Hi, I’m a non-US actor who has been studying acting part-time since 2020 and recently signed with a small agent. I’ve had some auditions and one booking and I’m happy so far, but part of me is a little wary about what kind of work I’ll get, if anything. One day I’d love to do American work, maybe small roles in Netflix limited series or something. I don’t want to be a Hollywood star—well, part of me does, but that won’t happen lmao. Stick me in a small limited series where I play a weird minor character or something. For now I’m happy with whatever I can get. I do see some posts and I’ve heard from actors I’ve studied with about how their journey to their agents took years. I went with the first acceptance I got. I’m not unhappy with my agent but I guess I am wondering what quality of roles I will get submitted for and if moving on in a few years is a good move. It feels somewhat mean of me to think this. I am not the best actor I am capable of being yet and I am comfortable being a work in progress but I know I have talent and passion and I’ve grown a lot. I guess what I’m acting is for any input about your journey to a place where you’re happy and comfortable with the auditions you’re getting. It’s only been a few months since I signed so I’m so grateful to have even been signed, and while I continue studying I’m happy to continue as I go, but one day I would love American rep. Sorry for the ramble. I just am very worried im being a dick haha
I currently have a manager who’s great. I audition all the time and worked a bunch this year. 3 tv shows, few big commercials, etc. I feel like I’m ready for an agent. I asked my managers to refer me and they were really against the idea. They said we don’t recommend I get one until I’ve booked a recurring on a tv show or a big movie. Issue is, every actor I’ve spoken to thinks this is bullshit. They are younger than me, work less than me, and have an agent and manager! Some have even auditioned for Marvel/Disney, etc even though we’re the same demographic so I should also be getting those. I don’t want to miss out on potential momentum and it’s probably good to note that my managers are a small agency that typically takes singers. What should I do? Should I push my reps more, wait it out, try to get an agent myself?
Actor 15 years exp Good basic resume w a commercial and some theatrical reel clips. Bipoc actor Old but looks 20s
For context, I am an EMC stage actor in the DC area. I have been very lucky to have been able to work with several Equity theaters in this area and I am wondering how to handle EPAs/Equity Video Submissions in the near future. I hate self tapes/chosen monologues and songs with a passion. I am much better with sides/when given a specific show's materials. This past year I have been fortunate that theaters have been calling me in for their individual shows, one in particular that has called me in multiple times this past year (and called me back multiple times as well.) They're currently accepting video submissions but, in addition to not being great at those, I am also quite congested and don't feel I'd be sending them my best work. What should I do? Submit a general audition anyway? Ask to be considered for specific shows in their season without the general tape (since they already know my work?) At what point in a relationship with a theater do you stop submitting for their general calls and expect that you will be called in? Thanks!
Looking into the 2 years conservatory programs offered by Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and Stella Adler Studio of Acting in NY. Looking for opinions on which institute holds a better reputation in terms of faculty and exposure.
I personally think it's Pete Postlethwaite. He has been in a lot of great movies with some of the all-time greats like Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Spacey, etc... and he never felt out of place with any of them, but I feel like he never got the recognition that they and a lot of other actors he has acted with got. Who do you think is the most underrated actor ever?
My preferred acting technique is Meisner. I love it because you react naturally and instinctively based on the other actors' words and actions. It keeps things fresh and interesting for me and everyone in the scene. Any tips on how to get into the "character zone" beforehand? I want to be ready so that when they call "action" I actually feel like the character in the world. Is there anything else I need to do, or should I just keep studying and working on Meisner? Thank you :)
I’m an LA-based talent lawyer and had historically done all of my business through referrals with agents/managers, but I’m trying to make partner and decided as a New Year’s resolution to be more proactive ….strange question, but is there somewhere central to review materials of actors/actresses in the area?
The thing that I am asking is who would like to audition to voice actor for donnie. I like you sound like or try to sound like a 11 year old boy. If you would like to addiction then DM me okay
I know this is probably an ignorant question, but I've been trying to find out how to become a voice actress. Google is very vague and it just kind of says, "well just audition and bam!" I just want to know where and how to start. I currently have my own narration channel on TikTok, and a lot of people tell me I have a really nice voice and I should do voice acting. I just want to know how to get started, build my portfolio.. how to go about auditioning, ect.
I'm aware of the minimum wages for child actors that are a member of SAG-AFTRA through the published 'Rate Sheet', but could the actors of this sub share with me what they think are the **average** and **median** daily rates for a child actor who will be starring in one of several 30-minute films that will be sold to schools and published on Youtube? I want to fairly compensate the actors and provide a competitive wage. Our budget for the entire production is <$300,000 USD. Thanks for sharing your insight!
Spoke with Maura Chanz about breaking into Hollywood, working for Mara Brock Akil (Girlfriends, The Game) and Yara Shahidi (black-ish, grown-ish) Amidst all the talk of nepo babies, she talks about how she got into the industry when she had no family ties to it and wasn't from LA Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-industry-podcast/id1658358016?i=1000591386330 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ch5GAZlJ1h2S4UmGJaxXQ?si=Oe9PnZlkRrm\_bYl5CkL2Ug YouTube: https://youtu.be/IYquBw6r-QY
Beware the following email- it’s the old “we send you a check to deposit and pay your assigned “agent”. You write them a check, theirs bounces you’re out the money… Just got this today- apparently lots of others have as well- ——— JOY Model Management 369 Park Ave Brooklyn, NY 11205 Head Office: R. Maestro Elias Lobo, 1003 - Jardim Paulista, São Paulo - SP, 01433-000, Brazil https://www.joymgmt.com Congratulations, We came across your Portfolio on BACKSTAGE.COM Models,Actors, Producer, set designer, Art lead, script supervisor and project manager, Lighting Tech / Operator,Camera operator are needed for a Commercial/photo shoot for Stackpole Moore Tryon's new clothing line. Commercial/photo shoot will be held on the 14TH and 15TH of JANUARY 2023 The pay is $2500 for the 2 days shoot and a per diem of $500. which is a total of $3000 Stackpole Moore Tryon will be responsible for all expenses including Flight and Hotel reservation. Stackpole Moore Tryon will book a two way ticket on your behalf to Ponte Vedra Beach, FL and also back to your state. Accommodation will also be made available on your arrival. Also, an Agent will be assigned to you. He/She will handle your Flight and Hotel reservations. Costumes and clothing will also be made available on your arrival to Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Instruction: Please respond back with the following information Full Name: Phone number: Position Interested in: Hope to hear from you soon. James Dorsey Casting Director.
I’m a female voice actor who’s working on a short animated film. This is my first time doing anything action based and I was looking for tips, mostly on fighting/grunting. For example my character gets hit and slams into a wall, I have to sound in pain but I’m a bit shy to do in front of others.
I recently wanted to take up acting and through research Mainline Models came up a lot in King of Prussia and it appears the head agent (or whatever I don’t have a lot of experience) has really mixed reviews though a lot of them are old. I met with her once and she said it would be $50 a class/classes to know the basics of the industry and simple acting for advertising methods. To me paying for someone’s time and knowledge makes sense since I do hair and that’s how that works, time= money. However I also read no agency will make you pay upfront until you land a job. I looked into the Facebook and what not and the instructors and other agents SEEM somewhat reputable but it doesn’t say any projects they work on. I saw many headshots on the wall organized some sort of way as well. If anyone is in philly and knows any good beginner talent agency I would love some advice. I’ve always been told I have great potential for jobs since I’m 21 but have a complete baby face and I am bilingual. I’ve only ever worked on college films so I don’t have a lot of knowledge on the industry itself. Thank you so much for your time!
Currently preparing to join an Actor's Union in the UK as an actor and voice over/voice actor. I've always hated my real last name, it's long and the meaning is really derogatory. Plus I'm not close with my father's side, and I like the idea of separating personal and professional life. I'm of Lebanese ancestry, born and raised in the UK. I've been told that I've got a different look, and could play a range of ethnicities including Central/South American, European (Western, Southern, Eastern), Jewish, and Middle Eastern. I've also been told that I look most similar to Pedro Pascal crossed with Felipe Neto, and even a little like Daniel Radcliffe and a younger Liberace. I know it's not really the trend anymore, but I'm thinking of Americanizing my last name. The name I've chosen has a great ring to it and fits nicely with my first name, I love the brand, and I love the classic American style of it. I've given it a lot of thought too. I know talent counts, it's more important than the name. Yet, I'm seeing a shift in casting ethnic minorities based on whether or not the actor comes from said background. I'm not sure, I might be seeing it wrong though. If I'm right, my only question is, will my Americanized stage name lend itself to different roles that I could play, or will I be passed up for a variety of ethnic roles, including roles pertaining to my own Middle Eastern heritage? Thanks :)
So I’ve been working and living in Los Angeles for a couple of years now. And the industry has dried up quite substantially here. I’m looking for any actors with experience working in the Atlanta market, how is that going for you? Is there a decent amount of work over there that is union? I would really appreciate some feedback, thanks!
I am a beginner who wants to get into acting but I am not very good at it, so I have done some research and took a lot of time to watch many YouTube videos on how to act, and I think I can do those techniques fairly well, but I don't know how to practice. Everywhere I look it says that a lot of hard work is needed to succeed in acting, but I don't know what hard work means, if it is how to train, maybe a practice routine, certain exercises, whatever. Anything would help.
Just doing a little research y'all! How does everyone access their audition notices and self-tape instructions? These can either be from your agent or through self submissions. Thank you! [View Poll](https://www.reddit.com/poll/zwyj4z)
i'm so bad at improv games, it's tragic. it's such a good skill but if you give me random words or actions, there's no way i can do anything with that. i hope that doesn't damper too much on my hopes to be a working actor someday.
Hi aspiring actor here. I am aware that agents themselves do not cost a dime up front and they only take commission, however, I am wondering what an Agency should charge. I am of the thinking that you cannot benefit from something for nothing, however this Agency I am applying for states that there is an annual fee to pay to be placed in a database. Around $350. Is this normal?
I'm with this agency and one of my questions was, "am I allowed to have agents in different cities" and they said, "unfortunate, no. We rep you all across America." All while I know many actors with this agency are with them & have agents in other markets. This is a top agent in my city and it took almost ten years of hard work to get with them. Sadly, they don't get me many auditions tho and unless things change, I'm leaving them next December when my contract is up. I'm just trying to see, is this normal for agents to not allow you to have agents in other cities?
My dream is to become a voice actor. Recently I got a job as a narrator for ACX and while that’s a good way to get my voice out there, it hasn’t necessarily brought me any closer to the VA world, so what’s next? I’ve no idea where to start looking for THOSE jobs…
**Job Role: Voice Over Actor** **Offer: $20 - 40$ per hour (depending on experience)** Skills and Requirements: * Must be 18 years or older. * Must be able to replicate Foxy’s voice (she is the purple fox character). Please see [this short clip](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ksZFWZkOeS5OnM6xGxZrRW10aZLNOpN8/view?usp=share_link) as a sample - it should be very quick to judge if they can make a similar voice or not. It does not have to match exactly, but it should be similar. Most people who can voice Foxy, can also voice Boxy. But matching Foxy’s voice is the most important. * Experience with Adobe suite of products is a huge bonus. * Premiere Pro (video editing) * Audition (audio recording) * Photoshop (graphic design, etc) * Drawing/any other skills * Experience or familiarity with V-Tubers or voice acting in a non-traditional setting is a huge bonus. Many voice actors have worked in commercials and film/TV, but this is too formal. People who are familiar with internet culture are a huge bonus. * Having their own content channel is a huge bonus. If they run their own Twitch stream, and have their own YouTube channel based around Voiceover, or similar, that is a major bonus. * Here are 2 examples of Voice Actors who have their own channels: * [https://www.youtube.com/@AipacalypseVA/videos](https://www.youtube.com/@AipacalypseVA/videos) * [https://www.youtube.com/@shishishiena](https://www.youtube.com/@shishishiena) * They both have a clear understanding of internet culture, and seem to have other skills, like singing/drawing, etc.
I understand the ‘because I love acting’ thing, but how is appearing for one second behind Ryan Reynolds ‘acting’? My mom could do this.
I currently attend Indiana University (which isn't known for its acting program) as a 19yo sophomore and I'm pretty miserable. I think I'm ready to give up the idea of preparing for "a real job" and fully pursue acting. For professional acting, camera specifically, where should I go? I'm looking at LAMDA and RADA in particular because I want a dedicated acting/theatre school, not a normal college with a good program. I'd like to end up as a camera actor rather than stage but I have no idea where to go. Additionally, because I'm a sophomore and I've already spent half of my college tuition, scholarships are really important. Especially if I'm going to be an out of state or international student, which seems likely. Any advice?
HI, I've been on actors acsses for 7 months now and I've submitted to 9 projects total and been invited to submit one eco cast, I always sort breakdowns by saying my region is in the northwest and my age range as 13-17 I was wondering if all breakdowns willing to hire pepole from out of state will show up when I set my region to northwest I want to make sure I am maximizing the number roles I can submit that i fit for and when you live here theres not alot of action in state
So I always wanted to be a voice actor and honestly I feel like I don't have what it takes. A lot of people I've met says I do but I can't see it. However one day I just stop with the self doubt and made a small clip of me doing a ( not so serious, abridge type voice over ) of an anime I really like. But the main reason why I'm posting this is that I want feedback on where I can improve. [https://youtube.com/shorts/m1Wb8b1UiYk?feature=share](https://youtube.com/shorts/m1Wb8b1UiYk?feature=share)
I have a few clips narrating a straightforward education video. Each of them are narrated by different narrators. One is by myself. The problem is that the actors have different speaking speed and pace. Some are significantly faster than the other. Some speak: Step..one. Go..to...the..edit..menu. The others speak: Step two. Go tothuh editmenu. I am not in a position to redo the narration. It does not have to be perfect but I hope to try to equalize their speaking speed. Any other tips to make sure two different clips sound as similar as possible would be great. (No need to adjust pitch difference or accent because that's the purpose of getting different people to do the VA to begin with)
I am not an actor by trade but merely by timing and sheer luck. Early this year, I was contacted by a marketing agency that represents a global company that was looking for a specific type to shoot a national commercial. In my social media, I had shared the product, and the agency contacted me to find out if I was interested in auditioning for the role. The audition went well, and I connected with the selection committee and writers. I was hired as the lead actor and entered this world without having any prior acting experience. I filmed a TV commercial that was aired nationally, and I have been contacted again to follow up with other projects for this coming year. I don't have an agent, and I would like to have one, but I am unsure if any agent will be interested in taking a person without any acting experience. What do you guys think? Is it important to get an agent? Should I continue as is? I am very happy, and I can't complain about the pay, I just want to make sure that I am not making a mistake by not contacting an agent and/or joining the actor's guild.
So, for my entire childhood, I was always under the impression that I wanted to be a nurse, helping out the sick and dying. However, as of August, I joined an acting class for fun and really fell in love with it and I realized that acting is what I'm very gifted at. I want to bring stories to life and star in films since they'll last til the end of time. But my parents want me to become a nurse with a bachelor's degree (which takes four years) and stay in our small town. I do have an alternate plan for my day job which is still in the medical industry but fits with the things I'm gifted at, which my skillful ability to maneuver computer programs, I figured that I would go into coding since it's right up my alley. But, the question is how do I tell them that I want to do this without them having a meltdown over my life choices?
Ty to anyone that helps!
Hi everyone! Just wanted to ask if other actors in the sub have recommendations or insight. Lately, I’ve had a few casting directors ask me to send in multiple takes for the same role to show variety in how I would approach the character. I tend to have trouble deciding which one to put first when sending in the tape. My gut tells me to put my “first instincts” take first, and then another that has a different tone or feel to it. But then I have a little voice in my head saying to use the more “interesting” take to catch their attention (I know I know). By “interesting” I generally mean expressive, big, bold - whatever. Any suggestions on how you decide? Some of these auditions have been like 30 seconds and those are generally easier. But with 3-5 minute scenes that both feel alive and in play with their own nuance, I find myself going back and forth and then getting caught in the annoying cycle of over analyzation that I’ve worked really hard to get out of! Thanks in advance, and happy holidays :)
Hi Voice actors, I have recently put in a demo reel for a long term cartoon project (haven't been accepted yet, just an audition). The project will be 3-4 cartoons a week at around 9-12 minutes long, I would be playing one character. The company have requested that I include a quote per minute of recording, as an Australian, what would people think is a fair amount that doesn't scream I'm doing this for peanuts but also doesn't put a figure that's too high. I would say my experience level is low-medium in terms of projects completed and years voice acting.
What sort of jobs do you guys have which allows you flexibility and go for those auditions. I’m from the UK and I’m working a 9-5 so a lot of the time I have to miss the auditions.
ig: @on_a_hot_mic is a page dedicated to celebrating Voice Actors! Submit (free) via ig DM to be featured. No strings attached! Any pic of you and a microphone. @on_a_hot_mic (Mods, if this post is inappropriate, please let me know).
As the title says, I'm coming from a class where every week we would go out for drinks after class and honestly was a bunch of awesome folks just acting and messing around together. Everybody wanted to be an actor and took it seriously, but nobody took themselves that seriously and thats what I'm looking for. I think I got lucky, but have just moved to NYC where I'm trying to find a similar vibe. Anyone have ideas? Tips? Tricks? A community/class reccomendation?
I am looking to hire a voice actor for my YouTube channel. The scripts are roughly 500-900 words, and the videos are no longer than 10 minutes (usually 7-8 mins). The scripts are informative and pretty easy to read. Looking to pay for around 10-15 videos as of now. The script should really only need 1 take, and can be done in minutes. What would a fair rate be?
I had this video forwarded to me by a friend, and I’m looking to buy a good tripod / microphone / light for Christmas so I can start getting myself out there. I’ve seen similar posts, but trying to get a really great, portable, and professional set up to get me started. Would appreciate any kind of Amazon links / recommendations. Thanks so much and happy holidays!
Very silly question, but I had a recall for a BBC thing and was told at the end of my audition ' Great Job' from the director. For some reason this has made me so uncomfortable since the recall and I can't get it out of my mind (mostly because when he said it he made sure the room was silent before he spoke). Did he say it because it was like a thanks you did well but the role is not for you, or was it truly a good recall. I know us actors can't handle positive feedback, normally I feel fine after auditions and think nothing of them.... but this has me in my head and I cant figure out why. LOL please share your thoughts or any laughs you may have, all is appreciated.
It seems like most actor body types are either very fit or very fat. I can’t think of any actors working that are in that slightly chubby/average American body type. The actors i think of who are bigger are all very big (that’s not a judgment, just recognizing that they would have to lose a lot of weight to be considered thin). For example, Josh Gad, Harvey Guillén, Chrissy Metz, Kevin James, Jonah Hill. If you open this up to comedians who act, there’s a bit more leeway but I can’t think of any actors with normal or slightly chubby bodies (let’s say 10-20 pounds overweight). It’s just wild to me, in a culture where so many people are fat, actors are still held to this crazy standard. And it’s not not for sexy leads, it’s like every actor. To make this about me; I like my body. I work out and am active and always striving to do more, but I don’t want a 6 pack and I’m not willing to eat the way I would need to to get achieve those results. I like myself but why do I feel like I’m being pushed to change my body?
Would love to know your journey and any tips you have for people wanting to get on those stages.
The title. I feel like the excitement to improve my craft and create art gets overshadowed by the business of acting. So I would love to start some dialogue and hopefully not find out I’m the only one… How do you stay sane when there are so many comparison traps everywhere? How do you stay hopeful when you feel behind your peers or when you feel like you’ll never succeed in the way you want? How do you stay motivated when it feels like no progress is being made? For those who don’t do this as a hobby, how do you handle the push and urgency of showbiz? Would love any and all thoughts on mental health for aspiring working actors. TIA
YouTube recommended a self tape video to me today and it was someone’s tape for a role on Wednesday for Netflix. The top comment was telling the poster to take it down because they heard of casting directors blacklisting actors for posting auditions. In this case though, the character and the auditions scenes (not verbatim but with rewrites) appear in the series that has already been released. Is this still not allowed?
If not NY or LA, how’s Chicago to start your acting career? Do they have any good acting conservatory program?
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 am two episodes in and really struggling. Jenna Ortega and Gwendolyn Christie are excellent, but a lot of the other actors seem weak? I get that it’s more campy style and the acting tends to fit that, but the actress playing Enid was fake crying (she was actually supposed to be upset though) and some of these other actors are hokey. I can’t tell if their acting is bad or it’s just the bad script making it hard for them to work with. The script tends to “tell” instead of “show” the audience, and it feels like it’s forcing itself to be very Gen Z. Maybe I should just accept that it’s not made for me (late twenties)? I just feel like modern media could be more elevated. Why are the characters calling people normies and talking about tik tok… What are your opinions? I really wanted to like it.
tw: Fiverr discussion Hi, buyer here, not a voice actor. I've selected a voice actor for a basic Fiverr gig to say how ever so many words. After purchase, I'm presented with 3 fields. One for the script, one for clarifying pronunciations, and one for clarifying tone & pitch. I could ask them what they prefer each and every time I hire someone for something small, and I just might. But I thought it wouldn't hurt to get more opinions. As a voice actor, would you rather receive directions like `[Medium-pitch throughout]` `Line 3 [snippet of line]: Tone directions here` `Line 4 [snippet of line]: Different tone directions here` `Lines 5-6 [snippet; snippet]: Totally different directions here` or the entire script, copied and pasted again, with directions above each line? `[Middle-pitch throughout]` `[Tone directions here]` `<Line 3 here>` `[Different tone directions here]` `<Line 4 here>` `[Totally different directions here]` `<Line 5 here>` `[The previous directions copied and pasted]` `<Line 6 here>` Or something totally different? I was shocked when I found out movie scripts usually leave it to interpretation. If and when I don't wildly change the intended tone between lines, that's no big deal, and I know my voice actor is not stupid. I understand that I'm overthinking it big time. I'm just trying to be courteous here, and of course minimize revisions. I would love to know your thoughts. Thanks.
Going on a long drive today and would love to have something that keeps me entertained so I was wondering if you guys know any podcast episodes that detail an actor's journey into breaking in the industry? I was a fan of Jenna Fischer's book and looking for similar vibes.
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.
