A common post I see on the Internet (and occasionally on this subreddit) is, "Are there any famous actors who started at 30?" I know what this is about. These are from people who did not start acting at a very young age worried that if they try now, it will be a waste of effort. They go on Wikipedia and look at "years active" and see they started at the age of 18-22, if not even earlier. I know this because I have done the same. Of course, if you go into acting solely to become extremely famous, we all know you are setting yourself up for major frustration and disappointment. But even knowing that, you aren't even sure if you can get your foot in the door at that age. The answer to the question above is, not a ton, but some did. Most actors start early simply because it was their passion from a young age, which is something you truly need if you want to succeed in entertainment. And most of the people who started later still loved acting and entertaining as a hobby of some kind, which meant transferring later to acting was not a huge shift. If you're starting entirely from scratch, it's likely even harder. The list includes (and some of these are late 20s): \- Billy Bob Thornton \- Ray Romano \- Denis Leary \- Danny Glover \- Bernie Mac \- Wanda Sykes \- Jason Statham \- Gerard Butler \- Chi McBride \- Phil Hartman \- Viggo Mortenson \- Will Forte \- Ricky Gervais \- Mads Mikkelsen As you can see, it's far easier (relatively, obviously) to start later if you're a man. It's extraordinarily difficult to find famous women who started at that age, and sadly we all know why. It's also easier to start later if you're a comedian. Comedy and comedic acting have their own networks and types of exposure that widens the age range. For dramatic acting, it's a bit more slim. However, the question is what "started" means. Wikipedia has their "years active" section, as mentioned above, but those are not always correct or equal. Sometimes the first year is simply "started in acting school" or "did a open mic in a dive bar for fun" or "started a band that went nowhere" or "won a talent show". Remember, Wikipedia can be fudged. And most actors likely embellish parts of their early career when they can. A lot of a well-known actor's early career is difficult to research anyway, since we don't know what small, under-the-radar productions they were doing that have never been discussed, and even if we do, any pertinent details. And that's probably the way they like it. Sometimes a Wikipedia article will state an actor's first year is X because he stated in a single interview that he did his first gig at some place that year. We don't even know if it's true, and neither side has anything for proof, so it's taken as fact. For example, I'm an aspiring comedian and actor (although COVID has made me put some of that on hold). I was active in school theater, and did open mics and standup shows when I was 17 and 18 in 2007 and 2008. I was never paid for them, they were classes and open mics. However, when I got to college, I somewhat lost interest and felt like studying other things, so I put it on hold. But I never stopped writing jokes, and I occasionally did an open mic here and there, just for fun. Eventually, I went to grad school for engineering and completely put it out of my mind. I'm 30 now. When COVID hit last year, while having a lot of time to think alone in my house, I decided to put myself back out there. After COVID blows over, I hope to drop my "staying-inside-during-COVID" weight and work my way up from the bottom. I've started doing online standup shows and am loving every minute of it. But if a Wikipedia article were written about me, would they say I started in 2007, or 2020? Just remember: there's no one way to become an actor, and there's no one way to become a famous or successful actor. If it's your dream, you will work for it and try to defy the odds.
This got lengthy. TL;DR at the bottom. I used to be signed to a modeling agency that also had a talent division under their umbrella, so to speak. I was never under contract with this talent agent, but after I was sent out on an audition and a casting director took the time to call this agent to let them know that I was more than just a model (and that I can actually act), the agent decided to work with me. I always wanted to be an actor. I was a theatre arts major and completed a year of study before dropping out and moving to NYC. I thought starting out with modeling would be an easier “in” when I moved to the big city, so that’s what I ended up spending most of my time doing, all the while sporadically taking acting classes at various studios. Anyway, after the phone call with the casting director, my agent started taking me more seriously. I took some headshots, and enrolled in a 3-month acting for film program. At the completion of that program, I took all of the footage from the class and made a quasi reel of if it to show my agent. I sat down with them as asked what types of things they were submitting me for and if we can set a game plan to get me in bigger doors. Ultimately, they felt I still wasn’t ready, that I didn’t have enough credits to go out for bigger roles, and frankly that I wasn’t a good enough actor. They said they were only submitting me for background work and student films... I was obviously gutted, but I understood some of what my agent was saying. But I wasn’t going to let one persons feedback stop me. I decided to reach out to one of my teachers from the 3-month program to ask for his advice and to tell him what my agent had said. I actually unearthed our email exchange today, and he reassured me that my agent didn’t know what they were talking about. That I didn’t need lots of credits to go out for co-star roles, nor did I need an agent to submit to background/student films. He also said I already had the ability to work in the business, and I should consider finding new representation with someone who would go to bat for me. Thanks, teach. I didn’t stop there either. I tracked down the email of the casting director that actually did go to bat for me. The one that made that call to my agent, expressing that I actually had talent. Surprisingly, the casting director took the time to meet with me and allowed me to pick their brain. As diplomatically and professionally as I could, I explained that my agent didn’t quite believe I was worth sending out, but they also reassured me that I had everything I needed to go out for at least co-star roles. Thanks, casting director. I ended my contract with my former modeling agency and therefore that talent agent 3 years ago. Fast forward to today, I am working with an acting manager who IS sending me out for co-star/guest star roles, and receiving callbacks almost every time. Oddly enough, I was introduced to my acting manager via my former agent, so I guess I have to at least thank them for that introduction. I wish I had a bigger ‘fuck you’ story to tell, but I am still trying to break into the biz and haven’t booked a role yet. I know it takes time, and the pandemic didn’t help matters at all. But I am still trying. However, this email from my former agent kinda jarred me. Why would they bother reaching out if they thought so little of me when I was working with them? And I don’t want to be one to burn any professional bridges, but do I bother responding? TL;DR After 3 years of no contact, a former agent (who thought I wasn’t a good enough actor to be submitted for more than background/student films when we worked together) reached out to see if I was still acting. After receiving positive feedback and validation from a former teacher and a casting director that I was indeed good enough, I stopped working with the agent. I don’t want to burn a professional bridge, especially since I am still trying to break into the business, but do I bother responding to someone who didn’t believe in me?
Hiya, I’m a young aspiring actress who would like to one day make acting a career... it’s going to be hard I know. After lockdown I plans on taking some classes, I live in England however nowhere near London (huge bummer) do any of you have and tips or anyone to go to such as agents ect. Thank you
Hello, I, along with a friend of mine are aspiring filmmakers who are in the early stages of producing a short film based on a script I’ve written. If anyone were interested, we are looking to cast 2 actors in supporting roles. “A 20 year old living in a basement apartment with his mother, has done everything he can to help her out. But by doing the right thing, he’s in trouble.” Additional Details: Long Island, New York Non-paid Crime/Drama Contact: GlassBootProductions@Gmail.com
The exchanges between the agent and I were pleasant, I sent out an email asking to meet and they gave me a time and interview registration. Tonight, a day before the interview is supposed to happen, an assistant emails me saying they’re cancelling because they’re “downsizing” their roster and are not looking for new talent. I guess I’m just more confused than anything because why would they even set up a meeting only to cancel it instead of telling me from the beginning they weren’t looking for new talent? I feel like this is super unprofessional to do and if an actor did the same thing they’d get chastised for it. Is there something maybe I’m missing? Some “reason” they decided to waste both my and their time by pulling this? Sorry about the rant-y nature of this, I’m just a little frustrated at this situation.
What’s the next step after graduating college w an acting major to getting auditions or an agent? What do you do in between to get an agent or get those auditions outside of websites like backstage and actors access. Is there a specific methodology to obtaining an agent or obtaining roles? What further steps would a industry professional or anyone recommend I take. I’m a little confused on the how, any help would be much appreciated.
I haven't acted in over a year because of covid 19 i have lost 6 jobs do to no budgets or covid-19. i've lost a golden opportunity to attend a prestigious youth class because now i'm too old. And It seems a lot of actors my age (20) seem to be doing great and thriving. Like am I just not made for an acting career? Do any of you people have any advice?
There’s often plenty conversations about talent agencies and MGMT groups in terms of ranking and where actors looking for rep would have a better shot at, but there’s something in particular I’ve been curious about: What’s your opinion of managers that don’t have a whole team and work alone, representing not a very vast number of talent (like 10-15 actors) and most of them are working actors but they do have one huge star? For example, there’s this manager who has represented a celebrity name since day one (she has never done a lot of projects but became famous in a very known teen TV drama that ended a few years ago). Not sure if he’s still representing her now, but even if he is, she’s basically retired, so I doubt she still keeps him super busy. Anyway, in a case like this, do you think the other clients are “left behind” when their manager got a major success case tied to his name?
Is the real life one still better?
Hello, I am not an actor but was approached on social media about an opportunity to interview for a spot on a new competition reality show for a major streaming network. They wanted someone with my specific occupation to be a contestant. I’m curious on how this process works. So I had a quick phone call interview with a casting director, then was invited for a virtual interview which I completed this week- lasted about an hour and talked mostly about my life stories and my personality and strategy for the game. Now that is complete, what happens next? Are my odds still very slim of being casted? They start filming internationally in May so I figure I would hear back fairly soon.
umm I need help with acting I want to become an actor so badly like it’s my dream but I don’t know how to start and I’m not so keen on doing live performances and I’ve never had lesson for anything before. I want to be a star like Finn Wolfhard or someone someday. And I don’t think my family know I want to become an actor and I don’t know if they would want to move to America or somewhere else because I don’t think they would think I would get that far, they are supportive though! I’m a 12 year old boy who lives in London. Thanks.
I am a young actress in LA. I have a manager and was auditioning pretty consistently pre-pandemic. Then nothing when everything shut down (obviously), but it picked up again for me in September-November. Since the holidays, however, it's been dead. Maybe one audition every 2 weeks. Is this normal for right now?
what are some actors/actresses you can think of off the top of your head, that didn’t really break into the business until age 25? (currently having a quarter-life crisis and looking for some respite
I always wondered how they cast bigger roles. I know for local shorts and features, they call for the local area but it seems like bigger Netflix or Theater releases cast internationally . How does that work? How do actors from the UK audition for roles in the us at such a moments notice. And some of their agents are American. I thought the industry doesn’t like actors to be be so nomadic?
I saw this posted on another sub and thought people here might like it too: [https://gfycat.com/fearfulslipperybassethound](https://gfycat.com/fearfulslipperybassethound) It is from the TV show Kidding (awesome show!) with a scene that is a one-shot montage. No camera cuts. So the camera is just panning around the room while the crew is quickly moving the scenery and the actors are hitting their marks at the correct times. A lot of coordination involved in this kind of shot and everyone needs to pay attention and work together. But, the end effect looks smooth.
I'm not talking about lip syncing to a scene that already exists and was worked on tirelessly by many talented writers and actors, but rather creating original monologues myself and acting those out. There are literally billions of people on TikTok, so it seems like it couldn't hurt right? A lot of posts on the Acting hashtag though are people just y'know, stealing content without properly crediting the original creators, so that's a thing I definitely will not be doing haha
Hello. I’m a student from Korea who wants to be an actor in Hollywood. I searched lots of schools in the U.S and I realized that the tuition is very expensive. I searched a lot and finally I decided to go to acting school in Canada. Can you please recommend me the best acting colleges in Canada you’ve ever heard? I have to extend my visa so it should be a college(should have a degree). (If you know anything about these school’s acting program, please tell me about it: Niagara college, Langara college studio 58, Centennial college, Seneca college etc) Thanks for reading !
Hey all, hope it's ok for me to do a bit of self-promotion on here! I'm a film critic, actress and podcaster and I just started a new YT series where I break down the best/weirdest/most interesting performances in cinema – and to start things off, I talk about Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley! Have a look, hope fellow actors and acting fans will enjoy!! [https://youtu.be/oD1eNP4LRVA](https://youtu.be/oD1eNP4LRVA)
Not an aspiring actor, just curious and ignorant. Are movie castings announced somewhere so that anyone can audition, or do you only get auditions through agents? Or are they announced somewhere but you still need agents to get auditions? And when is it audition tapes as opposed to live auditions? Or do you need a tape to get a live audition? Thanks in advance.
I mean it's really insane at this point. I just signed with somebody that looks great on imdb! like fantastic actors on tons of shows, series regs, the whole 9. and these people have barely communicated with me and have not gotten me a single audition since we "starting working together" in fucking December!!! like this is not acceptable!!! meanwhile my other 3 shitty shitty reps combined have gotten me 9 auditions, which is less than what 1 semi-decent non-shitty rep should be getting an actor in a month. I mean this whole fucking situation is such a joke and I've been mentally forced to accept it otherwise... what, I don't act? I do not understand why these agents and managers are even able to have a business license when they literally lie to you and blow smoke up your ass and barely communicate with you. Why sign me? why waste my fucking time like that? I'm sorry but I've had like 6 reps that fucking suck so bad at this point and every time I think I'm "leveling up" its just the same bullshit all over again, horrible communication, no support, no strategy, and more time wasted. Its just so unfair how some people's experiences get to be so pleasant and make sense to them, meanwhile people like me have to fucking claw our way for every breadcrumb, and have people take advantage of us and treat us like garbage the entire way. I really wish I didn't love acting so much because I fucking hate this process more than anything. more than anything. sorry this is basically a rage post. because I've just fucking had it with people Bill Murray is my idol. because he doesn't have reps. because fuck reps. he has a lawyer, thats it. I want to be bill Murray
Just throwing this out there—it’ll probably get thrown back. But—I recently wrote a contest winning/microbudget screenplay with an extra-juicy part for an actress. If any producing/directing/actress has the wherewithal (translation: $) and can get this off the ground better than the Hindenburg, please contact me. Thanks!
I am really curious. I am having a hard time finding other actors/directors, etc. to collaborate and make a project, just a short film even being shot using a phone. I am not the most social person but I try to be. All this time I have met people who agree to the initial idea and then disappear. Or I shot something short with someone and never got the scene. I do not attend a class right now and even when I did, it seems majority lacked the motivation, especially with making no money. But yeah, I try reaching out to others to collaborate, not sure if it's just that they don't like me and they avoid. Any advice?
Warning: Venty, whiny post incoming. Understandably, with the pandemic, more and more auditions have been required to move towards self-tapes in order to be safe, and I get that and I'm on board with being safe. But it seemed like auditions were already heavily trending towards self-tape even before the pandemic began and I'm worried it's going to continue this way even after it's safe to be in person again. (I'm mostly talking about theater, by the way. I realize that self-taping has been the norm in film for quite a while.) I feel like I'm at such a disadvantage when I do a self-tape. Back in the in-person days, there was something about physically going to a location- warming up in the car and getting in the zone in the waiting room and physically performing for a panel- that got me able to do my best work. I feel so self-conscious when I'm doing a self-tape at home. Here I am belting or yelling obscenities or just being very emotionally open to my camera, with the knowledge that my girlfriend/parents/neighbors/etc. can hear all of it. I hate that, especially since, when I self-tape, I have the tendency to do take upon take upon take (and drive myself crazy with it) since I have the option. I feel like I never get the best results from home, and the magic/adrenaline/privacy of the audition room that I crave is gone. It's also just physically such a hassle. I don't live somewhere where I have access to decorate how I want, so I don't have a blank wall to do self-tapes. If I end up doing a self-tape, I have to take time and effort to take down all the picture frames and move the furniture and everything until I finally do get a blank wall. I then have to ask that everyone in my house be quiet/leave/ignore me for the half hour/hour and a half/however long it takes to get the self-tape done. Or, if audition sides require dialogue (which many film auditions do) I have to go to the effort of getting someone to take time to read for me as I do take after take after take. And then, of course, there are the added jobs of cinematographer, lighting designer and editor that actors are now saddled with when they do self-tapes. Getting my iPhone videos to my PC is a hassle and half, not to mention editing itself takes forever too since Microsoft ditched movie maker. And, of course, a lot of these self-tapes are expected with such little notice, to the point where I've neglected to go for more roles than I'd like to admit simply because it's too much damn work to do the self-tape. Again, I get that we can't do auditions in person, but why not over Zoom? I've had several great auditions over there, where I could read with someone on the panel in real-time, and I definitely felt the audition room adrenaline like I'd hoped. It's not a perfect substitute for in-person, but it's a whole lot better than self-tapes and I don't know why we don't do more of these instead. I get that this is a very small-potatoes problem in the midst of a pandemic, and I should be happy to get to audition for anything at all, but it's just so frustrating since I feel like I can't showcase myself nearly as well over a self-tape, and I'm worried that casting directors are going to come out of the pandemic realizing that they have more room than they previously thought to be lazy and not have to organize anything and just have actors do all of the work via self-tapes. Can't there be a better way?
I guess the good thing about this time is that I've learned how to set up my home for stronger tapes and also just get those acting reps in. I'm getting compliments about the tapes I'm sending in from rep & more traction and I am proud of them. Have you noticed with bookings sending in sooner than later helps for you because if they like you you will be the one to beat? Would love any feedback on this. Obviously it's about the work at end of day but I do wonder about the time element. Thanks!
I was wondering if anyone had any tips for getting into the practise of using a growl or nasally voice. I'm going into the game development field as my career choice after I graduate and I wanted to be able to incorporate voice acting into my own games so I don't need to seek out other individuals, as it has always been something I'm interested in doing. There's a character in a game I'm currently making which has a very growl-nasally voice which isn't particularly deep. (For an example I'd say Qrow Branwen from Volume 7 - Volume 8 of RWBY as an accurate comparison) The way I usually apply "growl" or "gravel" onto my voice is to almost talk while I'm clearing my throat, and I always drink plenty of water but I still don't think I'm at the desired effect I'd like.
Trying to figure out some of the best ones but with everything being online, I'm more so trying to filter it in a way where I won't break my wallet but also know this class actually helped some aspiring actors / actresses get to where they are now. Tips on what to search? Or names of acting classes? Thanks!
Do I need to prepare something? Are we doing a cold read?
I thought that college was going to be such a great learning experience for me. That was a lie Those two years I was a musical theatre major were some of the worst years of my life. I quickly learned that our program director (we’ll call this person Arnold) was a narcissist, picked favorites, and had a huge ego. I had a meeting with Arnold after auditions for spring shows in my junior year, and he told me that my face sucked when I was singing, no director would ever want to work with me, and that I needed to go to therapy. Mind you, I had spent the entire semester in a performance class with this man and this was the first time he'd ever mentioned something like that. The next semester, Arnold made me audition for a show I was uncomfortable with (it was a drag heavy show, and I’m uncomfortable with it for personal reasons). Initially, he understood and said that I would just do the audition for a grade for our auditions class. Then he tried to get me to change my mind. When I told him no, he told me that I shouldn't have turned it down and threw me under the bus to a professional director and said it was my fault I auditioned. During the show we were doing that spring, he spent an hour one night screaming and swearing at us about how we all sucked and how awful our rehearsal was and how we would never work professionally and "why aren't you answering, blink blink? You all look like cows in a field, blink blink. Someone give me a REAL answer, blink blink." I got a bad midterm grade because my face apparently looked miserable all the time and I was told I needed to “keep my eyebrows up” to make everyone think I was happy. And in my senior year, I was the only senior (there were 6 of us) to not get a lead in any of the shows. My classmates weren't much better. All of my closest friends graduated after my sophomore year, so I spent junior and senior years basically alone. I came into the major late, so the people in my year didn't want to hang out with me. I took classes with the year below me, and they wouldn't give me the time of day. We went to NYC in the spring of my junior year for a senior showcase, and everyone was paired up with someone to share a room with, and I slept on the couch. A lot of them would never talk to me. I tried to be friends with them, it's not like I'm a total hermit. But I knew I was screwed when I came back early for a show and four of us made a group chat, then the other guys made a new group chat without me and were hanging out without me. I remember parties where I would say hi to them, and they'd roll their eyes at me without saying anything. We were supposed to go to NYC in March, and they all planned their transportation down there without me. The real kicker is everyone that I graduated with moved down to NYC and they never asked me if I wanted to live with them even though I asked them if they wanted to look for places together. My whole time at school, I never felt like I was actually there. Out of all of the professors I had, only 2 really wanted to see me succeed. If I asked Arnold for help on something, he wouldn't. He'd tell me to figure it out myself because he said if he gave me an answer, it wouldn't work for me and then I'd have a meltdown about not knowing what to do. During shows, I never got feedback on my acting, it would always be "be more social" or "don't get a concussion." It wasn't until fall of my senior year when I finally took a class with a professor who understood the way I function as an actor and worked with me to find things that made sense in my brain. Since graduating, I've held a lot of resentment towards my experience. It's killed my love for theatre and acting, and I've since decided that maybe I don't want to pursue it professionally. I don’t know how to love it again. I want to, but anything related to theatre makes me think of all of the bad things I’ve experienced instead of the joy that it used to bring me. TLDR: Had a terrible experience in a performance program in college and now I’m jaded that I don’t love performing the way I used to.
Hey I’ve been doing on screen/film acting for around 3 years now and i have never really changed my hair color. Recently I have been wanting to dye my hair an unnatural color, and i’m wondering if that’s even okay as a film actor. Obviously I’m going to need to talk to my agents about this but before I do I just wanted to know if it’s okay to have an unnatural hair color in the film industry and if that would affect my chances in an audition, if it’s seen as unprofessional or something then i don’t want to bother my agents asking about it... please let me know what knowledge you have about this! thank you!!
Partly a vent post but mostly a post of encouragement. I see a lot of posts on here from people who ask how they can get into acting if they are from a small town, or if they don’t know anyone in the business, or if they’re a teenager, or still in school, or can’t move to a big city, etc. Just a friendly reminder, that we all have been there. That’s everyone’s story. If you want something bad enough, you make it work. And the ones who want it bad enough and make it work, are the ones who are going to succeed. You have to make sacrifices. For those of you who are from small towns, you might not be aware that mostly everyone who lives in the big cities, like LA or NYC, are also from small towns. They made the jump and moved out to LA/NYC in order to give themselves the best possible chance of making it in this industry. We were all teenagers in high school who once dreamed of becoming entertainers. We didn’t know anybody famous either. The actors you see on your favorite TV shows, watch on the big screen at movie theaters, or are winning Oscars, were also mostly actors from a small town with a dream. The secret is- you turn 18, and then that’s when your dreams can really take shape. So for now, watch lots of movies, read lots of scripts, audition for school plays, or just memorize monologues. You’re not too old and it’s not too late.
Hi, so I am basically a typical 21 year old aspiring actor moving to LA soon, and I have had years of training and experience with background work and short films, but I have no solid footage for a demo reel, as all the footage were from when I was 17-19 and I look a tad bit different. I hear from some people that it is okay to film solid self tapes and put them together for a reel and send them to agencies, but I am worried and I wonder if I should just try getting people together to make our own scene or just paying for a scene to be shot for me for my reel. Do I need to do all of that for a better shot at agencies, or do you guys think that I can get by with self tapes of aired scenes? Thank you in advance
Does anybody have any examples of actors business cards, like professional actor cards?
Hi! I'm Edson Nolasco, international manager from a full-service audio company. At the moment we're looking for german, korean, russian or french voice actors for a kid show that is broadcasted on a website. We need the voice of a mom, dad or some kids. Maybe you match with a character. Also, an important requirement is that you must be able to sing. Please, let me know if you are interested and if you meet the requirements. All the best
I've seen so many websites for gigs and jobs but I cant seem to find one that would actually get me anywhere. Any tips on what site I should use?
My partner is a really attractive East Asian man and we live in an area where film is a huge industry. He loves acting but never has time outside of his job to do it, except for classes. We see that there is a bit of a trend for more hot Asian men to be in movies and TV shows these days. What do you think about his chances at making good money if he were to shift his focus to pursue more acting gigs? Any pro-tips or advice for someone in his position? Thanks for any insight!
What's up r/acting? I'm back with a whole handful of questions for you. I was unsure if I should do this as one post or multiple, so if this type of post goes against the sub's rules, by all means, remove it. I don't intend to infringe; merely I wanted to get my questions out there. ***Firstly, I have a few questions regarding making a reel with no experience:*** * In general, I've heard that for those of us with no industry experience, we should make a reel by memorizing a handful of monologues, filming them, and editing them together to use as a reel. Is this how I should go about it? * Would I be able to use dialogue, especially monologues, from a novel in a reel? * For example, there is a trilogy I read recently that I absolutely loved some of the dialogue in, and at one point, the character speaking spoke in a way that was essentially a monologue. Would I be able to use this? * I'm not quite sure how best to word this, but could I use a spoken-word work or "song"? * Specifically, the thing I'm thinking about for this is Starset's "A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FUTURE". I absolutely love the monologue, but would there be any sort of legalities surrounding it, as it is technically a "song" released by the band, that would prevent me from using it as a monologue in an acting reel? * When it comes to student films, would those need to be published or publicized in any way in order to be able to list them on my resume or use clips in a reel? ***Next, I've got some questions about acting in general—a few different topics:*** * I'm currently still under quarantine due to familial health concerns. Is there a way to take my own headshots at home so as to not have to wait until summer at the SOONEST to get them done professionally? Of course I will as soon as I am able, but would there be a way to take headshots that could pass as professional-looking enough so I do not have to wait longer than necessary to begin to put myself out there and submit for auditions online? If so, what would be the best way to go about it? * Speaking of online submission sites, I've seen that Actors' Access, Backstage, and Casting Networks are extremely highly recommended and in most cases required by agencies. * What of these, or other similar, sites should I sign up for first? * Which are *most* important when just starting out in the industry? * Should I sign up as soon as I possibly can or wait any amount of time? * I've seen that Actors' Access does not necessarily require a monthly fee, but what about Backstage and Casting Networks? * If they do require monthly fees, how much per month do they generally tend to be? * When the time comes to begin submitting to agencies, are Atlanta and Miami typically considered the same region or would they both cover different areas? * This is sort of important to me as I'll be moving to a city in FL about half an hour outside of MIA in a little over a year, and I'm just unsure as to what areas agencies in each city would cover. * How would agencies in the Southeast compare to agencies in an area such as Los Angeles as far as project submissions? * Should you mass submit to agencies? * If so, what would be the best way to go about it? * I'm currently 17, but when my family moves I will have turned 18. Currently, my family is supportive of my wanting to act, but isn't fully able/willing to travel long distances, such as to LA or even ATL (I currently live appx. 2 hours away), or to travel very frequently. I'm more than willing to travel, love traveling actually, and will try to do so on my own if or when that's necessary, but I'm not sure how my family would respond to that idea. I am fully aware that traveling tends to be quite a huge part of the job. How might I be able to make this work? * I absolutely love the craft of acting, and I realize I'm likely overthinking this and it won't even come up for months to years, but I'm terrified out of my mind that if/when I get a part with any number of lines, I won't be able to memorize them in time, or that I will but my performance will be unrealistic. Any tips on how to calm my overactive mind and ensure that I can memorize to the best of my ability and also remain realistic in my acting? * What are some tips or resources for writing cover letters for both agency and audition submissions? * Finally, one of the likely often-asked questions: what are some tips on how to get the best lighting in self tapes? Thank you so, so much to anyone who took the time to read through that. Any and all tips, resources, answers, and advice are very much appreciated! *(Edits: grammar, clarification)*
Hi friends, I'm an established VO actor (mostly commercial) and am now looking for representation-- Any of you veterans have any advice on finding one? I recently came across DirectSubmit (from NYCastings), is that worth using? Thanks!
So I’m trying to be an actor but I realized I don’t fully understand how any of this works. Like how do I go about trying to get an audition, do I have to pay to be in a role cause I read something that confused me about 100 different ways about that, and honestly just any advice would be welcomed here please
Hello. I’m a 15 year old sophomore that live in Pennsylvania. I hate school. I’ve always hated school and i’m barley surviving high school. The thought of me doing 2 or 4 more years at college makes me sick to my stomach. I’ve been interested in acting at a young age and no i’m trying to persue a career in acting because i don’t want to work for a more professional legitimate job like real estate. I want to be an Actor because i feel like i was born to do it. I really do think that i can get my name out there one day. Even being in a commercial would really make my life lol. So i’ve decided to get a job and save up my money. For anything. i’m just gonna save everything up. It sounds movie like i know but i’m going to move to LA and do it. Is it realistic ?? i know i can do this.
Normally don't post here but I need some advice, I've been a voice actor for a couple years now and have found good success and feel I'm on the right path to becoming a professional one day. But recently I've been feeling like I should get rid of my business Twitter because of a number of factors: 1) VA community on there is toxic and hypocritical as hell 2) Found that Twitter can be a serious liability to people who use it for business and professional endeavors because of the people who make Twitter what it is. And 3) Fear of slipping up and say the wrong thing resulting in me being affected. I mean Twitter does offer some potential good jobs (I've gotten some) but I've been thinking of just deleting it and making a secret private one that I use for jobs only. But what are you guys thoughts on Twitter? Do you have or feel it's necessary to be a successful VA?
I have been hired by an actor here in New York City to do a shoot, showcasing her abilities. My thoughts are that showing an actor delivering monologues is one way to demonstrate what an actor is capable of. On the other hand, since I normally do corporate video production in NYC, I believe that featuring her in the starring role of a mock commercial could look a LOT more compelling! From a marketing perspective (in terms of helping her 'sell' herself), presenting her in a spec commercial like this should be even more effective in grabbing the arrention of casting directors / talent agencies. The actor herself is open to going in either direction and I want to do the right thing by her to help her out. Any thoughts on pros / cons of one approach versus the other? We already have a location booked at Time Square a week from now, so timing is tight...
Fairly new to the sub, and I know you guys probably get questions like these often but I would like some advice. I’m a high school sophomore and I have a real passion for acting and theater. When I watch movies and tv I look at it through this different lens of how amazing it must be to do that job. To get to work with all these amazing people who I’ve idolized for years and dreamed of meeting let alone working with. I also love the dancing that comes with the more musical movies, but haven’t done any real dancing. I’ve always been told that I’d be a great actor, I’ve tried the drama clubs at my schools but can’t get into them. They aren’t what I’m looking for. I have fairly recently thought about majoring in real estate with a minor in theater/acting, just so I’d have something stronger to fall back on since it’s such a competitive career. I’m also worried about what people will think, my dad has always has always thought about me going into healthcare or communications, and his response to this path would be “it’s very competitive” “it’s expensive” “how do you know you’ll achieve what you’re looking for”. My mom may be supportive but I know she’d think it wasn’t the best idea. There are so many places to begin, so many things to do. This is something that I feel is calling me, something I see myself doing and enjoying doing everyday in the future. So after all of this talk, is there something that stands out in the industry that is something you feel I should know? I also want to know, when did you decide to become and actor, and what were your first steps to getting there?
So while lots of people live right in Atlanta/NYC/LA, I understand some live in smaller cities that are within reasonable driving distance. What do you think is a reasonable distance from your primary market to live, if you are not doing theatre or live performance at all? Obviously it's more convenient to live virtually on the doorstep of the various casting offices and training opportunities, but particularly with the shift to self-tapes, how far could one reasonably live? 1 hour drive? 3 hours drive? Even 5 hours drive? This question is with actors in mind who are still only really auditioning in one place for the most part--not being represented by people in LA, NY and London all at the same time.
Hey NY actors, I was wondering if anybody have any luck getting into Bob Krakower's classes before or during the pandemic? Any luck especially during the pandemic? It would be a real privilege to study under him even if just for a very short period of time. ​ Thank you!
I am inspired by the likes of Tom hanks, Tom hardy, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Johnny Depp. I would like to start acting; or at least to start learning to act. I have never mentioned this to my family before, it would seem so weird from their point of view that I, a introverted 16 year old kid would want to start a career in which you have to perform in front of hundreds of people. I have no prior experience. Nothing. But honestly, when I watch an emotional scene, I want to be the person on the screen, screaming/crying/shouting my heart out. What can i do to get started? I’m from the Uk. Family are middle class and don’t really live near a city. Maybe tmi but yeah just looking for tips really. Do i HAVE to go to acting school to become an actor? Cheers guys
I'm the kind of person that needs to understand the fundamentals before I can even think about taking action on something - namely my voice "booth". There's a lot of highly technical information out there and it's difficult to weed through what's good advice and what's bad advice. So I put together this list of videos that broke down acoustic treatment clearly and for non-engineers like myself. I also asked a local voice over audio engineer for more tips. I hope this helps some of you wrap your heads around how you need to treat your space for voice acting. How sound works in a room - very Bill Nye with fun visuals and analogies: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPYt10zrclQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPYt10zrclQ) When to use diffusion vs absorption - these two methods are really the essence of acoustic treatment, but I was very confused as to when and how to do it: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m\_LUighoO4U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_LUighoO4U) Vocals in particular. This guy advocates for expensive diffusion, but my takeaway is to prioritize bigger space and sound absorption: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSwDpm-7dec](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSwDpm-7dec) ​ Key takeaways & advice from engineer: 1. Use absorption on surfaces that your voice will bounce off of. 2. Only use diffusion if you can afford the expensive stuff. Those foam squares do practically nothing. Put diffusion panels behind the mic and behind you the actor/singer so that they form a semi-circle or V. 3. A bigger space is better. 4x4x8 rooms are too small and sound boxy (so does a literal box). 4. Don't build spaces that can be divided into themselves ex 10x10x10. Use odd/prime number lengths to be safe (15 x 5 x 11). 5. Put as much space between you and the walls as possible. 6. Better yet, stand in the middle of a room facing a corner so you and the mic are lined up diagonally in the space. This is really just the basics, you can go even further but if you're like me and just starting out, treating a room with these in mind will get you really far without spending too much. And hopefully it gives you a clearer GOAL to aim for instead of getting cross-eyed at sine waves and geometric equations. Feel free to offer more advice and critique.
Longtime lurker here. I think this is just a wordvomit and I don’t know where else to direct these emotions, I don’t really have acting friends I can talk about this to, please bear with me haha. Im a mix between nervous and excited and just taking it all in. Seeing my face for a few seconds in the trailer just leaves me a bit dumbfounded after years of hard hard hard hard hard work. I work in Southeast Asia. I’ve always felt out of place as a mixed kid. Always preferred speaking English and always dreamed of acting in English- of course there aren’t any of those opportunities here. I’ve faced a lot of rejection, manipulation, and other heartbreaking parts of the industry we’re familiar with. I’ve done castings cross countries, worked in China- literally have worked in subzero weather while wearing a dress, stockings, and heels just to be told I’ll never make it and thrown on a plane to my next casting (without even a coat, my luggage lost by my agency, or any clue where to go) I don’t know what it means for my career as an actor to have played a lead actress in a Southeast Asian tv series. Maybe it doesn’t mean much. I look in awe at everyone on this subreddit, doing what they love and in a language of their own. I have a lot of doubts about myself, and every day is plagued with uncertainty. But I managed to book and do this. I don’t know what this means- if it means I’ll get more bookings- if I develop a career out of this- if nothing happens- if I still need a plan B- if I should drop out of university and fully pursue this because damn I am STRUGGLING to juggle everything. i don’t know but damn i never thought I’d get this far. Now that I’m here I don’t know how to process it. I don’t know why exactly I’m posting this, I think I feel a little alone and would love to be able to talk to anyone who also acts. To celebrate the little accomplishments, to cry about rejections, to be nervous about the future with. I love all my friends and they’re amazing, but it’s kind of hard to discuss these things with people who dgaf about acting and I don’t blame them haha
I can't take classes, they cost too much, i'm not good at editing demo reel, and i can't afford an agent. i heard parents can become their kid's agent, so looking into that, but this is something i wanted to try, and i don't know if i'm good enough..everytime i hear my voice via recording, i cringe..like i'm not good enough,,
I know the answer is no, but my friend thinks I'm crazy for not including my "role" as "Guerilla Woman" in an upcoming massive DC film. I had 2 scenes and no lines (I do exchange a nod with one of the film's stars but that's about it). Should I include it, if only because the movie is so big? I know of famous actors that only had 1 scene and no lines in Star Wars films, and it's still listed as roles for them. But I understand we're not the same. I've had 2 lead roles and 2 supporting roles in theater plays, a supporting role in a student short film, and nothing else. That's all I'm listing under experience. I'm putting together my Resume to audition to drama schools for a Master's, and I've been told by friends I need more experience in my CV so I should include it—particularly since this film is so well known. **TL;DR: Is the old saying that you should never list background work still true if it's a big film? This would be for drama school auditions, not casting directors.**
I was curious recently how do voice actors deal with a sore throat. Also what little miscellaneous things get in the way when you are trying to perform when recording.
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.
