We have found 19,247 posts across 4 actor forums:
How to act nervous? by polar1vortex • last post Mar 29th
I have to perform a scene where my character is nervous/scared. After running through it a couple times, the feedback i received was that it appeared as though I was uninterested (after watching it back myself I would agree). While acting out the scene I attempted to avoid eye contact, speak in a less confident and softer tone which felt right in the moment but as previously stated, came off more as uninterested as opposed to nervous. To give a bit more context to the scene, my character is about to go through with a life altering procedure, although they've already made the decision to do so and have accepted what they are doing and believe that it is the right thing to do, they are still naturally nervous about it when the time comes (which is where the scene begins). ​ As you can imagine a google search resulted in more about how *not* to be nervous when performing or auditioning. Typically I would try to channel my own feelings of nervousness into the character, but in this instance I personally do not feel nervous (this is for a class and I genuinely look forward to acting out my scenes and do not generally feel nervousness when on the mark). ​ Essentially, my question is how does one *act* nervous? Given that this is performed/filmed as if it was an audition, there isn't a lot of room for fidgeting with my hands which is where my mind first went to show nervousness. If anyone has any tips on portraying nervousness in a more subdued manor or even examples of scenes that come to mind (I was trying to recall something I've seen where the actor played a character in a nervous state to no avail) it would be greatly appreciated! ​ tl;dr: I have to perform a scene where my character is nervous, I myself am not nervous performing so I can't channel my own emotion into the scene and I'm looking for any advice on how to play a character in a nervous state or examples from film/tv. ​ edit: previously read disinterested, meant uninterested.
What countries/places hold the best opportunities for an absolute newbie? by ImmortalFistofIron • last post Mar 29th
So let me be clear. I am a 20 year old guy who has never acted a day in his life. But its always been a huge interest of mine and I've watched actors all my life. I currently live in Northern Ireland and the opportunities here either don't exist or are for shitty advertising which I don't want to do. I have wanted to go to a different country for a few years and I'm ready to go now. I figure I may aswell go where I can give acting a shot, so this is what I'm asking. Where will give me a decent starting point in this journey to see if I'm good enough to make it or not. Thanks.
Volunteer voice actors wanted for a very special project! by crumbsauce • last post Mar 29th
So there's this book Spangle, written by Gary Jennings. It's about a traveling circus. It starts immediately after the American Civil War, during which the circus had not been profitable, and progresses as the circus travels through America and Europe and grows in fame, fortune, and numbers. Gary Jennings spent a lot of time in the field with actual traveling circuses to do the research required to make this novel as real as possible. There are plenty of fun facts throughout, the book is so rich and vivid with detail, and all the different talents and nationalities of the characters come together to form a beautiful new color that I bet you've never read anywhere else. This book is super special to me (and I've only read the first third of it.) I really really want to create a fully-casted audiobook for it, and I am really really hoping that I can find some people that think it would be as much fun as I do! To prove how very serious about this I am, I have already typed up the first part of the book (221 out of 978 pages. The entirety of the "America" section of the book.) If anyone is interested, please reach out to me on this post or in my DM's. I will DM anybody interested a link to the script. The Wikipedia page on the novel contains a nice little plot summary and a list of characters for your convenience!
How do you feel about community views on dubbed anime? by ashes2ashespodcast • last post Mar 29th
Hi voice actors, I'm just a curious, non-voice-acting person, but I've always noticed how no matter how good the dub for an anime is, its fans will almost always prefer the original voice acting. How do you, as voice actors, feel about this? Is it despair inducing to know that no matter how much soul you put into the role, people will nearly always view it as inferior to the original? Does it inspire you to do even better when you get a role in a dubbed anime? Maybe you view the entire situation differently, having professional insight and experience. Whatever your answer is, thanks for answering my question!
Where’s a good place to get started as a voice actor? by Literally_Spiderman • last post Mar 29th
If you practice on your own time and are ready to look for work where do you start?
Improvisation. Is it necessary to go far in the acting world? by Beneficial_Space9001 • last post Mar 28th
I started acting properly back in November. I'm a guy who likes having order in terms of knowing what to say and/or convey next, so naturally, one of the skills I am shambles at is improvisation. I keep asking myself if its even necessary to improve at if I want to go far in this acting game. So for the more experienced actors here, do you reckon its necessary to become successful? Or does it only increase your chances (and if so, how much by you reckon?)?
(NYC actors) How do you find an affordable place to live? by octothorpdoge • last post Mar 28th
NYC is unaffordable even if you have a 9 to 5 with a salary. NYC actors, how did you manage to find a rent that doesn’t eat up your survival wages? Just want to be along or near the subway somewhere. I’m tired of relying on a car and living outside NYC is a tremendous social boot. Also, a lot of those roommate apps ask you highly inappropriate questions about your salary and job? Seems like they only want to rent to certain people. (P.S. feel free to DM me if that’s more comfortable. I would appreciate any advice.)
How to Differentiate Between Good Acting and Bad Acting? by DudeDudette54 • last post Mar 28th
I am not new to movies, but I am new to the concept of good and bad actors, simply because I can't distinguish between Leonardo Dicaprio is a Great Actor and someone like Keanu Reeves Mediocre, I can distinguish between completely terrible acting, but these hollywood films, I really don't know what makes a good actor good, and a bad actor bad. Now, I don't know if I am giving you guys a right example, because to give one, I would need to figure out, the difference between good and bad acting first but ill take the two actors mentioned before, what makes Leonardo Dicaprio in "Catch Me If You Can" and Keanu Reeves in "John Wick" wooden...
Canadian aspiring actress by Ok_Boot6372 • last post Mar 28th
Hi all, I’m a 25 y/o female from a small province in Canada. In my area there are little to no opportunities for classes/training here. I’m currently unemployed and have no other passion for anything but acting, and I know I need a side job, but I have a good chunk of money saved to get by for awhile to go all in for now. I genuinely want to know what you all think I should do as far as moving forward to pursue my career? I have thought about going to school in Toronto/Vancouver (as they have more acting schools/opportunities) but have also seen on many posts that “all it takes” to get your foot in the door is going to acting classes in LA and great headshots and that going to a legit “school for acting” especially at my age is a waste of time.. I do want to end up in LA eventually, as I know the opportunities are endless there, but I know I need to start somewhere first. I’d love to know your guys thoughts on what you would do if you were me? Cheers x
An actor's work vs an actor's handbook by Stanislavaki? by veryanxiouspanda • last post Mar 28th
I found *an actor's handbook* in a library, but it seems that *an actor's work* (I would have to buy an ebook) is the main main book to read? Are they different versions of the same thing or are they different enough for me to read both? I'm literally just getting into acting and I'm trying to teach myself some theory. I don't want to start by reading an inferior version of the most important theory. Sorry I couldn't find an answer online.
*vent/ advice needed* by BluebirdLow6195 • last post Mar 28th
Hi everyone :) i’m an aspiring actor who signed to john casablancas in 2020 (i didn’t know it was a scam till 5 months in the program, though i did learn a lot from them) I’m 16, a black woman. I’m in school it’s been hard to juggle acting and school {i’ve wanted to be an actor since 8, impossible bc of scams ofc} anyways. I’ve tried to contact 100 agencies and no responses, of course i’ve had professional headshots, resumes, reels, took classes, got backstage, actors access. Done everything in the book and i’m still getting nowhere. I’ve spent over 4,000 on acting materials and i’ve been casted into nothing. I live with my single mom and sibling and we’re nearly poor. I can’t afford to keep spending money on backstage and classes when they’ve done nothing for me. 2 of my friends I did acting with are already casted in films and modeling, I promised everyone i’d be an actor and i know it’s baby steps but i’ve gotten nowhere, nada, Ive been rejected for being a background character several times, all the advice i hear is cliche and unaffordable. What do I do. I’m too poor and all my hard work has got me nothing.
What does „market value“ means in terms of acting? by ExcellentPolicy8 • last post Mar 28th
Every actor has a different market value, how does this affect anything? What exactly does this market value do?
What format(s) do you voice actors for games prefer to get your written voice lines delivered in? by melocosm • last post Mar 28th
Hey all, (I hope this is the right sub to ask this) This post is to see what you voice actors prefer in terms of a delivered script. Especially, in the context of dynamic and branching dialogue present in video games. TLDR at the bottom with some questions. Context: We've recently finished our game dialogue and I've got a program that is converting the in game dialogue language into a format that is more human readable than JSON. Before we start paying for people we want to make sure that the format we use is both functional to the dynamic nature of the voice lines but most importantly helps the actors create compelling performances. ​ The dialogue in this game allows for player choice and is dynamic based on certain stimuli in the game. As such, traditional screenwriting formatting is difficult to retrofit for some scenes. Vignettes (scenes that only involve NPC's interacting and absolutely no player input) work very well within traditional screenwriting format. However, some scenes have long, branching paths of dialogue that often don't lead to the same end point. So, your (the actor's) character may end the scene either excited, fuming, or apathetic depending on the player's choice. Currently, with each scene in the script we give a context and possible outcomes of that scene so the actor will know where they may be going in terms of their character. Then the format becomes closer to traditional screenwriting with given dialogue and some notes. However, with the varying responses from the player, scenes may travel all over the place. Right now, I am trying to avoid breaking up the flow of the scene too much by having simple if-then branch statements. Then, at the end of the scene there is an "ADDITIONAL SCENE LINES" section. This is just to make sure that all the voice lines are accounted for. ​ ​ [Here's a simple example of what a simple branch may look like when delivered in close-to-traditional format.](https://preview.redd.it/15oe0fnv37q81.png?width=559&format=png&auto=webp&s=cd85aa9a84daec4aee0e1343187e229e84ba0826) ​ [Here's an example of the format that would be used for additional lines that the player can encounter in the same scene as above.](https://preview.redd.it/ojcyrul5b7q81.png?width=555&format=png&auto=webp&s=ed635081828d86299709209b834f34dd29481da9) ​ I also know is that some voice actors don't want to be given a long spreadsheet of lines to read through that don't exist within the full context of the scene. Some game studios do this. However, for things like "barks", one shot lines that are delivered in response to stimuli - like saying "Ow!" when being hit, things are different. Spreadsheets or tables seem like the most efficient solution as bark lines are more ambient and characterization rather than dramatization. ​ I currently have a format that would give the "bark" lines as a table with dialogue, characters, and motivations. But, I also have a traditional screenwriting format that gives contexts and motivations to the barks in a linear format. What format would you prefer to get your one-off lines in? ​ [Here's the example barks delivered in a table. ignore \\"feeling\\"](https://preview.redd.it/fxmdhrin77q81.png?width=610&format=png&auto=webp&s=25de0da61e8bb0ac5bcf593eb2f47ba4c3de7fff) ​ [Here are the bark's in the more traditional format.](https://preview.redd.it/gzh7mypy77q81.png?width=542&format=png&auto=webp&s=368fa02c991a6dd38b6cc081ddaf4cc1502bc407) ​ ​ [Another possible table to send. This is just part of a raw table for csv](https://preview.redd.it/7mrup24tg7q81.png?width=1239&format=png&auto=webp&s=bd264e58aa880f2626ff51951112c2021622efe8) ​ ​ \--TLDR-- Important questions: Do you prefer a specific format for your voice lines? Or, do you like a mix? Do you like or dislike the usage of tables? Are there any pet peeves you have with lines delivered to you? What were your favorite and least favorite scripts you have been given? What type of script helped you give the best performance? What format would you prefer to get your one-off lines in? ​ Obviously, things like direction and communication are going to be huge in getting the right performance but I would also like to be able to give the actor a strong resource to work from. I've asked some other designers what they did with their scripts but I thought it equally as valuable to ask those that would be using them in their performance. I want to know the voice actor's perspective. Thanks.
Which one is a "better" acting book? by Dry-Tune-223 • last post Mar 28th
Do you all think there's a "better" acting book among those written by Adler, Meisner, Stanislavsky, or Demidov? I liked Larry Moss' book a lot, and I feel like it helped me understand acting - and how to be a better actor - much more. What do you all think? Thanks!
Anyone here actually do Talent Link? by curtisclone • last post Mar 28th
I’m local to Pittsburgh and Cleveland but want to move into the NYC market asap. I have a friend I can sleepover at anytime in NJ, so I could be local to NYC… I have no connections in the industry in NYC and it’s been tough to break in from afar. Has anyone had good experiences (or bad) with Talent Link on Actors Access? P.S. - you can see my content at www.Curtis-Caldwell.com or follow me on Instagram @CurtisClone
Flaunt your flaws for camera. by TheFilmProduced • last post Mar 28th
When you act, put your worst self forward. Your flaws are what make you a complete person, they inform WHY you are why you are. Your failures are why you have successes, you learn from them. As an actor who also is missing a leg, I learned to lead with what many others would perceive as my weakness. I learned they're wrong. My leg is my superpower, my flaws are my depth, and my failures are my strengths. My time in front of the camera has informed my life, and my life has benefited from that exposure, which has in turn made me more bold to show my emotional and psychological warts. @KurtYaeger - some actors like to pretend their advice is solid gold, i don't. This might work for you, it might not. In acting there are no right answers, only real ones and fake ones. See my social or IMDb - Kurt
Question about Actors Access by Kitchen_Cellist_5683 • last post Mar 28th
If I pay for a reel on there, but then replace it with a different reel, either the same size or smaller, do I have to repay? Or do they let me replace it for free?
Any advice for someone starting out? by PsychologicalCipher • last post Mar 28th
Hello! Let me preface by first saying, I am NOT a professional voice actor. However I truly appreciate the craft, I am mainly looking to get into this for a hobby and maybe a few school or YouTube related projects. Any advice for a newcomer or someone just looking to get into a new hobby? Thanks!
Should a non actor act out their lines for self tapes? by NothingButBadIdeas • last post Mar 27th
I (28M) am not an actor but my girlfriend (27F) of 4 years is. She has a masters in acting and I met her after one of her plays. 3 years ago she signed with a prestigious tv and commercial agency and since then we’ve been doing self tapes for possible roles. The problem comes with the fact that I’m not an actor, I’m monotonous, can’t sing a lick (no fluctuation in my voice at all). I’m comically bad at reading these lines. I’ve been researching what I can do to help her out, I sit in a line of site so she has a place to look when acting out scenes, I set up the lights and even got a fancy microphone to help with production quality. I also read the best thing an actor can do for self tape is to have another actor to run through the lines so the scene comes off more fluid and real. I can’t help but think these self tapes sound super comical with my monotonous voice in between her acting. Should I start trying to add life into my lines so that it seems more like a scene, or is my monotony not as serious a problem as I think? I have gotten better after the years, but let’s just say there’s a reason I don’t aim for entertainment.
WANTED: Actress - 18-28 for TikTok commercial videos for an accessory brand - Who would be the perfect fit? Tag them! by bigbi27 • last post Mar 27th
Do you want to show off your acting skills from home? Are you perhaps already familiar with the TikTok platform? Then message me now or comment on this post and become part of our team. We have video scripts for our products (accessories like necklaces and glasses) just waiting to be realized by an actress/aspiring actress. The payment is per video and we are looking forward to a long-term cooperation. I am waiting for your message Best regards, Max