AGGREGATED ACTING FORUMS

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why do alot of actors change their names?

why do alot of actors change their names?

Posted on Aug 8th

This might have an obvious answer but why do alot of really famous actors use either fake names or will use their middle names as either their first or last names, a list actors such as Brad Pitt (William Bradley Pitt) Miley Cyrus (Destiny hope Cyrus) Reese Witherspoon (Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon) Emma stone (Emily Jean Stone) Natalie Portman (Neta-lee Hershlag) Tom cruise (Thomas cruise Mapother) The list goes on and on Personally I don't have a problem with people changing their names to whatever they want, being honest I don't love my own name (not gonna give it away on here) but I would like to know why it's so common in the industry.

Today I had an eye-opening experience.

Today I had an eye-opening experience.

Posted on Aug 8th

This might be common knowledge to those of you who do it regularly but it blew my mind - today I had my first day on set on a student film as an extra, and while talking to the other extras I discovered 2 of them intentionally seek out extra roles - most commonly unpaid - not because they want to gain experience to move on to other projects, or because they want to be an actor - they just enjoy being extras on sets. One of them specifically said "I'm just good at blending in, its just a hobby for me". I couldn't believe it, and I had the time of my life. I can only imagine speaking parts feeling even more rewarding.

Are acting classes important? What would your advices be for a broke rookie actress who can't afford acting classes?

Are acting classes important? What would your advices be for a broke rookie actress who can't afford acting classes?

Posted on Aug 7th

You see, I just started acting last year, at 26, with absolutely 0 acting experience. After doing 2 feature films in 2021, earlier this year, I was able to get casted to join a big production for a movie that might be released in the local cinemas next year. It's only for a supporting role, but still. 1, it's going to be released in the cinemas. 2, I was given like 5 scenes with lines (4 simple ones, 1 make it or break it one). Here's what I'm worried about. Since I only have 1 very important scene, that, like I said, could make me or break me, I am very worried about how I'll do. I don't really have much experience in acting. Except for Youtube videos, I don't really know how else to learn acting since I am still too broke to be able to afford acting classes. So yeah, I would really like your advices on how to handle this situation. I already have anxiety in general and this situation has just made things worse that I can't even sleep at night. Thank you in advanced for your advices!

I’m a professional voice actor, so I decided to use my skills to make this teaser for my new homebrew dnd campaign! I edited, wrote and did the VO for all of this!
Seeking Voice Actors for Animated Project

Seeking Voice Actors for Animated Project

Posted on Aug 7th

**Art Studio seeking Voice Actors for an indie sci-fi action-packed anime project in development. Estimated run time for first episode, 9 Minutes. Will be released in parts of 3 minutes until the full episode is released. Expected date of completion: November 2022 \[Long Term Commitment VA only as this project will be submitted to various film festivals and has the potential to become a series\]** Rate: $15/hrSkill Level: Beginner-IntermediateRecording Equipment: Hobby-Professional, no gaming mics, computer mics. Must at the minimum have a solid condenser mic or vocal mic with some level of sound proofing. If I can hear background noise, it's a no go. Voice Audio should be crisp and not muddy Roles: (if you can act multiple roles, that's fine with me)(Main Character) Human Male - Visible Age 17 - Shy personality, withdrawn, soft spoken, kind-hearted. Subject of an abusive military experiment. Medium to high pitch. (Main Character) Human Female - Visible Age 24 - Assertive, achiever, confident tone in voice, medium to high pitch. Subject of military experiment but has shown more resilience and success than the 17-year-old. (Main Character) Human Male - 60 years old - Emperor, serious mood, medium to low pitch, fearless, assertive, humble. Human Male - 35 years old - Agent, militant, loyal, Russian accent, medium pitch, raspy tone, soldier. Human Male - 70 years old - Doctor/Researcher, older voice, medium to high pitch, emotionless. (Main Character) Human Male - 39 years old - Militant, tough, assertive, Southern accent. Commanding officer. Human Male - Extra (Soldiers, base staff, enemies) And a few other roles. I prefer someone who can be flexible and do multiple roles in a convincing manner. Rates & Time: I pay you a sold $15 an hour to record the lines, the time includes retakes you might do to get it right. If I feel anything weird is going on, like lines taking unreasonably long times to deliver, or a few lines taking you an hour to do, then I will terminate our partnership and find someone else. This is not my first-time hiring people from this reddit page or working with VA's.

What percentage of actors do you think have natural talent with little to no training?

What percentage of actors do you think have natural talent with little to no training?

Posted on Aug 7th

Do you think some just have it with very little training?

Has anyone ever tried submitting for roles outside of your state/region on Actors Access?

Has anyone ever tried submitting for roles outside of your state/region on Actors Access?

Posted on Aug 6th

I’m wondering if anyone has done this or had success from it.

People tell me I should pursue voice acting, but I suffer from major performance fright

People tell me I should pursue voice acting, but I suffer from major performance fright

Posted on Aug 6th

So the thing is, ever since I hit puberty, my voice became rather deep and ever since then I've heard comments from here and there about how bombastic, sexy et. my voice sounds. I've also developed an apparent skill of reproducing different voices I hear. I do spend time talking to myself with different voices when I'm alone in my room with no one around. Whenever I play video games with voice chat enabled, I often start doing bombastic oneliners and comments and often other players complement my voice work and give me compliments and encouragement. So I do take enjoyment out of entertaining other people with my voices. However, in my later years I've began to develop a rather strong fear of performing. A convention I was on few weeks back had a panel about dubbing (as in my country the most work voice actors have is dubbing animated shows), and part of it was lighthearted and fun encouraging session where people from the audience could go in and give humorous dubs to short anime scenes. While it was really fun to react to, at the moment my personal reaction to performing in front of full crowd was "Oh heck no!" A friend of mine has taken steps to begin to probably produce an original animated show one day, and tentatively asked if I'd like to do voice work for it. At the moment I'm on board, as recording voice work privately in a booth feels more comforting to me rather than performing live in front of a live audience. But still, when I try to do voices by myself with mental image of doing a voice performance that'd be publicly listened by number of people, I notice how my delivery gets more stiff and not as natural. I wonder if people around here have suffered from similar difficulties and how they've dealt with them?

Looking for Directing advice: creating Chaos with 20 extras

Looking for Directing advice: creating Chaos with 20 extras

Posted on Aug 6th

Hi everyone! Next week we are going to shoot a "chaotic" scene, with people pushing around, becoming crazy, screaming, and fighting (non-violent fight, more like a metal-concert type of "fight"). There are two main characters, I've been doing training with them for a couple of months now. But there are about 20 extras/background actors in the scenes (most of them not being actors at all), and I am going to do some exercises a couple of hours before starting to shoot. Do you have any recommendations for some effective group exercises/conditioning to prepare them, "release" them, and make them open up completely so they can go all in during the shoot? Usually, I have no problem doing this with pro and non-pro actors, but I've never done a collective exercise with a big group (20 people). It's not an "angry" chaos, but a joyful and collective mayhem. Thank you for reading!

Letting go of a role you've auditioned for... advice for not letting it affect your mental health?

Letting go of a role you've auditioned for... advice for not letting it affect your mental health?

Posted on Aug 6th

A few weeks back, I had a self-tape audition request come in through my agent for a role that felt like kismet. I can't describe it otherwise. The role required someone of my age, specific ethnic heritage (which is quite obscure where I live and work) and to be speaking the languages I speak fluently (I was raised multilingual and so is the character). The project is set in a different time period which I specifically LOVE and know very well. It's based off of a book, and I ended up reading it and falling in love with it all. Basically the character is just like me. And that's really rare and pretty obscure. I sent in the audition a couple days before the deadline (which included three scenes and an ident) and ever since then, *I can't stop thinking about it*! It's never happened to me like this before, like I have. auditioned for projects where I wanted it really badly and would think "oh I hope I hear back soon" but this time it's like, I'm a little obsessed with it. I think about it every day, and though I haven't heard back my heart hopes it's about this and getting a callback every time my agent calls. I did try to mention it to my agent but he says he's not heard anything and they've not cast any other roles yet as the project doesn't start shooting until next year so the casting team are taking their time with it. I don't know why though, something inside me feels like I'm destined to play this part. And not hearing is driving me mad and I think about it way too much. It's not making me feel down or depressed, but rather just anxious because I loved that audition, the character and the book so much and I really wish I could tell that story. I'm not a narcissist and I swear I'm not going insane... I have been recently diagnosed with mild OCD but I've never had this kind of passion for a role I've just auditioned for before and I think it's irrelevant to the OCD (my OCD seems to be more like health OCD). But clearly it's all causing some anxiety and I don't know how to let it go and let things take their course as any actor should theoretically do after auditioning for a project. Even right now I'm thinking I should pick up the book again and re-read my favourite bits. I feel like such a child! Anyone else can relate? I'd appreciate any advice on finding ways to not let it affect my mental health.

would moving to ATL be a good idea for an established actor?

would moving to ATL be a good idea for an established actor?

Posted on Aug 6th

I'm in Chicago and we are coming up in terms of productions, but we will never compete with ATL. I'm established with a handful of co-stars and one national commercial. It doesnt help that I live in a bad area in Chicago..Im saving up for a house but I would hate to buy one in Chicago..might as well go to ATL.

How to handle comparing yourself to peers?

How to handle comparing yourself to peers?

Posted on Aug 6th

Hey fellow actors! Feeling a bit down so wanted to chat with some creatives. To be honest, I’ve been feeling a bit envious of my peers moving up the ladder in their corporate jobs. Seeing that, I’m like ‘wow I should just go learn how to code or be a business analyst or a nurse.’ Financially stable jobs with prospects but I would never want to do these things for the rest of my working life. I was wondering what you guys do to stay focused and committed to your dreams and lift your spirits.

Questions for established LA actors

Questions for established LA actors

Posted on Aug 6th

1. Are there any reputable classes that take place during the daytime on weekdays? like mornings / afternoons? Everything i research seems to be at night, which conflicts with my job. 2. Are there any good on-camera audition classes in-person right now? everything I find outside of scene study seems to be online still. And yes, i get it, all of my tapes are over zoom right now, but I almost forget what it's like to tape on-camera in front of a room full of people, which is obviously a skill, and eventually you will be in rooms again at least further in the process for bigger roles so I want to be practicing like that regularly. 3. Are there any classes specific to BOOKING, similar to somebody like Amy Lyndon? 4. Are there any studios with Master Classes where you can actually immediately get into the Master Class based on your materials, and not have to take multiple pre-classes or put in a year with a different teacher before getting into the Master Class? I found & got accepted to 1 good one, i'm sure there's more out there somewhere 5. How do you access theatre auditions / break into a reputable theatre company out here? Is it all just through Playbill / Actors Access / Reps like NYC? 6. What are some good resources to meet other serious actors I might not be thinking of? 7. What are some good resources / ways to meet and network with up and coming filmmakers? I find "screenings" awkward if you're not like a part of something being screened. 8. Is there anything you wish you did differently when you first moved out here in terms of hitting the ground running, or any wisdom you learned from trial and error? (I'm not a newbie) 9. For those of you with the balls to have moved to LA not knowing anybody else, like me, how did you start making real friends? Where did you find such people? Appreciate any help you can provide. I miss NYC but i'm trying to give LA a decent chance. Thank you!

Casting calls

Casting calls

Posted on Aug 6th

Hey all I just want to see if anyone knows where Sarah Finn post her casting calls whether it be Actors Access or Backstage or any under the radar means of posting a casting call for their movies. I know Iman Vellani found her casting call thru WhatsApp. I’m just wondering if anyone happens to know

Invited for "pre-screening"

Invited for "pre-screening"

Posted on Aug 6th

So I was invited back for an in-person 'pre-screening' (actors/extras listing -- "some small speaking parts") and was told to "Bring a photo and a resume(if you have one), dress casually and be prepared to read for the casting associates if asked." No other info on role, sides, whatever. What should I expect seeing as it's looking to be just background / extra casting? Anything I can do to better my chances at getting a bigger role (for the circumstances, of course)? Also, what are they expecting in terms of photo -- printed on paper, or are they expecting a higher quality?

How to step into method acting

How to step into method acting

Posted on Aug 6th

Hi Reddit, I’m 17 years old and going into my last year of HS theatre, my school is putting on “Antigone” for our states play (competition) and me being the go to man actor (I have a beard) might be cast as Creon. However I wanted to know what some tips would be for getting into the mind of that character? Especially because this will be my last HS performance and I want to blow it out of the water!!

Who here lives in the Southeast and has representation in LA?

Who here lives in the Southeast and has representation in LA?

Posted on Aug 6th

I am basically looking for recommendations for representation in LA for a SE based actor. I have very strong reps in a Atlanta but really need to expand into LA.

Question for actors who voiced in one country and moved to another

Question for actors who voiced in one country and moved to another

Posted on Aug 6th

Let’s imagine I’m an actor that had quite a lot of roles in the US for example, and for some reason I decided to move to Japan. Let’s also imagine I learned fluent Japanese. With all that in mind-is knowing the language be enough to be successful in a new country as an actor with all that experience? And what are the additional steps that I’d have to take? If someone had and experience like in the situation I asked to imagine, it would be even more awesome!

When are actors paid the buyout for working in commercials in the UK?

When are actors paid the buyout for working in commercials in the UK?

Posted on Aug 6th

I’ve just been cast in a commercial that has a buyout. When should I expect to be paid the buyout amount after shooting the commercial?

Age clarification on backstage

Age clarification on backstage

Posted on Aug 6th

So when describing the role on backstage.com and it says something like : Butterscotch Lead, female, 13-18 Obviously the character is 13-18, but does the actor themselves have to be 13-18 or can they be like 12 or 24? If that makes sense.

Really want to dye my hair.. bad idea?

Really want to dye my hair.. bad idea?

Posted on Aug 5th

Hello:) i am very pale and blue eyed blonde naturally, which doesn't make me a prototypical blonde: pamella anderson, britney spears etc are quite tan usually. I feel like with my skin color ginger hair would be more "natural", and maybe i'll stand out more... But i don't know if i will get cast less because maybe they search for blondes more often.. What do you think about it? Any redhead actors?

Can I get your opinion on ethics: can we continue to watch movies with disgraced actors?

Can I get your opinion on ethics: can we continue to watch movies with disgraced actors?

Posted on Aug 5th

This may not be the right forum, but ask Reddit would kick this question out. Are we still able to watch movies by the likes of Mel Gibson, Bill Cosby, Kevin Spacey or Roman Polanski. Can we ethically separate the actor or director from their behavior?

Free Rep PDF for testimonial

Free Rep PDF for testimonial

Posted on Aug 5th

Hi, I'm in the business of creating PDFs to help actors in the beginning of their journey. I have a PDF on how to get representation that I'm willing to give away for free in exchange for a testimonial that will end up on my website. You must be ok with your first name and last initial going on the site, in addition to any comments you may make. Please pm if interested. Thanks.

whats the first thing i should do when im trying to be an actor?

whats the first thing i should do when im trying to be an actor?

Posted on Aug 5th

I wanna be an actor but idk where to start so what should i do?

Casting call.

Casting call.

Posted on Aug 5th

Hey guys, I’m a 16 year old looking for actors in the Cambridgeshire area. I’m currently working on a horror film named the crawling. If anyone is interested send me a dm, if your around that area. Payment isn’t included.

Unemployment Claims After Working a SAG Job?

Unemployment Claims After Working a SAG Job?

Posted on Aug 5th

I'm wondering if it's typical for actors to file an unemployment claim after working a couple of days on a SAG job. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Agents taking the 20% agency fee on top of 10-20% client commission for non-union commercials feels like what the writers were facing with agents about packaging fees.

Agents taking the 20% agency fee on top of 10-20% client commission for non-union commercials feels like what the writers were facing with agents about packaging fees.

Posted on Aug 5th

So if an actor books a Union commercial and makes $10k, the 10% commission is $1000. But if an actor books a non-union commercial and makes $2500, the agent could get $500 from the actor and $500 from the agency fee, so also $1000. So then how do actors know their agents are pushing hard to casting to get their actors in for the better paying Union job when the lower paying non-union job brings the agent the same amount of money? Hard to make a living doing the work when the agents aren’t looking out for the actor’s best interest, which is pretty similar to what the writers fought against.

Agents taking the 20% agency fee on top of 10-20% client commission for non-union commercials feels like what the writers were facing with agents about packaging fees.

Agents taking the 20% agency fee on top of 10-20% client commission for non-union commercials feels like what the writers were facing with agents about packaging fees.

Posted on Aug 5th

So if an actor books a Union commercial and makes $10k, the 10% commission is $1000. But if an actor books a non-union commercial and makes $2500, the agent could get $500 from the actor and $500 from the agency, so also $1000. So then how do actors know their agents are pushing hard to casting to get their actors in for the better paying Union job when the lower paying non-union job brings the agent the same amount of money?

My top three actors

My top three actors

Posted on Aug 5th

1. Di Caprio 2. De Niro 3. Denzel

Do you have to be very social to work as an actor ?

Do you have to be very social to work as an actor ?

Posted on Aug 5th

I notice actors are always photographed at social events like parties/bars/ restaurants/charity events…is this a requirement of the job??? What if you don’t want to do any of this would it affect your career???

Trouble uploading headshot to Actors Access

Trouble uploading headshot to Actors Access

Posted on Aug 5th

Hey, for some reason my photo is not uploading to actors access. It doesn’t give an error code or anything. I thought it was my computer so i switched, but I’m getting stuck. When i browse and select a photo and hit upload it goes to 100%, but never shows the photo or an option for continue. I can sit like this for hours with no change. What am i doing wrong? Or what did i miss?

I finally understand how Christian Bale felt during his Terminator rant

I finally understand how Christian Bale felt during his Terminator rant

Posted on Aug 5th

I was on a call to my partner, I told her I was about to do a long 30 minute recording of one of my stories, and if she could please not interrupt me during this time. She said ok she will go to sleep. Apparently she wasn't really paying attention. 10 minutes into my reading, i got a couple of loud Facebook dings from her, but I was willing to let that go. Then 20 minutes in I got a loud and long call from her. I...was....f\*\*\*\*\*\*.....furious. Love my partner to death but god did she p\*\*\*\* me off this time. And then it hit me: you really have to put a lot of energy into getting into character, and getting the momentum going. When someone carelessly interrupts, all that effort is wasted, and you then have to go back and do THE WHOLE THING FROM SCRATCH. So yeah I finally understand why actors like Christian Bale would crack if some fool spoiled their scene during a very intense take.

Headshot-Age Range-Character Type Feedback

Headshot-Age Range-Character Type Feedback

Posted on Aug 4th

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.

Network Approval?

Network Approval?

Posted on Aug 4th

My daughter had a self-tape audition recently. 2 days ago we were asked for an availability check and told that she was getting sent for network approval. In your experience, how long does this take? Outside dates start in 2 weeks and we’d have to travel. Her agent said it’s possible they’ve send 2-3 actors for approval. We’re excited but also not wanting to get hopes too high. Thanks!

Why do acting classes stress me out more than an audition?

Why do acting classes stress me out more than an audition?

Posted on Aug 4th

In a scene study class now. I'm in a room full of talented LA actors. They're all so great. I noticed after several weeks every Thursday night would be filled with anxiety. I had a convo with another girl in my class and we discussed why we put so much pressure on ourselves. It's because we 1.)want to do a good job in front of the teacher and 2.) we are performing in front of 15 of our peers. It's a great, supportive class, dont get me wrong. If I have a bad night in acting class, I will replay everything I did wrong in my head, cringe at myself, wonder what people thought of me... etc. I'm never like this in auditions. I usually just do the audition, maybe thinko about it a little after and move on. But acting classes have been stressing me out lately. Thoughts?

How to deal with rejection

How to deal with rejection

Posted on Aug 4th

A month ago I got the news that I was being considered for the lead role in a new series on a streaming service, after two years of no work and very few auditions. My agent said that the director and casting directors really enjoyed my audition. I controlled myself as much as possible but I cannot deny that I had high expectations – my agent told me that it was virtually certain that I would be on this project. ​ Today I received the news that in the meeting with the artistic and the marketing team of the streaming service they decided on another actress for the role. Despite the team's praise, I feel very sad and I'm fighting the urge to disappear, honestly. Any tips on how to deal with this feeling? Edit: I can't help but think that popularity was a deciding factor in choosing another actress in my place, but maybe it's silly to think that

How do I ask my agent to submit me for different roles?

How do I ask my agent to submit me for different roles?

Posted on Aug 4th

I'm mixed, and all he submits me for is black roles. One of my white friends told me he submits him for black roles as well as white (he is not black passing, it's an attempt for my agent to gain profit from erasing diversity from a project just so one of his actors can be hired) I cannot do anything about this. What I can do is ask him if I can go out for white roles, which I have heard other actors have asked their agents to do (Zendaya, etc.) and since I am actually white (half) I feel some legitimacy (especially after finding out he's pulling this shit on black breakdowns.) How do I go about asking him to submit me for white characters, and what should I do if he refuses?

Just wondering why this is?

Just wondering why this is?

Posted on Aug 4th

So why is it that someone who doesn't even wanna be an actress/model are the people who ends up getting the big break as in getting selected after auditioning, but the one who grinds the hardest just to even get an audition that's not ended up as a scam get's no offers at all or either they just end up getting scammed by someone con artist portraying to be the real deal?

Calling ALL Union actors

Calling ALL Union actors

Posted on Aug 4th

We had a very interesting Town Meeting over Zoom last evening, here in Vancouver. Enough with allowing the current self-tape audition situation to continue much longer. Unions are readying themselves for their new Master Agreement negotiations. We should let our Unions know that this system has caused irreparable damage to our careers, has added too much work to Agents and casting Directors, is borderline illegal and anti-contract law and things need to change. If we continue to let it slide, it will (has?) become the norm. Our Meeting was attended by both ACTRA and SAG/AFTRA actors, agents casting directors and Union reps. If you would like some details on the talking points, DM me and I'll forward you a PDF. Let's all contact our Union, remind them of what we want and push back on Producers to do things ethically.

Thoughts on actors being the sole posters for a crowdfunding campaign?

Thoughts on actors being the sole posters for a crowdfunding campaign?

Posted on Aug 4th

I wanted to get other actors opinions on this. I already post about projects I’m in A LOT, because I obviously I want the project to do well. However, I’m currently signed onto a project that is expecting actors to post the crowdfund link daily. I’m not a producer. I am an actor. That’s what I signed on to do. I also don’t want this 1 project to overshadow other projects I am working on. I’ve already posted the crowdfund link in my own way multiple times. I’m just a little annoyed that I’m getting constant “reminders” to share the link. I’ve never had this issue with crowdfunded projects before, it just feels very poorly planned to rely on just the actors to generate that funding.

how many reel/clips do you have uploaded on AA?

how many reel/clips do you have uploaded on AA?

Posted on Aug 4th

Curious on how many clips is too much/too little and what others have on their Actors Access in terms of reels and clips.

I want to try and pursue acting, but I fear that it may be futile.

I want to try and pursue acting, but I fear that it may be futile.

Posted on Aug 4th

As a child, I always had an inclination for performing, and I was charismatic, quick-witted, extroverted, cute, etc. So, as a result, and based off of the advice from many people who were close to my mother and father, they (my parents) decided to try and get me into acting and modeling. I ended up auditioning for some Disney Chanel shows, some movies with big time celebrities, and I also did some modeling for a couple of companies. Unfortunately, I never got anywhere with the acting, as I would apparently (I was quite young when this was happening so I have a poor recollection of it) get cold feet and falter during the auditions, so my parents and I just seemingly gave up. Fast forward 10 years later: I haven’t read a script or done anything acting or modeling related since then, but my interest in it has been reignited. However, despite my still being in possession of the same attributes I had when I was younger, I fear there may be a serious roadblock that would prevent me from becoming an actor — never mind a successful one. I have always been a natural story teller and have always been good at imitation, but I am completely unable to feel emotion — specifically sadness. I’m sure not being able to convey genuine sadness would be a red-flag for aspiring actors/actresses, and I don’t know how I can go about remedying my stoicism. I’ve heard that some actors utilize their sad memories to evoke emotion, and tears, but I am physically unable to do that. I can acknowledge that I’ve had traumatic and sad experiences, but when I try to delve into and relive them, it’s like my brain has set up this coping mechanism that inhibits me from being able to do so. So, what do you guys think? Is there anyway I could get past this? Does the likelihood of me becoming a hired actor seem bleak? Edit: I am 18 years old, if that matters.

How to get out of an audition?

How to get out of an audition?

Posted on Aug 4th

So I applied for a really interesting sounding role on Backstage, and they got back to me today about moving forward in the process! However. I suddenly remembered to do my due diligence (I know) and look up the company and the people involved. I found a trailer for the project online. Oh boy. It is not good. The sound mixing is all but nonexistent, the filming quality is so bad that it's almost like found footage, but clearly unintentional? The actors are awful too. It seems like they are entirely untrained. Their performances are either lackluster, or over the top and completely pushed. There is no way that this project is going to be worth my time. How can I gracefully duck out of this?

I feel like I am a bad actor and I have to do a scene in front of an audience soon.

I feel like I am a bad actor and I have to do a scene in front of an audience soon.

Posted on Aug 3rd

I have been acting for around month and my instructor says the class is going to be doing a scene in front of an audience soon. When I act, I always feel like my emotions look fake and my movements are not realistic. I am EXTREMELY nervous that I might mess up and embarrass myself in front of everyone. How can I quickly improve?

Finding your “TRIBE”

Finding your “TRIBE”

Posted on Aug 3rd

For my actors out there. How hard was it for your to find your tribe or community of actors? The ones you hang out with on a daily basis. Do auditions with, run lines for auditions, and maybe go to class with. Being in LA can become a lonely journey, and I am having a hard time of finding people that I can really connect with. How would one go about finding actor friends to climb the ranks with?

What movie / TV show inspired you to act, and what movies do you think are important to the business, historically or otherwise?

What movie / TV show inspired you to act, and what movies do you think are important to the business, historically or otherwise?

Posted on Aug 3rd

For me, Better Call Saul pushed me over the edge from daydreaming about being an actor to actively trying to pursue a career in it.

Backstage partnering with Starnow bringing in more scams?

Backstage partnering with Starnow bringing in more scams?

Posted on Aug 3rd

Was surprised to say the least when I logged into Backstage days ago to see the pop-up message they were now partnering with Starnow...always thought Starnow sucked lol but I was like whatever. But now this is really starting to suck because I think this partnership is bringing in more scams/scam posts are more easily slipping through the cracks. Like 2 days after the partnership started I get an email in my inbox from someone on Starnow saying they invited me to apply to this casting call. Except it's a modeling casting call for a "virtual shoot" not caring if you have no modeling experience with a pay of 1500 dollars for 2 hours of work. Now I know literally NOTHING about modeling, I'm an actor, so I have NO clue what typical pay is or anything so, maybe a bit naively, I was like 'oooo money! I'll send in my headshots and full body pics as requested and if something comes of it I'll look more into it' A day later I get the "congratulations!" message and am like 'oh cool welp I guess it's time to put in the research now'. Everything in the message looks fine at first glance to me...they're not asking for any money...not asking for bank info or ssn's to pay you...it's a new virtual thing where they'll send you the clothes rather than it being at some creepy persons house or anything... But then I research a little more and some things don't entirely make sense...the casting director on this project is supposedly Cindy Tolan, I've never heard of her but with a Google deep dive I see she's casted some serious projects (Batman, West Side Story, Straight Outta Compton, etc.) and my first thought is instantly okay ummm yeah maybe this person isn't who they say they are. Why would someone with such big projects under their belt reach out to ME? and then, they seem to be a movie casting director, I'm not entirely versed in if the 2 worlds ever cross but why would a movie casting director also be casting models in projects? So lastly I'm like okay the congrats email I got has the classic no-profile-pic-profile-pic, let's see if the emails match up. I search online for Cindy Tolan's email and while not much comes up, there are 2 sources that say it's [ctcastingoffice@gmail.com](mailto:ctcastingoffice@gmail.com). The email I got is from [ctccastingoffice.com](https://ctccastingoffice.com). Thought they were slick lol. Almost forgot, the icing on the cake is y'know how Backstage now lists on the top of casting calls how long the person listing the casting call has been a member and how many jobs they've posted, and sometimes a verification? Well Starnow is doing that too now and the casting call I got invited to apply for says the person joined March 2 2022 and has 2 jobs listed, and is not verified. When deep diving everything on Google earlier I got sent to a page on some other random casting website I've never heard of before with a casting call of the exact same content this one is, from the exact email and people, but listed from March 2 2022. Meaning that must be the other job listed on their Starnow as well. I find it hard to believe the real Cindy Tolan team would have made a Starnow just this year only to list 2 projects of the same exact nature lol, or make a Starnow at all for that matter. I don't want to believe it because it would be REALLY nice to have 1500 dollars, but even the pay alarmed the first red flag in my head originally because it seemed like so much...not even sure how they were gonna scam me, but never got this close to even dipping my toes into the trap of a scam before Backstage started partnering with Starnow. Anybody else having any similar experiences? All very disappointing

What is the next best move in your opinion?

What is the next best move in your opinion?

Posted on Aug 3rd

I work out of a city that isn’t NY or LA but have found some success here. I’ve shot for network and streaming shows that were minor characters, but the work is yearly and over time I have a resume that is longer than most of my peers here. The issue is all my lines are small background characters that honestly are blink and you’ll miss them types. The last role I shot for did have me across from an Academy Award winning actor so that was nice having a scene with them and the experience was great. The thing I’m trying to ask here is what should I do here? I want bigger roles but those typically get taken by people from out of town, flown in from LA or NYC. Also, maybe I’m just not ready? I don’t get many opportunities with plays during COVID so I know I should turn there to hone my craft, but also I have friends who have management out in LA and even other agencies in my town have offices in Atlanta and LA as well So my options are to me * a) just keep doing what you are doing and work on your craft by seeking plays and classes. * b) seek out management in LA (5-10 credits on network episodics. SAG-Aftra and also a POC should help, right?) * c) seek an agency with offices in LA or NY along with my town. I really don’t want this because I have had the same agent from when I started and while there are flaws, I do feel that as long as I’m auditioning and booking why jinx it? Thoughts?

Online LA Classes

Online LA Classes

Posted on Aug 3rd

Looked through the past posts on this but haven't seen reviews on Lesly Kahn, Margie Haber, or Stan Kirsch in the past year--I was wondering what people's perspectives on these studios were, especially the zoom versions of the classes, and if there's any other studios that would be worth checking out for an on camera actor.

Are there any female actors who became famous in their 30s?

Are there any female actors who became famous in their 30s?

Posted on Aug 3rd

It seems like if women don't get their big break by 25, they have no chance.

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