We have found 19,242 posts across 4 actor forums:
Tips on getting W2s from specific payroll companies (electronically)? by larrythefatcat • last post Jan 20th
After 2 (mostly) rough years, 2022 was the first year I was able to make the majority of my income as a SAG performer in LA. I did quite a bit of BG work, but I was also fortunate enough to finally try my hand at being a stand-in and (almost literally) stumbled my way into being a stunt performer for a day. **/humblebrag** Now, as an actor, this isn't my first rodeo when it comes to dealing with multiple W2s (and 1099s, etc.) when tax time comes, but after exclusively getting set-related work through Central Casting for a few years, I'm realizing that there are a *lot* of entertainment-related payroll companies out there besides Entertainment Partners! (who, bless them, have thankfully already delivered 2 of my W2s via their [web portal](https://my.ep.com)) I believe I've tracked down all the payroll companies that I still need to get W2s from, but I don't know if there's a way to get any/all of those tax documents electronically or if I'm just going to have to potentially wait until the umpteenth of February for the snail mail versions. (Yes, I know W2s aren't officially "due" until January 31st, but I like to get a jumpstart on my taxes... especially since it's taken multiple weeks/months to receive my refunds the past few years.) Does anyone know if there's a way to get electronic tax documents from the following (not crossed out) payroll companies? - Elevate - [~~Extreme Reach~~](https://ps.extremereach.com/w2-request/) - [~~Cast & Crew~~](https://my.castandcrew.com/login) - [~~New CAPS, LLC~~](https://my.castandcrew.com/login) - Sessions As I began compiling this post, I remembered that CAPS is part of Cast & Crew (along with Media Services) and I see that I *should* receive my W2s electronically via [their website](https://my.castandcrew.com/login) when they are available. A bit more digging has also helped me find the [electronic W2 request form page for Extreme Reach.](https://ps.extremereach.com/w2-request/) The link provided to https://mytaxform.com is currently not working due to site maintenance. My search results suggest that Elevate is somehow affiliated with EPIC (the [EPIC login page](https://portal.epicset.com/views/login) appears at the top of my searches for "Elevate Payroll login"), but I don't see any section on the EPICset website that will eventually provide access to my tax documents. Sessions appears to only have [a portal for clients and any attempts to make a new account result in an error.](https://www.sessionspayroll.com/login/) If anyone has any information for the remaining payroll companies on my list, it would be greatly appreciated! Also, since I worked out the majority of my issues while preparing this post, it only makes sense that **anyone else with similar questions reply with them in the comments and hopefully we can help each other work this out together!**
Professional Credit UK by seanbradley793 • last post Jan 20th
So I recently acquired a short line on a TV series, however the TV series hasn’t come out yet and I’m not sure on what the role would be named. Am I still able to add this as a credit on Spotlight or do I have to wait until it is aired? UK Actors
How do teenage actors go on jobs during school season? by OmarESS_ • last post Jan 20th
It would be quite significant for them to skip school, do they get a tutor with them and do the work seperately?
Finding conflict in scripts and discerning objectives by Abstract_Corduroy74 • last post Jan 20th
We all know that conflict is what creates drama. But sometimes, it's hard to find conflict in certain scenes. I've read that there's conflict in every scene. But the problem is that it's hard to find conflict in EVERY scene. Isn't conflict when two character's objectives contrast each other? Isn't it when one character wants something and the other character wants something different? I've read that if you can't find the conflict, it's up to you as the actor to create the conflict. But how can I do that (and on top of that be confident that I've created the right conflict for the scene)? How can I find conflict in any scene, even when there appears to be none? Further more, how can I as the actor create the conflict when I (and my scene partner) just can seem to find it? To add to that, what do I do if I've discerned what I think a character's objective in a scene is, but I'm not 100% sure of it? And what if I'm not 100% certain with every objective a character seems to have in scenes? What do I do?
How did you guys know that y’all wanted to be an actor? What was that big “I want to become an actor moment.” by _savannah_jenkins_ • last post Jan 20th
I’m curious and would like to know when did y’all know that acting was what y’all wanted to do? Everyone’s “I want to become an actor” moment is different so what’s yours?
Headshots questions by Movie-Connoisseur • last post Jan 20th
Hi. Currently I’m reading Jenna Fischers “The Actors Life: A Survival Guide” and loving it. In the book she mentions how you should ask other people (no friends or family, only actors, teachers, acquaintances, etc.) for 5 adjectives on what they think of you based on first impressions and to get headshots which present these. Also for you to reflect and find the characters which come easily to you. When talking to my acting teacher she mentioned how she thinks that I should stick to getting general acting headshots rather than the “type” headshots, her reasoning being that I can play many roles and that I should start getting the “type” headshots later as it will be costly for the time being. I would highly appreciate any advice, even expanding on the “type” headshots would be appreciated. For example, my best roles would probably be in the “depressed, anxious, paranoid, etc.” types of roles but I’m not how I would reflect this in a headshot without looking sorta weird.
Demo reel critique?? by MJtrashwizard07 • last post Jan 20th
Hello!! I’m an 18/yo amateur voice actor and recently I decided to write, voice act, and edit my own demo reel. Mind you, I have no experience in audio engineering and this was my first try. I’m also completely self taught in voice acting and I’m wearing braces if that means anything. If you wouldn’t mind listening, I would love some critique! Thanks a lot!! btw if you see this and it looks familiar it’s because last night I posted it in r/VoiceWork by mistake hehehe. Anyways hope you enjoy! ​ https://reddit.com/link/10h3u9y/video/esbwowyvn8da1/player
Feelings of loneliness in the field of acting by Abstract_Corduroy74 • last post Jan 20th
This isn't related to the craft of acting, but it's a part of my own experiences with other actors and students of acting. For a large majority of my time as a student actor (I'm a 22 year-old male in my senior year of college), I've never felt like I have truly socially belonged in my university's theatre department, or amongst any of the people in the shows that I've done. What I mean by that is that, I've always felt a deep internal loneliness despite being amongst the cast and crew of the shows that I've been a part of during each show's respective time. I've looked at a bunch of the fellow students in my university's theatre department, and everyone in their own groups I suppose seems to love each other. In fact, everyone seems to love each other. But I don't feel that love. I feel like a black sheep. Someone who's there, but just doesn't really...belong. I've been in a majority of the shows that the theatre department has done since I've been attending. I don't mean to toot my own horn or sound like I'm bragging, but I am one of the most reliable and most-frequently cast male actors in the department. And plenty of others get cast frequently too, though not as often as I do. That's not meant to be bragging or anything negative, I'm just objectively stating a fact. You'd think that as much time as I spend in the theatre department, I'd be kind of close with everyone, but I don't really feel like that's the case. The worst experience of loneliness in the theatre I can remember is when I spent a summer doing repertory summer stock theatre. I was an actor and a sound designer / set builder. There were twelve company members in all, all college aged. I remember going into the summer thinking all twelve of us are going to become so close, and such good friends, like a family in a way. Within three weeks I had never felt so lonely while working on shows. The loneliness was so bad I relapsed on my addiction that I had been clean from for a month, which kind of pushed me further into isolation. I confided in my roommate the loneliness I had been feeling about a month or so into the summer, and he assured me that he sometimes felt the same way too, and that he felt like nobody hated talking to me or being around me, as I felt. I actually felt like the company hated me. To this day I am still so thankful for my roommate, because without him, I would've had the most miserable summer of my life. Sadly, I've fallen out of contact with just about everyone from that summer of theatre, even my roommate who was that spark of hope and happiness outside of acting that summer. And I feel bad for falling out of contact, especially with my roommate. But I also sometimes see on social media that four or five members of the company still stay in touch quite frequently, which makes me feel bad. Not just for myself, but also because I haven't been initiative with keeping in contact with them, which makes me feel like I'm bad because I could correct it, but I feel like it's already too late. The only time I can remember truly feeling like I belonged and was included was when I did a community theatre production of Newsies. I just felt like all of us were just a big family and just supported each other and boosted each other up, like we were in it together. That was almost four years ago. I don't just experience loneliness in theatre too. I've felt lonely practically my entire life. I have only one close friend who has been probably the most consistent friend I've ever had. Most people just seem like close acquaintances, not really "friends". Not people who I can share some of my deeper thoughts and feelings with. Now I admit, I am an introvert, a loner and a hermit. I am socially awkward and it's hard for me to engage with new people; it makes me very anxious and conscientious about what I do. I don't go out much and I get very anxious and nervous around a lot of people...especially people I don't know. It's hard for me to make CONNECTIONS, which is arguably what some portion of success in the industry is built off of. So I know and recognize that I have some responsibility on my plate. I just don't know how to handle that responsibility. But I've always been searching for people who can just truly accept me and support and love me; a group where I can just be myself, free of judgement from everyone. But I haven't really found them yet. And I worry at this point that I never will. I'm conflicted about who or what is to blame for my loneliness. Is it mostly myself or other people who don't seem to accept me for who I am? I don't really know if who I truly am is this loner, or that "loner" is a protective shell to stop me from making a fool of myself or allowing people to know me, which thus increases the risk of rejection. I don't know. Has anything I said resonated with anybody who has read this far? Does anybody have any advice or words of wisdom for me? I'd appreciate it if anyone did. Thanks everyone.
Small town folk by GoogleMenu • last post Jan 20th
Any successful actors who came from a no name town of a no name state, what was your journey like? What you did, how old you were, certain things you regret doing or not doing. Overall obstacle’s?
What is it about being "Shakespearean trained" that makes such actors so reliable? by MisterJose • last post Jan 20th
I'm not an actor, and I've seen and heard of 'Shakespearean trained' actors my whole life without ever actually knowing what that involves. What do they actually teach you in that school of acting? What makes it different from anything else?
UK Actors - will my agent mind if take a job on a film as an extra by Emergency-Method-739 • last post Jan 19th
I recently got signed by an agent last September. During my interview, I mentioned briefly that I occasionally did work as an extra to learn about what it’s like on set, though we didn’t discuss it in detail… Fast forward to 2 weeks ago, where I asked my agent about a specific project (big movie) about to go into production, and he told me there is nothing out there for me, in terms of casting. A few days later the agency for background work contacted me and asked me if they could book me on the exact same shoot in 6 weeks time! I really wanted to work on this job and with this director,so I accepted. But when I mentioned what happened to another actor (who hasn’t been signed but has worked longer than me), they said “doesn’t that go against the non-compete clause?” I’ve don’t really consider background work equivalent to the work a talent agent gets (considering I don’t get a credit or have any worthwhile screen time/dialogue) but now I am unsure how to proceed…I don’t want my agent to feel like I am doing anything sneaky or underhanded…but I really want to be a part of this project - honestly I’d be happy to just be a wallflower in it! Furthermore, would anyone be able to advise me on: if they said it is okay, would I have to pay them a commission on my background work? I know I’d have to pay commission on jobs I find myself but I honestly think of extra work as akin to being a daily contractor. If you are an agent or established actor, pease help! I have scoured the Internet for an answer to this question and can’t find anything.
A "bad" reel vs no reel at all? Which would get more auditions? by Hot-Space8691 • last post Jan 19th
Hello fellow actors I have a question regarding reels. So I am fairly new to this and don't really have a legit reel yet. I did a decently size project but I have to wait for it to come back so for now I am using a self made demo reel with self tapes etc. Now my questions is what would get me more auditions? Would having 0 reel available get me more auditions than having a shitty self made demo reel? I would just be relying on my headshots which are solid. I somehow feel like my reel is holding me back in a way but would it be a bad move to remove it? Let me know your opinion if yall have been through this before. Thanks!
What are some of the best flexible jobs for an actor to have? by _savannah_jenkins_ • last post Jan 19th
I am having trouble deciding since there are so many different flexibles for so many different jobs but what are some of the best flexible jobs so I can pursue my acting career?
Hi all! I'm not an actor at all, but I would greatly appreciate feedback from you all on if you think I'm coming off genuine in this by longbdingaccount01 • last post Jan 19th
Looking for Voice Actress to voice a valley-girl radio DJ for VTTRPG by CubedSquare95 • last post Jan 19th
Looking for a voice actress in any age range that can do a convincing valley girl accent. There are 21 full DJ intros, totaling at 1062 words. **Our budget is $100 USD but this can be negotiated.** Our preferred method of payment would be PayPal, but this is also up for negotiation. We are aiming to be very flexible about the process involved with this, as this is our first time hiring external actors. Will not be used for commercial use, as a group of friends and I run a virtual tabletop game of Cyberpunk Red and are currently adding functional radio stations that include a brief DJ intro to each song. The files containing the voice work sessions might be published to YouTube, or live streamed via our game sessions, but not with any monetary incentive. You will be credited for your work, if you wish to be! The character’s name is Meghan Love, and she is a party-loving, ditzy valley-girl type person with a love for EDM and pop music. She DJs the pop station in Night City, called Body Heat Radio. She talks with a spunky, high-energy demeanor. Here is some example lines of hers: “Bringing the party to you with the top club hits and best pop synths in Night City, it’s me! Meghan Love, on 98.7 Body Heat Radio!” “It’s Meghan Love on 98.7, baby, and oh my god I am in love with this next song! *Downfall*! Ugh I am soo into *Chromatic Aberration*! They make me, like, feel things, and I really need that from time to time!” Please DM auditions to this reddit account. Send an audio recording of those quotes to me and we will get back to you promptly!
Finding conflict in scripts and discerning objectives by Abstract_Corduroy74 • last post Jan 19th
We all know that conflict is what creates drama. But sometimes, it's hard to find conflict in certain scenes. I've read that there's conflict in every scene. But the problem is that it's hard to find conflict in EVERY scene. Isn't conflict when two character's objectives contrast each other? Isn't it when one character wants something and the other character wants something different? I've read that if you can't find the conflict, it's up to you as the actor to create the conflict. But how can I do that (and on top of that be confident that I've created the right conflict for the scene)? How can I find conflict in any scene, even when there appears to be none? Further more, how can I as the actor create the conflict when I (and my scene partner) just can seem to find it? To add to that, what do I do if I've discerned what I think a character's objective in a scene is, but I'm not 100% sure of it? And what if I'm not 100% certain with every objective a character seems to have in scenes? What do I do?
Question about portraying a character who becomes disabled (Gruesome Playground Injuries?) by 3sheepinatrenchcoat • last post Jan 19th
Hi everyone! I recently joined an acting class, and my scene partner and I have been assigned the play Gruesome Playground Injuries to work on. I’ll be playing the role of Doug. My teacher suggested we work on the Zamboni scene at the end of the play. But a few questions came up for me re: the ethics of me playing Doug, and I wanted to ask you for your thoughts. If you are a disabled actor who uses a mobility aid, I’d be especially interested in hearing from you. Doug’s character starts out able-bodied in the play, but over the course of the play, he becomes more and more injured. In several scenes, he is wearing an eyepatch, in one scene he is using a cane, and in the last scene of the play, Doug is in a wheelchair. I am disabled myself, but I don’t use a mobility aid. I wasn’t really sure about the ethics of me playing Doug in this scene for my class. My teacher said they believe it would be okay for me to perform this scene, since Doug started out as an able-bodied character who became injured in the last scene of the play. But my teacher is able-bodied, and I felt like it would be important to check with others before proceeding with this scene. I feel a bit uncomfortable about the idea of using a wheelchair or eyepatch as a prop in class for this scene. But at the same time, I wonder if not using any of those props would be doing a disservice to the character/ erasing his disability in the scene? Would it make more sense for me to just choose a different scene? I’d really appreciate your insight on this situation! I’d be open to choosing a different scene from the play instead, avoiding using any props during the performance, etc.
Feelings of loneliness in the field of acting by Abstract_Corduroy74 • last post Jan 19th
This isn't related to the craft of acting, but it's a part of my own experiences with other actors and students of acting. For a large majority of my time as a student actor (I'm a 22 year-old male in my senior year of college), I've never felt like I have truly socially belonged in my university's theatre department, or amongst any of the people in the shows that I've done. What I mean by that is that, I've always felt a deep internal loneliness despite being amongst the cast and crew of the shows that I've been a part of during each show's respective time. I've looked at a bunch of the fellow students in my university's theatre department, and everyone in their own groups I suppose seems to love each other. In fact, everyone seems to love each other. But I don't feel that love. I feel like a black sheep. Someone who's there, but just doesn't really...belong. I've been in a majority of the shows that the theatre department has done since I've been attending. I don't mean to toot my own horn or sound like I'm bragging, but I am one of the most reliable and most-frequently cast male actors in the department. And plenty of others get cast frequently too, though not as often as I do. That's not meant to be bragging or anything negative, I'm just objectively stating a fact. You'd think that as much time as I spend in the theatre department, I'd be kind of close with everyone, but I don't really feel like that's the case. The worst experience of loneliness in the theatre I can remember is when I spent a summer doing repertory summer stock theatre. I was an actor and a sound designer / set builder. There were twelve company members in all, all college aged. I remember going into the summer thinking all twelve of us are going to become so close, and such good friends, like a family in a way. Within three weeks I had never felt so lonely while working on shows. The loneliness was so bad I relapsed on my addiction that I had been clean from for a month, which kind of pushed me further into isolation. I confided in my roommate the loneliness I had been feeling about a month or so into the summer, and he assured me that he sometimes felt the same way too, and that he felt like nobody hated talking to me or being around me, as I felt. I actually felt like the company hated me. To this day I am still so thankful for my roommate, because without him, I would've had the most miserable summer of my life. Sadly, I've fallen out of contact with just about everyone from that summer of theatre, even my roommate who was that spark of hope and happiness outside of acting that summer. And I feel bad for falling out of contact, especially with my roommate. But I also sometimes see on social media that four or five members of the company still stay in touch quite frequently, which makes me feel bad. Not just for myself, but also because I haven't been initiative with keeping in contact with them, which makes me feel like I'm bad because I could correct it, but I feel like it's already too late. The only time I can remember truly feeling like I belonged and was included was when I did a community theatre production of Newsies. I just felt like all of us were just a big family and just supported each other and boosted each other up, like we were in it together. That was almost four years ago. I don't just experience loneliness in theatre too. I've felt lonely practically my entire life. I have only one close friend who has been probably the most consistent friend I've ever had. Most people just seem like close acquaintances, not really "friends". Not people who I can share some of my deeper thoughts and feelings with. Now I admit, I am an introvert, a loner and a hermit. I am socially awkward and it's hard for me to engage with new people; it makes me very anxious and conscientious about what I do. I don't go out much and I get very anxious and nervous around a lot of people...especially people I don't know. It's hard for me to make CONNECTIONS, which is arguably what some portion of success in the industry is built off of. So I know and recognize that I have some responsibility on my plate. I just don't know how to handle that responsibility. But I've always been searching for people who can just truly accept me and support and love me; a group where I can just be myself, free of judgement from everyone. But I haven't really found them yet. And I worry at this point that I never will. I'm conflicted about who or what is to blame for my loneliness. Is it mostly myself or other people who don't seem to accept me for who I am? I don't really know if who I truly am is this loner, or that "loner" is a protective shell to stop me from making a fool of myself or allowing people to know me, which thus increases the risk of rejection. I don't know. Has anything I said resonated with anybody who has read this far? Does anybody have any advice or words of wisdom for me? I'd appreciate it if anyone did. Thanks everyone.
Headshot-Age Range-Character Type Feedback by AutoModerator • last post Jan 19th
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.
Here's what I think, I think people like The Rock and Kevin Hart are great actors, just horrible character actors. by Edthebig • last post Jan 19th
People usually say that actors like Kevin Hart, The Rock etc. are bad actors, but they really aren't. They do just play themselves in every movie, but they are very believable. The reason we call them bad actors is cause there are really no bad actors on mainstream media. Steven Seagal is one that comes to mind. Ronda Rousey as well. Like these people, when you see them act, you can tell it's fake and it looks horrible. Their reactions are delayed, they feel like they're reading the dialogue, it just looks awful. With The Rock and Kevin you believe them. Sure, they're just playing a version of themselves, but it's very real. Actors like Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Ed Norton, DDL, Jake Gyllenhaal are great character actors. As in, they build these amazing characters and play them realistically, with the help of a coach; or not. And these are the ones we regard as good actors. But in my opinion, I don't think we should call the others "bad", necessarily. I do want to hear your opinion on this.