This industry isn’t exactly fair to all the players and I know from experience that nepotism tends to rear its ugly head more often than not. But when it comes to actors sharing tools of the trade I don’t understand why some are so quick to keep others down. A buddy of mine has been going out for major roles regularly and I haven’t seen a single thing for my other friend and they’re repped by the same agent. Talking to them, you’ll find that they both have the same photographer, the same kind of headshot, and similar credits (although the one is advancing very quickly with the roles I’ve mentioned). When the first buddy is asked “how are you getting into the room” he’ll say something like how he trains regularly and hires coaches for his reads. But he never says how he gets to that point. For comparison, they are both trained students with a decent amount of schools under their belt. My thought, and it’s been this for some time, is that it comes down to the agent. I’ve talked to agents. They say submitting all clients is the key to their plan. But the only clients I’ve ever learned to have success are ones with agents who call. Agents who really put that extra umph of effort into booking the room. Is it possible that the agent is treating the two unfairly? Or that the one buddy is doing something he doesn’t wanna tell the other? I know most people would suggest the headshot (because it’s literally the first and some times the only thing a CD sees) might be the cause...but they’re nearly identical (could be brothers), but maybe it’s some sort of luck regarding the headshot/resume bit. If it is luck, as we’re often told to believe...then doesn’t this disprove the requirement of having the ideal headshot and resume? As a social scientist I’ve noticed that the same person could do the same steps twice and not get the same result. If the industry is that luck-driven why does anyone trouble themselves with all the “requirements?”
Can anyone explain to me how very very rich and large companies seem to hire the same like 5 voice actors (who are terrible <\~ and this may be my inexperience but we'll get into that). I have a really terrible bias because I dont think dubs are good at all, even if you dont understand the language the power and influence of the actor with their native tongue seems to portray a lot. I will side step that, because sometimes they are decent and im impressed. However, often times a line like "WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING!!!" is literally dubbed as "wat wer u thinkin". I cant quite explain it but its like the voice actors dont understand the lines, the role, the context, anything at all. Its literally like they were paid on fiverr to read lines and I would LOVE for the voice acting scene and the dubs to be so much better, and I know they can, I just dont understand why it feels like its 15 years behind as far as talent/context/result. It really confuses me and I dont mean to insult people because I know theres people out there that can mimic literally anything and do great things. I just dont know why we use like actualllllllllllllly 20 voice actors that are all terrible for any major dub.
I’d love to connect with other actors on there shoot me a message and we can connect
I'm sure this question has been asked, but I'm having a difficult time searching this Reddit. After talking with multiple people from the film industry, it sounds like Atlanta, Georgia is where to go to become an actor. This was a big shock for me since I was raised with the idea LA and New York is the place to be. Now I'm conflicted as to where I should try to land next. I was told that film is leaving these expensive cities to operate in Georgia. Is this true? Should I not be shooting for LA but for Atlanta for acting opportunities? Absolutely any advice or insight would be great. Sorry again if this exact question is somewhere.
Hi! A disclaimer: This has probably been asked a lot, but I thought I could still make my own post and gain feedback for my specific situation. I have never ever done any type of voice acting before but I was an on-stage performer all throughout my elementary and high school years, so I do have a bit of experience. I will say that I haven't done any performance art in two years so I am rusty but still have become increasingly interested in voice acting. It has always interested me but I kind of just let the thought of really voice acting go- it just didn't seem plausible. As I am now out of school (19, just graduated last year) and grow into the adult world, this far off "dream" of mine seems a little more reasonable. I joined this subreddit in search of hope, finding some way to just start... but I just don't know how to do that. I have read blogs, articles, personal accounts, watched videos, listened to podcasts, all the research that I can think of but cannot find a real starting point for myself. Does anyone have advice for an amateur actress looking to start a hobby/career in the voice acting world?
Have you ever booked a union job through LinkedIn or Instagram? And can you give details about the gig and how it happened? I see a lot of people brag about booking gigs on those sites, but it's almost always non-union stuff, would like to know if it's worth my time joining those sites, as opposed to focusing on IMDB and Actors Access. Thank you for any info.
Obviously extremely new to the acting industry. I’ve just signed up for actors access. I was wondering if someone could briefly explain the different types of casting calls there are. Like shorts, episodically, industrials, print?
I recently started taking classes at 3-2-1 acting studios and was invited to the showcase after just one class. this seems odd to me because the instructors haven’t really seen what I can do or how much I can improve. is this just a move to get more money out of me? has anyone taken classes here and/or been apart of the showcase?
This info all comes from /u/glitteringtarget0 who put this post together but accidentally deleted it, so she sent it to me to make it part of the conversation here permanently. I'll be putting this into an item in our FAQ as well so please direct people to this post or the FAQ when this comes up in the future! --- In order to work as an actor in the US, you need either _O1 visa_ (non green card visa) or _EB1 visa_ (green card visa). And to get the visa you need to satisfy these requirements: #O1B Visa Offer of employment • O1B visa applicants must have a confirmed US job offer before they apply. An US Agent can be the employer. • While to my knowledge EB1 doesn't require you to have a beneficiary/you can be your own beneficiary. #Visa Criteria There are 6 criteria for the O-1B visa, and applicants should usually meet at least 3 of these for their visa to be granted. However, there is some flexibility. >Alternatives may be considered. Evidence of having been awarded a highly acclaimed prize or award – such as an Oscar, Turner prize, or ArtPrize – also allows applicants to meet the eligibility criteria. #Evidence of at least 3 of the following criteria is usually required: - You have held a leading role in an art, film, or TV production. - You have gained national or international recognition from various articles or other publications written about you. - You have been a key member of a highly acclaimed production in the art, film, or TV industry. - The piece of work that you have done has been highly commercially successful. - You have had critics and other key members of the industry praise you in articles or journals. - You have been highly paid for your services in the industry. So in other words you need to establish a career in your home country first before moving to the states/eligible for the visa. >Important note: you can't enter the US to work as an actor with any other visa options, except for EB5. [Here's the link to the complete source!](https://visaguide.world/us-visa/nonimmigrant/employment/o1/o1b/) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx __Extra info for those who seeks UK VISA as well!__ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx #Tier 5 UK VISA >You need all of the following to be eligible for the creative category: - make a unique contribution to the UK labour market, for example you’re internationally renowned or are required for continuity. - certificate of sponsorship reference number be paid the minimum salary as set by Equity, PACT or BECTU (except for models, musicians or circuses). - enough money to support yourself in the UK - you’ll usually need to have at least £1,270 available (unless you’re exempt). #Certificate of sponsorship >You need a licensed sponsor to give you a certificate of sponsorship before you can apply to work in the UK. >A certificate of sponsorship is a reference number which holds information about the job and your personal details. It’s not an actual certificate or paper document. >Your sponsor will give you your certificate of sponsorship reference number. >They must also give you some other information to help you to apply, for example how much you’ll be paid. >Your certificate of sponsorship is valid for 3 months from the date it is assigned to you. [UK govt website](https://www.gov.uk/temporary-worker-creative-and-sporting-visa/eligibility)
Hello there, Since I am producing a show with SAG-AFTRA actors and now know what an expensive hassle this can be, here's the question: Are there similar guilds for actors also in other countries? Or would it be way easier to get - say - british actors? Or australian etc. I want to do a project with less bureaucracy involved. I find it especially silly how SAG treats producers from outside the USA. The only way, my current project is affordable, was doing it as a "New Media" project; otherwise, SAG would have considered a simple web-series as an "international tv-production" with absolutely unaffordable day rates for actors. Now, it's not about NOT paying actors - on the contrary. But (indie) filmmaking is expensive as is already - and this ridiculous bureaucracy, SAG is putting into low- to no-budget productions, is a joke. Thanks.
I want to know what might be the reason?
I understand and agree with the need for a union to negotiate minimum pay, distribute residuals, enforce safe working conditions, and help individual members through hard times. However, I have been reading up on SAG-AFTRA as a whole and a lot of the parts that do not directly involve those functions are starting give the appearance of being a pseudo pyramid scheme-like monstrosity that does not serve the vast majority of its members and frankly rips them off. * How is it right that producers have to pay into the health and pension plans for every role when the vast majority of the members who booked those roles will never see the benefits? If that money was paid straight to the vast majority through increased session fees and residuals, they could use it to pay towards health insurance off the exchanges that they have to get anyway or invest it towards retirement. As it stands, they are paying their own way as well as that of a teeny tiny minority who make a lot more money and are in a better position to afford it themselves. Seriously. The percentage of members who qualify for those benefits is so tiny that the union refuses to even say what it is. * How is it right that dues, a huge initiation fee that it takes four co-stars to pay off, and lord knows what other streams of revenue that in one way or another come out of actor pockets go towards paying all the employees of the union their salaries along with full benefits to administer the health and pension plans for the teeny tiny minority of members who qualify along with umpty-leven other programs? That is over 400 non-actor employees across the country being paid by broke actors even after the staff cuts that happened because of the pandemic. I can't find anything about the overall structure of how all that is funded but I assume the producers must be paying towards it as well. What if most of that money went directly into actor pockets instead? The punchline to this part of the joke is that the employees cannot also be members who could use those positions as survival jobs! * Speaking of the umpty-leven other programs, how many of them are really necessary considering the costs? What do they even cost? Why should those who already spent gobs of money to attend conservatories they might still be in debt for have to pay towards another conservatory that isn't even a proper conservatory? Why should they be paying towards a film society? MOVE and NextGen Performers? Radio Plays? WTF? How many members even benefit from those things? I like the Foundation interviews on YouTube, but is that really necessary considering that it comes out of broke actors' pockets? And why in the world do actors need our own credit union? I love, love, love the Audrey Helps Actors podcast, but now that I think about it, the segment on "Shit You Didn't Know About Your Union" should be more properly entitled, "Shit Your Union Wastes Money On." What am I missing here? Why is there not a rebellion in the membership to stop this foolishness? I will be a "must join" the moment I set foot in Los Angeles, New York, or any other place that is not right-to-work and hate having to join an organization 90% of which I would as soon burn to the ground so help me out.
Hello, so I am female, 23 years old and an aspiring actress from Germany. So far I have done some local theater and had some acting lessons. I have always wanted to work internationally and not limit myself to german tv and films and I know that there are quite a few german actors that made it internationally (Diane Kruger, Franka Potente, Christoph Waltz is austrian but you know what I mean). And my question is how do I manage that? Because I honestly have no idea how to work as an actress worldwide and not only in Germany. Any advice?
Im 13, I really want to be an actress and i love acting but my mum wont let me go to lessons and we are in lockdown. What do i do? Does anyone know any online classes that are free and how to get an agent online? ❤
Anyone holding any zoom meetups for play readings or anything else acting related? I'm really missing being able to connect with other actors and playing with some scripts.
So I just started acting about a year and a half ago and I’m still attending classes, I’ve been on platforms like Backstage, Actors Access, and I’ve had a few auditions and I’ve only booked a skit so far. I’m 22 and sometimes I feel like I’m starting to late. This acting career is so exciting and fulfilling but it’s definitely a scary one. How did everyone get over their doubts and fears that come with this career choice.
For anyone who may not know, theatre will always require at least two contrasting monologues typically dramatic/comedic/classical. Most film and television productions do script readings, but they sometimes also ask for monologues and are generally okay with non theatre pieces in my experience. -writing your own monologue is rarely a good idea just don’t do it (it’s usually not even allowed in most theatre settings) -best way to find theatre monologues is going to a bookstore and standing in front of the playbook section and grabbing what interests you. -do not use famous movie monologues done by an internationally renowned actor (Pulp Fiction, A Few Good Men, The Shawshank Redemption, The Dark Knight etc) you know why? Because now the whole casting team is comparing you to Heath Ledger homie, bad move -for the love of god, do not ever respond with ‘that’s how they did it in the movie/play/tv show’ when someone is trying to give you direction in an audition. That shows that you came in with someone else’s work -monologues should be ‘in your body’ by the time you’re auditioning. focus should never be on trying to remember your next line when you’re already in front of the casting team. Don’t underestimate how much time you may need for memorization I hope this helps!
I’m in a performance arts program with NYU through Yellowbird online. I really enjoy it. It’s informative and engrossing. I do an improv and acting class every week sometimes twice a week. It’s awesome and it’s with an actor who made me laugh in a film that I loved before I even started getting into acting. I’ve done background/extras work for the last two years on two TV shows and a couple films. A new show just started up and I got a text asking if I was available. I should have said no. The last two days have destroyed my self esteem and joy for acting, little by little, cut by cut. From the angry AD who oscillated between menacing and snide attempt at jocular humor to the craft service guy who, when I asked for a Coke, said quietly, “We don’t have any dick though.” The PA wrangler was snotty too. A SAG member was given a non-union voucher and was trying to tell her she was SAG. She showed the woman her number and everything and the PA blew her off. I gave the woman the number to call the casting agency that put her on set because she didn’t have it and they were the ones that contacted me. It was just a seriously horrendous experience that I can’t shake. It’s like the negative, crass, petty energy that rolled off some of the crew followed me home. Like I don’t even wanna do my improv/acting class tomorrow. It was just such a terrible experience.
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 guys. So I was on set to be a background actress and then was asked to do a speaking role. It wasn’t very many lines at all, but I’m just wondering what I put on my resume for it?
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.
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.
