I’m a bit too eager to start building my reel so I’ve been self submitting for everything I’m interested in on actors access. But I live in WA and recently got asked to self tape for a non paying student film in California… I then started thinking whether that is worth flying for… I guess my eagerness is overshadowing logic because that doesn’t seem like a bad idea….but is it a bad idea?
This sounds dumb at first, so let me elaborate and hopefully it will sound less dumb. I know a lot of VA's use various techniques to create a voice or make their voice sound different. i.e. various cartilages in their throat, pitching up and down, nasality, fry, etc. But sometimes I see voice actors go into a voice that just seemingly sounds like a completely different person's voice, without any obvious usage of these other things. It's like they're strictly changing the timbre of their voice without even changing the pitch much or anything. Let me know if you would like some examples, I recently noticed it heavily when watching the newest episode of Critical Role, with Liam O'Brien's character, then I looked into him and seems to be able to do this a lot.
While the goal of many voiceover newbies is to get a professional demo produced (it's a very exciting thing!), please stop rushing into getting one. **If you think you're ready for a demo, first ask your coach if you're ready, then ask a professional, successful full time voice actor if you're ready**. If you do not have a coach, you are likely not ready for a professional demo. If you do not know a voice actor you can get confirmation from, feel free to message me and I can give you my honest opinion. Remember, many coaches financially gain from your demo, whether they produce it or get a kickback from a referral to a demo producer. That's why it's important to get a second opinion from a successful voiceover artist. If you're going to be doing any real marketing with your demo or applying for jobs, **you need to use a** ***reputable*** **demo producer**. Reputable demo producers will write scripts for you based on your voice, they will make sure your demo fits the current voiceover climate, they will coach you through your demo production, they will make it sound perfect, and *good* demo producers will also tell you you're not ready for a demo. If you're told "no", it's probably for a reason. I've seen so many people get their demos made by someone who has no business producing demos because it was cheap or because they bought their voiceover courses online and this was the next step. Demos are expensive. They are an investment. Do not get your demo made without knowing absolutely-for-certain that you are ready for a demo, and without doing your researach. The only thing worst than a crappy demo is a crappy demo that you paid hard earned dollars for. If you want to find a reputable demo producer, ask successful voiceover artists who made their demo, or look which producers have won SOVAS awards. Reputable demo producers will charge around $1,500 for a demo. Note: DIY demos are an entirely separate matter.
I live in NYC and I believe I’m SAG eligible with 3 Union vouchers but I’m waiting until I’m a must join so I can take some classes then build up a reel and resume. I know background work is a different thing from principal work but I was wondering if anybody has been able to do both? I get booked as a lot of different races with a lot of different looks because of my ancestry and the different hairstyles I go between (afro, braids, ponytail) and I’m just trying to maximize the amount of work I’d get if I’m ever a must join. I’d even be cool with being a stunt driver after I’ve had some classes for that as well. I’ve got a license but still saving up for a car Sorry if it’s a dumb question to ask but I’ve got nobody else to ask and idk how I’d look this up on google
I’m a young actor in Chicago and I’m just starting my career. I want to apply to things on Actors Access but they always ask for a reel which I don’t have. My question is, can I use self tapes I’ve recorded in the past for a “reel”? Or should I avoid it in general and just apply without a reel?
Ive only been in five acting classes so far, did an actors showcase for my city’s film summit, have no reel, and only recently managed to get one audition this Sunday for a student film (which I’m extremely grateful for) but had no luck self submitting on actors access (makes sense because I don’t have any media or enough on my resume). An acting teacher of mine was willing to introduce me to her agent, but should I take it up when I’m so inexperienced? Or should I wait till I have more on my resume but I’m struggling to get anything so will an agent help when I’m such a beginner?
I’m a background actor who has gotten a few roles that have granted me TH waivers. I have 3 TH waivers currently, which I understand makes me SAG eligible. I’ve just been offered another role which would be my 4th waiver. Would this 4th waiver make me a must join? Looking at the SAG eligibility checker, it says I’m still not eligible. I assume it takes a while to update, and my 3rd waivered role was only a few weeks ago. Any advice would be appreciated!
Question for you all! I live in LA and am rep'd here with both a theatrical agent and manager. While I've had a handful of auditions, work has been slow for me and I know a big part of that is that as an actor with so few credits and studios currently seeming to be unwilling to take risks on no-name actors, I've turned my sights to other markets where it might be a little less competitive. I'm wondering if it's worth it to seek an agent in another market like Atlanta or New Mexico? Is it normal to have multiple theatrical agents? Seems like some people do but I also don't want to cross my current reps by seeking it out if it's not commonplace. Also it's easy for me to travel for callbacks, etc. so not being near the market isn't really an issue for me in terms of accessibility.
I've been studying acting and improv for over a year and have just freed up time to audition for some simple roles. I was approached on backstage by The Dinner Detective for an audition. The teacher, cop, detective is one of my main archetypes so thought this might be a good opportunity to start developing the character and get paid for it. But, I've never heard of the production. Apparently they have live shows all over the southeast U.S. Just curious if this group is good to work for and if this live improv format is going to be productive or will it be counter-productive for development as a screen actor.
Im Looking to make a move towards the end of 2022/early 2023 ... I figured its very hard to get a O-1 for the states (I have solid regional and European touring credits in and a few Short films but after attending a load of seminars I realised its a little far off) and would love to work a little more in film, however I really fancy a change of scene (fed up of Brexit Island), new adventure and I would like to try my luck in the Canadian market as I can do a solid to native standard GenAm as well as my native RP/London - I also love the people, scenery and general vibe. If I am sensible at the end of the summer I will have a nice solid chunk of money to use to support me/pay for rent upfront/pay for classes etcAny advice or thoughts on programmes? And indeed what visa you went for? I am 27/will be 28 so might consider the exchange scheme or entry as a professional actor! Would love any tips, tricks, suggestions and experiences of markets in Toronto and Vancouver! (or even elsewhere, im very open) Thanks!
Is there a consensus of what websites are best for an actor to use, is there a lowdown of differences between actors access vs casting frontier, vs, backstage, vs. ??
Looking through imdb and noticed some speaking/principle roles that certain actors have played were labeled as “uncredited” in parenthesis…when they clearly had a role and lines. Why is this ?
Recently my school has wanted us to really think about our careers, and something I love more than anything is acting. I’ve played in a dozen musicals or plays, drama club member since the 7th grade, never feel anything more amazing then performing on stage. My parents have always been supportive of all my acting stuff, so I thought I would be fine to tell them I could pursue a career in acting. I was shut down immediately. Don’t get me wrong, becoming an actor is HARD and I know it’s not the easiest path. I’m practicing, learning, putting so much effort into acting, it’s something I really want to do. But my mom saying I would need a different job and acting to always be some side thing I do on weekends… it’s hard to hear. There’s always a chance another career I like will pop up, but I’ve never enjoyed anything like I do acting. If I power through, put the effort, get training keep on working and working towards this, will it actually work? Or will I just have to accept that I can never become a person who acts full time. (Sincerely a distressed teenager who’s want to make sure her goals are realistic enough that she can actually pursue them)
My against is also an actor He said he will help with making a demo reel and find scripts for me to join his commercial division. Every so often I'd ask him about the scripts and I know they are busy so I tend not to spam or prod a lot. So my question is do agents like to see persistence? He said he liked my persostamce but is it the right thing? I took it upon myself to find a few short scripts to show him and he can help pick out the right one for me. Is this a good thing? I don't want to be pushy but I am so excited.
So, I’ve been in a couple of different acting schools during my years in LA, one of which I did 2 year full conservatory program. But since I always wanted to learn the Meisner technique, I started taking classes at a Meisner school a while ago. The beginning classes was really fun. Learning a new technique was sooo exciting and I was looking forward to class every time. But now that I advanced to intermediate…not as fun. I don’t know what it is? I don’t feel challenged at all. This may sound stupid, but a lot of the intermediate and the advanced students (we had class together with advanced for a couple of weeks) are to be frank pretty bad actors. Basically all of them aside from maybe one or two. And not only does it worry me that they’d advance just like that even if they don’t seem they’re ready to do so, but what bothers me even more is that the teachers say to everyone that they’re great after every performance. And tbh 90% of the performances are NOT even near great or good. I can’t have teachers that I don’t trust will tell me the truth if I’m doing good or bad. But I soooo wanna learn Meisner and feel like I should continue taking the classes because this is what I want. And that maybe it’ll get better. I would really appreciate some advice!
​ Some of the invites I get for projects turn out to be porn. But before I hit decline, just opening the app is interpreted as acceptance. I can't find a way to go back and decline. Also I resent having to login after it's already emailed me and taken me to the web page. I should automatically be logged in and stayed logged in. But it never lets me stay logged in. Even when I click on Update Application there is no option to decline. And what is up with seeing " Need to request payment from the owner of this project? Get started › " at the top? Backstage is starting to feel more like Onlyfans but less user friendly. Actors Access is way easier to use.
I have seen a lot of English dubs in anime, and I kinda wanna get myself involved with voice acting in dubs. Do any of you have advice or any tips on what I have to do before I can attempt to be an actor at Funimation or something like that.
So I'm trying to work up the nerve to record my voice so I can start doing storytime animations. I have everything set up, but I've been having a lot of anxieties about recording my voice I know that this is something that a lot of people deal with when they first start out, but in my case, it's a bit more complicated. The problem comes from my voice itself which I have a few insecurities about. Despite being a 22 adult male, I don't have a deep voice. At all. I mean I know a lot of men complain about having a non deep voice but mine is REALLY baby I've been told that I have a great vocal range and I'm not a bad actor, but hearing how high my voice gets when I have a lot of energy in my performance (which is 90% of the time) just feels really embarrassing. I sound like a kid no matter what the situation. One person said that I would be a great fit for the nerd, funny friend, scientist or young hero. And while I understand that there's just as much a need for those characters as any low ranged, badass action hero, I'm still not sure how I feel about the idea of only being suited for those roles Is there any way I can start to appreciate this voice of mine more?
Anyone know of any good companies out there that can help out with my demo reel. Or better yet are there any pro voice actors here that could help me out with it? I have one put together but would like some professional opinions. Thanks y'all!
I'm directing my first short soon. After watching a few videos, and reading a few directing books, I'm seeing that it's a good idea to pull an actor aside to give them notes, instead of in front of the other cast and crew. I’ve seen many posts, videos, essays, etc. on using the right words, and speaking the actors’ language, but I'm trying to figure out the actual mechanics of it. It feels like pulling someone aside between **every** take draws as much attention as just giving quick direction from where I am; especially if there isn't a lot of resetting for the rest of the crew to do. Can someone go into the nuts and bolts of how they’ve been given notes from directors they’ve enjoyed working with? I’m looking for things like: Are you and/or your scene partner(s) pulled aside after every take? If you're the only one getting notes for that scene, are you separated from your scene partners? Or are you given the notes together? What are the words used? Is it something like: “Cut! Good, thank you. Everyone take a minute. John/Jane can I get a second over here?” > Walks to side area to give notes. Basically, what does giving notes "look like" after saying ”Cut”? Thanks!
https://www.famestreet.com/cgi-bin/members/pm.cgi?action=display&login=id-fantastic-ww&session= Hi, so sorry if this is a very stupid question, but I’m a teenage boy and would really like to be an actor someday. I found this listing in class to be an extra in the new fantastic beasts (sorry if that’s wrong, I’ve never seen or read any Harry Potter but I would like to try out anyway). I haven’t got any acting experience (hence why I’m looking to be an extra) but think I’m decent as I’ve done some training by myself. Just wondering if the website and listing is real!
To give some backstory, I am in Uni for theatre acting, we are a few weeks away from performing our play, and it's clear that one of our ensemble mates is in a really bad headspace, obviously I'm not a therapist, and depsite majority of us in the cast being pretty close with one another, I dont know everything about their life. The issue is (despite of course someone I consider a friend clearly suffering) is that, they are now inflicting that suffering onto the rest of the cast. The negativety has gotten real toxic. The director is aware and has tried talking one on one with said actor but there's been no change. They're just...mad about every single aspect of the play, and it's probably exasperating whatever other outside factors that's going on. Idk what to do at this point, I did try to talk to them (I thought we were close enough friends to do that) but I got stonewalled. They are a rather great actor imo but a good chunk of us can't get excited about the work because we know that its just gonna be a wave of negativity once we're on break. Idk what to do, ignoring the problem seems like the only way to go, and I know that we are a cast/coworkers before we are friends, but it's just a shit situation. Any tips on how to deal with this?
Yes, it is the same story as everyone else’s. I’m from a small town that’s an hour away from any cities. Even the bigger ones have little to no market outside of local commercials (which are EXTREMELY competitive- no agent, no audition). There are five reputable theatres within thirty miles of me and they rarely cast minors (I am a student, very important). In two years of looking I’ve gotten one audition. Didn’t get it btw. When I put in the appropriate filters to Backstage’s search, 0 jobs with 0 productions were found. I haven’t tried Actors Access because I couldn’t travel for any roles even if I wanted to. I’ve done classes, group and private. I’ve looked for summer programs out of state— they are all veeerrrryyy expensive. I WANT to do theatre. I want to start there and build a strong foundation in my performance style. I could try to get an agent for tv and film now, but I feel like I wouldn’t be prepared. I’m drawing a blank and it is exhausting. I have decent connections. Great ones, actually. A guy I know has been in several shows and movies with Oscar winning actors, a girl I did class with is starring in a show, my uncle is a producer. But I don’t want to milk those relationships. I feel as though I can’t go to them and ask for something they are not prepared to give to an unexperienced actor! Y’all please help me. I’ve read the FAQ and the sidebar and everything else. I am tired and a little heartbroken. I will gladly accept any advice or ideas, just please take a minute and think about my situation.
I’m curious because my fuel for acting is something that’s changed so dramatically since starting college, graduating 2 yrs ago and then again during covid lockdown. What’s beyond “I just love it :)” like why though? Or “I love storytelling”, again why? I’ve been investigating. Right now I see acting, especially doing theatre, as taking life on. Fully! Creating a living creature and breathing life into them. Having the joy of experiencing and sharing an adventure of this human experience. Having the ability to channel and be a vessel for something larger than myself that still exists within myself. Acting allows me to expand and understand myself and this world a bit better. Am I making sense hahahaha TLDR: I would ~love to hear everyone’s relationship to their craft! (Also bonus question: do you identify as an artist? Cause I surely do though I feel lacking in comparison to my other artist friends, such as musicians and poets, since I haven’t fully started creating my own content…yet! Anyone relate?)
I'm interested in getting into voice acting, but my birth name is just so plain sounding. I know that other actors have stage names and writers have pen names. Is there anything like that for voice actors? If so, how could I be paid under it instead of my birth name? Would I have to make a whole new bank account for it?
I remember trying to see a film with Toby Maguire in it after the Spider-Man trilogy and it felt like I couldn’t let go of the fact that that’s Spider-Man and not the character Maguire was playing. For some reason I feel like the same phenomenon is happening through social media accounts with actors. You don’t truly know them but you’re still able to get to know this “character” all too well. Almost like they’ve been Spider-Man for a few years and now every movie I see them in reminds me of the person they project as through social media. Certain actors understand the importance of staying out of the lime-light in order to have a greater acting range, such as Daniel Day-Lewis and Joaquin Phoenix. However, new actors seem to have to rely on social media in order to sustain a longer lasting career in film. Almost like becoming heartthrobs with the younger audiences, but on a much more intrusive scale than actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio ever experienced. Is this the future of acting? Or am I looking too deep into this?
Hey guys, I hope everyone is doing well so far! I’m looking for some advice regarding acting in the UK. I shall be staying in Newcastle Upon Tyne in Northumberland from January until May. I’m very excited about my trip and my goal is to get into acting for British film and tv during my stay. I was wondering does anyone have experience and particular advice breaking into the British entertainment industry, specifically in the Newcastle region. What are the main differences between their work and the work in NYC? Are there any particular communities/networks/ online groups for actors I can join? P.S. I already found a local talent management and acting school I can apply to and I am wondering is there anything in particular I should be aware of before applying?
I'm new to all this, and I received the following message from casting after a small audition for a really small, 1-5 line role, in an Indie film (non-union, with established indie actors confirmed). This was sent to me after my audition, on 10/19 (6 days ago). Filming is for late November. "At this moment our Director is making final decisions. The Director really liked your look and is asking to place you on 1st refusal/ strong hold for shoot dates. Once final decisions are made we will notify you." I'm wondering what the normal amount of time to wait to hear back might be, and how long I should wait before checking in. There's no easy contact info for the production, but a quick google pointed me to contact info for casting. I'm hesitant to get in touch incase this is a normal amount of time (given the weekend and all). Or is it wishful thinking to believe that they'll bother getting in touch? Was that a canned message I received? Looking forward to any thoughts! Thanks!
One of my regrets after booking a marvel series was I had no publicity when it came out. (I was a no name) / I just got my first major part in a film (you’d know the company) and I’m hoping to get some kind of publicity when it comes out - I know I can’t go to the big dogs when it does come out Bc I ain’t no A lister but it certainly is another strong credit and I’d like to make the most of this opportunity. Any advice for a non CAA/WME person?
I think this is probably the best place to ask for help so here it goes. I am an actor from the UK and (as the title of the post says) I am looking for a change. I would love to move to the US and become something I can be proud of. I’ll get to the point now and ask my question. Are there any agents that I can contact in and around the Texas area? Like Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and the like. Thank you for any help in advance.
So in a nutshell I have a decent boutique/mid-level agent but I'm not getting self tape requests/auditions for scripted TV/film. Each day it gets to 6pm when the offices close, I check my emails and there's nothing. It makes me feel so low and like I have no future in this job if I can't even get auditions, and makes me ashamed of the stuff I've done that's out there eg) showreel as it probably puts people off. On the rare occasion I DO get a tape-request which isn't for a commercial or more than just a 2-liner, A) the writing is pretty much always lousy so it's harder to do good work, and most importantly B) I get so anxious that I cannot focus on preparing properly, like my energy is just all over the place and I get overwhelmed and cannot delve deep into the scene prep - just skimming the surface or procrastinating, and then when it gets round to filming I completely tense up to the extent that my whole body is actually in pain and I cannot breathe and all my mouth and throat muscles clench up so I can't talk properly, or I'll over-act because I'm trying to make the most of the opportunity and myself stand out, or I'll just be emotionally numb and skim the surface of the scenes which usually happens in person. I also often film countless takes and editing takes hours so on a few occasions my tapes have been an hour or so after deadline. So the very few tapes I do get are always crap, and probably put the casting director off ever having me tape for them again. I also don't really have many friends and I live alone, quite far from the few actors I know, so for tapes I usually record the other person's lines and leave gaps for my lines.. so I'm doing these tapes just alone with myself which is never enjoyable that's crap too. I'm getting so paranoid that casting directors or casting assistants are sort of gossiping about actors and telling eachother not to see certain people because they are crap. So I'm just stuck in this horrible limbo where I can't get opportunities but when they come, they are so rare that I freak out and do a crap job. I have severe ADHD, depression and anxiety, also undiagnosed body-dysmorphia but cannot afford to have therapy. I don't really have anyone I can talk to. I just don't feel like I'm a good actor anymore... I've become so self aware, tense and wooden. Will give you some info about myself as an actor to put this into context: I'm a represented actor in London, UK. I'm female, white, straight and in my late 20s but my casting is more 20-25 (genuinely-I look unusually young for my age and have young skin). I did not go to an accredited drama school but have done a lot of classes. I started in the industry in 2015 and went on a career break in late 2018 before starting again in March/April this year. I intended to take just a year out but covid happened so the break was more like 2.5 years. Before I went on my break, I had reached a point where I was auditioning and taping well and I had confidence, felt comfortable in my skin and was emotionally available. I won't delve too deeply into why I took a break but it was due to the agent I was with being incredibly bitchy and a bully, not being able to secure new rep afterwards, having additional personal problems... I was mentally unwell and completely lost my ability to trust myself. From 2015-2018 I gained professional experience (legit, with casting director) playing small speaking roles & some larger guest roles on TV/film. None of the roles were that great though, and my performances are pretty shit... and I look awful in everything... so I kind of feel that those jobs have done me more harm than good in the long run. I have never done nudity/sex scenes and do not audition for those roles. I have never really had opportunities to work professionally in theatre or radio due to my lack of formal training. So I guess this limits the amount of auditions I can get. I'm kind of pretty but not pretty enough to play the pretty roles; kind of quirky/edgy looking but not unusual looking enough to play the weird/misfit roles. But then I also don't really look "average-looking" either... like I don't have a "corporate" vibe. I'm not sexy or don't really have sex appeal but then I'm also not like innocent-looking or sex-less. I often get seen for gay roles but I'm not actually gay or even bi, although I guess I have that vibe? I'm not athletic/like an action hero, I'm not plus size but I'm also not like underweight so that also makes me hard to place. And in terms of "class" I'm also kind of inbetween. I'm sort of lower-middle-class from suburban London and have a pretty basic accent... so I'm not really posh enough to play posh roles but I'm not working class enough to play working class. In the UK they also like to cast true to the setting so unless you're famous they don't really consider - for example - non-Scottish/Irish actors for a Scottish/Irish character etc. They sometimes scrape the bottom of the barrel and cast people who have eg) a Jewish grandparent or an Irish mum for respective projects but I have no interesting sort of family history... I'm just very standard/boring lower-middle-class-suburban/homecounties......where nothing ever seems to be made (in the UK). But maybe there aren't many roles for people with playing age in their 20s? I have spoken to my agent a few times raising my concerns but I'm always told not to worry and there's never any transparency as to why I'm not getting seen. They say they are pushing me and I guess I have to trust them, but I guess casting directors just think I'm shit or not good enough for decent roles. Or maybe my agency is pushing me but like in a half-hearted way / or they think I'm ok but not worth investing loads of time/attention on, like they don't think I'm amazing or a future star. I don't necessarily aspire to be a huge leading star actor, but sometimes I feel like your agent has to believe that you have that in you so that they can get you frequently seen for good roles. And by "good" role i don't just mean leads or even series regular etc, I just mean something that is more than 3 lines without any nudity/sex. I don't know if I'm just being spoilt or entitled about this? Maybe this is how it is for everyone after covid, or maybe I should expect less after taking so much time out of the industry. It's been seven months since i got my agent and there's only been about 5 decent opportunities...none of which were even really that great tbh.
I already live in LA so I don’t see any reason to leave. What benefits are there to being based in LA as an actor? Most actors I know are from New York so I know a lot more about that world. Are there any specific things in LA to take advantage of that other areas can’t offer?
I saw a quote on Twitter in regards to BDSM erotica that I agree with (being in that lifestyle). Not verbatim but they said something along the lines of “that this is a form a theatre, a different style of actors, and a more layered form of sex”. I’ve come “out” as kinky this year and notice a lot of actors are in that boat (or was or what have you). Now that there is a push for normalizing kinks and legitimizing sex work, should entertainment be more lax with sex content? Would it be so bad if a guest star level actor made fetish material on OF? Would it be a tactical move for a movie to hire a famous cam girl for, say, an indie horror movie? And if not, what does shows like “*Bonding*” “*Fifty Shades of Gray*” “*Kinky*”,or Fuse’s “Sex Sells” intention, if the industry only writes them in as a joke? *”Marcy learns something new”*is about a middle aged woman who forges a new passion out of being a dominatrix. Many people have personal breakthroughs with sexual discovery. What day you thespians?
I am used to self-represent myself and work full time as a host and actor thanks to that. However, I got no roles from confidential breakdowns (which I have access to) for the past year, even though I booked a good amount of union and paid non union work on social media (my agent allows me to do that). A great agent wanted to sign with me but I was afraid I would lose my freedom if they were dealing all my contracts. I already work full time in my industry and didn’t want to lose the jobs I already have and lose 15% on that. I often get the job because I am the first one to answer and I would have missed those opportunities with them. I was also uncomfortable telling them I was often already booked 5-6-7 days a week on other contracts and wasn’t always available for them. So I decided to go back with my ex-agent who is more simple but absolutely doesn’t mind that I get tons of contracts on my own without giving him any money, that I do « public personality » jobs as I call them (testimonies, documentaries, reality shows, etc), totally understands that I am not always available and loves the idea of sharing a google calendar updated with all my availabilities. He only deals with the confidential breakdowns that I won’t pay to have access to anymore (which is $500 a year). Some people might say « why did you go back with him when you could have signed with such a great agent » and I sincerely think that was the best decision for me. I am keeping my self-represented career that I already love, I am saving $500 a year, and it would just be the cherry on top if they could get me even more roles here and there. The best agent is not always the greatest one. It’s the one that suits your needs. Note: You can get access to all the confidential breakdowns as a self-represented actor in Quebec only. Stop asking me about that
Hey guys I was just recently diagnosed with OCD (something I’ve suspected for a while) and though I just started therapy the idea of meds is already on my mind. I have a lot of friends who are on meds and it helped them a lot, but the thing is none of them are actors. I was talking to my psychologist about this and he mentioned that normal SSRIS tend to inhibit emotion which he’s seen with clients in the past who were actors as well. He told me that since I have OCD, the anti-depressant Clomipramine would be my best bet. He also told me that this drug tends to not be as emotionally inhibitive as SSRIS. To be honest, when my intrusive thoughts get bad, it’s really hard to focus and act well. With all this mind, I wanted to ask if any of you fellow actors (or if you know any successful ones) take anti-depressants. How does it affect your acting? Thanks.
I'm currently on set shooting a series which will remain nameless, and it's set up weirdly where multiple cameras are recording and getting multiple pieces of coverage simultaneously to save time. This makes it tricky to know which camera to play to and how big to go because they could be doing an ultra close at the same time as the medium at the same time as an OTS on the guy behind you. It's confusing and we're never told what the coverage is unless we ask, which is frustrating. Despite this, I still gave it my all and had a ton of fun. Lots of cool shots, practical FX happening all around, rad makeup, and I'm always asking questions trying to stay on top of things and experiment around. The energy all around was just great. I literally thought at one point during the day, "this is one of my favorite days on set I've ever had." Towards the end of the day, I suppose the director got frustrated with me because I kept going too big. He did the whole "you're too theatrical, stop, it doesn't read, watch me, do it like this" speech. I said copy thank you, and adjusted to go smaller because I didn't realize we were in that tight. Then, on the last shot of the day, another actor is supposed to come in and tap me on the shoulder. Then, I exit frame and he looks out a window. We cut, 1st AD says, wow that was a really nice look (referring to the other actor). And the director, in front of the entire crew, rolls his eyes and says, "yeah, maybe he should play u/tigerbiscuit's character." And then we fucking wrapped and a whole day of filming was absolutely ruined for me. It was one of the most humiliating moments of my entire career, to have a director loudly and in front of the entire crew put down a performance of mine that we had spent the entire day shooting. Like we literally hardly shot anything other than me today and to just throw in a comment like that moments before we wrap is tantamount to saying, well, that was a waste of time. I'm sorry you don't know how to give effective notes my guy, but I'm not allowed to see any of the 3 monitors you have running right now so I don't always know wtf I look like, and you're certainly not going to get a decent performance out of me for the remaining 2 shoot days now that you've completely and utterly shattered the trust I had in you as a director. The worst part was, like I said, I honestly thought I was doing great the whole day long, and any time I checked in or asked for notes, he would say yeah it's great. There was no indication this was going to be a bad day until literally 30 seconds before we wrapped. I'm not sure what else to say except it was a wildly rude, unprofessional and hurtful thing to say to someone on a film set. Directors who in 2021 are still giving stupid ass notes like "say it like this", "look more sad", "give me 10%", or (my favorite) "you're pushing" need to realize that understanding the exposure triangle maketh not a filmmaker and you need to go take some acting classes at a community college and realize how to talk to actors in a way that doesn't make them feel like a fucking idiot for trying their best. Rant over.
Since the rules for unionizing have changed recently, I am curious… Say, for example, the entire pool of local talent in a Regional community all start to unionize (all who are able, given the changes.) Would this be a good thing long term? ~~~~~~ I’ve had some conversations with other actors in the theater I am currently working on a project with, but they seem to think it would be a bad thing. (None of the members of the cast are Union, though the theater has cast many union actors in the past.)
I'm a non-union actor in LA, and I'm looking to reduce my insurance costs. Unfortunately, I'll need to purchase my health insurance plan. Has anyone worked with a broker or other organization to help me out? Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this...
I’m really interested in voice acting atm and am really inspired by Robin William’s genie performance in Aladdin. Am I able to learn to improve my voice or do I already need a good and nice sounding voice? I’m 17 and sound like an ordinary British teenager, is my voice able to improve?
im gonna email my agent again on what i can do to help her im with kmr talent my friend suggested it to me she said they have a good diversity department
24 y/o female auditioning for drama school here! I’ve had my heart set on East 15 for a while as I kind of always believed it was one of the best low-tier drama schools if that makes sense? Objectively and factually, I am a rada and lamda quality actor, but the “ease” of somewhere like East-15 sounds very attractive. But recently, I’ve been hearing some awful things about the school in terms of student/teacher hierarchy, poor course quality and a too-high acceptance rate. Could anyone recommend any drama schools/universities that aren’t as big-boy scary as RADA etc, but still offer legitimately good and inspiring vocational training? I’ve heard similarly bad things about Fourth Monkey, which sucks, because that sounded like an undiscovered gem. I’m not concerned so much with the status of a school, but more concerned with a good-quality training!
This post will mostly be an industry rant so I apologize. It just seems like there is nothing for me to submit to on backstage or even actors access. Most of the stuff now is just useless for reel experimental silent student films, dating shows, background roles, paid to play showcases, and other stuff in that realm that won't actually do anything for my career or reel. Then the few parts that are left almost never fit my type, and I'm not anything unique. Actors access isn't much better and its a catch 22 on there without having a good reel. I'm in NYC and most of the stuff is theater, which I used to do, but I want to ultimately do film/tv. It just seems like everything is behind a pay wall or has a huge barrier of entry. I know there are better auditions out there that are not being posted and you have no access to them unless you have a good agent. You know how you're supposed to work hard and put in two hundred percent? How am I supposed to consistently do that waiting around for a role to drop down on my lap. I can read all the books, scripts, take all the classes in my spare time, but it seems like that's all you can do unless you want to make your own roles, but that's a whole separate entity where you have to be a director, writer, and other things when all I want is to focus on acting. Don't get me started on classes, and how you're expected to spend well into the hundreds when you don't have that kinda money to consistently always throw down as an actor while living in borderline poverty unless you have rich parents. I don't mean to come across as entitled or anything, I just love the craft immensely and just want to do roles that challenge me to grow as an actor or move but the industry is a mess. Anyways am I just going to either make my own work or have to pay for a reel to submit for agencies or something?
Hey guys! This is my first audition after literal years away from acting/theater (since HS, though I took an online acting class during COVID ‘20). It’s for a local theater doing P&P and they’ve asked us to select a comedic monologue. I was wondering if it would be incredibly tacky to select a funny monologue from another work of Jane Austen’s? Or should I look for other material, and if so, should it be classical or would contemporary be acceptable? The only info I have about this show is that it’s supposedly a new take on the play, and actors will be doubling as other characters (women as female and male charas, for example). Any advice would be appreciated! I just want to go into this prepared with the right material. Thanks!
I don’t understand why someone would want to join SAG/gain eligibility through collecting background vouchers? Out of the few ways to join the union this seems to be the most amateur/“disingenuous” to me. It’s not nearly as impressive as actually booking a principle/speaking role on a SAG production, there’s no comparison. So why do I come across so many amateur wanna-be “actors” who are so hellbent on joining the union this way ? Shouldn’t you join when you’re genuinely ready to join and able to compete/audition for projects at a higher level? Is it so that they could get paid more (SAG wages) for doing background work for future projects? Am I missing something?
I've been at it here in LA for over 10 years. Now, I'm getting ready to move. Honestly, so relieved. I thought it'd be a fun post to offer three things I wish I could have told myself when I was getting my start in lala-land. (Maybe you can comment with yours?) Here we go: 1) Subscribe to Backstage or as many casting sites as you can afford (before you get the reps you need) Everyone is confused when they get to a major market about what casting sites to use, and these things change a considerable amount. For the first time I unsubscribed to LA Casting because it got so weird, and there weren't any projects. It isn't so much Backstage, as much as I wish I'd known that it *really* is worth having as many casting resources as you can when you're starting out. There are some that I don't regret not having, but if I could do it again I'd spend the cash and spend the time perusing all the postings. It may just be that one booking every so often, but I'm sorry to think of that one cool opportunity I missed out on to save the few bucks a month. I'm sure many don't agree, but that's the advice I'd give to myself. I like doing thesis films, I like the random VO jobs I've gotten since joining. I like knowing about random theatre opportunities. It's not going to make a career but its worth it to me. 2) You don't have to be a networker, but you gotta build that community. It's okay not to be good at all that bullshit. Social media etc. You don't have to reach out to people you don't really like, just because you feel you're supposed to, BUT having a network of people you can talk to, ask advice to, maybe have coffee with and ask questions is really important. I wish I'd been more "business" oriented with that (Aka a spreadsheet or something). What I did right was stay in touch with the people I liked and respected, but there are so many good people I lost touch with because of my own laziness. It doesn't have to be the slimey thing that it feels like, it can just be staying in touch, supporting others, asking questions, offering help if others need it. 3) Take care of yourself. Take breaks. Take vacations if you can. I got back from one after 3 years of no vacation and I could tell my first audition when I got back was ***so*** much better. Your instrument is you, and it needs rest to operate at full capacity. We underestimate how burnt out we get in this biz. Even when you don't have any auditions that's STILL A KIND OF BURNOUT. Aight, that's what I got. What would you tell your earlier actor self?
I’m still a new actor so when a boutique agency wanted to sign me, and they seemed nice and had good referrals from one of my coaches, so I agreed. However, one of the bigger agencies I submitted to decided to contact me out of nowhere a week ago, and said they would love to have me. Does having a bigger agent really give you more opportunities? Even if it’s not in LA?
Hi all! Fellow actress here (wearing multiple hats like many of us do in this industry). I have been focused on making my own content and wanted to share a short that I co-wrote and produced as well as starred in (I’m wearing the orange striped shirt). Would greatly appreciate any feedback, like/comment on the video, or subscribe! [Multiverse of Radness](https://youtu.be/-Vr5dlcunLI)
I’m only asking cause it’d be my third SAG voucher
I applied to a good agency that seemed perfect for me. They responded one month later and the discussion went great with them so I said I wanted to sign with them and they seemed pretty happy about it. They told me they would send me a calendar so I can share my availabilities and never did. I sent them a message a few days after the date they were supposed to send it and they didn’t even read my message. I sent them a message again today and still no answer even though they are online. I just asked wether we will still be working together or not and it’s okay if they say no, I just want to move on to something else. It’s been eight days with no news from them and no message read. I finally said I wasn’t interested in working with them. I book a lot of job opportunities on my own so I feel like I don’t even need them. I sent them some job opportunities I would like to be submitted for once we sign and got no message from them and just booked it on my own. I feel like I book a lot of jobs because I answer quickly to casting breakdowns and I would miss a lot of work with someone who can’t even read or answer my messages. I even book more work on my own than they can for many actors in their agency. I finally told them I would stay self-represented because I already book a lot of work on my own so I can’t give them the space they want in my career. Did I make the right choice?
This is my (21f) Throw away account for presumable reasons. Ever since I was young, i dreamt of being an actress but i never acted upon that desire becuase i also wanted to be a marine biologist. Yes, I feel like every child goes through this because the idea of it sounds fun. But now that im going on 22 , I feel so lost. Something in me allways gravitates me to acting. The idea of someone transforming to a whole new character is fascinating. I allways did sports in high school and regretted not doing a school play. I changed my major from a science major to film my sophmore year. Acting is the only thing that I have ever day dream about. But to be honest .. im terrified. Not of acting its self, but the uncertainty of it. And no i dont mean the ruch and famous part, but uncertainty that I will be able to fincially survive. Being rich and famous is not my goal, i want to emphasize that. I come from a family where fincances has allways been a struggle and im terrified that going into this industry, i will fail them because of the high possiblity. I know 21 is still so incredibly young but I still feel like im old for the industry. I guess I want clarity because this has been heavy on my mind. I have not told my parents about this becuase im scared of what they may think. So i have a few questions that I feel may help me stop being scared and to just try it. Because part of me is like “how dare i imagine a future in something ive never tried before?” But also when my gut tells me something its usually right 1) why do you all love acting? 2) did you allways know you wanted to act? 3) whats your advice for me?
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.
