pretty good about spotting scams, but I honestly can't tell on this one. It's a "staff pick", but I've spotted scams on Backstage before that they've missed, so I'm not sure how much stock I put in that. I'd skip it, just in case, but one of the characters is *perfect* for me and I need a change or to at least do *something*. If it's real, I *really* want to do it. Would anyone mind being my second set of eyes on this? What do you think?
A story of my audition for a role that I may or may not have blown. Let me know what you think will happen and I’ll let you know how it goes when I find out. Backtrack to two months ago, I saw an open call post on insta looking for actors of my ethnicity for a show on a major streaming service. Side note, its one that is typically not portrayed on the silver screen and these stories are never told. Big names are attached to it so it peaked my curiosity. Did some research and long story short became absolutely obsessed with the lead role and story (its based on a novel). Now here are the problems I faced. - Never acted a day in my life or have any credits to my name. - I’m in my early 20s, they want late 20s. - Although I’d say I’m about a 7/10-6.5/10 with a great set of lips for smiling, don’t have the perfect set of teeth (little insecurity of mine but whatever, lets be realistic here) so I never show my pearly whites. They’re white, just not straight. - Lead is mixed (half and half), I’m technically mixed. As in I’m majority ethnic and 1/16 of the other half they’re looking for so if they ask if I have blood from that side I technically could say yes right? Kind of joking I’d say yes, kind of not. - I have a prominent tattoo on my forearm but that can be covered up easily right? So those are all my “problems”. Other than that I think I’d be great for the role. I resonate deeply with the character and I have younger siblings that can play me in flashback scenes. I’ve in a way had to act all my life due to personal trauma that forced me to grow up fast and put on an act outside of the house so everything seemed okay. So now you have that short backstory I felt like I had nothing to lose so I said fuck it. Sent in that first tape thinking I’d have a 1 in a million chance of hearing back from them. Heard back from them the next morning with a callback. Problem was I was swamped and had 3 days to send in that second tape. Moved things around and rushed to send it off with 3hrs to spare. This may have caused it to not be my best work but better than nothing or late. From there I thought I’d hear back within a week or so. A week went by, silence. Followed up just to make sure they got the 2nd tape. Another week went by, silence. At this point I’m like “eh whatever they’re probably busy”. Two weeks went by, no response. At this point you’re probably telling me to shut the fuck up and stop harassing this poor casting assistant but I was just worried that they thought I missed the deadline and didn’t see my tape. So I followed up, with a word vomit email of how I thought I was perfect for the role and was born for this. Yeah I know, so embarrassing… I read the email today and was like “if they weren’t gonna call me before, they definitely won’t now”. Anyways at this point I’m like yeah thats dead so I left it and accepted my 1 month episode of wanting to be a big name actor was over and moved on with my life. Story hasn’t ended though. Yesterday I was lounging around and for some reason just felt the strong urge to look into the project again. Found out through various forum posts from people that now theres no deadline for the open call anymore and they’re still looking. They plan on shooting this summer so I guess that’s pretty soon? Read around and heard sometimes actors get casted a month prior to production so maybe not? Anyways, I go through my old email with the casting assistant and clicked on the link for the old sides because I just wanted to read it again. There was something about acting like someone else that brought me comfort and joy and I just wanted to feel that again (kind of going thru a moment in my life where I feel like trying is better than not trying). Opened the link and there it is, a new side with different material I hadn’t seen before. He updated it 3 weeks after I sent in my 2nd tape. In that moment I knew I had quite literally nothing to lose because I probably already lost it. They probably sent this to other potential leads to get their third tapes which was never requested of me. Meaning they’re probably no longer thinking of me for the role. Well shit, what’s the worst that could happen? They say no and I finally get the peace of mind that maybe this isn’t for me? Or they don’t respond within a month and then I also realized its not for me? Yeah fuck it. Read through the 3 minute scene and memorized all the lines and direction immediately (4 characters). Threw the camera up and acted out the leads part in one take while simultaneously imagining the other characters lines in my head (because I have no friends available at the moment, they’re all busy). Went behind the camera while it was still rolling to read out the other characters lines in different voices. Threw it all in Premier(video editing software) and synced up off camera characters lines to my one take with vocal pitch shifts for them to distinguish characters. Made a title card that looks like the novels cover except instead of a line sketch of the lead, I photoshopped one of me. Added minor sfx to make it sound a little better but made sure it wasn’t distracting. Then sent that thing off. All within I’d say 2hrs? I’m a video editor/videographer by trade so I’m able to do that part fast. I’ve obviously not received a response yet with me sending it just under 24hrs ago but my expectations are that they’re gonna see it, read my email where I said it was a shot in the dark and that I know this was never asked but I wanted to have rather tried to than not, they’ll have a laugh, and never call me. And I’m completely okay with that. I had a fun time filming the self tape and I’m going thru quite the rough patch in my life right now, won’t go into details but I’ll be honest, it could be worse and I’m probably just being a big baby. All my friends told me its tough but then again, with all that’s going on in the world right now I’ll be fine. Anyways, enough with the tangent, do you think I’ll hear any response from the casting company? I think I’ve put the nail in the coffin with this one so I’m moving on but just wanted to get this little story off my chest.
Hey guys! I have a bit of training from a few years ago in college (will also take new classes in a month) and just was the main actress in a small music video. My main thing is Stand Up, I also think I have a pretty good look, (young Asian chick). Do you guys know if there will be any agencies that would take a chance on me?
Alright r/acting \- let's see if you can help ease my overly-analytical brain. I'll try and keep this short. Hopefully this post can belong here. 30/f/LA Graduated BFA Acting from a major US conservatory. Waited tables for 10 years while also booking occasional work up until March 2020. I'm a really good server, and worked in some incredible restaurants, but definitely felt burn-out. Tired of the guests, honestly. Post-pandemic I wanted to re-enter the "side job" world in a different environment/position. Well, a year ago, an opportunity presented itself to work administratively at a super dope, conceptual business in the heart of Los Angeles, and I took it. I'm now working in hospitality but more through a music lens, and it's been super cool, but it's SO much more responsibility for somewhat similar pay. I'm talking accounting, building management, staff training, AND the business is open 24 hours. I'm kind of always on-call, I work 5 days a week 9-5 in-person, I'm the M.O.D half the time I'm there, and I often think "what would they do if I were to book something". They need me there, and they barely pay me $25/hour, and I'm now salaried so they can basically call on me anytime they need, and the one person above me (GM) is about to go on maternity leave. I now feel trapped, and I miss the lack of responsibility that serving provided. I also kind of miss the whole "production" of serving tables - it feels very similar to theatre. And I love love LOVE food & wine. Everyday when I leave my current job I barely have the mental bandwidth to be creative, go see a show, meet up with friends, take a class, or just be a part of my community. I'd love to hear from actors who maybe thought they wanted to leave the service industry for something else, but struggled with balancing a 9-5 job w/ acting. With so much responsibility on my plate, and not great money, it just really makes me miss the hustle of a dinner shift, and the camaraderie of most the servers in LA being artists.
I’d say I get a casting call invite for a Tv show a few times a month. Are these legit? The profiles seem legit. I was wondering why they keep sending me messages? Is it something that is sent out to thousands of people? How exactly does it work if you follow through with it. Also I’m not an actor nor have any interested, just curious
Hi all. I am interested in finding out what the going audiobook rate is, what it should be and also, when there are 10 to 50 characters in an audiobook, (with tons of character interaction between narration), what a good rate is then? I have been a voice actor for 11 years. I find the majority of clients offering meagre and really low rates for audiobooks in general, but it undermines the profession and one's value, particularly if you're capable of making each character sound unique and constantly having to switch tones and accents etc. With the voice over industry becoming flooded with newcomers, (and I understand that many are trying to keep their heads above water), I would appreciate your thoughts and comments on this. Thank you in advance!
I’m a successful commercial actor with loads of theatrical training struggling to get theatrical auditions. I only have two co-star credits and a couple of film credits one film where I was the lead- they turned it into a docu-drama though : / I have a manager who reps very busy working actors and she seems to really know her stuff. Their actors are always booking and I really only hired her to help me theatrically, but since December of 2021 I’ve had 4 theatrical auditions! One recurring guest star, one series regular (for a soap), and two co-stars. I felt great about all of those but that’s just not enough auditions! Meanwhile im booking a couple of commercials a month so im making this manager money. I did have a baby in July so I took time off, but before I was showing and about 4 months after my baby was born I was back in the commercial game and booking nationals. And I’m cute y’all. Im ethnically ambiguous and I’m really confident in my acting as I’ve had loads of training. My manager says wants me to book a big gig before she shops me to the agents she works with, but says im not getting called in and they’re not sure why. I think I have enough footage/clips on AA. Im a bit bewildered and wondering what gives? Btw my manager is able to submit as an agent on AA. Should I put more pressure on her to at least get me meeting with agents to get their feedback even if it’s “get more credits” somehow? I hate to think my manager is stringing me along for the money I’m making commercially- i don’t really think so. I wonder if I’m giving off a bad smell through my profile somehow…
Heyo looking for inspiration here. What actresses (no males please, we all know the world views older men different from older women sadly) started acting in their 30s? I don't mean "had their break through but started drama school when they were 20" - I mean, actually had their first acting classes in their 30s and continued rocking it and paying their bills with acting? I knowwww none :)
So I have a question that might sound stupid but basically I've been told times and times again that I look a lot like a certain actor (only thing changing is the eye colour fr) and I wanted to know how can I stand out? When I get my big breakthrough I really don't want to be known as “X's look alike” for those curious the actor is Timothée Chalamet (yes I even have the same concave jawline, brown curly hair and all that jazz)
Hello everyone, I recently became SAG eligible and I was wondering if it's worth it to join in if I am mainly doing background. I've been asking the union bgs I work with and opinions have been split. Some say they get less work after joining SAG while some say they're working pretty much all the time since joining. If possible, I would like to hear what the union BG actors here think. I personally would like to join because the pay gap between union and non-union is massive. Plus, I still think that there's more opportunity working as SAG. Thanks!
I've done some Meisner in the past, and it was fantastic. A discontinuous step up on the level of my acting. I'm in a new city where I can't find a Meisner coach (small city, local language isn't English). I've started reading Meisner's book ("Sanford Meisner on acting") and I can recognize the sequence of exercises I did with my coach (plain repetition, subjective repetition, adding changes, entering the room, independent activity,...). This makes me think there's an established way to go about it. I'm thinking of getting together with some fellow local aspiring actors, and just going through the exercises (I know it's not ideal without a coach, but it's probably better than nothing). My question here: **is there a "guide" detailing the sequence of exercises one should do**, as per my example above? If there isn't one, I'll just go through Meisner's book taking notes and go with that, but perhaps something like that already exists. Thanks in advance!
I am an actor who struggles with self-judgement and negative self-talk constantly both in daily life AND on stage. I wonder if CBD helps. But at the same time, I somehow feels like a looser if I take them, just because that’s an external support. Any opinion about taking CBD when you act professionally will help. Thank you!
Hi! Just wanted to pass by here and ask if having dyed hair that doesn't match your "look" will decrease your chances of getting cast? I'm asian, so like 99% of the asian population and therefore the "stereotype" is that asians have dark hair even though in real life I know a lot of fellow asians who've dyed their hair. Even in Asian cinema/tv, a lot of the actors have dyed hair. I personally have dyed my hair copper since I was 16 and I still love it, but as far as I've watched media, I don't think I've seen any asians in English TV or Films that have dyed hair. There are already so little opportunities for Asian actors, so I'm wondering if having dyed hair will further diminish my chances. TIA :)
Hi! So I’m an aspiring actress. I’ve been doing it for years now, and I am currently studying for my BFA in acting. 2 years ago I started my first low budget movie and it recently came out to a few streaming services. It wasn’t very good at all. I (probably shouldn’t have done this) went through the comments and reviews most of which were negative. Now I feel terrible and i’m pretty embarrassed. I keep trying to stay positive and listen to my friends and family’s encouragement (they also thought it was bad) but it’s not working. I’m kind of struggling to accept it and i’m at a loss right now. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated!
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.
