**It’s A Big Club And You Ain't in It: How Pay-to-Play Casting Workshops Rob Society of** **Theater Arts, Imperil Our Culture As a Whole, And How We Can Fix It** By Jalopi Sunshine The Theater is the oldest temple of humankind. It is truly sacred. Older than God, older than religion. Older than culture. It is a Temple. Acting is one of the oldest professions. It is in our primal nature to tell stories, mimic creatures we saw in the wild, and regale our tribe with tall tales to inspire, uplift, make us laugh, or warn us of danger. Theater is sacred, it is primal, carnal, and hardwired into our consciousness. It is how we evolved. I am here to write to all the actors of the world, to all the struggling brilliant artists out there that have so much to give and are obscured by shadows, to warn you, and the public, that culture itself is in peril and decline. There is a dynamic within our industry that is both counterintuitive in terms of producing content and work, and barely hides the blatantly predatory, mafioso, and exploitive practice of pay-to-play castings. Actors, generally speaking do not make a lot of money, we are all generally hustling, working a survival job, or two, to support our art form. If we do get paid for actually acting, it is likely gone within a week or two. I want you to imagine a world where every time you wanted to find a job you had to slide some cash to the hiring manager to simply be in the room or zoom. I want you to imagine what kind of society that would create. It’s a dystopian fever dream, or for all of you Triangle Farmers, a pyramid scheme. That is precisely what is happening within the acting community today. As a casting director, your job is to find the right people for the right role, that is what you do, that is your role, and more importantly your responsibility. Our job as actors is to perform with the best of our abilities and pray to Dionysus that we execute the role in a way that is true to the story being told. So if I were to analyze this logically, and try to make sense of this, I must pose this question: Why are we paying you to do your job? What can you possibly gain from 75$ out the pocket of a starving artist and another human beings hopes and dreams? The way I see things, by showing up, and performing, we are your raison d’être. Why are you charging us to help you do your job? We know you are getting paid by someone, but is the compensation for your labor so insufficient that you must squeeze an extra two hundred dollars here and there from people who are simply trying to do their job? Or is it simply greed and the almighty dollar bill? Is it a way of gatekeeping so that the people who actually land roles are simply the elite? Why? We have a word for this, plutocracy. Here’s why this is counterintuitive on the casting side: you aren’t seeing people that can breathe literal life into the stories and roles they take on. The consequences of this are dire, and apparently for some, very lucrative if you can put your conscience in your back pocket long enough to prey on people’s hopes and dreams. But it also poses a danger for the sacred crafts of storytelling, acting, and theater, because thousands of characters are simply not on your radar. If we need diversity for your productions, it is there, we are there, right under your nose, knocking on the door with a welcoming hand. Are you really going to allow shortsighted greed to eclipse what could be an opportunity to cement your legacy as someone who opened the door for someone who’s performance inspires the primal catharsis of a well played character, and uplifts humanity? This seems silly to me, and I pity you. As actors, we choose this life, out of respect for the craft and those that came before us we will toil ad infinitum. But we also have a responsibility to protect this ancient ritual from forces that seek to exploit our craft and bastardize our art for some petty pocket money. We are all responsible for this mess. And it must be fixed, and soon, or I fear that our sacred ancient ritual will be hollowed out, gutted, and placed on the sacrificial altar of the almighty dollar. The solution to this conundrum is kind, compassionate, easily doable and beneficial for everyone: Stop exploiting our labor. Stop nickel and diming our laborers who simply wish to perform to the best of our abilities and give everyone who bravely throws their hat in the ring a fighting chance. We too are workers. End pay to play Casting Director Workshops. It is wrong, it is unethical, far too common, and it is predacious. End the exploitation of artists who simply want to share their sacred gift to the world. It’s going to be okay. I promise you, the works that will be created and the people who give life to the characters will not disappoint.
Hi guys, I have previously posted here and had some young actors reach out to me in DM's asking for advice about acting in NYC. One in particular started asking me about NYC acting classes and the business and it ended up becoming a discussion about law school lol, you know who you are. I had to get a new Reddit handle which is almost identical to my last reddit name moq9981. I didnt know if you deleted your account it was permenanet on Reddit (unlike Instagram). As such I lost all my old DM's and didn't make a record of who I was talking to. If any of you guys still have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me again and I would be more than happy to answer any questions.
Hey Reddit, I was always wondering about burps cartoons and how were they done. I was was told that you can tell that a voice actor burps for a cartoon character is when the burp has the exact same pitch from the voice actor and if it sounds natural vs exaggerated. However, a few clips come into mind where I'm not sure if the voice actors were doing it or not. Some of the links I have are just a few examples of when I'm not sure it's the voice actor is actually burping or not. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OU1KdkVIDg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgEK7zHiuuM (0:43-0:45, the last 2 before she tells them to cut it out.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epEtKOhYlsc (0:22-0:24) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh8WDvpRR84 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifr8ySwJT9E (1:50-2:31) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h895ZCuS-MQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw6P2Vipf1Y(The last one) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ06QNv_o30 I was wondering if you can help a fellow redditor out too see if the burps are coming from the voice actors or not. This maybe a weird request, but help is sure appreciated.
I’ve never acted so I’m still learning. Would love some tips.
Hi everyone, first time posting on here, but I saw on social media that Flairbox are running a monologue competition, and each entry is **guaranteed to get feedback from an industry professional.** It's to raise funds for Turkey and Syria, and it's open until the 16th March. I think you can be from anywhere in the world. The casting directors will pick their favourite one and also the one with the most 'claps' will win acting industry prizes too. Here's my entry and the details to enter! (would really appreciate a wee clap but no pressure haha) [https://app.flairbox.co/videos/bbeb29ea-2806-4687-9ee7-26c0aadf2feb](https://app.flairbox.co/videos/bbeb29ea-2806-4687-9ee7-26c0aadf2feb) [https://www.flairbox.co/monologues-for-turkey-syria](https://www.flairbox.co/monologues-for-turkey-syria)
So, I performed two monologues in front of my whole class and I was so nervous that my mouth got dry and I had terrible diction. I was also kind of lightheaded on stage for some reason, and I wasn’t even looking at the audience. How can I come back from this? I almost cried from embarrassment. The most disssapointing thing was that I spent 3 weeks preparing for this, and now my whole classs just thinks I’m another terrible actress
I don't have any real experience in VO so I want to pay for training and eventually have a demo made. I'm just not sure if it's worth spending $2000+ to get into the field only to find no work. AI is already good enough now that it's starting to take away the really low paying jobs. Regardless of what people are saying, I am extremely confident that in five years there will be AI that sounds indistinguishable from a voice actor. I also believe that no matter how real AI will one day sound, their will be those clients who will never use AI. So there will always be some work. But how can someone like me, who is just getting started, expect to get any real work? Is pursing voice acting at this day and age a good idea?
I've worked as a voice actor a lot where the text is always in front of you. I've done short scenes where the dialogue is minimal and it's mostly about reacting (especially in classes or in very small parts I've done on TV). My question is, how do you go about memorising a lot of dialogue! I read Bryan Cranston's book where he mentions circling the verbs and using them as markers. Obviously rehearse as much as possible but what if you don't have much time? I feel like remembering lines kills my performance and my reactions.
Hello, this is my first time posting here. I was reluctant to post since I’ve seen how toxic the comments can be here sometimes but I figured I’d ask anyway. I have audition soon and I’d like to hear a few idea for comedic monologues if at all possible. I already have a few ideas, but want to hear others To help narrow it down here’s some additional information. It’s one of three short plays that my college is putting on. It’s student written, but I’ve read the material and it seems mostly fine. The story is about a young girl recounting her childhood in rural Tennessee, and how she balanced her love of the arts mixed with the religious and sometimes crazy people that surround her. The action is mostly comedic and played for laughs. The cast is made up of four actors, three play multiple roles, representing different people from her life. Hope that helps. I understand it’s very low stakes compared to the rest of the sub, but just thought I’d ask.
I see the term ‘developing actor’ used quite often and loosely. What’s the general consensus on when an actor is no longer considered developmental? After 1-2 costar roles in major series? After a few guest stars? What about actors with extensive indie credits but no “mainstream” credits yet? Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts.
We’re looking for Japanese Voice Actor for our cyberpunk/fantasy graphic novel trailer. We are launching our book very soon, and we’re looking for a voice actor who can perform a character in Japanese. As we’re still new to voice acting community, the rate is up for discussion! Let’s put a minimum rate around $10 as the line is very short. This is a reference: https://fb.watch/jbU0uCsMHq/ If you’re interested, feel free to DM me your showreel & email. Or feel free to share the job with your Japanese actor friends!
Use this thread to post your headshots for feedback, get info on your age range/type, find good headshot photographers, ask any questions you may have about headshots. If you are posting a DIY headshot for feedback, and not just a snapshot in order to get feedback on your age range/type/etc, it is advised that you do at least some basic research on what actor headshots look like--composition, framing, lighting. You will find a Google Image search for "actor headshots" to be very helpful for this. Non-professional shots are fine for age/typecasting; please keep in mind that one picture is a difficult way to go about this. Video of you moving and speaking would be ideal, but understandably more difficult to post. ​ For what it's worth, the branding workshop at SAG-AFTRA recommends a five-year age range. That's inclusive, so for example 19-23, 25-29, 34-38, etc.
I've been out of the side job game for a bit as my previous one is now gone thanks to the pandemic. Wondering what busy actors are doing on the side in London these days? I'm auditioning a lot at the moment so i would need it to be extremely flexible Thanks :)
I'm a really young actor looking to get in the industry, but I'm feeling like a fish outta water with all the terminology and etiquette. Are there any inherent advantages for using stage names? I like the idea, but I feel like it may prove unnecessary.
Hey everyone, I'm the moderator of the Acting Nerds subreddit, and it's become a place where folks that are just getting into acting, or are non actors, feel safe asking questions and posting thier work. It's a really great, wholesome little community that I have really enjoyed moderating. But the truth is, I just don't have the time to devote to it to really get it to the next level. It makes me sad, but I'm clearing it off my plate because of how busy my acting stuff has gotten, and it will help the sub grow. So I have to let my little bird flyyyyyy. It's really important to me that I find the right person for the job. I'm reaching out to all you badasses to see if anyone would be interested in taking the sub off my hands and continuing the mission. Feel free to send me a DM and we can chat!
Hey all. So, I just received an email from a representative for Largo.ai saying that I was a good match for some projects on the platform, and asking me if I would like to join their waitlist. I checked Largo.ai out, and it seems to be casting site like Actor's Access, but it's AI driven, and they claim that leads to better democratisation of who gets what auditions. It claims to be a more direct line of communication between producers and talent. Initially, I was a bit put off by how corporate it all seems, but I put my artist brain aside once I remembered that many producers are corporate folks, so it makes sense that the branding is geared towards that. I signed up for the wait list, and then came the tiers. Three options: 12.04/month, 24.09/month, and 41.05/month. Pretty damn steep. Like... really steep. It's like they fully didn't do any research on platforms that could compete (Actor's Access, LA casting, etc...) And priced it blindly. Or the more likely scenario: they did do the research, and realized that if they price theirs higher, many people will assume it's better. Whoops. The three tiers will get you things like the ability to contact producers yourself at the highest tier, as well as "2x more chances to get auditions" and "4x more chances to get auditions" for the last two tiers respectfully. Not sure what that even means because they don't explain it, plus it seems a little disingenuous considering most of the copy on the site talks about "taking the chance out of getting auditions." Yeah. Sure. Anyway, does anyone have any experience with this wildly priced "new revolution in the casting biz"?
Although I know what a slate is, I'm wondering if someone can explain what the Actors Access Slates are and how they might be helpful. Is it worth the extra cost?
For me, it's Emma Roberts. I genuinely think she's a terrible actor and plays the same person in every single thing I've seen her in. What are your unpopular opinions?
Out of curiosity, what do those of you who are actors in London do, on the side? I work in a restaurant and have a few other side gigs going, but Im hesitant to fully like start a full time job/career as I'm really hoping/believing I will get lucky soon. What are your thoughts?
I’m wondering if I unclicked a box or something recently because I haven’t received an email even a “Projects Match Your Profile” email since late February. Is this happening to everyone or should I contact the site? Thanks!
Hey guys, I was wondering if people could give me their thoughts about the actor training program at the university of utah?
I'm a screenwriter that's adapting my first script into a feature film. I recently got into contact with the agent and manager that reps one of the biggest actors in the industry. They asked for an offer and I sent through with details. After two weeks of silence, I just heard from them asking for a sample of my directing work to send over. I'm scared because I don't have a sample as I've primarily been a screenwriter and am only now taking the step forward to adapt into a feature. What should I tell them? I thought after two weeks of silence they had passed, but am confused why they'd need my sample work too?
I'm shooting my first short film tomorrow. It's just a few lines, but it's a start! I rarely have confidence to say things like this, but I have a feeling I will do great with just a few lines. I'm playing a masculine-presenting queer woman (very connected to this role, as I am queer too so it would kinda be like playing myself but with a few changes). Weeks before, I chopped off all my hair, I prepared a backstory and her possible alignment. But just like anyone else, she's a complex person, so alignment is bound to change. I also made her a playlist, and put songs that are not only relatable to her backstory but also puts me (the actor) in the mood for my scene. I guess everyone has different little rituals or ways of preparing themselves before performing their role. But I was just curious to see other responses.
**Help wanted!** (Voice Actor's) (I need voice actors for my kids next door original character) If you Interested to join in Please Contact ([**elijaheldridge02@gmail.com**](mailto:elijaheldridge02@gmail.com)) If you have any acting skills what soever. Let us know in the comments. https://preview.redd.it/3dut3q1uqtma1.jpg?width=764&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=9c612261b9760fafad3413fe349527083d1e3deb
I had a casting director reach ot to me via email. I don't know how they got my contact info. Its not a self submission because I checked and couldn't find any submissions to them, nor did my agent reach out. Is this normal? This is a legit casting director. I did ask how they found my contact info because it is bizarre. It is for a commerical and no its not one of those we need "real life" people either. I don't know who referenced me. do CD's just do a random search in a database. I am a very specific type of character actor if that helps for context.
So I’m really close to signing with a rep but the contract doesn’t have a time limit (1 year, etc) Is this normal? We asked them about it but they say it’s because it’s not an actual contract, it’s more like a permit for them to use my name and image for businesses inquires, and that there is no such time duration cause in case things aren’t going well, I can just let them know and they’ll erase my profile from their agency. I’ve checked and it’s a legit agency, has a lot of good-working actors and has been on the radar for a while now, but is this time-duration thing normal? Thanks!
cuz im making a video game and while now its in very early stages im gonna have to do voice acting at some point and i wanted to start practicing it and if you ask me then my only voice acting experience is this piece o' shit: [https://youtu.be/V8xQIt1JsWk](https://youtu.be/V8xQIt1JsWk) (warning its cancerous) so yeah i need some tips on where to start as a voice actor cuz ain't no way im gonna get some voice actors, first of all im only 17 years old so i can't pay any1 cuz im too young and im not an adult yet and have no job, and i wanna do everything myself in my game with no help whatsoever so how do i start
To make a long story short: I attended a webinar held by the Actors Center DC and after that, the host (a voice actor and production company owner) offered a $75 voice assessment service. I did that and it got me very excited! He said he would be able to work with me and that he would send me pricing for a package that includes the following: - (1) Commercial Demo - (1) Narration Demo - A career strategic planning session - A home studio design consultation Obviously he would provide the scripts for the demos and he would do the post production (he has a pro booth as well). If I remember correctly if I move forward, he would take the $75 I paid and apply that to the package. I tried to shop around and I am finding it very hard to find exact numbers. Vocal coaches are charging for vocal lessons by the hour and other websites aren’t giving demo pricing. Does this seem like a good deal?
What kind of job do you maintain that allows you to audition and take roles while getting your bills paid? Very curious!
I've posted about this idea in here two months ago - since it doesn't seem to break any rules, I'm going to post it again. I'll try not to post in here too often from now on. So, I've made a subreddit. Basic idea - screenwriters on the sub post short scripts and actors on the sub perform the dialogue. Sort of like [r/DrawForMe](https://www.reddit.com/r/DrawForMe/) in the "collaborative art" aspect, except in this case the requester is putting more work in. This is pretty beneficial for all sides. If you're a screenwriter, you can post a script and get someone else acting/voice acting it a few hours later - this might help you get a better feel for the script and where it works and doesn't work, and besides, it might just be nice to hear someone else act out lines you wrote. If you're an actor, you have a free supply of practice material. If you're just spectating, you get to watch interesting scripts and acting performances for free. In addition, this could help establish partnerships if the screenwriter and actor like each others' script/acting so much that they would like to work together. I created the subreddit in January, but there wasn't enough momentum to get anything started. This is attempt #2. The name is [r/ActMyScene](https://www.reddit.com/r/ActMyScene/), in case you missed it. Let's hope it takes off this time!
I am lucky to be able to travel, is working background gigs outside my home area considered unprofessional? If not can I take the write off for hotels or tolls?
I’m about to graduate with my MFA but I’m very torn between what I should be trying to pursue day job (or night job) wise to pay the bills so that I can audition continually. Have my undergraduate degree in a hard skill field but I don’t imagine they’d allow for much flexibility in this field in terms of leaving to audition or if and when I book something. Thanks!
Is anyone familiar with this agency and their reputation in Dallas, TX? I submitted photos and got a call back to do a monologue read (although strangely 2 of the 3 photos I submitted didn’t upload properly on their end so I guess they called me in based on one photo?). I was thinking I’d be called in for more of a commercial print modeling type role but they asked me to prep a monologue showcasing my personality. Tips on prep? I’m not an actor at all but I feel I do a decent job talking to people and being warm/engaging. Any tips or help is appreciated!
Was told this in class, said thanks but was kinda confused
I made the leap into voice acting about a year ago and genuinely love talking to people about the craft. The problem is that I live in a very remote area, so meeting people with the same interest is tough. Outside of gigs, how do you connect with other voice artists when you’re working remote?
i was recently cast in a musical. This is the first time i’ve ever auditioned for anything (it was actually my first time ever singing in front of anyone or reading lines) and i got a pretty good role. But the way i got my role has left me feeling like i don’t deserve it. The musical is being put on through my university. At the auditions, we had to write down when we had classes and other conflicts with the designated rehearsal time. I ended up having a class during one of the rehearsals so automatically i wouldn’t get a big role. Decided to follow through with the audition anyway. I ended up getting ensemble, which i was happy with. Shortly after rehearsals started, drama ensued and long (long!) story short, the actress playing the lead quit and the girl playing the role i auditioned for (who was the understudy for the lead) stepped up to fill the role. The role that was now left open didn’t have an understudy to fill. Fast forward a week or two and my friend (who’s also in the musical) ended up mentioning that i was still interesting in the role. I ended up getting a text from the director asking me to come in for another audition, saying i wasn’t guaranteed the role if i chose to come in for a second audition. Anyway, i went in, auditioned, and got the role. But i feel really insecure and like i don’t belong. I wasn’t the first choice for this role. And i don’t even think the director was so much as considering me as a possibility to fill the role. I feel inferior compared to the others. And it’s not even really about my lack of experience. It’s just the circumstances in which i found myself in this role. Does anyone have any tips or words of encouragement? I’d really appreciate anything y’all have to say
Hello, I am a young actor looking to find jobs through Backstage and earn credits in film and television. I have been trying since December and the furthest I get in the audition is process is consideration for the role which includes an additional interview. Beyond that, it’s been application after application. I hate to say I’m desperate, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about my acting career. I’m not giving up and I’m still in stage productions at my local theatre, but I’m trying to earn credits for film and TV. I just got another message from a director asking for an interview via zoom ,providing a storyboard to look at before hand. I don’t want to be harsh and judgmental, especially since it *is* a first glance, but I get the impression this production has an extremely tight budget. Getting paid isn’t my concern at the moment, but professionalism is and I feel very iffy about this one. Of course, I don’t want to self sabotage either by denying myself a role nor missing out on a potentially great opportunity. I would greatly appreciate advice from those who have earned credits since I’m at a loss as to how to get there. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Hi, Please forgive me if this post seems mopey or a downer. I know most actors struggle with these issues and I certainly don't want to trigger or inconvenience anyone. That being said: how do you deal with the paralyzing fear of failure and the temptation to compare yourself to others? I've been pursuing fulltime showbusiness for awhile now. Did theater as a kid, moved to LA in my late 20s. I've had some roles on various soaps and other tv-shows (small, supporting), wrote a film and it won some awards at festivals and we got it on TV for a bit. I was getting read for larger roles and (I thought) credibly told I was a good actor. Then it all just went away... My auditions slowed down to a trickle. I used to be so gun-ho. Hardly having any fear of rejection. Now I'm damn-near paralyzed by it. I have a director attached to a film I wrote, and we're looking for financing. There's a good comedian attached to a pilot I wrote also but I'm...terrified of making calls and setting up meetings for them. F\*\*king terrified. It feels weird to be this sickeningly fearful, but it's were I'm at. I'm not sure what to do about it. I'm in therapy and that helps a bit. Was just curious as to your experiences and how others deal with these things.
Hello, I am 26, living in NYC, and started acting about 1.5 years ago. I have taken 3 dramatic acting classes at The Barrow Group, 2 improv classes at magnet & PIT (and continue to do 7 hours of improv a week), written 3 scrappy short films, and written/starred in/edited one dramatic 2-person scene. I want to get serious about acting & dramatic writing. My goal, I think, is to be a working actor and writer for stage & screen (pretty huge goal). I'm a trained software engineer, who quit 1 year ago to take a sabbatical in order to explore writing & acting. I need an income again by end of July. I'm planning on getting another software job full-time, and training as an actor & dramatic writer as hard as I can outside my job. Once I have the confidence, skills, and experience, I'm thinking I'll quit my full-time job again and take on part-time jobs. **My questions are:** **(1) Given my age and situation, any advice on the best next steps for me?** **(2) Any recommendations on the best part-time/evening training programs for an actor (and writer) in NYC - for example - Atlantic Acting School or through a university?** **(3) Is getting a full-time job going to severely hinder my path as an actor & writer (rather than, for example, a survival job off-the-bat)?** (4) Should I seek out performance experience at this point in my journey? Any advice on what kind / how to do that? Thanks for any and all comments!
I write scripts and I have a few friends who do semi pro and professional videography. I'm mostly done with the first draft of a cheap to make indie film, and have been worrying about the next step. I was thinking of just going to local theater companies to try to find some decent actors and apprach them to see if they'd be interested in my script, but that's a) expensive and b) I am hearing impared, which is why I watch movies with subtitles intead of stage performances- it's one of the reasons going to the theater is more expensive for me because if I can't sit in the front in the middle where I'm more likley to be able to read everyone's lips I will be completely lost. And that distracts a lot from me being able to focus on the acting and the talent. Oh and I'm not technically deaf so a sign language interpreter does not help me much, there's a variety of hearing disorders. I live close enough to Chicago I can head there, but I'm not even sure if it would be rude or tabboo to go up to an actor and say "I really liked what you did there, I have a script, if you like it would you want to consider being in it?" The agencies and casting pages all make it look crazy expensive and hard to start, and I'd have zero way of knowing if they were screwing me or the talent over. So... how would you want someone to find you and approach you? What would make you feel flattered and happy vs. creeped out? If someone sent a note on your webpage or facebook is it stalkery and creepy? I'm months away from finishing the script but I've yet to meet a writer who wasn't also an anxious mess in some way, and I seem to specialize in social anxiety!
I just wanted to ask and see if someone could tell me if the theatre/drama department is decent or even worth it? I finished school and did a one year drama course as a total beginner in acting and now I'm applying to a bunch of drama schools ( I know I'm super late ). I also don't have the best grades so I'm not applying to places like NYU or USC. I Just wanted to know if this would be a good place for an inexperienced actor to go and continue learning acting/drama. Let me know what you guys think.
Hey y'all, not sure if anybody saw the news item about Keanu Reeves adding a clause to his contracts that prohibits the use of his likeness by AI/generative software. Anyway, that got me thinking that I should add something similar to my contracts going forward, and quite frankly we all should. Anybody done this yet? I'm looking for some language, a line or two, to add to my contract for a shoot that's coming up this weekend. This is what I've come up with so far, but I'm obviously not a lawyer: "Only the work performed by actor themself may be used. No artificial recreation of the actor may be generated using their likeness or performance, e.g. by any current AI technologies, or by any that may emerge in the future." On a side-note, but a related one, is there a good legal resource for actors? I'm not SAG yet, just eligible.
How do you get an audition for HBO’s The White Lotus? I checked actor’s access and backstage and haven’t been able to find much. I would love to have an opportunity to audition for the 3rd season.
I'm currently watching a show where a 15 year old female actor dates a 21 year old male actor. And they do kiss in the show. It got me wondering how that is even legal. Does anyone know?
Okay so I've taken a few classes, done a lot of stage acting, etc. But I'm not a complete beginner. I know acting is my passion and something I definitely want to commit to in the long run, for life. It's always been my dream to do screen acting. I'm intrigued by the process of doing a scene from multiple angles; never been on any professional projects but I was in my friend's film (recorded on a phone) and some days were amazing and felt freeing and other days weren't as cool which is normal I'm guessing. Sometimes i'm so fascinated and happy to do the same multiple times for different shots and sometimes I'm just not, but in general it's something I genuinely enjoy and think is cool. The thing is, I don't know where to start but I also kind of do. Not only is there TV and film, there is network TV and streaming TV, and then there's major Hollywood blockbusters, major indie films, medium-budget indie films, and low-budget indie films. And within all of those categories there's not only drama or comedy (for TV) but there's also other genres like sci-fi, action, fantasy, etc. I don't know what to focus on. I want to do all of that at some point but I know I can't really be successful until I am specific. Also for those of you who consistently get work or have been in the industry for a while, do you have a preference between TV and film? Or do you just focus on doing both? Personally I want to have fun and enjoy doing both. TV seems especially cool because you work at a fast pace and the stories last longer, but what have your experiences been? Are both exciting for their own reasons? Do they both have their pros and cons? (I'm not asking for theatre because I am already experienced in theatre). Is it just more of a thing where "if you love acting don't worry about the technicalities, you will have a good time".
Apologies in advance if this isn't the right subreddit for this but I wanted to get this off my chest so bad. You night have seen a post from this account a few days ago and that was my little brother asking for some advice to help me after I told him I really wanted to be a voice actor. I was afraid to ask for help myself. I was afraid to tell my parents (17 year old male btw). But I did but I also said that it might not even be worth trying because this is a business where it feels like you have to know someone to hit it big. My mom told me I would make a great voice actor and that I have great vocal range. I think that gave me the strength to want to try. I only get one life and I can really only get this one life's chance to try and make it as a voice actor. So I've decided I'll do whatever it takes and that I'll cut my own path to making it big. I always have wanted to voice act characters I just don't think I realized it until now. So many voice actors have had so many great roles that have spoken to me that I will never forget. I want to do that for someone else. That is what I want to do with my future. For all of you took the time to read all this thank you. Any help and advice is appreciated. Also again sorry if this post doesn't belong here I couldn't find a better subreddit for it.
Hiya Reddit, I'm a former NYC stage actor that got into voice acting about ten years ago and made a little money before joining a local theatre company in central Texas, which scratched the itch a bit more than bank commercials at the time. Life circumstances (and the theatre scene) have changed and I'm looking to get back in, but have a couple questions about DAW strategies (primarily for commercial, but eventually narration and maybe some anime/game auditions) Last time around, I took a semester of audio engineering at the local community college and learned Pro Tools. I'm a software engineer so this was a lot of fun. I never 'used' a lot of Pro Tools for VO - just some basic compression, de-essers, occasionally gates. My VO coach this time around said that she doesn't recommend doing very much at all in the way of editing besides adjustments for timing or silence, that even the 'fairy dust sprinkle' we might've done ten years ago not only isn't necessary, but isn't desirable, because the folks doing post want everybody's audio to be as raw as possible so they're not dealing with three different people's ideas about what constitutes fairy dust. This makes sense to me but I'm curious how consistent this strategy is, or if it applies across different sectors of the VO world. How much editing do you, and why/ Secondly, I have a Pro Tools perpetual license so the cheapest way for me to get back in is to just keep using that. However, I'm going in on this with my partner, who is from the on-camera world and new to VO. Our coach recommends Adobe Audition (but has no problem with Pro Tools - just that it's overkill). My partner is coming from a non-technical background and has to learn 'the basics' for VO DAW usage. Is saving a few bucks by not having to subscribe to Audition worth the learning curve of Pro Tools? I tried Audition ten years ago and found it fine but all the advice I got back then was that Pro Tools was 'better' in a way that I'm not hearing today. She's willing to invest the work either way, but Pro Tools is either free (if she's with me) or cheaper (Pro Tools Artist at $99/yr vs. Adobe Audition at $21/mo) so I'm just curious how much value y'all assign to Audition being 'easier' since that's not a ton of money but it's not pocket change. Thanks everybody! This reddit has been great and now I have to go pick up a lot of PVC pipe at Home Depot to start building my booth!
This is my first big production and the audition process has come to an end. I've had it easy so far in just meeting with the protagonists and secondary characters to offer them roles. Now I have six people I have to meet with that I'm offering smaller roles than the largest they auditioned to. Two of the six auditioned for the smaller roles they are going to be offered, three of the six already told me earlier on in the process that they want any role given and so even though they didn't audition for these roles it seems like it's likely they'll take them, and then one didn't audition for the role/never told me they wanted a smaller role but I figured I would offer anyways. How would you best suggest going about this? I assume they will all be disappointed that they didn't get the biggest role they were interested in. I'm just wondering what the most polite and professional way of going about it is - for example do I even acknowledge that someone else was given the protagonist/secondary role? It really did just come down to me and my team liking certain pairs the most in chemistry reads and/or just feeling like the actor/actress that was chosen for the bigger role did a much better job than the other candidate, but I don't want to say this or anything even remotely similar as I'm very sensitive to people's emotions/don't wanna hurt anyone's feelings but also don't know what to say given the big elephant in the room. Also, lastly, will it be awkward at rehearsals and on set when these actors (assuming they accept) are together with the people who got the bigger roles?
Hi all! I’ve been working to get an agent for about a year now, had a few “almosts” and meetings and then finally had a meeting with someone who was really interested and offered to sign me on for a 12 month contract. I asked him to send the paperwork over as PDFs first so I could have some friends look at it make sure it was all legit. It was all good. I got back to him right away and said I was ready to docusign (his preferred method of signing) and linked up my actors access to him and gave him a list of casting directors that knew my work, which he responded to promptly. Then nothing. No docusign. No emails. Nothing. For 3.5 weeks. I kept submitting myself. I sent an email to him about an EPA I attended that I thought went well. Nothing. Just radio silence. I emailed another agent at his agency, nada. I haven’t given him a dime, nor have I signed anything. So if it was a scam it’s a bad one. Then out of the blue today, he sends me an audition for a film on actors access. I haven’t signed a lick of paperwork for this man, and if he just wanted to freelance me that hasn’t been made clear…. Am I crazy or is this not normal?
If a casting call lists 2+ roles that you might be fit for, is it okay to submit for multiple or is it more professional to submit for just one? I am submitting for student films for now so I’m not sure how cautious I should be about this. I was reading Bonnie Gillespie’s book, and she says, “When an actor instead submits on all seven roles, it conveys three things: 1. He can’t read; 2. He’s desperate to play any role, no matter what; and 3. He doesn’t know his primary type.” What do you all think? I understand how this might matter at a higher level, but in the beginning of my career shouldn't I be applying for everything and anything?
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.
