We have found 19,295 posts across 4 actor forums:
May I please share one of the SIMPLEST pieces of advice for standing out in your work... by GreppMichaels • last post Dec 6th
I do not work in casting, however through some of the work I do in entertainment, I see a lot of auditions, a lot of performers, and have the opportunity to see different people do the same commercial/monologue/scene over and over. One thing that should be obvious to a lot of us, but often isn't, is how often people make THE SAME CHOICES, because they are anticipating what someone else wants to see, instead of finding a way to naturally connect with their material and express how they would really feel, or what they would show. For example, a commercial talks about baseball and someone acts out a swing, or lists things off, and they count and show with their hands, guys how often do you see that in an actual commercial? TRUST YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH ALREADY AS AN ACTOR!! If you can get in touch with yourself in your work, you'll find a really unique way to express your material, and you won't need to do cheesy act outs or hand gestures that people sometimes do, because they think they need to "stand out". By nature, a lot of us fall into the trap of being people pleasers and do and say what we think people want to hear, when the reality is, an agent or casting director or whoever is seeing your work, is PLEASED when they see your unique take on it! That's it guys! When you are preparing your script for an audition, but ESPECIALLY a commercial, do your best to avoid doing what you THINK the casting director, or whomever you are auditioning for, WANTS to see. Instead, always find a way to CONNECT naturally with your work and show YOUR unique point of view. I could go much more in depth for how you should prepare, or how you should approach your work, but we all have different ways of relating and connecting, so I really want to just remind everyone, especially those of you who are maybe getting callbacks but aren't booking work, DON'T FALL INTO THE TRAP OF TRYING TO DO THE OBVIOUS, DON'T DO WHAT YOU THINK THEY WANT TO SEE, AND REMEMBER THAT YOUR UNIQUE POINT OF VIEW ON LIFE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO CARRY YOUR PERFORMANCE. And if you don't have a perspective or point of view on your material, find a way to relate or develop it. Please, try and dig deep into your soul and find a way in your own life where you can connect to what is happening in your scene, monologue, commercial, voice over read. And use that to inform yourself. That is all, love ya'll!!
Canada actors: work permit + agent?!? by Neontetra2323 • last post Dec 6th
Hi - I am on an open work permit until late 2024 and am trying to get a principal agent. I already have a background agency. Has anyone successfully landed an agent in BC on work permit? I’m confused what CAVCO is! And I do not have permanent residency (yet). I will be eligible for permanent residency in 6 months Are you required to have a CAVCO number to get a Canadian agent? Would I be able to audition for Canadian productions if I got an agent in the US?
I want to become an actor but im scared that I won't amount to anything by Aethelstan_275 • last post Dec 5th
This is going to be a long post so bear with me. I 17M am currently in high school with no job(about to get a part time job). i also have no acting experience. Im not the best looking, at least i think so ive never been called ugly or anything to my face but when I compare myself to netflix stars or just general people in movies I consider myself not as good looking. I've been looking over hundreds of reddit posts about acting and how hard the industry is and wondering if I should try it. as I'm in high-school and have a lot of spare time would it be useful to just get an agent, some decent headshots and see if get hired for anything. I just finished this new netflix show that came out and am very interested in becoming an actor, this has happened before where I will finish a very good movie or show then become obsessed with becoming an actor. Normally my passion will fizzle out from reading the hundreds of reddit posts telling me i have very little chance of becoming famous or even making a living out of it. If you're initial question is why do I want to be an actor then honestly my opinion changes, sometimes it's because I want to see myself on a TV even if its as an extra and have a cool moment where I say "Hey that's me" other times I see decently famous stars with their millions of followers and gigantic fanbase and i envy them. I think I'm inspired by how an actor can go from 40 thousand followers to millions just by getting a lucky casting call (Hunter Doohan). Just reading this makes me hopeful. The problem is I live in a very small town in scotland and there's not much acting classes or agencies near me. And i dont know if the closest ones are good or just money grabbers. I also don't have a big social media following and don't know how to make a big following. I know I probably sound like I'm a narcacist who thinks getting famous is an easy thing but I know how hard it is and thats what is crippling my passion for becoming an actor. I want to become an actor but I'm scared that if I fully commit I would need to become famous to fully satisfy my need or else I'd feel like i wasted my life. Im going to put my disadvantages and advantages. My advantages •love movies and have watched hundreds upon hundreds •always had a great imagination •love escaping myself and pretending im someone else or a different person •I'm tall (6ft 1) •athletic •willing to put in extreme amount of work and grind until I make it (at least I think so) •willing to go to the gym to become in better shape (I've heard a strong jawline is very helpful) •normally don't care if people laugh at me or find me embarrassing, as long as I'm happy with what I'm doing •ready to learn and adapt the different environments My disadvantages •not conventially attractive •small amount of acne on cheek, currently on medicine for it and is proving effective. •I live in a small town •my family are not rich so it would be hard to move to a different country or town •quite skinny(68kg at 17) i fit the lanky white guy stereotype. •scared that I won't amount to anything so it will be a waste of time. •accent is quite British I am also worried about my reaction to rejection, I've heard a lot of the acting industry is about handling rejection which will define your career. I don't know if I'd be able to handle being rejected after being invited for an audition and a call-back. *Question 2* is there a good way to test how you handle lots of rejection? I've seen people with careers that there biggest role will be a short 2 minute appearance in a marvel movie. (That does sound quite cool) but honestly i would need a biggish role in a television series or a movie to feel content with my acting career. Sometimes I'll have a moment where I'll face reality and know that I'll never be a famous actor which makes me depressed. *Question 3* to become a famous actor is it imperative that I live in the USA or a big city like London. My final question is, to become successful do I need to put in immense incredible will breaking work and crawl my way to fame. Or even if i put a lot of work in there's a chance I still won't make it. If you've made it this far you're either wanting to help me or about to destroy me in the replies about how crazy my expectations are. But thanks for reading anyway, all help is appreciated.
Christopher Loyd on NCIS by MatthewPeaden • last post Dec 5th
As an aspiring actor, I love to watch passionate and emotional performances to learn and to be captivated by it. My sister loves NCIS and watches it all the time. She pointed out that “Doc Brown” was on the show. I was going back to my room and then there’s a scene when he’s reminiscing about Pearl Harbor and his emotions and dialogue were absolutely incredible to me. Just thought I’d share!
Industry trends / changes for 2023? by alekseyweyman • last post Dec 5th
Any general thoughts on where the industry will go in 2023? For example I know Seattle, WA just passed a local film commission to fund more projects, which means there will likely be an increase in paid casting calls for the area. Are there any other industry news or trends for 2023 that actors should pay attention to?
Have you ever been told you were bad / sucked at voice acting? And how did that affect your pursuit of the craft? by KobeKastle • last post Dec 5th
My acting has been laughed and yawned at and my singing has been demeaned by people with them telling me I can’t do it and need to find something else to pursue and it makes me think these creative pursuits are truly only for people who have the natural aptitude for it. I feel like having to take classes and still not being good enough means I probably just don’t have what it takes.. and it hurts cause I love the Acting aspect of voice acting and singing. Being able to express yourself intricately through your intentions when delivering a line… but it feels like if you don’t have some type of base level talent… then .. it’s just not possible to succeed What are your thoughts on this? Any examples of voice actors who were told they were bad but still made it?
Chinese Speaking Vampires is now on Prime! by Davy Williams • last post Dec 5th
Hey everyone, please have a look at our feature film, Chinese Speaking Vampires on Prime. It'll give you a spook and a laugh guaranteed. We appreciate kind reviews as well! Thank you so much in advance.
Gum shields for whistling S? by Mechtree • last post Dec 5th
Hi everyone, hope you're well. I recently began trying to make Youtube videos with a very talented actor coming in to serve as the narrator. We'd worked together before but on extremely short social spots and also on live-action projects but films that were mostly silent. For this reason, I hadn't noticed any sort of issue with her voice but heading into the booth to try and record an informational video about animals highlighted an issue... For the first time, I'm handing her an extremely 'Esss' heavy script: 236 species...Majestic...Elusive...Subscribe... etc. etc. so the consistent, harsh whistling her mouth creates when she reads 'Ess' sounds became extremely apparent. Unfortunately, it ruined the recording and there was nothing I could do to sort it out. Deessing just didn't work. The actor in question has had an amazing agent (the kind who puts people on TV) for a very long time but doesn't seem to have booked anything career-defining despite being amazing. I wondered if casting directors were noticing this on her self-tapes. It occurred to me that maybe she hadn't noticed this about herself. I thought it was the right thing to tell her because she's a seriously talented actor: an amazing voice, and on-screen, she can convey perfect physicality without much direction, it's actually quite insane how good she is. After I had the conversation with her about this, I was right, she hadn't noticed this about her voice. However, I didn't realise this goes beyond sibilance, it's technically a speech impediment and that information made me think maybe I'd raised something a lot more serious that could have a lasting impact on her sense of confidence and going in for projects. A friend (who is an experienced recordist) posed me "could a gum shield do something to help?" because apparently, the whistling is caused by the edges of your teeth married with the position of your tongue. It's the hard edge of your teeth that creates the sound very much like a tunnel. I figured if that could help, maybe she could at least keep coming in to do voice work for me and others while she works with a coach. I came across these crappy Amazon gum shields for sleeping where everyone on the reviews is saying "they're terrible, too thin to make a real impact, blah blah blah" and my girlfriend instantly said "too thin? So would that stop the whistling effect by dampening the hard edge whilst not muffling her speech in the way a thick shield would?" I was just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or solutions... Have any of you struggled with this? Did you discover a dynamite tip that fixes the whistling? Has anyone undergone vocal coaching to nurse this specific issue, and did it work? Is it generally short or long trying to train the impediment out with the help of a coach? Or has anyone maybe actually tried out gum shields in an attempt to get rid of this or at least dampen it to a point where it's editable? Thanks for reading, I appreciate it.
I signed up to StarNow and Backstage. Are they reliable and trustworthy, or are they a scam? by KikiBrownLove • last post Dec 5th
I want to be an actor but I have to pay for a membership
Why can’t I get any background work by Applesapples159 • last post Dec 5th
I apply every single day on casting network and actors access and for some reason never get any call backs. Its not even like real role just background. I have good photos that should my face and body.
Hi! I was a full-time voice actor working abroad but have now moved back to Canada and the VO biz sure is different here! I'm looking for feedback on my first self-produced demo reel. Thank you in advance! by Damienf1 • last post Dec 5th
Hello fellow voiceover enthusiasts! I hope youre all doing well this holiday season. I just wanted to see if I could get any last minute feedback on some of my demo reels before I launch my website this month ([https://damienfurtado.com/](https://damienfurtado.com/) \- just started, so still a work in progress!) and start looking for work online. Here is my nearly complete commercial demo reel: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tuJuBA5wDOqJ-eEi3AnK-xzo\_xn6JEL0/view?usp=share\_link](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tuJuBA5wDOqJ-eEi3AnK-xzo_xn6JEL0/view?usp=share_link) I'd really appreciate any criticism or feedback you might have! my main concerns: * does the Volvik clip at the end feel out of place? it was from a tv commercial I did for them while doing voice work abroad and was one of the few pieces of work i did that i was able to locate online. it wasnt produced in my current home studio, like the other clips were. does it seem out of place or odd sounding compared to the rest of the clips that i recorded at home? ive asked several ppl and have received conflicting opinions. * is the music too loud? another sound engineer friend of mine said i should do away with the music entirely, but for a commercial reel i feel its needed. thoughts? * do VO's in N. America put their name at the beginning and end of their reels? ive heard some do and some dont. when i was working abroad, most do. This is my first time producing this stuff myself so thanks for your assistance! Some background: I was a professional VO for 6+ years while living in South Korea and things worked a bit differently there than they do here in Canada (no unions, for example). I worked exclusively at professional studios for big clients (samsung, netmarble, LG, hyundai, KIA, etc.), through multiple different casting agencies and production companies, so i was never required to record my own demos or do any audio production at home. My demos were all put together by the various agencies i worked with at their in-house studios. I must say, its kind of embarrassing to be a professional VO with thousands of in-studio hours under my belt and not have any experience producing my own work at home...but im working on remedying that! thanks again for any constructive criticism you may have. ​ Damien
Tips for meeting my agent in person for the first time? by Fisch1999 • last post Dec 5th
Next week my agency is having a holiday party, and this will be the first time I get to meet anyone in person since I signed with them during covid and they're based in another state. I want to make the trip over there since I know how important it could be for maintaining a good relationship with my agent, but I was wondering if anyone has tips on anything to ask/talk about while i'm there? Every actor there is probably gonna be trying to talk to the agents haha so if I do get to talk to them it'll prob be only for a little bit. I'm overall just not super great and networking in-person like this so any advice would be appreciated, thank you!
Question from a aspiring filmmaker by lossione • last post Dec 5th
I don’t live in a major city, so outside of the small pool of local talent I’ll have to look elsewhere for casting a short film. Are there decent actors who will travel (provided) for small time/no name rolls for 2/300 a day? Im not expecting big name actors or anything, just curious if this is even feasible.
Are there any actors in the NYC area?! by L-Ro • last post Dec 5th
I’m filming a short in January or February are I wanted to start casting for actors now! (25-45) males and females!
Book Recommendation by arglea • last post Dec 5th
Hey guys, ​ Just wanted to recommend an audiobook I'm listening to at the moment. "The Actors Life: A Survival Guide" by Jenna Fischer. Actually Kurt Yue recommended it in one of his YouTube Videos, so I'm sure this has come up on the thread before, but I'm really enjoying it and wanted to share it with anyone who might not have heard of it. It's very relateable, and it's got great advice for people whether they're starting out or already in the middle of their career.
NY or LA (I know I know, you’re tired of hearing it) by DoctorOatMilk • last post Dec 5th
I’m 32 and at a new point in my life where I don’t have any roots really tying me down. While I went to NYU film school I’ve never really been an actor. I spent this year doing local theatre on Long Island where I live (currently in my parents place after ending a long relationship but have the means to leave) and I’m ready to kick it up a notch. I always thought film/tv was my only goal but theatre has certainly grown on me. I currently have a hybrid job in NYC but I believe they would allow me to be fully remote. I would pursue acting off hours not as a career. Just gaining experience for now. Obviously I would love to do it full time. So, do an easy short move to the NYC area and try out for everything under the sun? Or take the big big jump and go to LA because I may never have so little holding me back? I have some friends and some family here in NY, nothing so crazy I can’t leave, but it’s worth noting that I have no one in LA. My best friend lives in San Fran but that ain’t exactly close. Appreciate any thoughts at this massive crossroads.
Toronto actors: What was your experience in these acting classes? by jelly_jellooooo • last post Dec 4th
I’m looking to try evn,lb, Armstrong and etc , I’m looking for a class that not only be in camera but also build me as an actor.
Audible Originals / Audiodramas by mofowitdahat • last post Dec 4th
Hi all voice actors, I’m fortunate to have been cast in an Audible Original, my first voice acting project ever. I come from a theatre background and would appreciate some pointers on how I can translate my “choices” for the mic and what to expect. Should I come prepared with a few different versions of a line or just come prepared to collaborate and work?
ACTRA > SAG question... by SilverRednib • last post Dec 4th
Ok, I'm in a bit of a unique situation (I think) and curious if anyone has knowledge about this... So I am in ACTRA (Canadian union). I was eligible to apply to ACTRA when I got my first union credit, but didn't because I was so new and didn't know what I was doing. Time passed and I couldn't use that credit towards union entrance. Fast forward, I get another union credit. Then I got a union stand-in job. Production wanted me to be union, so they made up a "dummy actor contract" - basically a loophole to make me an ACTRA apprentice so I could work on the show. With my 2nd union credit and this dummy actor contract "credit", I was made an apprentice. Recently, I booked a union commerical, which made me a full member of ACTRA. The problem: I'm living in the States, with the goal of becoming SAG. If you're ACTRA, you can become SAG, as the unions have an agreement. However. On the SAG site, it says that they research your credits/union history and that if they see you obtained your union status elsewhere through any loopholes, you will be banned from SAG. I believe I did obtain my union status through a loophole, despite actually having the required amount of union credits... Has anyone ever dealt with this? Or have any advice? Thought I'd check here before calling up SAG. ​ TLDR: I want to transfer my ACTRA union status into a SAG membership, but nervous that the way I got into ACTRA will have me banned.