I've been doing voice work for about four years, but didn't really get serious with it until about two years ago. Have I gotten work on my own? Yep. But it's definitely not consistent. I have two other jobs, working in the restaurant industry and as a mobile DJ to keep me afloat, but my main goal is to do voice work full-time and do my mobile DJ'ing on the side. If you're not wanting to read this entire post (I don't blame you) the TLDR is this shit is hard but that doesn't mean it won't pay off if you keep trying, do the right things, and meet the right people. A little background about myself, I was a broadcast communications major that graduated in 2014. I interned at a local radio station for about two years and was then brought on full-time for about two years until I was laid off (budget cuts). So 2016 was about the time I really kind of discovered the world of VO and started to dig deeper. I made some decisions that I thought would advance my VO career but it really did nothing but make me lose money and hope for myself. For the sake of space I won't go too much in detail but all together I think I was out at least 7-8 grand on coaching from a "Voice Over training company" and from someone in the business that "promises work for you within a few weeks to a month". I was young and new to the game. I didn't realize that coaches don't get you work. YOU DO. Yeah, saying that you've trained with "X" coach can carry a little bit of clout, or that you got your demo produced by "Y" producer can help, but the fact remains, you have to go out and seek the work. I've been on a few P2P sites. I'm still on Voices right now. Should you get on one? Should you not? Look, I'm not gonna sway you one way or the other. I've seen VO's that make their entire living off of P2P sites, VO's that get jobs here and there, and VO's that wouldn't even spit on a P2P if it was on fire. The fact of the matter is it's a numbers game. What I will say is that if you're new to the game it may be a good option for you to join just so you can actually see some scripts from clients and, at the very least, practice. Now whether you stay after that is your call. If you can, learn about their algorithms. See how you can maximize being seen. Forewarning though, with most of those sites you'll have to pay more to be seen more. Some will also take a percentage of the jobs that you do get (to go along with the sign up fee). There's a HUGE talent pool on all of these sites, so just because a client liked your audition doesn't mean you'll get any of those gigs. For example, last month I had three of my auditions, in a row, get shortlisted by clients and got none of those gigs. It is what it is. You'll hear and see a lot of "no's" in this line of work. I think one of the biggest things that a VO overlooks when they're first starting out is marketing. I can tell you I've spent more time emailing, cold calling, and just generally talking to people about my voice acting than I have actually voice acting. I got a gig from a guy that came into the restaurant I work at because I told him about my voice acting and I gave him one of my cards. Just always be on the lookout for an opportunity to showcase your talents. Your marketing should be your second most important thing in your VO career after your demo (if you're just starting out). Speaking of your demo, do not produce it yourself. Even the best of the best go to other people to get help with producing their demos. If you have a good coach, they will tell you when you're ready to get a demo produced. If a coach tells you that if you take "X" number of classes and will then get a demo produced afterwards, run and run fast. If the coach has your best interests in mind they will tell you up front if they think you're ready for that step. To the newbies: there are way more areas of VO than just animation, video games, and your prototypical "character" voice over. I started out wanting to get into animation, but slowly realized I'm better at e-learning, narration, and commercial reads. That doesn't mean that you have to put your animation dreams on the back burner, but you'd be wise to at least look into these other areas. Hell, even telephony and on-hold automated messaging system VO can pay pretty well. The umbrella of VO has many arms. You may find out that you're the shit at medical narration (God bless you if you are). Do NOT sell yourself short. The industry has had a huge surge of people, especially within this last year, and a lot of them are doing and are willing to do projects for pennies on the dollar. I once saw someone post that they were looking for a VO to read the ENTIRE Quran for something like $200. Not $200 per finished hour (which still wouldn't have been enough), $200 total. And there were still people that sent in auditions to that person. If you're not sure what the industry standard rate is, take a look at the GVAA rate guide or the Gravy for the Brain rate guide. I'd really like to conclude this rambling with a whole "If you want to succeed in this business then you have to do A, B, and C" type of speech but success is relative. What I want out of my career and what you want are probably two completely different things. So find out what you like to do and be the best "you" at it that you can and never stop learning your craft. Peace, and keep that noise floor below -60.
what kind of college degree should a film actor pursue? there are so many different ones
Hey actors, I wonder if anyone can relate to what I'm going through. I've been in a weekly acting class for one year in Los Angeles. I've been learning SO much about the craft of acting, technique, tools, exercises and about myself as an artist and human being. I absolutely love it and have been getting very good feedback from my teacher. She's moved me to her Advanced class on two occasions but just yesterday I asked her to go back to her Intermediate class because I was floundering in the Advanced class atmosphere. Hopefully by the end of this year I may have enough skill and confidence to rejoin her Advanced class. However, lately I've been feeling very insecure about my training and if it'll be enough to support me in the field. I know there are SO many actors out here who have gone to Juilliard, Yale School of Drama and Tisch School of the Arts. There are also European actors here who have trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Besides these well-known schools, there are actors who've been extensively trained in two or three year acting conservatories or have gone to a college where they received their BFA or MFA. As you can see, knowing there are powerhouse actors out here who have received this level of training, it's difficult for me not to feel like an unprepared and talentless schmuck. I didn't study at a prestigious acting school. I never attended a conservatory. I didn't study acting in college - I studied Biology. I know that at the end of the day casting directors don't care where you've been trained - they only care if you fit their vision of the role. I also know they are MANY actors who have been successful without this level of training. And to give my teacher some credit, she's been teaching for almost 40 years and has even said "my training will put you guys in the top 10 percentile." Nonetheless, I just wonder if this sense of insecurity is common amongst you guys :/
If you're a UK actor approaching 25, signed with an agent, registered on spotlight but you have below the 4 required credits (4 speaking roles in Film, TV or an eligible festival nominated short), will you be kicked off Spotlight after you're 25 if you lack the required credits? I'm an unrepresented actor approaching 25, so this question isn't necessarily for me, just one of pure curiosity. Although I suppose it does apply to me, because if the answer is no then I feel more confident in approaching agents to specifically sponsor me on spotlight despite being 24 and a half.
Hello I was interested in hiring a few voice actors for saying a few lines. There would be two boys and two girls. The lines wouldn't be very long. Would anyone be interested? I'll pay
I'm considering in starting a career as an actor in the future and planning to enroll in a few classes at New York Film Academy. I know nothing is easy but I would like to know how often does anyone get a role or auditions for a movie? Or how long would it take? Does it depend on luck? Skill? Thanks.
Use this thread to post your headshots for feedback, get info on your age range/type, find good headshot photographers, ask any questions you may have about headshots. If you are posting a DIY headshot for feedback, and not just a snapshot in order to get feedback on your age range/type/etc, it is advised that you do at least some basic research on what actor headshots look like--composition, framing, lighting. You will find a Google Image search for "actor headshots" to be very helpful for this. Non-professional shots are fine for age/typecasting; please keep in mind that one picture is a difficult way to go about this. Video of you moving and speaking would be ideal, but understandably more difficult to post. For what it's worth, the branding workshop at SAG-AFTRA recommends a five-year age range. That's inclusive, so for example 19-23, 25-29, 34-38, etc.
Hey, I’m in Montréal but was an expatriate from an early age because of my father’s consulting job. This meant I lived in Costa Rica
How do you guys deal with it? I also have OCD along with ADHD so, Whenever I try to perform/practice something intrusive thoughts just ruins everything.It’s just so disturbing.And I can’t explain how much disturbing it gets to me. My thoughts makes me doubt about myself and it says “you’re doing bad” compare to someone who’s a bad and it says “you’re just like him, he’s also human you’re also and you’re no longer better” That thing just ruins my thought process and blocks my creativity and I get so annoyed by it. Some of you may find it so stupid but y’all might’ve heard about OCD people washing hands multiple time for some stupid reason like if you don’t wash your hands germs inside of you is gonna kill you and influence by that thought he/she wash their hands 100 of times and you know it’s stupid but at certain point you believe in that. And also Due to my ADHD problem I keep getting distracted from some stupid reasons like I hear some sound that don’t affect my recording at all but all my attention slips from what I am doing to that sound although I don’t want to. I can’t focus and I keep delaying my works. I know I should seek some professional help which I am going have after few months after I will graduate from high school btw I am 16 M from southasia. I just want to know how do y’all deal with your problem? Not just ocd even if it’s schizophrenia or any other of my next possibility. How do you deal with it as an actor? I am just hopeless can I even be actor?
Okay so I'm in this MFA for performance program and the way they do things is not always best. I have learned some especially considering I didn't study theatre during undergrad but overall the program is just not the best and the work produced from the students who are about to graduate out of the program is not the best either. I've been grappling with decision on whether or not my time would be better spent elsewhere. I want the MFA but idk if I'd be willing to go through the grad school application process again. Also if I wasn't in school I don't really know what my next steps would be. The program is not all bad but probably mostly because I enjoy acting/performing and I'm going to enjoy the times that I get to do that. I'm pretty conflicted so I guess I'm just looking for outside opinions from insiders, lol i.e. other actors
I'm just starting out as an actor. I have prior experience but I'm looking to submit to agencies and casting directors in the near future. I know that I want to go by a stage name, mainly for privacy but I also want to separate my work from my personal life. I have a first name picked out already, but I'm deciding between a few last names. As someone who lacks representation and is just looking to start somewhere, should I introduce myself using my real name or my stage name?
Hey guys, I'm a filmmaker from the uk, basically got a love for the craft but want some people to join me on making a project. It's a Uni romance thing, with like a roadtrip and they drop out of uni. Honestly don't have enough money to pay anyone, but if you're up for working together then I promise we can make something really great. Other big film I've made is about art and skateboarding, if you want to see what I done before it's here - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN\_\_sk3HX2I&ab\_channel=MovementCO](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN__sk3HX2I&ab_channel=MovementCO) . Send me a message if you want to be involved in something exciting aiming for a bitta beauty :)
I’ve been doing gcse drama, and I’ve been wanting to be an actress for a long time. I’ve been taking lessons and everything my only struggle is finding good castings that are genuine .
Hello my fellow artists, actors, and navigators. I know this has been an immensely trying time, especially for people who are vulnerable, empathetic, and creative (particularly beginners.) I’ve seen so many posts that really boil down to the core concept of “What is the way?” I know we are all desperate, hungry, and ready- I am equally in the depths with you- so take everything I say with a grain of salt- My words of advice are- Commit to the craft. Everything you seek, from “success” (agents, jobs, etc... etc...) to your delivery, to where your progress is within “tapes”- it is within the craft. I genuinely believe we need a desperate resurgence in dedication to the work. Regardless of a pandemic, economic crisis, a complete reshaping to how and why we create and express our art- if you dedicate yourself to better understanding your own instrument, your own craft- your unique ability to express and reveal your point of view- it will never leave you. You can take it with you wherever you go- and judgement becomes futile in comparison to your love of the work. I know many people will respond, but what about being “good!” But frankly what is good and bad is completely subjective- what matters is your dedication. You will not need a job or awards or even an audience for that matter to validate your ability to be an actor. Your job as an actor is to tell stories- and you can do that whenever, and wherever. Of course, it would be amazing to make a living, and express a story on a grand level (IE a MOVIE, a SHOW, a PRODUCTION)- but the sooner you find that need to express WITHIN yourself, regardless of if anyone else is listening or responding or paying- the sooner you will be able to engage with the larger whole with ease. You have gifts- and you need to nurture them- go read up on the greats of acting- learn about great authors and painters and how they created with or without anyone else! This truth cannot be dampened, bought, or quantized. And you will feel it- of course, you will be unsatisfied at certain points, because this is the never ending journey to discover further depths and understanding. The work is never finished- and there is so much to learn and do! It may feel overwhelming, and it should- but the sooner you begin, the better. If you need any recommendations, my inbox is always open. There is going to be a massive need for storytelling and expression in the coming years, so I beg of you to begin now, so we can get to work. If you’ve made it this far in this- thank you for contributing yourself to a timeless craft and art. Give it the respect it deserves, and do it justice. Your gifts and truth are vital.
Hello everyone. What is everyone’s opinion on open casting calls on Twitter? I’ve just came across one from a British casting director looking for three young actors. Has anyone succeeded through a Twitter open call or know someone who has done it? Is it worth attempting it
\- Not smiling \- Titled angle Torso and above
Moved to Oregon recently, I have worked on TV and film in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, New York City, and San Francisco. Disinterested in moving to LA currently because we just had a baby up here and really enjoy the area, and pricing in OR. I had an agent in SF that I recently parted with. My main question is Should I stick to only submitting for projects in portland, or try to submit to other cities for actual paying work such as LA? I worked on an indie here, which I love doing, its just that it seems you can't be a full time working actor in this area. I don't mind traveling for jobs, or call backs. Flights aren't to expensive, but would I even be taken seriously if I don't actually live in the city I'm submitting to? Any help or advice would be much appreciated!
I am doing a project for my acting business class, presenting info on how to find gigs/stay alive in major cities ~other~ than NYC, LA, and Chicago, we chose Orlando. Obviously a lot of pro work would be at amusement parks- but if you have any kind of experience living, working, or auditioning in Orlando I would appreciate hearing it! Is it worth joining AEA or SAG in FL? If any one has any knowledge on cruise line auditions as well, I’d love to hear that, too. Do they do ever do auditions for Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, etc. in Orlando, or are they typically in NYC? It’s kind of hard to find this info post-COVID because all their audition pages are shut down- and they aren’t set to sail until June.
Wanted to get your thoughts on this, so recently I auditioned for a project, a fan made animation on newgrounds and they were looking for people and I wanted to be apart so I submitted my YouTube resume (a YouTube playlist containing my reels, showcase reels, and genre showcase etc). To the creator and a day later he got back to me saying he liked everything but that I was too overqualified for his project and that he would have to pass on me. And that left me kind of confused, because what made me overqualified? I'm not union actor or even have a agent so that's not an issue, I have no issue doing free fan projects (within reason) and my recording equipment and sound is studio standard, so I don't know. I asked this on voice acting facebook and they said it was either him trying to spare my feelings instead of just rejecting me forthright or he didn't want a person at my level to work for free (which apparently is a pretty common response surprisingly according to them). But what are you guys thoughts, can someone actually become overqualified for certain projects?
I am unsure of a good place to promote the page I made for people to audition. What are some good websites I can use to promote this?
i've wanted to do voice acting for a while. i do it sometimes as a casual thing for world of warcraft machinimas i make (and i really do put the most effort in the voice acting rather than the video editing and whatnot). i feel like actors, both voice and live action, have been doing this for awhile. like, you all have started out as theater kids who came into a full-on career on the screen. i was a band kid so i didn't have the time to devote to acting, but i was big into my speech classes and the short-lived speech club that existed at my school (it had an improv bit that i rocked, like give me a character and i'll own them). i love watching VA panels for video game conferences. i'm currently watching the 2021 blizzcon VA panel and what draka's VA, debra wilson, says about losing yourself really resonates with me. blizz is a company that likes to advertise "baring yourself" and connecting with a character on a personal level, and i'm all about that (there have been characters where i've imagined lines they might or might not say, sometimes i'm like, "is that him speaking or is that you imposing your own self on him like a fanboy") but i'd also like to break away from myself and deliver voice lines so perfectly that are so perfectly written it stays with ppl forever. i love world of warcraft and would be honored to act with them, especially as a trans man. but i feel like i'm a little too starstruck by the VA conferences, as every kid who follows the red carpets can tell you. i'm a musician so i think i understand how it feels to see a person who watches a few live concerts think they can shred on guitar without the right amount of practice. i'm here asking for a plan (and admittedly some feelgood encouragement). for now all i can think of doing is signing up for singing lessons, they offer those at my local music shop. what else should i do?
I swear the industry is full of nepotism and it’s so irritating. I was watching YouTube the other day and and ad popped up for a trailer of a new film staring Lily Rose-Depp (Johnny Depp’s kid) and so I read an article about her to see if she did any sort of training but not any that I could find. It seems she got offered a lead role in an indie film at 14 by her dads friend and the realised she loved acting so she dropped out of school at 16 to peruse it full time! I wish I had that luxury haha. I get that some kids will want to do the same thing as there parents and that’s great if you work for it like Uma Thurman’s daughter in Stranger Things. She seemed to try to get things the right way and even went to a top British Drama school for a bit before being offered a role, so at least she wanted to develop her skills through training but I swear a lot of these people ring up a parents friend and BAM starring role lol. I don’t want to hate on these people but I just wanted to start a discussion and am curious see what other people think about all this?
For reference, my boyfriend was drinking last night and wanted to get into the topic of my career (or lack of one) for acting. I told him that with the pandemic, along with me not having fiscal/networking support that I have to work my way up from the bottom and play the waiting game (I’m wanting to do on stage musicals, so it quite *literally* is going to have to wait) For now I’m working part-time at a privately owned Texas grocery store by choice. I got told by him while I was describing how I can improve in my department, that I should consider a white collar job, which I declined because white collar = full time = takes away from acting/theatre opportunities. To paraphrase, I was told I should consider a white collar, desk job (he does IT work for a living) because what I am doing might not work out. I know he meant well, but being told what I am doing is unrealistic stung, especially hearing it from him. I heard it all my life from just about everyone, really (for the past 10 years I switched majors/careers because I listened to the negativity and it only hurt me in the end) I am aware of the pros and the excruciating cons of being a struggling actor, and he knows this. And as much as I want to defend myself and my passion, I’m afraid in execution it just sounds like me being naive. I know we’ve _all_ been told this; but how do you cope/respond to your closest loved ones hinting doubt about your acting/performer/etc. career, or your wanting to start one?
I am a 25 female actor diagnosed recently with autism. I see it as a strength more than a difficulty. However, I was wondering if I should be open about the fact that I am an autistic actor. I recently got a job as a host specifically for that and know that people are trying to hire autistic people to play autistic characters, but one of my teachers thinks that my “condition” as he calls it can be seen in a bad way. However, I wish that more people could see how autistic people can achieve great things and be a role model for those who feel underrepresented. So should I talk about it and if so, how?
Apologies for the long post, TL;DR at the bottom. Before I annoy anyone with yet another LA class post, let me assure everyone that I am fairly familiar with the sub, and with the extensive list of reputable LA coaches by Truthteller that gets posted whenever someone asks about LA classes. I have researched almost all of the entries quite thoroughly, and have taken classes at a number of those fine institutions (and audited or visited many more), but none are quite what I am looking for now, since most of the entries on the list are foundation technique or on-camera classes. Yeah, I know, I know, “No shit, it’s LA,” but I have hope. Essentially, I’m looking to strengthen my on-stage performances. I did not study theatre in college; I began my training in a two-year Meisner program, and have continued it with a variety of scene study and on-camera classes (most from the list, all great) over the past half-decade. Things are going well, and I’m comfortable in front of the camera, but there’s a stage-shaped hole in my heart, and I’m desperately looking forward to a return to live performances. However, like most LA Meisner programs, mine consisted exclusively of the technique class itself , instead of a more complete conservatory-style curriculum. As a result, while I have faith in my ability to “do” the work, I find that I have little faith in my ability to actually convey it from the stage. I feel my instrument requires some tuning, if you will. Simply put, I feel I cannot use my body and voice in the way I’d like to use them on stage. I’d really like to hit the ground running when live theatre is a thing again, so I’m already preparing a return to in-person classes. I’m already planning to sign up for Independent Shakespeare Co.’s first in-person class back, but unfortunately, most of the other big boys (Sacred Fools, Circle in the Square, Echo Company, etc) don’t seem to offer much in the way of training. I know Antaeus has an academy, and The Actors’ Gang offers...some sort of training (though it appears to be Commedia-based). Has anyone taken a class with either of them? There’s also a smaller one near me called the New American Theatre, but I can find precious little on them online. Anyone familiar? Failing that, I wouldn’t mind technique-specific coaching (such as Alexander/Williamson for movement, Linklater/Fitzmaurice for voice, IPA/Skinner for speech), if anyone knows of good coaches for those. Also, if anyone has any recommendation regarding the sequence in which to take them, I’m all ears (for example, I hear some full programs teach Alexander into Williamson into Viewpoints). Apologies again for the lengthy post, I tried to be as specific as I could in terms of what I’m looking for. Thanks! TL;DR: Wanna get better at using the physical tools of acting on stage. Anyone take any classic, theatre-oriented classes in LA? Any experience with Antaeus, The Actors’ Gang, or the New American? If not (or even if so), I would really appreciate any recommendations for classes or coaches to work on movement, voice, and speech. Thanks!
A casting director I spoke with recently mentioned that Central is not the only way to get work as a background actor in LA. Is anyone familiar with other agencies or CDs that you can register with to get BG work? Thanks!
So we all know that having a reel is essential to booking substantial jobs. It seems like you need one to even submit a self tape. Let’s have a reel discussion. Has anyone successfully made their own reel? Just filmed scenes/monologues yourself? Has anyone paid a company to produce a professional reel for you? I’ve done 5-10 projects that promised a copy and I never got one. I’m also mostly a stage actor, therefore I don’t have a ton of me on film. Any tips for creating a reel are welcome!
Okay, so I'm currently a junior in High School and I live super close to New York City. I've done a ton of musical theater and drama acting, and I've taken classes. My question is whether I should look into getting an agent now, with about a year and a half before I go to college (maybe not near NYC and therefore not in a major acting hub), or if I should wait until after college to look for representation. Another wrinkle in the question is that I do not have enough material to make a professional reel to submit to agents, and so it would mostly be self taped monologue and scene footage. Would it be better to wait until college, work on student films at that school, and make a reel out of that once I graduate? I've heard agents and casting directors are more lenient about self taped reels when the actor is on the younger side and I have a resume and headshots put together from my theater work. Thanks!
I apologize if I am using the incorrect term here. By “bigger background role” I mean someone who is not in a giant mosh pit or crowd of people. For example someone who directly interacts with a principal actor... and may have a small speaking role. For example a waitress who directly serves the principal actors/actresses at a restaurant, maybe says thank you etc. I do not have an agent. I am located in canada. . and I get bookings for background work through a casting company that only hires for background roles. Ive been in a couple well known tv shows. Never had any speaking roles . I’m super new to this and would love to explore more. Thanks for the help :)
Im a 15 year old girl and I’m an aspiring actress. Due to Covid I can’t join a stage school or anything but I’m working from home. Right now I’m practicing my emotions,developing my skills,looking for online castings(I’ve already auditioned for one) and just improving myself etc. Is there anything else I should be working on. I want this to be my career so when I’m 18 i won’t be 100% starting from scratch.Any advice aswell? Thank you
Am I a fraud Hi so I had an audition back in January went real received a callback, callback went great as I’m being moved up in a small window of actors for a lead roll in a feature film. The problem I’m struggling with is 1. I’m nonunion, 2. My acting experience is only about a year and a half, and 3. I have no representation currently and my credits are slim. Am I overthinking this? Do I need to get an agent to get this role ASAP? What should I do any help?
I’m trying to put together a list of things that can be unexpected or shocking once you start working. If you don’t have experience but want to contribute a question you have about how something is done, that is also helpful!! I’m putting some examples below. Anything about the industry, audition process, or behind the scenes bits also appreciated! Any cool tricks or practical effects also welcome, no matter how small or silly. ... Film: -Shot lists. I never knew how out of order things were shot or how short some takes are. Did not know how different it would feel doing tiny bits and pieces out of order. -Salem the cat from Sabrina the Teenage Witch was a puppet with a remote control and was operated by 3 different people. -Studios, backlots, film ranches, or sound stages and thought if a scene took place in a house, the scene was shot in a house. -ADR (how much you may need to do and how challenging even though it’s your own face) -1st and 2nd units, body doubles. -How little the director works with the actors by comparison to theater directors. -Alternative materials for realistic looking props. -Anything green screen related. -I always assumed all animated stuff was completed first and voices were added and had to sync with the drawings. Oh and cels/different artists working in one image. -so much of Harry Potter was not CGI!! Theater: -I didn’t know about how loud cap guns could be til I used one on stage and had to do the whole scene with earplugs. -How quick quick changes really were. Also how you need to change in front of other cast members. -Lights and sounds are not programmed or pre-recorded and are done live. - You physically need to put colored filters over lights and they don’t just have every color option already up there. -responsibilities of an understudy. Industry: -Just learned about Fi-Core -What producers actually do -How movies/tv networks make money and how TV shows are funded. -what constitutes a Broadway production -how much crew any production has -much of the time casting directors just report best candidates to the director, who makes the finally casting call, rather than the casting director making final call. -also do you know how many actors have insane backstories??? -golden age Hollywood feuds crack me up. I know some are sad but sometimes pretty funny how petty people could be. Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra? So funny. -obsessed with scottpropandroll on Instagram and tiktok. Insider on YouTube has great stuff too. ❤️
I found this book while browsing on my kindle and it's amazing. It makes so more sense on an intuitive level than anything I've read or been taught up to this point. Has anyone else read it or found it helpful?
**NOTE: Link to download the app from the Google Play Store is in the comments!** If you're an actor you are probably familiar with the idea of *verbs and intentions*, in other words **how you are going to get what you want** from your scene partner(s). This app serves as a reference to help you make stronger choices for your verbs and should be used as a complement to your scene analysis. The app features 300+ verbs and all are categorized by their general intent (loving, manipulative, etc). There are books which serve the same general purpose (e.g. *Actions The Actors' Thesaurus*), but the best part about this app is that it's totally **free**! There is a small ad at the bottom but it is non-intrusive. Let me know what you all think, I welcome all feedback!
I recently have gotten into voice acting and one of the professors at my university knows a childrens book author who needed a voice actor for a commercial on one of his new childrens books he is releasing, and my professor told him about me, and he is interested in letting me audition for it, this is a HUGE thing for me, and I want to know what I should do so I don't screw this up. (Sorry about my poor grammar, english IS my first language, I'm just dumb lol)
I think I've seen it mentioned in the comments here before, but I just want to reemphasize that **Jenna Fischer's book "The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide"** is absolute must-read material. I'd venture to guess it answers 95% of the questions I see posted in this sub (though of course there are always additional insights you can gain from posting here). I'm listening to the audiobook now and it's super enlightening and encouraging. Being from St. Louis and not knowing anyone in LA, she took a similar path to what many in this sub would need to follow for success. That includes patience, hard work, fearlessness, and a little bit of luck. To top it off, I literally saw this clip posted on FB at the same time that I was listening to her chapter about auditioning (and she gives details about her audition for The Office too). Note the strong, decisive choices the actors are making. They know who their characters are already. It's fascinating to hear Jenna describe her approach to the audition and then see her put those choices into action. [https://youtu.be/sItKwZdGkTM](https://youtu.be/sItKwZdGkTM)
Tim Russ sat down and discussed Fallout 4 and other topics on the podcast Movie Reviews from an Alternate Earth. [https://alternatemovies.buzzsprout.com/1391980/8190218-tim-russ-interview](https://alternatemovies.buzzsprout.com/1391980/8190218-tim-russ-interview) Tim also talks about the experiences he's had doing voiceovers for World of Warcraft, The Last of Us 2, the Elder Scrolls, and others; and he, of course, talks about his long history as an actor on TV and Film.
Acting has actually been my childhood dream since I was a teenager. I'm 30 now and still have not started my career yet. I'm actually not deterred by that because there are people who started professionally acting in their 30s, 40s, shit even their 50s I heard. Anyway, due to lack of resources I could never seem to get my career off the ground. Also, around I wanna say 2009... ish... I became less interested in acting and more in filmmaking. I still love the art of TV and film production. It's fascinating to me to see movies being made and filmed on location. I did take one acting class when I was in community college taking classes. I was a backup dancer in two high school plays and I had one of my teachers keep recommending i audition for one of the plays at this theater playhouse thing a couple towns away from me. Never did... yet. My interest in acting resumed in like 2010-2015 or so as I decided I wasn't all that much interested in acting after all. Well guess what, now I'm interested again. I guess I've always been interested in acting! I suppose what I'm learning here is you don't choose the career, the career chooses you. I really am starting to feel that being an actor is my calling. Where I hope to go with my acting career is I would like to do stage plays and theater work. Oh, and note this important thing: I'M NOT LOOKING FOR FAME. I DON'T WANT TO BE A BIG-NAME CELEBRITY though I would love to have some film and TV credits under my belt. Soaps, primetime TV, indie films, short films, things like that. That's where I hope to take my acting career. I guess I kinda do know where to start -- get a professional headshot, visit LA or NYC where the business is, find a talent agent somehow, etc. that sorta thing. I guess I'm not actually asking a question here, but posting this just as an OMC (off my chest) type of post haha...
Hi, I am 17 and I live in india. I will be pursuing my further studies in the US and I have decided to do my major in theater. A lot of people told me to do else and keep a BACKUP but if I really love the craft, I don't see a reason as to why I should do anything else. The question that I have is that I find it difficult to envision a roadmap as to where I am right now and how to pursue a career in it. Being an international student, I won't be able to work my student visa also. How would I be able to connect those dots and be able to become an actor?
So I’ve been looking into getting into voice acting and I have a kinda good mic, I have a hyper x quad cast but I’m looking into getting into voice acting such as gigs and just practicing getting my voice better so any help would be nice!
I just got new headshots and the photographer sent them to me as both “Hi-Res edits” and “Web-Res edits”. Does it matter which ones I send to my agents/which ones to put on casting sites, print out, etc. ? Which ones do I use for what ? I already put the web res ones on actors access and i’m a bit worried. I’m confused about this.
We’ve all seen the videos. Terrible, over dramatic acting. Or under dramatic acting. It’s fun and painful in equal measures to watch a disaster in motion; but what are some of the things that *make* those disasters? What, in your opinion, identifies a bad performance? What makes you cringe in acting, and how would you correct the behaviour? What are some things you just hate in performances, or some acting tropes you’re tired of? What screams “I’m bad,” or maybe worse, “I’m garden variety?” (Because at least if an actor is bad, they can be comically bad.)
I originally attended a local theatre group when I was 14, I did a play with them in our towns theatre but when I was 15 the group got shut down and the only theatre in town was shut down. A year later I started attending a workshop for film and television in the city, it’s a successful workshop and it’s opened a lot of doors for actors, my teacher is also a casting director. I’ve been attending that for 4 years and I’ve learned so much, of course I have so much more to learn though. I’m paying £100 a term to attend but my only issue is I got regrouped into a new class of teenagers because of my age (I’m 22) I’m too young to join the official adult class because it’s 25 and up. I feel like a jerk saying this but no one in the class takes it seriously...whenever we get put into groups to learn our lines everyone just goes off topic and talks about school drama and nothing ever gets done. There was one instance where me and my partner had to completely improvise because she spent the entire time we were supposed to be practicing talking to the group next to us about some people at school, even though I had asked and asked if we could practice. I wanna improve and learn so bad but it’s not happening with the group I’m in and I feel like I’m wasting my money just to listen to a bunch of people talk about school drama. It’s been closed for the last year because of Covid but it’s set to open again in June or July. But during the time it’s closed I’ve been watching YouTube lessons and I truly feel that I’ve learned more this way since being put into the new group. I love my teachers so much and I’m so incredibly thankful for them and for what they have taught them, but I really do feel like I’m wasting time in this new group. And I don’t know what to do, because I feel like if I leave I’m throwing away opportunities since my teacher is a casting director who helps us get roles in TV series etc. I really don’t know what to do.
I usually ask my sister or my mom to be my reader when I do self-tapes. They're super gracious about it, but I'd love to start taping with my actor buddies, either via Zoom or at a local studio space, depending on everyone's comfort level. I usually buy my family a meal or something. When you ask friends to help you do a self-tape, what do you work out with them? Do you pay them (and if so, how much)? Do you buy them a coffee? Do you help them tape in exchange? Does your compensation vary if you do it via Zoom or in-person (provided it's safe)?
I am out of the social media loop y’all! I’m an actress in her early 40’s (I’m a WOC and I often play younger) and I hate social but I am so curious about something... A friend overheard another actress say “she doesn’t like me” and when my friend inquired why she said, “because I followed (me) on IG and (me) didn’t follow her back” - first I hardly check my social media at all and second...her name is not even her name it’s a bunch of mixed up numbers and letters and stuff... Can I ask you - is it really, truly this petty out there? Truly, is it? Is it this disgustingly, horrifyingly petty? If one actor follows you and you don’t follow them back - by accident or whatever - does it constitute the brewings of WW3? This actress might think I’m younger and know the “lingo” but sheesh... I know there will be some writing saying “petty ppl are everywhere and screw her” but this question isn’t about that - it’s more about what is expected on social / etiquette. I was asking my bf about it and he said ask the 20 year olds they that that social shit SERIOUSLY- I’ll have to keep it in mind for younger casting assistants and produces etc. So I’m asking ... do you really take it that seriously? Thank you. And long live the 80’s. When your real enemies dissed you to your face. :)
Raya and the Last Dragon is a major milestone for voice actors and arguably represents a potential shift in the industry. Read more about it at https://www.codystewartvo.com/blog/raya-and-the-last-dragon-is-a-voice-over-milestone
This post is very abstract and just interested in general ideas and isn’t meant to target/shame anyone for their choices. Okay, so, throughout film history, there has been a niche of artistic filmmaking that indulges in depicting very graphic/explicit/unsimulated sex acts on camera. Of course, choosing to perform a nude scene is each individual’s decision to make based on their personal boundaries... But what about those who choose to do these more extreme things? Are there any prevailing thoughts about them in the industry? Will they always be tainted as unmarketable or fringe performers? Does it make them seem unprofessional? Or, going to other extreme, are they just such dedicated professionals that maybe they deserve more respect and credit for doing what most people wouldn’t? Of course, the unions have their rules, and post-#MeToo producers and studios are treading lightly, but still, this type of filmmaking seems to be proliferating in the foreign and indie scenes. Now, I’m not an actor, just extremely curious about the industry, so I really want to know how much validity you all give to these performances. And as for its artistic merit... is there even a line to draw anymore? If so, what do you consider it to be? For example, I can understand an actor not wanting to perform/receive oral sex with their scene partner... but does fitting a prosthetic penis for the filming of an oral sex scene really make that big of a difference in the end, especially if willing actors could have been cast in the first place? In closing, I don’t really have any single question to repeat here... I just wanted to put the ideas out there and see what everyone has to say about them. Even if it’s just your personal thoughts and feelings on the matter as it pertains to your individual career. So... Let me hear it. Thanks.
Hello, I was looking to hire some voice actors for a small motion comic project and was wondering how the hiring process goes. I understand that auditions are done, but I was wondering if voice actors have a portfolio of sorts? I have experience hiring artists to draw comics and was wondering if it’s a similar process. Auditions seem a bit strange to me since the highest word count a character has is about 80. Which leads me to my next question, how does pricing work? Are actors paid by word or is it paid per minute/hour? I’m very sorry to be asking all of these questions, but I’m looking forward to moving forward with the project with some awesome voice actors.
Hi! I'm looking to cast someone for the part of one of the three main characters for a pilot presentation (5-7 minute animated short). Must be LA-Based or able to connect remotely with a high quality home setup (I want to be able to direct the recording session). The character is a young adult elven woman (20's/30's) with a high energy, super positive personality. She loves EVERYTHING! She is a sorceress, but also the Queen of the Kingdom! Must be comfortable with fantasy/ancient accents. Characters will speak like the show Rome on HBO. For the 5 minute short, the pay is $100 for a 1 hour recording session. However, this is not a for-profit video. This will be for internal circulation and pitching. If you are interested, please submit any demo reels you have. And, I will send you sides to audition for the character. Thank you so much!
Hi guys! Does social media follower count really matter or affect casting? I read some vlogs about it and want to confirm to your personal experience. I just believe that actors are not really that active to social media. Plus if yes, is it okay to post portraits of yourself or leave a little mystery to your personality? And also sadly, influencer's are getting handed jobs they didn't even audition for. Example: a tiktoker who got a lead role etc. Please share with me your thoughts! Thank y'all!
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.
