We have found 19,298 posts across 4 actor forums:
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
I'm getting tired of people claiming that deepfakes and CGI will replace actors by PotereCosmix • last post Mar 27th
Although I'm not an actor myself, I have great respect and admiration for actors (live-action and voicework) and it pisses me off when people look at photorealistic CGI models and claim that they will somehow replace actors. It seems to me that these people think that all actors do is stand in position and read their lines, forgetting about the "acting" part of the job. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but good (or even mediocre) actors embody and bring life to a character. Although there are, unfortunately, some actors who can't act for their life and were only cast for their looks/name recognition, those are the minority. When it comes to CGI, either you spend thousands of hours manually animating the models, have an actual actor in a motion capture environment, or let an algorithm have a go at it. The first is stupid, the second is already done to great effect, and the third is the equivalent of getting random people off the street and expecting them to put on an award-winning performance. Another thing that bothers me is how people seem to think that when you have a model or a deepfake of an actor, you can use them as you wish without the actor's consent. It's not like Photoshop made it so that supermodels are edited into every ad campaign against their will. People still very much own the rights to their own likeness. And when it comes to actors, they are so much more than just their likeness, contrary to what these people seem to think. TLDR: I'm tired of actors being seen as mere puppets easily replaced by digital recreations.
Contemporary duo scene between 1 man and 1 woman by parksndrecking • last post Mar 27th
For a directing assignment, I'm looking for a contemporary realism scene that features 1 man and 1 woman. I think comedic fighting scenes are really what's in my mind, as I could see both of these actors going over the top (kind of like Odd Couple) but I'm drawing a blank and need some help.
Acting in Canada by Rudeboy237 • last post Mar 27th
Hello all! Wondering if anyone had insights into the acting scene in Canada, how possible it is to make a living etc? I’m an American with a decent career out this way but the um…. Political climate has me a bit concerned. Wondering if immigration as an actor is a realistic possibility or more or less a pipe dream. Thanks so much.
2022 March, what's your career status? by Failed2launch • last post Mar 27th
For the United States, nearly all pandemic restrictions are gone for most states. I want to know how many people who started pre-pandemic are still acting; how many started because their career went remote or ended and started voice acting; and how many people just working a "normal job" to make ends meet, but still want to be a voice actor. Thanks in advance, you may find this poll will help you feel like you are not the only one in your situation and get inspired to continue the journey, or get back on it. [View Poll](https://www.reddit.com/poll/tpujtm)
Am I “supposed” to be an actor? by Fit-Mud3081 • last post Mar 27th
So I am battling an internal struggle and would like to just hear what people have to say. Ever since I was a little girl film sparked everything in me that was fantastical, dramatic, and made me a dreamer. Movies have always been a huge part of me and I always wanted to be on the screen too. In high school I planned to go to school to be an actor after I graduated, but was met with “oh that’s a BIG dream huh?” My family is very supportive, but I didn’t meet many others who thought I could make it. I’m from a small town, have no connections, and not a lot of theater or film experience because here’s the other issue: I’m terrified. I did a play or two in school and I did short films in college with friends and we won every competition we entered for each one of them. I had so much fun and felt great! But I always struggle with that fear. Auditions terrify me so I’ve never done one. I have no training whatsoever. But people “say” I’m good. I know I look good on camera and I think I could be great if I got more training and just stopped being scared. But I’ve also given up on the dream because I know how hard it is to get in and most of the time you have to be related to an actor or know someone in the business. I’ve just gotten into grad school and I’m pursuing a masters in couple and family therapy because I’m also passionate about being a therapist. I’m excited for it, but once in a while, especially when I see a great movie, I get that nagging in my chest reminding me of that dream. I’m worried that I’m stopping myself and that maybe acting is what I should be doing, what I’m meant to do. I’m just worried that I’m never going to be satisfied and I’m gonna be thinking “what if?” the rest of my life. Will this feeling go away? And is it okay that I didn’t follow this dream? I know I’m not the only ones who feels like this. So how do I cope? TLDR: my first big dream was acting and I gave up out of fear and doubt of my ability to even get into the industry. I’m now going to grad school for my second passion, mental health therapy, and I’m worried that the nagging feeling I have that I’m “supposed” to be an actor and will never be truly happy if I don’t will ever go away.
Public has low expectations for actors' skills by S_Gertie • last post Mar 27th
This is about a particular thing that happened today, but I have seen similar discussions in public forums in the past. Basically, people will say that a thing that happened HAD to be real and unscripted because they could see how emotionally affected the actors were (whether it was actually real or fake isn't really the point of this). Pretty much what they are saying is that they don't think those actors are good enough at acting to fake it. There was somewhat similar discussion when Marriage Story came out and that script-to-screen comparison video was being shown a lot. Non-actors were flabbergasted that the 2 actors were following a script and not just doing improv, because the actors made it seem unscripted. Does this idea that actors can't act just come from people seeing so many bad actors as they grow up, in school plays or something?
Towards Realistic Dialogue by Dense-Independent-66 • last post Mar 27th
I cannot agree with vocal coaches, many of them heavy hitters in the VO industry, who say that non-fiction is harder than fiction. Surely fictional dialogue is the hardest thing that a voice actor will attempt. First, you have endless choices. Let's take anger: Dave yelled. Is that a loud yell? Not necessarily. Dave could be so angry and upset that he tries to yell but the sound gets stuck in his throat. Anger can be quiet; an angry whisper can be menacing. Second, you have degrees of realism; outside of Shakespeare, a stylized sub-genre, everyday people do not speak in a Sir Laurence Olivier monologue from Hamlet. People stutter. People pause in strange places. People um and arr. People drag out words as they think. I am a realistic dialogue guy. At least I try to be. That includes psychological realism; if Joe is running from the fearsome Red Dragon of Death he isn't going to be speaking like a Yale Professor. But in somewhat less extreme situations there's still physicality. PHYSICALITY? You scream that it's only aural. Well, it is: you are still breathing. Breath reflects emotion; if someone is thinking of lying then their breath will subtly reflect that BEFORE they say something. I try to subtly capture that. Thus I will never use an effect to remove all breath until Hell freezes over. Obnoxious breath yes, if that doesn't add something. But remove all breath from a read? Never! I suppose in all this we make our dialogue choices about realism. Such choices make dialogue one of the most creative, fun things in voice over in my opinion. Where do you go on such a realism spectrum? I suppose that there are limits; it's not often realistic to mispronounce every word. Well, a drunk illiterate guy I suppose. Never had one of them - that would be fun to read. By the way as an aside William Shakespeare was a normal, earthy guy; he got fined for keeping too many hops in his shed for making beer. He was not any kind of hippie. He would have said the same curse words that we all say. He would have wanted realistic, earthy performances; Laurence Olivier's Hamlet speech would have bemused Shakespeare quite a bit!
How to put a slient film role on your resume by meinai88 • last post Mar 26th
Hello everyone, I am a new actor and recently did 2 student slient films. I was just wondering how to put them on my resume, do they still have the same wording (lead, principal, supporting, etc...). For the first film there was a lead (4 out of 6 scenes) and 2 other people in the film (2 out of 6 scenes), I was not the lead. The other 2 roles are benefical for the film but not the main characters, I was wondering would this role be considered principal or supporting or something else. For the second film I was only in 1 very short scene, where I am a security guard and escort the lead out of a building. What would this role be considered. Thank you all for your help in advance. Edit: sorry forgot to mention that I am in Toronto, not sure if that makes a difference or not.
Commercial Actors - Skills Videos Question. by ActorActingInLA • last post Mar 26th
I just signed with a new commercial rep earlier this month. My first commercial rep ever. I've booked a few non union commercials before ever being repped, so I do have some commercial expierence. They mentioned to me how they want me to write down all my skills, how well I can do them, take a picture of me doing each skill and a video. I think this is a great idea, I do. And I've been working on all these materials the last two weeks. I was just curious, do these pictures and videos hold a lot of weight when Casting decides who gets called in for an audition? I'm guessing an agencies submission holds more power then self submitting with these assets? As far as videos go, how long are your skill videos? Can they be a little fancy? (Different camera angles, background music, color corrected, etc.). Not distracting with filters and transitions, just nicely put together VS just a quick iPhone clip. I only ask cause I do cinematography on the side, so I already have the equipment and camera/editing skills. Its fun for me. But I just don't want to overdo it if casting just wants a quick 10 second iPhone clip of me shooting a basketball. Would love any insight!