everytime i tell my family i want to be an actress i can just SENSE the disapproval and “disgust” when i tell them. it’s even worse for me because my brother is almost the golden child, he is heading towards being a surgeon. i dread anytime family asks me what career i’m going into because i hate dealing with their disapproval. i know i shouldn’t care and feel embarrassed because it’s my life not theirs but it’s not easy when i’ve grown up seeking validation all my life. i just want them to support me. they think it’s unrealistic and childish, they think i’ll just end up homeless. it’s so draining. i hate being compared with my brother bc even if they don’t say anything they like him more. i wish more than anything to prove them wrong but it’s so hard. how can i explain it to them in a way that’ll make them think “wow, i’m impressed” and not “what a disappointment”
As an actor do you bring a gift* for the crew or the director when it’s a picture wrap? I know some lead actors have before but is it expected? What is usually gifted?
I've read about the O-1 visa but that unfortunately isn't an option. Is it possible to find work as an actor in the US without the O-1 visa?
I'm a 16yo aspiring Voice Actor, and I'm not entirely sure where to start, as I am unable to be paid via most ordinary means as I don't have a bank account or credit card and am unable to get one. Does joining a talent agency cost anything? Is there any place I can start professionally without the need of a credit card and/or bank account? And is there just any general information a beginner should now that's not in the getting started post?
Budget 75 USD. I'm looking for voice actors to dub this animation: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ksEEzTxgNk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ksEEzTxgNk) Payment via Paypal. More info here: [https://www.castingcall.club/projects/frederator-pitch-zen-logic-gangsters-in-a-zoo](https://www.castingcall.club/projects/frederator-pitch-zen-logic-gangsters-in-a-zoo)(edited)
I’ve seen this come up in this sub a couple of times when searching but have seen some mixed answers. Is it better hand in a self-tape as early as possible, (day or couple of days before the deadline) then it is send it just before the deadline? I’ve seen people say that CDs watch tapes before the deadline and can very well have made up their minds before the other tapes have been received and therefore might not watch the other tapes. I’d like to think this is false and that all tapes are watched after the deadline has passed, but we actors all know that it is a tough old world out there in our industry and 0 f**ks are usually given.
No matter what I do when I record i still sound like a bored high school er. Don't intend to become a voice actor but I wanna sound more expresive, to be clear when I'm shocked or angry or emotional. How can I improve?
Been in NYC for 5 years doing lots of non union film and theatre and taking classes. I do a lot of straight plays, Shakespeare and film/tv, and I'm EMC. Mid twenties, character actor (tech guy, gay best friend, sidekick, etc). I was getting really serious about leveling up in 2020 and then...well you know. So now I'm back on the grind, in class and gonna get new headshots next month. I really want representation now, cuz I now feel confident about booking work if given the opportunity. Are there any managers or agents that take on newer talent (im not new to acting or especially young, but Im still an early point in my career)? For example, I dont think Abrams would be interested in me right now, but maybe there's a smaller place thats more of a starter agency? It's been hard for me to discern which places are scams and which places are legit and just rep people who havent started really booking yet.
Hi all! I am not myself a voice actor - novice or professional - so pardon my ignorance on things that might be obvious. My wife is interested in breaking in to dubbing anime. According to her most/all anime is dubbed in the Dallas Texas area, and being the industry would require moving there. I work from home and wouldn't be opposed to the idea... however, I don't want to move their on the pure assumptions. My first question is do you really need to live in Dallas? Has the industry not moved to more of a record from home setup? Are there not studios in other locations? Are the gigs regular enough to bother moving there, or would it make enough sense to fly in when needed? My other question is even if you need to move there ultimately to do the work, do you need to move in to acquire the work? I'd assume there are casting calls or something that you could do from anywhere - or at least fly in specifically for - and they wouldn't require you live there to even interview you? ​ Thanks!
I have been submitting for mostly low budget indie film/tv along with some theatre, student films, some commercials, and few background work on 2 sites, Backstage and ActorsAccess so far. Is there any other platform I should be on to cover all casting calls? Am I missing out on whole lot if I am not in say Casting Networks or other websites? Budget is also a bit of an issue.
Hey all, so I’m a 27F UK Voice Actor in London who is really interested in getting into Motion Capture! I have a real passion for Video Games and would LOVE to be able to do MoCap I’ve already contacted the MoCap Vaults and am waiting for their next release of workshops, but was wondering if anyone knows a private teacher/another company that offers performance capture training? Big love!
I’m a filmmaker (making short films), working with actors. And today, me and my friend went to an audition for the first time ever. In his case, they gave him three scenarios he had to improvise. In my case, they gave me these three, but then she said, I want to give you one more. And she gave me one more scenario that I acted out (improvise) That got me wondering. Did they give me an extra scenario because they think I sucked, and wanted me to get another chance. Or did they think I was good and wanted me to do another one. Keep in mind that these where very short acting scenarios that was improvised and had nothing to do with the actual role. And also. I feel like I didn’t do very well the first time and I got better on round two and three. I can’t speak on behalf of my friend.
I'm not a professional voice actor but I play DnD and I like to create an immersive experience for everyone at the table. I'm a man but sometimes I have to voice women or children where I pitch my voice up (nothing drastic or anything). I think I can make it sound half decent, but after a bit, it will cause vocal strain and feel as if I had a sore throat. Is this just an inescapable problem of pitching up your voice for a while, or will it get better as I do it more? Is there a way to soothe my throat afterwards or better prepare it beforehand? I also don't want to cause any permanent damage if that is a possibility here. Also, I'd be happy to hear any performance tips for doing women or children as a man, or any tips for performing over long time periods (a necessity for DnD). Thanks for the help!
I am very happy with a recent booking which is bigger than anything I’ve had so far. In the meantime yes I’ve done all the hard work - from classes to casting director meetings to making my own films that have placed - I found out an ex-actor friend had become an agent and so I caught up with her about possible representation - her words to me were: “You’ve been in the game a while - why do you think it’s taken you so long?” I was kind of caught off guard - she brought up 2 other girls in my ethnicity (different looks/essences) and pointed out they’ve booked more than me and are having much better traction, anyway has anyone gone through this and how did you respond ?
I performed a 10 minute short play over Zoom tonight as part of a local play lab showcase. The chat was open during the show and the other short plays got huge responses from the audience, line after line of praise rolling in. But very little response to the one I performed. I’m trying to remind myself that it’s not about me. The other actors probably all have more friends and family in the audience, or maybe the audience didn’t get the writing on the one I performed. It’s most certainly something along those lines. But our brains do awful things sometimes and right now mine is telling me that I got no response because my performance wasn’t connected, I wasn’t connected to my scene partner, I didn’t win the audience over because I’m a hack, I’m a fake and they all know it. My impostor syndrome is hitting me hard right now.
The starting point for an actor is often to shoot student films or commercials or bad tv shows. I’m scared of appearing in one of those because they often tend to be cringe and to put the actor in a cringe situation.... Like, I just saw an acquaintance in a commercial where he wears a Cheek Retractor Dental Mouth Gag during the whole commercial. The commercial fails at being funny (just like most commercials) and I really don’t regret not auditioning for that. It was cringe. I also remember seeing that Bryan Cranston old commercial where he’s wearing a skunk costume and I thought to myself “omg thats so cringe I could never do that”... Am I the only one who feels like that ? How do beginning actors deal with that ?
Honestly just curious. God told me to become an actor and so I'm wondering if He did the same for anyone else here, it would be crazy if He did so id love to know. private message me or comment, lets talk!!
Just wondering - when uploading tapes to tagmin do you edit your videos on iMovie/or any other software before hand and add a title card/transitions etc or do you just upload the raw recorded tape file from your device? I only ask because I’ve just found out that tagmin apparently says that we shouldn’t add a title card as they automatically do it for you and you can stitch separate tapes together on tagmin so therefore no need to use external software. They also say that using external software could alter the quality of the tape. Have I’ve been doing this all wrong? I’ve always edited my tapes on iMovie and added a title card before uploading to tagmin. What do most people do?
Can anyone recommend monologues for men that require crying or the actor cried during it. Finding it hard to find some for study. Thanks
Hi I was thinking of using friends as voice actors for my own characters and I kinda wanna know if that is necessary for Youtube voice acting and how do I get a recording studio
Details about the day for those interested. We had no context of what each director would be giving us but we did get the lines in advance. Each student had only an hour to work with the actors. It was non-stop jumping in and out of character. Each character, I created on the spot after listening to the directions. I surprised myself. I didn't know what to expect and I was nervous, but it was a blast! About the students, this was at the SVAD school in Chattanooga. It's a really polished program. They're a Christian based school, but their work isn't all faith based. There are very talented directors coming out of that school. Here's the 12 different variations of the same script. I hope you enjoy. And always, any and all feedback is welcomed. Keep in mind that I'm the male actor in the videos and the directors or the other actor won't be receiving any feedback. Just something to keep in mind if you want to offer feedback. [https://youtu.be/5ejtpkZ6C9Q](https://youtu.be/5ejtpkZ6C9Q) Cheers, Max
So I’m doing an audition for a movie and I’m fairly new the acting stuff and on the list of characters, next to the name it says (principal) and there’s others that say (actor). I’m just wondering what these mean. Any help is appreciated.
hi actors, so i'm needing a change!! i've been around for a bunch of years and over the last few i've become very stagnant in my progress. i'm wondering if anyone in LA has any solid suggestions on teachers/coaches who might be offering in person classes right now?
Let's say your agency finds an audition for the actor they represent and the audition is in a different state. Are the actors responsible for their transportation to the audition? Or would the agent set them up with a flight themself?
I am a disabled veteran with 100% disability rating with monthly compensations from the VA. Since I graduated a state university with a useless art major I worked for my family retail business and moonlighted as a background actor. I was grandfathered into SAG because I joined AFTRA impulsively and withdrew after a year before the merger. I am going back to background acting because I can just unfreeze my account at the call in service and start working right away. I plan to make myself available for 4 days a week and use the rest of the week to build up skills for creating Youtube contents, about art and design. And I am really determined to spend the time at the holding areas more wisely. I am just curious. How has Covid change the things on the set? I am kinda curious about how the catering and crafty tables are changed.
Been looking at some of the stats of the games I've been in. The first one I looked at was in development for about 2 years and managed between "20,000-50,000" owners according to Steam Spy. I'm not sure if the site takes refunds into account but by those numbers and this game's price, that means they earned between $259,800-$649,500. Devs work hard and deserve money... but do I deserve more money than I was given? For sure. 2 days of recording, 2 days of editing...probably a bit more tbh, I struggle to remember exactly BUT it should have been in the range of about $1200-$2000 minimum. In reality, I was paid a pittance in contrast to what is considered a fair rate. It's my fault. It's my fault for being blinded by the fact that I love to be in video games alongside cast members I respect. I just went along with whatever I was offered because I was desperate for the opportunity. Am I going to go and demand extra money from these devs now? No, I can't do that. I agreed to what was offered, I messed up and it's on me. I've got to learn. The reason I'm posting this is that I just want to say don't be an idiot like me. There is money out there in the indie space. Just not for us when it comes to some of these devs. If somebody tells you they can't afford fair rates at the time because they're indie, negotiate a back end. If they don't want to do that despite the fact you're the right person for the role, it's pure greed and nothing less. If people have low budgets "because indie", OK... but if they can't agree to a capped back end, isn't it just wolf-eyed of them? Isn't it just them being happy to step on others to capitalise in the instance they are successful? And believe me, it happens more than I thought possible. There are 3 games that massively lowballed me and earned hugely. I really want a culture of back-end payment to be normalised in the indie space for VA. It should be a normalised compromise if devs can't pay fairly. Last time I posted about something like this, I got a few people saying stuff like "it's how it's always been! It will always be like this." Well, that's apathetic af and guess what? We used to trial women as witches by seeing if they'd drown... not anymore... someone realised it was a problem so please don't read this and be like "that just how things be" Matters of payment have constantly shifted across the entertainment space throughout its entire existence. "oh, but what about people just starting out who want experience?" If you're the right person for the gig, and you spent time working at the audition, why should you be paid unfairly? I'm sure a lot of you have been far smarter than me and feel free to ignore this if you have, but I know there's a lot of beginners here too because you've DMed me in the past. I just want to say don't be a moron like me and accept less than you should be getting. I'm watching devs smash millions in some instances knowing full well they underpaid their voice cast after finding them on VAC. We all just accepted it and it's not right. I've said it before and I'll say it again: they get more for their money with us: studio, equipment, performance, editing. We're cheaper by the fair rate anyway. Are we on Fiverr here? I hope not. Leave that for your own good if you are.
If you're booked on a production (as a background actor in case it matters) they always send you to get a Covid test the day before you need to be on set. I know union background actors are paid for that. Are non-union paid for it? If so, I assume it would be almost nothing, but does anyone know about how much they usually pay?
Use this thread to post your headshots for feedback, get info on your age range/type, find good headshot photographers, ask any questions you may have about headshots. If you are posting a DIY headshot for feedback, and not just a snapshot in order to get feedback on your age range/type/etc, it is advised that you do at least some basic research on what actor headshots look like--composition, framing, lighting. You will find a Google Image search for "actor headshots" to be very helpful for this. Non-professional shots are fine for age/typecasting; please keep in mind that one picture is a difficult way to go about this. Video of you moving and speaking would be ideal, but understandably more difficult to post. For what it's worth, the branding workshop at SAG-AFTRA recommends a five-year age range. That's inclusive, so for example 19-23, 25-29, 34-38, etc.
I’m an 18 year old girl from LA and have no acting experience. I am currently taking an acting workshop, and my coach said I need to get headshots. I don’t necessarily feel like a good actor. I think there’s a lot more I need to learn. I know classes and Headshots are necessary, so if anyone has any recommendations for either around the area, I would really appreciate it!
Ready to take your voice acting to the next level? Casting a Male Actor for an ASMR Best Kept Secret is an audio platform that creates fiction sensual audio stories for women. Our platform allows women to ditch the typical visual mediums and command their bodies in audio format. The listener is the star of their scene. Your voice and our sound effects set the scene to take the listener on an erotic journey. Not only providing steamy scenarios, but audio also allows for the female to take charge of herself and feel sexy doing it. We bring the fantasy to life. See our subreddit for example of our work- [r/MyBestKeptSecret](https://www.reddit.com/r/MyBestKeptSecret/) We're looking for a fearless, versatile male actor would who be interested in bringing to life various roles and scenes. From a caring loving boyfriend to a commanding dominant. This is a great opportunity for you to challenge your acting skills. Atypical & challenging scenes. Important- You MUST have acting experience and be able to properly perform a script with explicit material in it. Experience working on stage or with a scene partner is preferred. Consistent work every month for at least the next year. A few hours of recorded audio each month is what we are looking for at this stage. You must be 18+. You must own a microphone/recording setup. Strong acting skills - be able to deliver good performance over audio and be comfortable with working from scripts. However, improvisation can be discussed for certain audios. Experience is preferred but not a necessity Production status: "You can retain total anonymity and our typical pay is $100-$125 per hour of recorded audio. Great for anyone with some spare time looking to make some good money on the side. MUST be able to act and perform a script with adult material in it! Please do not apply if you are a commercial VO artist primarily with no acting experience. The audio will be posted online on our Patreon. Total anonymity for the performer. Interested? Please email Alexis Fire at [alexis@yourbestkeptsecret.co.uk](mailto:alexis@yourbestkeptsecret.co.uk) for Audition Information.
I understand that it's going to take a long time until AI is able to actually "Act" but as the technology advances, how long will it be until TTS can replace us for commercials, and jobs where acting is less important than transferring information? (I'm mostly thinking of explainer videos) A customer just sent me an explainer video that he wants me to re-do. The original video wasn't that great and I kept thinking "This voice actor is pretty bad." That was until I realized it was TTS technology. It's getting better, to the point that I thought it was a person reading poorly. I think they'll always be a place for "acting" in the purest sense of the word. But how long do we have explainer videos and basic commercials? 10 years? 20?
it makes me feel less like a proffesional actor. it just takes me so long and then i still get the nerves that make me forget... it sucks. im still new to this whole acting thing but i really do love it. i just wish learning lines was easier, even with the first letter method i still forget the lines until i look at the paper. ive got a long ish monologue to remember and im really struggling. i have to perform it in 2 hours and ive been learning it since yesterday and still cant recite it with my eyes closed, what do i do guys? thank you so much.
I live in LA, I impulsively sent my photo to an open call thing my friend reposted from a legitimate casting director (“applying does not ensure that you will be confirmed for an audition” it said) anyway, an hour later I was confirmed for an audition. The description also said “You do not need to be an actor to be considered. The director is very open to working with someone new and wants the film to feel as authentic as possible.” I have no experience acting or auditioning, which I guess is ok, but i have no idea what to expect, i just know I’ll have to read a few lines from a script. Does anyone have any advice?
For commercial, there are clear benefits to being non-union. It seems more and more ads are finding what they need, and for cheaper, from the pool of non-union actors. What about theatrical, though? I can't really think of any benefit to being non-union there. I guess better access to low budget student films? But even those often have microbudget agreements and can work with SAG. Is being non-union for theatrical explicitly bad?
I left acting several years ago to go into marketing/advertising. I'm curious to see where former/semiretired actors ended up!
I’ve always wondered how these highly successful actors have enough time to do all of their work in a single year. Like, you have actors who act as series regulars on a tv series ranging from like 13-22 episodes & then still do like 2-4 movies all in that year. Then you have actors who can find a way to do like multiple tv shows at once (this one is mind boggling lol) Rose Byrne for example is one I really know is ALWAYS on/in something & im like how does she have time to live a personal life, film all these movies & now she’s on a new TV show for Apple+ Emma Kenney is another one, she was doing two shows at once. Shameless & Rosanne/The Connors. For me, I feel like you have to be a GOOD actor to be able to do several jobs so often, because I feel like I’d struggle with like separating each character, remembering separate lines, etc. kudos to them lol
I've heard actors recommend it but they were all in L.A. Are projects posted on there in smaller markets too or at least NY and ATL? [uptodateactor.com](https://uptodateactor.com) is a new one for me and looking at the website I'm not even sure what they offer.
So I dove into acting during the pandemic, took a bunch of zoom classes, and have been firing off self-tapes for the past few months. I recently landed some major roles in a handful of local non-union & unpaid productions, and while I was excited at first, now that shooting has started I’m beginning to second-guess myself. These are literally some of my first ever film credits, so im trying to be a little easier on myself cuz Im not used to acting in front of, well, other actors, let alone on a real set with real cameras and all that. Like my one bit of experience before this was a small part in a high school play, years ago. But every time I come home from a day’s shoot, I can’t help but feel like my performance for the day was nowhere near as good as what I know I’m capable of. And when I run through how the day went in my head, I worry that I sounded too “rehearsed” if that makes sense, or that I spoke to fast, sounded too unnatural, too much like I’m “acting,” etc. And I feel embarrassed for myself, and can’t help but think irrational stuff, like how the director must regret casting me, and how the other actors must loathe acting off me, Like I can’t help but feel like I’m ruining these productions, and that I should just give up on acting after all this so I don’t ruin anymore lol. Like I know it’s irrational and melodramatic, but part of me is still like “what if I’m right to feel this way,” yunno? I know that to a certain degree, I won’t be able to act at my full potential until I’m more comfortable on set, but I really do feel like a failure, to put it concisely. Does this feeling ever go away? What can I do about it? I’ve also only had like, a week to learn my lines for two of these productions, which I think is contributing to my anxiety — is that the norm? Do actors typically have more time to sit with their lines for more “professional” productions? Ugh, I guess I just don’t know how to judge my acting now that I’ve already been cast. Like a good self-tape or audition is rewarded with being cast in the role, but now that I’ve gotten that part out of the way, idk how to tell if I’m on the right track, and idk if anyone would bother telling me if I was truly terrible, or if they’d just put up with it for now and just ghost me and move on, yunno? Anyway thanks for those who’ve read this far into my ramblings lol, any advice would be much appreciated!
I just booked my biggest item yet - a feature. I know they have already posted on deadline about it re: two major a list stars as leads (I’ll be one of the two supporting actors in scenes opposite of them) but I was wondering how and if you’ve ever made deadline? I don’t have lots of money to spend on publicists so I’d love any feedback as I know virtually nothing about this part. Thanks.
So I have always heard that actors need to book co star or guest star role before they are even considered by casting for a series regular role. Recently I saw a girl who I had never heard of book one of the leads on a new HBO max show and she has never been in anything before. This is her very first acting job. She's signed to a great talent agency and management. I also saw she goes to an acting school in NY. How do things like that happen? I'm really curious.
Hey guys I’m in my early 20s and am looking to fill the 6 months before I start auditioning for drama courses with some full time, guaranteed paid work, that isn’t dealing with rude customers and the same daily routine lol! So I’ve started to think about applying for an internship at a talent agency to get some experience of what goes on behind the scenes and make some connections with all the kinds of people that associate themselves with a talent agent. I was wondering if anyone else has done this and if it helped them open more door that where previously closed? I also am worried that they will think I’m just a wannabe actor who’s wasting their and other people time? Let me know what you guys think :))))
I’m strongly considering applying as I’m seeing a lot of their actors working and I think they could be an agency I could get into. Does anyone have experience working with them? What’s it like? I’m hoping I could have an agent that negotiates for me this time around.
I need the expert psychologists on this one. If I am a person who uses comedy to give meaning and indulges in self-depreciation, what sort of fields would I best be suited for and enjoy? Maybe stand-up?
So I really wanna be an actor but I have to wait a year (til I’m 18) to start trying out for auditions and hopefully get an agent. However, I’m wondering if YouTube can help acting in any way? If yes, are there specific types of videos I could make??
I'm doing an assignment for my careers course where we have to study a career of our choosing, and I chose to study voice acting. One of the aspects of the career we have to find out about is the earnings of entry-level, median, and experienced workers. I've tried looking them up but I couldn't find anything really helpful. Does anyone know what an average earning would be for the different levels of experience?
This is a question coming from someone in TX! Should I look into moving to the big cities? Are the big cities in states like Georgia, Florida, and Texas good places to start out? Are the chances of finding good projects and agents higher in what I call the acting “hotspots” (LA, NYC, etc)? I need some thoughts and answers from some experienced people! ;D thanks!
Because I’m a realist and I don’t want to chase something I might not enjoy in the long run. Say I book a TV or film roll, what can I expect in the day of the life as an actor? What’s it like being on set? What are the challenges?
I need a Photographer thats in TORONTO that can do a proper HS (Headshot) for **film actors**. One who does it all the time, in other words, one that "primarily" does HS's for film actors. Can you name any ? my guy retired last year, I only found that out today.
What would we as a community say that is? When do you think an actor is having their breakout? 2021 will the breakout year for many of us, but what does that mean?
My acting career was doing really well before the pandemic. I was getting one professional role per month and doing background work or working as a host the rest of the time. I went back to taking acting classes during the pandemic and it hasn’t been going well. My acting teacher refuses to believe that I am a professional actor. When I told him that I got more than 30 union roles, he says that it was just background work. It was not. Most of these roles were non speaking roles but they did require a special skill and I had an actor contract. And I also had many speaking roles. He refuses to consider me as a professional actor. He also says that the reason why I am not working is my “disease”, my “problem” and when he says that, he is actually talking about my autism. He complains that I make people uncomfortable, look crazy, have bad social skills, etc. and this is why I am not working. I never had any complaints from anyone else in the industry but maybe they are not telling me this straight to my face. Other than that, he is a great teacher when it comes to acting, but not when it comes to building confidence. I even developed an imposter syndrome because of him and believe I am not good enough when applying for roles. Is he a bully or should I really try to fix my “problem”?
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.
