We have found 19,412 posts across 4 actor forums:
Actors Access Question by kananiakina • last post Aug 8th
Don’t Wait for the right conditions to get started by Kaleidoscope-Vision • last post Aug 8th
To those who need to hear it, There are a million “reasons” your mind will come up with to delay fully committing to the craft: “It’s too expensive. The odds of being a working actor are slim. I’m not talented enough. My headshots are not good enough. I’m not good looking enough. I don’t have a demo reel. My part-time job isn’t flexible enough.” I’ve struggled with the idea that everything has to be in place before taking action. I was convinced I needed to wait to lose a few pounds before I took headshots, get the perfect self tape setup, have the ideal day job. Blah blah blah. I’m here to remind you, there will never be an ideal time to start. This kind of thinking exists to protect you, to keep you in your comfort zone. That perfectionistic defense can be paralyzing, leading to wasted time and opportunities. I want to be clear, it IS fucking hard. Many, many aspects of this industry are out of our control. On top of that, each actor faces their own unique challenges, which makes it even more critical that you shift your focus on to things you can control and take things slow. If you jump in too fast (we’ve all had the idea that we’ll suddenly go from doing nothing to running a side business that will fund our career all while reading 10 plays a week, meditating 1hr every day, working out to look like a marvel character, etc.) you WILL burn out and it will affirm any false beliefs about yourself around failure or inadequacy. Success in any area of life takes time. Take small steps each day, be creative with the resources you have and celebrate your wins. DO NOT berate yourself for perceived failures or imperfections. Each win will stack up and before you know it you will start to see results. EDIT: clarified a few points
How do you drop an agent? by Euphoric-Tune-6997 • last post Aug 8th
As the title suggests I’m about to drop my agent. I haven’t received any roles for films in the past 5 months (since that’s when I first got them) and they told me during the interview that that’s the roles I’ll get. All I got were commercials that gave some very “interesting” breakdowns that made me feel less of an actor. I don’t know if it’s because I’m not in LA or something (which I told them I can commute to) or the fact that I’m auditioning for shows and films myself and have booked something during the time I got my agent and now. It’s just difficult to be productive when it feels like they don’t have your best interest in mind. What would you suggest?
why do alot of actors change their names? by Opening_Management_7 • last post 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. by Bolteus • last post 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.
Background actors and loan-out companies by popculturenrd • last post Aug 8th
Why do (or don't) you have a loan-out company? Any regrets?
Playing supporting roles by Iloveacting • last post Aug 8th
I have so far in my training only done one movie project. It's an amateur movie and I think that the persons who wrote the script have never written a script for a movie before. I was only really given a script and nothing more. It was a small role so I think they thought that nothing more was needed. But I have hear stories of this also happening in professional settings and that smaller roles can be as difficult as bigger roles. Why do we focus on smaller roles (supporting parts) as beginners if they aren't easier? I recently watched tv series about a beginner actor who joined a small traveling theatre company in the late 19th century. He was only given supporting roles but they seem easier than the bigger roles but was told to be very important. What should you be given beside the script when beeing an actor in a movie?
As Someone Who Wants To Be A Profesional Voice Actor In The Future…… by FrostySnow24 • last post Aug 8th
I really have felt a certain way about “Celebrity Voices” for quite some time. But before I dive into my full opinion, I want to say that the reason I feel the way I do is because I feel as if it may or may not limit the availability to those (such as myself) who want to be professional voice actors in the future. Now, my overall opinion is that I really don't like it, and that it's a strange (and a lot of times, not all the time) poor decision. Apparently, it's been a “popular trend“ since “Aladdin” with Robin Williams doing the Genie. Here is the thing, I remember prior to and during 2020, I always said that I wanted to be a ”legit” voice actor. Oddly enough, prior to late 2020, even “I” didn't know what I meant by that, until someone gave clarification. I've recently learned that celebs are pretty much only hired to draw in the audience. Pretty much when a celeb “voices” a character, they're literally either speaking in their normal voice and acting like themselves, or having the character act as a live character they are famous for. There's usually nothing special with the voices. There are only three conditions where I don't mind celebrity voices: A. If it actually works (e.g: Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Idris Elba as Knuckles, Ed Asner as Carl Fredrickson) B. If a celeb is voicing an animated version of them. I mean, because why not? C. If a celeb is voicing an animated version of a character they normally act as, or acted as before (e.g: Matthew Lillard as Shaggy) But other than those three conditions/exceptions, I really think it's poor. I'm also talking about this after recently finding out about recent voice actors of Harley Quinn. While I am sure that Kaley Cuoco and Melissa Rauch have good Harley Quinn voices, why not just hire the voice that people are used to, which is typically from professional voice actress, Tara Strong. Or just generally hire someone who is actually known in the voice acting industry, and let the people who aren't voice actors stick to whatever their speciality is. Stuff like that, just shows that it's gotten to a point where celebrity voices are getting into regular cartoons. But then again, that's been the case since at least the 2000s. Not too mention with “Oh” from “Home”. It's literally just Sheldon talking. Also not too mention, is how whenever a singer is hired to do voice over (typically for an animated film), their character is usually a singer or ends up singing at the climax. But, here's thing, I kind of view it differently with Mark Hamill and J.K Simmons. The reason is because while he has been live acting here and there, Mark Hamill has pretty much switched over to voice acting since the 90s and is also known as a voice actor, and in the industry itself. With J.K Simmons, while he seems to have more live action credits, he also seems like a solid mix of both. Even with all of this said, I don't think Celeb Voices are always bad, but I still do think that it's best to hire professionals and let non-voice actors stick to their speciality. Adding to what I said at the beginning, the reason I am concerned is because I feel as if it will eventually take over and destroy the industry, and basically get rid of the chances of those who want to be voice actors. This also makes me realize that it's no wonder a lot of (not most) people don't know professional voice actors, because they are basically made unknown due to the celebrities and the decision made by (whoever) to cast them. It's like, I don't know if others share this case, but when I hear a voice, I want to hear myself say “I know that voice, who is that? Tara Strong, Phil LaMarr, John DiMaggio?” I don't want to get this feeling, “Oh, I know who that celebrity is”. As good as Schwratz and Elba were in Sonic 2, I am glad they hired Colleen O' Shaugnessey to do Tails. Not only would a celeb Tails voice likely have been lackluster, but it shows that some are at least trying to give real voice actors their due.
Have you ever been paid points? by TimPrice2 • last post Aug 8th
I'm a producer, not an actor. I'm working on my second commercial (SAG) project. When it comes to my lead roles, I generally pay above scale to get more experienced actors, usually with a tiny bit of name recognition. I'm considering adding points into my offers on my next project's leads. Since I already have one project released, I have revenue numbers I can share which I would think makes points seem more valuable than if the project was a complete unknown. Have any you worked with points before? I haven't, so I'd appreciate any thoughts, feelings, or experience you might want to share. I'd appreciate a perspective from anyone, whether they're an actor, agent, producer, etc. Thanks.
Advice for stand in work by Michael_CrawfishF150 • last post Aug 8th
I want to become a full time actor. I have the opportunity to work as a stand in tomorrow. Would this be a good career move or would it just be a good day’s pay? In other words, would doing this help me to propel my career forward or would it have no effect? Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!!
"Mother agency" posts legit work but you also pay for classes? by Hiflower • last post Aug 8th
Looking for advice on whether or not this org is a scam? Context: I recently got accepted to essentially a mother agency, they produce fashion shows and call themselves a model management company, specifically for their Model and Talent expo this November. Note they are a small business in a southern market that's nowhere near as large as Atlanta. I know people that attended their summer model and talent expo, they said they had to pay ~3k for about 2 months of model and acting classes (believe this also included price for headshots and admission to the expo). Other than this they seem to not charge their models and actors and only take a commission ~10% from anything they book & they've casted people in reputable commercials and modeling shows, think JCP, Academy Sports, Miami Swim week, etc. All you read online is how you shouldn't have to pay for classes at all and these agencies should just train you for free until you start booking jobs, but as someone who paid to go to uni for my degree I also see the value in paying to take classes from a reputable source. I'll be meeting with them later this week with eveyone else who got accepted to the callback to get all the final details about cost, contracting, etc and I'm wondering what you all would think about this opportunity? Legit or not?
Are acting classes important? What would your advices be for a broke rookie actress who can't afford acting classes? by catfelinemeow • last post 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! by Phoenix2700 • last post Aug 7th
Figured you guys would appreciate this cuz I’m pretty stoked how it came out! Enjoy!
Seeking Voice Actors for Animated Project by Galactose_Intolerant • last post 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? by MarieN1989 • last post Aug 7th
Do you think some just have it with very little training?
Invited for "pre-screening" by FlaminHot_Depression • last post 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 by WorthWar9 • last post 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? by That-ol-boy • last post 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 by Shoddy-Lime-5595 • last post 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? by Mobile-Ad-7736 • last post 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?