Hi there! I know there may be some other posts created that have acknowledged the pricing and rates that a voice actor /narrator should be making, though I am just getting started on my adventure with this and I have no idea how to begin pricing. I wouldn't mind doing a few unpaid gigs just to have a starting point for my portfolio, though I don't want to under value my worth. I also don't want to excessively overcharge when I have nothing in my portfolio just yet. What advice would you give someone who is just starting out to build their portfolio?
Hi everyone! I've been invited to meet & potentially sign with a background actor agency and I'm wondering what to wear. Do I treat it like a job interview and dress professionally? FWIW I'm a female in her early 20s.
So Ive been working as an actress in Vancouver for 10 years. I signed a contract that my agency takes 15% of my earnings. And I’ve never ever had an agent take more. I recently booked a commercial that payed a sum of money and also included the 15% agency fee aside from the payout to the actor.. it stated this on the contract. However my agent also took off the commission from my earnings so in total taking 30%. I’ve never had this happen.. and when I asked her about it she said it was a “clerk fee” and said it’s for all the extra work she does as and agent.. but this doesn’t make sense to me as all my prior agents do that work for the agreed upon 15%. It seems very fishy but I also am not extremely knowledgeable with this area. Does anyone have any advise ?
So Ive been working as an actress in Vancouver for 10 years. I signed a contract that my agency takes 15% of my earnings. And I’ve never ever had an agent take more. I recently booked a commercial that payed a sum of money and also included the 15% agency fee aside from the payout to the actor.. it stated this on the contract. However my agent also took off the commission from my earnings so in total taking 30%. I’ve never had this happen.. and when I asked her about it she said it was a “clerk fee” and said it’s for all the extra work she does as and agent.. but this doesn’t make sense to me as all my prior agents do that work for the agreed upon 15%. It seems very fishy but I also am not extremely knowledgeable with this area. Does anyone have any advise ?
I've seen questions and heard stories about non- minority VAs auditioning for roles explicitly looking for minority actors. Sometimes by pretending to be the minority in question. This is obviously a good way to get you blacklisted, but with remote sessions (assuming the cast isn't on camera then) how would folks know? I'm just a hobbyist and my experience really isn't too broad, but do a lot of casting directors take this on faith? (Hi - Standard Reddit disclaimer: I'm not asking to debate the need for minority-only roles. If a CD makes that call, then the call is made, and history being what it is that makes complete sense. Nope, it's not at all the same as voicing a character with an accent.)
I'm curious to know if any of you have found consultations for actors useful or if they're just another way to scam hungry actors? I came across a CD who was offering 30m for $100 and now I came across a manager who's offering 60m for $150 to go over your reel, website, resume, and give marketing/strategy/career planning advice. I've done targeted pay to plays in the past and have been called in by those CDs - not a bunch, but they have called me in-and while I didn't book at that point in time, it helped me to share my work with a director who eventually booked me for something else a year later. I'm only curious to see what these folks have to say because I rarely get feedback on self tapes and just want to if they have anything different to say that I haven't heard in any of the other sessions I've paid for or that's available on the internet...but in the back of mind I'm wondering if they're just trying to make a buck off of actors...
I don’t think the industry wants me. I hate to be bitter. But I’m a bit disheartened right now. I’m a professional actress in London UK, currently trying to get a better agent. I’m venting so please be gentle; not looking to be scorned at. They just did the cast announcement for a big project my agent submitted me for - one I’d be perfect for - but I was rejected before they even saw me. Now I find from friends that they didn’t even hold official auditions, the Spotlight listings were just for show. They only auditioned a small group of people who’d been recommended to them for this production; I’ve spent my whole life training and preparing to play a part such as this one and my agent can’t even get me in the room for anything. And even if he could - sadly it’s almost all a game of pre casting or casting already established celebrities, or of the children of people who work behind the scenes in the industry. Then sometimes you’ll see people who are friends of people already established getting more opportunities or better agents due to recommendations. Then it’s people who become famous because of their own work, who definitely work very hard but they also need luck + money which sadly isn’t easy to come by. Last come the young or new people who want to join this world and who did train at drama school but not at the right one apparently? Yeah. Idk if it’s just the UK. I don’t know if it’s just this specific part of the industry. But I see this everywhere, and I try to make my own work, I try to advocate for myself despite not being born upper class or rich or related to another celebrity... but it’s so damn hard when there’s a pandemic and all the good parts are going to people who are connected in some way or other. I didn’t go to an expensive public school, my dad’s not the director of the BBC, my godfather isn’t Andrew Lloyd Webber. And in 95% of cases these names open doors that a working class immigrant girl from Finchley just can’t. When I auditioned for drama schools before I got in, I got rejected because I’m from a white minority background and they told me “we have to fill a specific quota of people and can’t have too many foreigners”. I fought through it, I worked extremely hard to get a place at a good drama school, took singing lessons for years, dance classes, elocution lessons so you wouldn’t be able to tell I’m not 100% English. I graduated into the pandemic and now I’m being told things that are really inappropriate - that I’m now too “white” or “too English” for things while still being in the “ethnic” category, as if I’ve censored my background too much. I literally had a casting director recently tell me that “mixed race girls like Zendaya are in fashion right now so if you’re ethnic but not in that way, it’s impossible to get in”. Am I crazy or is that actually racist? Not to white people obvs but to everybody who’s not white but doesn’t fulfill that stereotype. But diversity isn’t just adding one mixed race person in your cast. Diversity would be having people of all backgrounds get equal opportunities: whether they’re a Romanian immigrant with a disability, or a Nigerian Brit, or even a working class northerner but basically anyone who’s under or misrepresented in this industry. Why does the industry so blatantly prefer people who are either posh or well-connected over true meritocracy? It feels like in every other industry you can at least work your way up somehow. Here, not so much. Again, I’m venting - please don’t be aggressive in the comments. I’d like some genuine advice.
Hi, I am a British ethnic actress. My hair is currently blonde which is very obviously not my natural hair colour and my eyebrows are super dark to prove this. I have had my hair this way for 6 months and previously held off for over a year on bleaching it simply due to my acting career, knowing that it'll be harder to get auditions with this hair colour. When, last, year, I realised not much was going on with my acting, I decided to bleach it. I have had one audition this year so far, unrepresented and an agent has approached me, who I would love to sign with. They suggested that I dye my hair back to dark so that I can access more roles. They said that casting may overlook my hair colour and in the event that I book the role, ask me to dye my hair back specifically for that role, however it would just be easier if I had my hair dark to begin with (new headshots need to be taken soon because it's been a couple of years since my last ones). It's not that there's a stipulation that I'd need to dye it back to sign with the agent, it's just a comment that was made which I have thought of several times, beforehand. Should I just take maybe 2 headshots with the blonde and keep 4 of my old dark haired ones or should I dye my hair back to dark brown? I know the final decision is mine but have had trouble decision making. In all honesty, I bleached it for personal expression and not wanting to let acting get in the way of that. I also removed my nose piercing just before I started acting professionally a few years ago and am not starting to miss that piercing. Feel like I have to choose between career and my self in a way. Any insight / thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks
Hi everyone, I don't want to makes this post too long of my story of how I became interested in becoming an actor but I will get to the point because the pandemic has made it hard to continue a drive creatively. I finished community college a year and half ago with a web design major and took an acting class in hopes of overcoming some of my anxiety issues with public speaking. Our acting professor wrote a note in one of my grades which I still have kept saying "you have talent, trust yourself more". The following fall I started an evening intro acting program here in nyc while I worked during the day. Then the pandemic came and I was unemployed and could not pay for classes any longer. As a result, I decided to go back to school because I now get financial aid and finish my web design degree without having to take out loans so I thought why not. Now I am finding myself back in square one and have pondered enrolling in a theatre bfa program at a local public college which remote studying sounds not very satisfying for an in person major. I don't know if I should just finish college, get a real job and continue taking classes in the evening. I'm 24 and at this point I feel I should have finished school and be able to support myself. The craft of acting I understand takes time but I guess I can't abandon this degree and start becoming a working adult in the real world. Actors have day jobs but I ask how are you able to manage two professions and stay creative? I've started reading books on acting and plays to give me a sense of hope but it is hard especially when in person acting classes wont be in session for probably another year and half to two years. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Hi guys, this is my first post on reddit so I’m sorry if I’ve done anything wrong. I’ve dreamed of being an actor my whole life and cannot remember a time where it hadn’t been my life’s plan. I am about to complete my drama A-level next year and I also do youth theatre at my local theatre. I am planning to apply to RADA, Guildhall or LAMDA however I would like to primarily do screen acting (I know I will probably need to do more theatre for experience aswell) but I’ve searched the internet over the past year trying to see if drama school is ‘worth it’ if you want to work on screen but I can’t find any solid results.
Anyone interested in doing some zoom table reads? I have writer friends who would love to hear their work and it can be a good way to network. Please message me directly or on Twitter @caitymfitz and I’ll add you to my list. Still figuring out the details but I need some actors first.
As in, what work/training did you have previously, how did you get them to respond to you (cold submission, referral, showcase, etc.) and any other info you’d like to share. Prefer answers from people in LA, NYC area, ATL, or Chicago, but anyone is welcome to share!
Hello! I'm a SAG-E actor in Los Angeles. I was very lucky that when I first moved to LA, I went on my very first audition for a non union web series, booked it, and it made me SAG-E. Sometimes I don't submit myself to SAG jobs, because I'm afraid that if I book it I'll have to join the union, when I feel like I'm not ready to do so yet. I'd like to build my resume up a bit more first. Plus I feel like the non-union market is really hot right now. I recently read online that you can work 3 SAG jobs, before becoming a must join. I'd just like to confirm that this information is true and hasn't changed. (the article I read that mentioned this was written about 5 years ago). Also, do student films from colleges that are listed as SAG, count as one of these 3 SAG jobs? Thank you!
I live in a small, fairly isolated town. We have a single theatre in town, which I’ve done a few shows at, however I very much want to start auditioning for roles in things like tv, commercials, and movies. I’m not looking for gigantic lead roles or anything like that, but I am looking for something where I could fly out of town for a few days, film, and then fly back home. My biggest problem is auditioning. While I know how to make an audition tape, I don’t know the best place for submitting these types of audition. I don’t want to fly anywhere just to audition for a role, but I will happily fly somewhere to take part in a role. I know actors generally need to be based around where there are lots of auditions, but there has to be options for people like me, in a small town without the ability to travel for auditions. Is anyone here in a similar situation? Is there any advice you might have for someone in my position? TL:DR I’m an actor in a small town who can’t leave just to do auditions. How can I audition for roles that aren’t in my town?
Hi i am Looking for voice actor for a gig for a youtube ad of mine. The ad is mostly of around 40-60 secs. \- voice can be male /female \-be young in 20s age group \-voice should be energetic to catch attention as this is for a giveaway offer ad \- pay is modest 5$ only as i am really short on budget but will compensate by hiring for another offer ad as i dont like to search for talent and i am a marketer constantly promoting yt offers so i always have requirement.
I live in Seattle, WA and it’s super close to Vancouver BC which I hear is a good place to get my foot in the door according to my mom. I also visit family a lot on my reservation near Toronto Ontario Canada, I hear that place has great opportunities for actors and actress’s. California/Hollywood really is out of the question I just don’t have anybody down there to help me get around the city compared to the previous city’s I named. Definitely later down the line. But yeah if you guys could please offer some suggestions in which city you think is the best for a 24 year old Native American actor to pursue this career path. Thank you
hi ! i’m 14 and i’ve wanted to be an actress in america for so long but i’m french.. i was just wondering if it was possible for me to be an actress in the usa even tho im french ? (i’m fluent in english, almost bilingual) thank u so much.
Hello there! I’m new to the voice acting world and i’m looking for a platform where I can find voice actors. I don’t know if they are categorised spaces? Which platform is the best for finding voice actors? Do you have platforms for beginners?
So I have been thinking do voice actors only get there own lines out of context or the entire script? BTW I know the flair is odd but there isn’t a question flair.
I'm about to take headshots with a professional photographer. However, I don't live in a country where actor headshots are a popular thing so the photohrapher doesn't really know what to do. What type of headshots a "must-have?" What should we know beforehand?
So I feel im going to get scrutinized for this but, if i were to listen to a specific voice actors voice or character voice for an extended period of time whether asleep or while doing other things, would i sub consciously start picking up tips on how to imitate that voice or is that just a myth that is a lie? I am sorry if this is a stupid question i am just curious
I've always been fascinated with how actors sort of become their characters. That is what I first fell in love with about films. So I wanted to be an actor. So far though I've never been on set(because I either didn't get the part or if I did I couldn't go due to far location) or gone to acting classes(hardly any in my country). The only acting experience I have is auditions and my private monologue recordings in my room. So my question is, are those two things enough to know whether acting is what I like? Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think they are because auditions are more like tasks and monologue is like quarter of the full experience of an actor. So is auditions and my private monologue recordings in my room enough to know whether I like acting? And if they are not then what would make me know? Acting on set? Acting classes?
I am in Ontario Canada and really want to get into stunt acting. This is the list of activities and sports I have played in the past and or still playing. Driving/ Drifting cars, Motocross/ motorcycling, snowmobiling Hockey/ ice skating, lacrosse, rugby, football, soccer Boating/ jetski Mountain biking, skateboarding scootering Wakeboarding, surfing/ wake surfing, snowboarding Cliff jumping/ diving with flips, Gymnastics I am currently in school for an office job and I really don’t want to continue, I want to continue doing what I love but have no idea how to get into stunt acting or what I need to do in order to start. Anything helps thank you.
We had our semi annual Union Meeting via Zoom, this week, and announced some major 'gains' in our Master working agreements with Producers. All good news. However, the frustrating thought that has been trying to 'get out' over the last few months - that I thought was Pandemic Blues - finally shouted loud enough to be heard during our Zoom get together. My main aim is NOT to be 'part of the movie business'. Our city is a major filming hub. Right now there are over 20 Movie/TV/New Media projects filming. There are thousands of people and millions of dollars involved in the 'industry' and from the acting point of view, many people are trying everything they can to be part of it: Stand In work, Background work, Day Player, etc. As a Union we are in a multi-year fight with Commercial Producers across the country (and U.S. Commercial Producers filming up here. ) to go Union. However, to me, these great opportunities are not 'a match'. They are not what I would call 'Acting' in the way that I was trained to do it. I was trained as a Theatre actor in the U.K., so my view is different, from others. Yesterday I had another self-tape audition for a US MOW. It was awful - even as I was recording it, I didn't believe a single word of what I saying: It was a fairy tale with unreal people talking absolute nonsense. I want to act: This means inventing and working on complete, complex character creation with a group of other professionals over a multi-week period, then presenting it to others in order to explore hidden corners of the Human Experience and show them to people. You know.....acting. Day playing, or 'one line, one scene' characters in Movies and TV episodes don't do it. Over 90% of Movie and TV presentations you see don't fulfill this wish list. In fact, there's only about 20 people that you can actually name doing this for a living, continuously, in Movies, in this city. However, no-one goes to the live Theatre. It ranks alongside Symphony, Ballet and Art: Highbrow activities for the wealthy that couldn't survive without Private and Public funding. So, where to go to 'act' ? Or 'Is it Just Me' ?
Hello, I'm working on a short 2-3 minute video, and need a voiceover of someone with a deep voice. I want someone with a voice that's very masculine, potentially older, and be a perfect fit for this small project/documentary video. I'm willing to pay for your services. Please DM me and in your message, include a list of your previous work so I can listen. Thank you so much!
Hey Everyone, So I was just curious if anyone had any advice on how to make/build a resume revolved around acting/Voice acting. I'm completely new to the Voice Over field but it's something that I would really love to do, and I have acting experience already. I haven't done any major things out of Highschool and College but it is experience that I have, not to mention professors who have had their own classes or have pretty high degrees and have been in the acting field for a long while. I generally try to look at other resume's from voice actors websites and most of their things are very professional because they have had more experience. Do you all think it's okay for me to put the Highschool and College experience that I have onto a resume while I'm new and looking for other opportunities? Eventually I do plan to take on more professional classes and do auditions but until I have that kind of experience I'm not sure where to start on a resume. Thank you!
This has always held me back in trying to become a voice actor. I am from Trinidad and Tobago and don't think there's much work needed for such a specific accent. Therefore what would be your advise when it comes trying to get into voice acting? Would it be smarter to perfect a more American / English voice over "voice"?
[https://51u7h2pr.optimalworkshop.com/optimalsort/s2rbbfqk](https://51u7h2pr.optimalworkshop.com/optimalsort/s2rbbfqk) For a design school project I plan to make an app that will try to help artists, animators, content creators, voice actors, actors, etc. to connect and create bigger as they come together. It's some kind of an online studio, at home/ on hand. I guess. what do you think? will it work?
Hey, everyone. I'm an independent film producer and today, Saturday, April 25th, I'll be doing an AMA. Here's a bit of background: As a kid, I was interested in becoming an actor. I took classes and ended up doing some voiceover work but soon realized I wanted to be more of a behind the scenes type. I wanted to realize *my vision* rather than *help others to realize their*s. I started out by literally sneaking onto the Universal Lot after reading that Spielberg had done that in the late 60s, and I got my first ever job as a P.A. on an Amblin series. From there I spent a few years in production before moving to personal assisting where I got to work closely with such actors as Ben Stiller, Courteney Cox, Jack Black, and Christopher Walken. Next I moved into working for directors and learned everything from development through to press junkets and the release of a film under filmmakers like Judd Apatow, Peter Hedges, and Joe Wright and during that time, was able to dust off my voiceover skills and got to join SAG-AFTRA! I started producing shortly after that and never looked back. I am an IFP-Gotham Award-winning filmmaker, a member of the Producers Guild of America, and have had three feature films released. In addition to that, I've written for publications like Filmmaker and Moviemaker Magazines, taught at a number of film schools around the globe (and through online courses with [Stage32). I've also produced commercials, music videos, and a live event for the Obama White House. One of my favorite parts of the filmmaking process is casting. I truly love and respect actors and I've had the opportunity to watch and learn from some of the best so I thought it would be interesting to offer an AMA to actors of all levels from an indie producers perspective. So. If that would be interesting to you, come back to the r/acting page later today at 12pm PST/3pm EST/9pm CET and let's dive in! Thanks for reading and I look forward to chatting with anyone who's interested! (One last thing: I have opted to remain anonymous for a variety of reasons, not least of which is so that I don’t end up receiving tons of emails with headshots or from people asking me to look at reels - I always use a casting director so that’s who you ought to submit to anyway. All of that said, the moderator here has verified me and my credits so I’m hoping that will make everyone feel comfortable).
Hi guys, please remove if not allowed, I know how hard the industry has been after the three lockdowns, so I thought I’d try and do my bit to help. I’m a London based photographer, I would like to offer free headshots to anyone looking to refresh their portfolio/spotlight. No strings attached! Drop a comment below if you’re interested, and I’d be more than happy to send over my portfolio.
Hi! I’m 14 almost 15 (in July) and I’m seriously considering becoming an actress. Please keep in mind that I might sound ignorant but I’m just uneducated and really need your help. I’ve always known that I wanted to go into the entertainment industry, and I used to want to be an artist (singer) but that didn’t work out for me, and I’ve realized that maybe acting is actually my thing. But I’m gonna be upfront and honest, I have no idea what the industry is actually like and what it’s like to be an actress. I’ve only got information from tv, the internet, etc. People make it seem like such an amazing, perfect, paradise of a job, but I know that there’s always more to it than that. I don’t want to blindly go into this career path without knowing what I’m getting myself into, so I thought to come here for some answers (sorry if somebody else has asked this before). One thing I do know though, is that I want to start as early as possible. To be honest it feels like I’m losing time already. But I want to get into the scene as young as possible.
Okay so I'm having this problem where I need to say my lines, but I want to say it by conveying a certain tone, but I can't find a way to express it and feel boggled down. It's a terrible feeling! For example, the script says "Nobody listens. I'm done!", but based on the context of the script and by understanding the character, the real meaning underneath the words should convey "I wish people would listen. So I'm about to do something different, you just watch!." But when I actually try to say the lines, I fail to reach the musicality of I want to say in my lines! It usually ends up sounding like something other than I want or overacted after I read the script, I finally give up and watch the clip from a movie scene, and I find out half the time that the movie just ended up editing out the lines completely from the film. So I start telling myself, I knew this would happen. I don't want to be arrogant, but I recently started saying "this line is so contradictory to what the character would say or this is too hard to express, and there is just no way it can be done!" And when I see that the line was cut out of the film, I tell myself that scripts are not written perfectly all the time and sometimes the script writers make lines that are just difficult or unreasonable for actors. But I don't want to deflect blame and want to really strive to better myself. Half the time or more, I see that there was a really clever way to say lines that achieved the desired subtext and then I learn something new! Sometimes I think maybe I'm just a bit crazy, but overall I'm feeling bogged down by this, and am wondering if anyone has the same problems and how they have addressed the issue. Thanks guys!
First, I love you all for your voice acting work. Animation wouldn't be possible without you. I just got to thinking about this after watching *Transformers: The Movie* the other day. Orson Welles, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack, Frank Welker, Judd Nelson, Scatman Crothers, Kasey Kasem...I don't know what to say.
Hi! A lot of people hve informed me that acting won’t get you enough money to sustain yourself and that you should get another job for money. I was wondering if a flight attendant would work? I’ve always wanted to be a flight attendant and said that it would be my “plan b” if acting never worked out, but what if I took it for my side job? Thoughts? I’m 14 (almost 15) right now, so I probably won’t be able to get that job until I’m 18+ but I guess I can still ask. Also, what are some jobs that would be good?
Hello. I thought it would be cool to audition as a minor character/glorified extra for Masters of the Air, the upcoming WWII drama about the 8th Air Force. I am also a certified aerobatic pilot so I thought it might be cool to actually film my audition in the air. For other projects I have seen open casting call information online and I know at least the initial plan for Masters of the Air would be to have open casting since they wanted unknown actors. I have not been able to find any information online for this project however, is this a case where it would need to go through an agent/casting agency?
Hello everybody!! I’ve been dreaming of being an actor for years and have posted frequently here. Taken classes, made a couple tiny connections, read a lot. There’s so much I don’t know, and with the state of my mental health, it’s hard to keep going. But! I’ve worked up the gall to start. No more excuses. First order of business, for me, is a demo reel. I like to write fiction as a hobby, but it’s obviously different from writing short scenes to be shot DIY. I’ve got a couple monologues I enjoy, so I’ll likely include one of those. I’ve found some equipment that’ll help with quality, I’ve got friends who’d be scene partners, but I don’t have scenes. I want a variety of material to flex my acting muscles. My monologues are all classical— two dramatic and one comedic. Does anyone know if there’s a place I could find scenes? Similar to those websites with free monologues, but for multiple people. I’m just a bit lost here, so any advice will help a lot
I'm 14 and want to become a voice actor at some point so how do I start? what do I have to do and what stuff do I have to study to be able to join and voice act for a game?
I'm a sub teacher in my city of Chicago and moving to LA has slowly been in my mind...I need to make moves for acting before I get too old..so I feel like moving now with the job of being a sub teacher but also I been thinking of a contining school to be a teacher. But I dont know if I can be a teacher and actor in LA at the same time...Any teachers here and full actor?
I’m in Chicago and it seems the only one to get good auditions is if you are with the top 3-4 agents which just don’t seem to care about me. So for a while I been thinking ATL because it’s a massive hub and it’s an affordable place to live..but if I’m going to move for acting, why not just go to the #1 hot-spot for acting? I’m not getting any younger and need to make moves now I feel..am I wrong about thinking about moving to LA or should I just forgot it? I would love to move after I finish my graduate program. It’s to be a PE teacher, I don’t want to live that starving actor life but at the same time I worry if I reach the level where I’m auditioning weekly..but I’ll get to that problem when I reach it.
Hi Fam! I have my own VO business. I am a “trained” actor. I work full time doing voiceover. I have an agent. Next year you will find my voice in one of the biggest games to hit the market. And I just want to say...it’s not about “doing voices.” I see a lot of posts about how “I can do a few voices” or “I’ve been practicing my voices” or “I do a really good impression of these people” and I just want to bring a little perspective here. VO is an eclectic field. There is a lot of work and a lot of competition. The hardest jobs to get are the most sought after— video game and animation. These are the only two fields that require you to “do voices.” And even then a lot of RPGs are moving to more realistic voice acting so “voices” are not what’s getting you booked. I would encourage newbies and people wanting to get into the field to start finding YOUR voice before trying to perfect other voices. Your voice...as it is...is enough! But it must be worked like a muscle. It must be honed to handle copy. It must be scrutinized to find what you do best. Voice over is voice acting. The first thing you learn when you pay a lot of money to go to a fancy acting school is to live in your body. To find that neutral space to work from and the same goes for your voice. I have “voices” but all of them are grounded in a part of me. They all stem from a real place. They are curated from quirks and specifications that are natural to my voice. I just wanted to take a moment to encourage you all to find your voice. That’s what people are going to pay you to do believe it or not and the other voices will be fun things to bust out here or there but they’re not what launches your business, makes your career, or creates that magical place where you’re an artist for a living. Hope this helps!
TL;DR: Should I develop my acting career or focus on other aspects of the film industry. Hi, all. I recently turned 30 and have only been acting for the past few months (since January). I have performed in a couple of my own shorts and my girlfriend's short film. However, I find myself constantly doubting my age and level of skill. I enjoy performing, and though it has only been a couple of months, I doubt any skill or talent that I have especially when compared to people half my age who are twice as talented in my acting classes. I read an AMA on here with a talent agent who essentially said that the older you start, the less likely it is to develop a career. Let me be clear: I decided to start acting to overcome my shyness and insecurities—I'm not looking or even interested in achieving Brad Pitt's success and stardom. I want to develop my skills and book roles, like literally every other actor on Earth. I am currently taking lessons once a week and practice by filming my own self-tapes, but I am currently unemployed and have no reel. Basically, is this a futile effort? I worked in film behind the camera in various positions for nearly ten years, but that all lead nowhere (but was still fun). I went back to school and recently earned my degree in English Lit and Writing at USC, yet that has done nothing for me as well, lol. Thanks for reading my diatribe!
Pursued acting in my 20s while in LA before other ventures took hold. Recently moved to NYC and even though I'm 15 years out of practice I'm interested in seeing what this coast has to offer. I'm used to hitting the pavement, dropping off headshots and meeting up with people for class and what not, but with the internet being a big factor now in casting and COVID I'm wondering how many things are able to be done in person anymore. I stayed in the industry over the years with professional photography (headshots and the like) as well as work remote with WarnerBros but none of that puts me back into the game like I remember. I still do photography but haven't transitioned fully over to NYC yet for actors. My look has changed (obviously) as I'm no longer the young boy next door but more rigid with long hair. With my finances set and lots of free time on my hand I would like to being the process slowly once more. How is the NY scene now for acting? Meaning, how difficult is it to get an in person acting class with other people? And what are the better places to go to for casting notices. My picks in the day were [backstage.com](https://backstage.com) and castingnetworks but looking to see what else is available. I know I could jump right into auditioning again and feel at home, but wouldn't mind getting the full experience like I did in my youth with a class of fellow actors I can bounce off of. My study in LA was Playhouse West (Meisner) I did commercials back in the day which some speaking lines in film, but nothing substantial that time around to have any contacts to keep me going now-a-days. Any and all info is appreciated
Hey y’all! I’ve recently gotten back into acting, I’m 16 and have been acting in plays and stuff since I was a little kid (community theatre, nothing big or any screen acting). But recently I’ve gotten really into the idea of screen acting for real. The only problem is my city is completely locked down (Ontario is a mess, shoutout to all my Canadians) and the one program that really teaches acting for screen can’t accept me until September. I don’t want to go to an open call for the agency that I want to sign with because I feel like I’m so rusty, they’ll say no and I won’t get a second chance (there’s literally like two agencies in my city). I was so desperate that I paid $25 for the “Actors Academy” youtube thing. As I was doing it I kept thinking “this guy never told me his name, anything that he’s in or literally anything about him wtf?” (my best friend named him Zachary lmao). Anyways, so then I went on reddit and found out that nobody knows if it’s real or a scam but the guy is definitely sketchy. My concern is, do I continue watching the videos? How do I know if they’re gonna help me or just fuck up my acting and then I’ll have to unlearn poor techniques... Also HOW TF DO I GET BETTER!!?!? Should I take classes online from the states? Like New York? I wanna be better so bad but I’ve been spiralling because I don’t know where to start. Anything helps :) tl;dr : My city currently doesn’t offer any ways for me to start my acting career, how can I still improve?
Hey everyone who is reading this! So a quick little back story. Before I started taking acting classes I put up these very high expectations without having any real idea what they industry is really like and what kind of work I needed to put in. But now taking classes and talking to teachers and coaches I realize that it’s a process to get to a working actor level. So now that I know what I do, I am currently looking for students and indie films to help build my resume. I hope to start submitting to agents in the near future, but because of this lockdown in Toronto/Ontario it’s becoming harder to much of anything here (working with these smaller non-union film sets). If I were to create my own shorts with a few of my friends that has graduated from film school, could i put that on my resume and use some parts of it for my reel? Also when is the best time to submit to agents (before or after pilot/busy season)? If you made it this far Thanks!!!
Hi. My intention isn’t for this to be one of those “how do I start acting?” Posts. I want some feedback that’s specific to my situation. So I’m 19 years old. I’ve had a YouTube channel for 11 years that has ab 1 thousand subscribers. While I realize that isn’t a lot compared to youtubers with millions of subscribers, that is a good amount to me and it’s growing. Because of this channel, I’m very familiar with acting on camera, editing, filming skits/movies but everything is 100% created by me or my friends. Because they were by no means professional (with a crew and cast) I didn’t really consider them to be actual films or myself to be a filmmaker or actress. But now I’ve come to the conclusion that anyone who makes films is a filmmaker and anyone who is passionate to act in them can be an actor. I stopped posting for a while due to being uninspired but now I’m determined to keep making more short films and skits. My question really is, will this help me gain attention in the acting/filmmaking world? I realize that it won’t take me all the way there and make me a star. I realize I have to do a lot more. But is this a good start? Does anyone else have a channel that they post films on? My channel already has a bit of a following and posting more would really grow that. Can this be beneficial for acting ? Any advice is appreciated
just moved to the neighborhood and looking for local self tape buddies. auditioning mainly at the co-star / guest star level. Around 7th & Union. shoot me a PM if you're around the area!
Hi, I'm SAG eligible and I'm ready to move up to union. I've been acting for about nearly 4 years now. I've done several student films, I got a reel, done modeling shoots, participated in my school theatre on stage and behind the scenes, watch and follow the actor's roundtable and other useful youtube content about acting/directing, I'm still auditioning and sending in self-tapes every now and then, I'm still reading up on acting books, and have done loads of background work. I know that I'm going to have to take care of the financial side of joining the guild, but that's not going to stop me. I have a backstage, put myself available for principal roles on central casting, listed myself on actors access, casting networks, and etc. And yet, I've found no avail for talent agencies seeking me out. I went ahead to search up local and well-known agencies and submitted applications. I guess, at this point, it's the patience game and keep working in my craft. So, here are my loaded questions: Has anyone tried making thier own content/reel and how did your experience go? What are some tips on getting agents and/or managers? What's the difference between an agent and a manager? Union or not, what difference does it make if an agent does work with you? For those who do have agents/managers, what did you do to be unique from the rest and chosen to work with them? Actually, lemme rephrase that, Why did those agents/managers pick you? Are you going into a specific agency because of their needs for your talent or for their specialities in your talent(style)? Thank you for reading! Yeah, Ive got a bunch of questions and I thought it'd be a good idea to share it on here for fellow actors/actresses who're hungry and in my shoes! Let the thespian Gods be with you.
Making the move in June, and was just wondering if any actors that currently live in Los Angeles think that living in the valley is better (location wise to studios/auditions) than let’s say the West Hollywood area?
Could you fine humans please give me some suggestions for a mothers day gift pertaining to the industry. One idea I have is gifting professional headshots. Thoughts?
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.
