What’s good Y’all, I’m a filmmaker/cinematographer leaning into directing. I noticed when I’m on sets, directors don’t not understand how to work with actors or their process. It’s simply, here are the lines…now say it. There’s no letting the actor explore the character with the help/critique from a director. I’m curious, what are qualities/techniques you like to see in a director in rehearsals and on set.
Evening everyone! I just need some solid advice from fellow VO actors. I feel like I'm sorta in a weird bubble and stand still. I have studied with Crispin Freeman, Mick Wingert, Paul Liberti, Ned Lott, Richard Horvitz, and currently Nancy Wolfson. I have a somewhat "okay" commercial demo that was made back in 2018/2019 before covid. I audition pretty frequently and my commercial agent sends me some great VO auditions. I'm not sure what the disconnect is but I haven't booked a single VO job EVER. I know the competition is rough so don't need a lecture on that but I'm not sure where there is a disconnect. I can't even seem to get cast in non-paid projects either. I have the gear and training. I'm starting to think it's really my voice that is holding me back. I have uniquely different sound quality to me. I wear two hearing aids so, that already affects my speech a bit. It's just a different sound. My current teachers and past teachers seem to love my voice because of how different it is. They did stress that my voice might make it hard to book stuff - not impossible JUST HARDER. I'm curious if anyone has been in the same type of situation as me - training, auditioning, etc but no luck booking. At what point do I toss the towel in because training gets expensive ha. Any advice?
Hi! I am based in Vancouver for context. I got my agent in April and have booked three things with them since then (a principal role, actor role and lead role, all union). After booking my third role they called me, nudging me in the direction of joining the union UBCP/ACTRA as now that I have 3 credits (I have enough credits to join), that the union will start penalizing my pay cheques. I’ve always been told to hold off joining the union as long as possible, for non-union commercials and other great non-union projects that may come up. However I’ve only done one non-union commercial in this time vs 3 union film roles. I’m anxious about potentially joining as it feels very soon (considering I’ve only been signed 6 months) and I hear of actors who join too soon then regret it because the union work dries up and they’re unable to do non-union. I do however want to be a professional actor long term. Could I get some opinions or another viewpoint? Im just afraid of making a choice I end up regretting.
I’m a non-union actor based in Los Angeles. I’ve had my manager for 5 months now. At first things were pretty great, I was getting a good number of auditions that fit my casting and my goals fairly well. They’d also be pretty responsive within at least a couple days. I’ve booked once with them and gotten a few callbacks. As time has gone on, I’ve stopped getting auditions as often, and the ones I do get are…not great fits (most recently got one for a commercial for women 40+, and I actually discovered I could have self submitted for it). I’ve communicated my dissatisfaction with them indirectly (how is my reel working? Anything I can add to my looks?) and they won’t respond at all, or they’ll respond to another part of the email without addressing my question. I’m starting to get really frustrated. Communication started getting spotty and confusing back in June. I asked for a submission report back in June and I’ve been using that to target CDs, attending workshops, and I’ve been self submitting, self-analyzing my reel and adding self tapes to the gaps - so I’m not doing nothing, but it doesn’t feel right to be to be doing it without any input or reply from my managers. What do you guys think?
I feel We as society do the same thing over and over, that very little is new and innovative nowadays. It’s widespread acknowledged in my circle that most programming has taken a major turn for the worse. So nowadays people are blaming actors because it’s an easy target they are in the spotlight. Maybe it’s not the actors fault,Maybe we need to let Actors be Great Again. I feel Hollywood is scared to let people on the spectrum or anyone with True intense emotions become an actor. There is a lot of division nowadays between who is on spectrum and who is not, who is mentally healthy and who is not. When in reality it is we are all One on Earth together. I feel when your Acting things are very complex in terms of mental health how do you determine if someone fits the bill in terms of being currently being “crazy”or just being very unique and intense actor? Its seems like in a lot of cases Hollywood only lets People become “actors” when they fit a certain bill in real life. So you have to Be and Act a certain way in life to even be accepted as an actor. My concern is that Hollywood really only accepts people from a certain crowd. You see nowadays they can just call an intense actor “autistic” or that the person is “crazy”. So my question is what do others think? It’s like what are the pre-requisites for being an Actor? Do you need a diploma and have to spend a lot of money to be given knowledge? Is it socially and morally acceptable? that a lot of actors have blood lines, family connections in the industry and that it seems the reason some actors, how they become almost sure thing super stars is they are born famous. Ultimately the real issue is the question over if a person is on the autism spectrum does that make the actor less than, or more of an actor? You see do you need to be a certain way in life to be considered an actor? With My life story alone and the energy that I hold is immense, I believe that as an actor I hold the power to make people feel however I want to in life. I can make people scared. I can make people feel however I want to In My life. Through work and immense pain and suffering. From Losing those closest to me. I have attained a truly glorious level of nirvana. I know I sound weird and crazy that’s the thing and I don’t care, at all, what people think or say about me. As I have broken on through to the other side of life. I have Reached total enlightenment. Im a loving down to earth person and I see now that I can be anything and anyone I want to in this world. That I truly AM anybody and I truly Am Nobody. I float through life like a butterfly and I can sting like a bee. Im an unstoppable force of Love. A sailor always sailing with the wind.
So has anyone worked with Models Inc. SoCal Bay area / LA. I know they are pretty legit as I was referred to them by a fellow actor who was an extra in one of Christopher Nolan's films. I'm just nervous going over the contract and signing since it's my first time being represented by an agency. They take 20% commission which seems fairly standard now for non union. Thank you in advance. Can't wait for the auditions to come in.
I’m just curious because I’m going through a divorce. Is it possible to be a single parent actor in LA?
Have you ever booked a role off Actors Access? [View Poll](https://www.reddit.com/poll/xqf9te)
I’m thinking of trying to be an extra in a movie but have no prior acting experience and no ambition to be an actor later in life. It’s something on my bucket list and I think it will be neat to look back on. Any advice for my situation? (I’m 14)
Hello! I need 6-7 people to record and email me an audio file (m4a, wav, or mp3) of them reading the text of a written letter, for a podcast a few weeks away from launch. Scripts vary in length but are all less than 500 words-- some less than 30 seconds. I need both female and male-sounding voices, also open to gender-ambiguous ones, and **do NOT need overly professional delivery, or a very high level of production value**. It should sound like an everyday person talking into a voicemail. **So you MUST be able to sound natural, like you are talking in your own words, rather than reading a script.** The scripts are all clean and safe for work, created from emails sent to the host's advice column. They all involve mental health quandaries. I will need a pretty quick turnaround on these, by Friday. I will pay $10 per recording instantly once the email is received and approved. (Each person can do only one script.) I'll pay by Venmo or PayPal, your choice. **REQUIREMENTS:** Message me with a description of your voice's vibe and, if possible, a link to what it sounds like, so I can be sure to cast a variety of voices **Ability to sound natural when reading a script (most important! You need not be an esteemed actor, but you need to sound like you're talking, rather than reading.)** Native/extremely fluent English speaker (open to various types of voices but need mostly American accents) Typical, natural, adult-sounding speaking voice Ability to complete in the next 48 hours Being okay with your voice being used in a podcast trailer and episode without being credited (sorry!) Ability to email an m4a, wav, or mp3 file to an email address **PROCEDURE:** If I message you back that you are chosen, in that same message I will cut and paste the script and the email address the recording needs to be sent to You will record the script as soon as you can, in m4a, wav, or mp3 format You will email me that recording at the address provided, along with your preferred Venmo or PayPal information I will give the recording a quick listen to make sure it meets our requirements, and then Venmo/Paypal you $10 and our eternal thanks, along with the name of the podcast if you want to hear yourself! Thanks for considering!
Hi everyone, I'm not an actor, but a dear friend of mine has a daughter who is, and she's about to have her quinceanera, so I thought perhaps a nice acting-based gift would be called for here, since I'm going to splurge. The problem is I have no idea what to get a teenage child actor, so I thought to ask here, if anyone would be so kind as to help me out with some ideas. Thanks in advance.
Made this account just to find out an answer since google is saying actors make 30k a year. If there’s a better place to ask you can direct me there. So I’m watching Loot and came across Joel Kim Booster who is a great actor. I googled him to learn more and came across his net worth (which I know is 99% speculation bc what celebs are posting their paychecks to instagram lol). It said it was around 1mil, but I don’t think I’ve seen him in anything plus his wiki said he was a stand up comedian. My understanding is that comedy shows aren’t where people make the bulk of their salaries. May be a wrong assumption. This made me think of newer/ unknown celebs and their salaries. I read that Ellen Pompeo is making 500k from Grey’s Anatomy, but I wondered what’s the general pay for a lesser known/newer actor? In a proper big show from like Netflix or ABC. To summarize, is it normal to get paid 5k an episode or do you make like 50k an episode? Do you get a big payday even if you aren’t established in a bunch of films and movies?
So im actually gonna make my first screenplay happen. But i have no real idea how to write character descriptions. What do the actors need to know in order to audition? I find it difficult to make the characters be described correctly in so little words. Any advice?
Does anyone have insider knowledge or experience with actor submissions? Who sifts through submissions first, Casting Directors or Casting Assistants- who makes the decisions to ask for tapes?
The clip is short and it's only one line, but it's one of the only legitimate professional credits (not including student film stuff) I have right now. Is it worth adding to AA?
For most of the past few years, i've been doing theatre. In high school, and in college, i've taken a myriad of acting classes. But no matter how many auditions I do, no matter how good, i have never ever gotten casted. I've been told many times by my teachers (who also happen to be directors, and do the majority of casting) that I'm an amazing actor and i give my all to everything i get. And yet i've still never gotten anything. Not even as an extra or ensemble. It's infuriating. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong! they host help for auditions and they give me a ton of tips that I use, and still get nothing! I feel like i'm at the end of my rope and i'll never be able to do what I love.
I'm an actor in NYC. During the pandemic I was taking virtual acting classes, and doing workshops/seminars at various acting studios in the city. I got headshots and signed with a commercial modeling agent. I've been getting on set doing background work that I usually secure through Casting Networks. I just feel that I'm not doing enough to feel that I'm giving my maximum potential to this career choice. Every morning I submit on Actors Access and Casting Networks, which usually leads to background work or the occasional audition. I'd like to start booking more shorts or even student films just to get some credits on my IMDb. I'm wondering if there's something I'm missing that would aid in my career? I see many people booking shorts on here and it seems I'm missing those in the breakdowns. Any veterans that can give some advice? Thanks in advance :)
I ask this as an older person who used to be an actor in NY in my 20s and 30s without much success. Now in my 60s I'm taking a class again, preparing to jump back in, and I'm wondering... I have a personality flaw that I'm a bit of a showoff and loudmouth. I can be pretty funny sometimes when the stars align. At work (I'm a tech writer) I have learned to keep my mouth shut unless I have something substantive to offer (which is, tbh, a struggle sometimes). And in my family I have learned that it is almost always a better choice to listen and ask questions. I mean, it's hilarious and tragic that the best thing to do in life is almost always to sit down and shut up. I guess that's wisdom. Also, as an actor, being a showoff (and a loudmouth, don't forget that part) may be the thing that makes it so important to be on stage. But it also draws focus away from where it should be, namely your partners on stage, the script, the story, the audience. I am posting this rumination to get other actors' responses. Are you a showoff? Do you think it is helpful to your acting? Harmful? Maybe the (boring) answer is that it's good to be aware of it and keep a balance. What do you think?