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Dear actors of reddit, how to do a perfect self-tape/casting audition tape? by sonic_star_2  •  last post Sep 2nd

Hey guys! I'm studying Radio TV and Internet productions at College and I'm on my 1st year freshmen there, I'm really into these artistic stuff like music, movies, acting, etc. The teacher told that people from the 3rd year will need to record a show with episodes and seasons, etc, and were doing a casting. I sent them my face + body picture and sent them my curriculum in teather and acting (spent 3 years taking teather classes at school and 1 year taking private classes at a top-notch acting school here in my city, but since I basically don't remember much of it, my whole experience comes from my youtube channel and making short-movies with my friends, acting by self-taught methods and usually acting exagerated and bad on purpouse) So, I ended up being selected to go to the selections phase, where now we need to record a self-tape, an audition tape. The audition contains 2 "scenarios" we need to play: - You are a colorblind person, and it's your first time wearing glasses that allow you to see colors - You got lost from your little brother and there's no one around to help you Each one of the videos with 1 minute max. (60 seconds) Being basically a "Noob"/self-taught amateur actor that isn't the best actor on Earth, I was looking for some professional tips on how to nail my self-tape and make it good. I never did one before, How do I do it? How to even start? Should I have a script to follow or it's better to try to improvise something and try again if not good? Should I have props or not? Exagerated or not? wHAT SHOULD I DO? Etc. Well, I really needed a step by step guide on how to actually create an audition tape and how to make it perfect so I get selected to the last stage. I have around 10 days to record it, so it's plenty of time for me to learn some tips and tricks and try improving my acting. The 3rd and last phase will be at an actual online live audition, so if you guys have tips for me at this last stage too, id be very glad :) Any advice?

Anthony Turpel from Hulu’s “Love, Victor” is the latest guest on my podcast, Actors With Issues! (Link in comments) by iJuanAyala  •  last post Sep 2nd

Trying to get back into acting after hiatus but am a little lost (26 M) by Mammetoberon  •  last post Sep 2nd

I did acting for a few years up until circa 2016 in nyc when I had to stop and finish my unrelated degree. After graduating, working an unfulfilling traditional 9 to 5 at a major company, and the early covid era closures, I am strongly considering getting back into it except I'm a little lost. I did a lot more theatre previously, but I always intend to go into film/tv. I have a few questions about starting back up again and it feels like I'm on square one after being frozen in carbonite. What should I be doing now? More classes? I did Stella/Atlantic evening classes and ucb improv classes in the past. Any nyc recs? I have a backstage, and I noticed a few changes. Most roles I see require a video submission or you physically cannot submit. This was not the case before. I was able to submit without a reel. I lost my reel file a few years back, not that it was that great or that it would be as usable now anyway as I have matured a bit. I also struggle to find anything to submit for on there now. Mostly just background, reality shows, niche person submissions, or influencers. Is it partially because I'm looking for film/tv in NYC, which is more theater driven in comparison to LA? Should I make and film my own reel or film myself doing a monologue just to get past the submission filter for now? Do people still use backstage as much? I had a backstage and actors access in the past. Are there any casting services that are better now? I did a few bg roles and got sag aftra eligible from it. I had a bg actor friend encourage me to join and continue to do background to make money and put myself out to get seen. I didn't do this of course. There is some overlap as he's booked commercials from it, and you can get a line or so from it on film/tv, but I want to do acting acting. I don't want to be a bg actor anymore and I'd be shooting myself in the foot if I became union this early with no reel. Going that route won't help, right? Is social media really that important? I hate posting and influencer culture but I heard from LA friends some directors and casting wont see you unless you have big followings. And lastly, how do you guys know if you're in it for the long haul? As much as I love the craft, the industry can really suck and has a huge barrier for entry. Nonetheless I always have one foot out the door in any job I have and always wonder what 'if'? Acting itself always made me happy, more happy than other things I've tried, but how do I know if I am in it for the right reasons and I'm not hung up on my past ambitions?

I'm a new actor my first work at at an indie film got mixed reviews, what do you think what should I work on? by polithspolitis  •  last post Sep 2nd

Ok so I always wanted to be an actor and recently started chasing it which resulted in taking part in a indie film which did great on Indie festivals, but the thing is a lot of people said my acting was not great and some others said it was great (obviously I don't count relatives or friends as they can be biased) so what do you think I should improve in my acting? the film is here [https://youtu.be/HsZxMj3ATak](https://youtu.be/HsZxMj3ATak)

Dating app ads by ENTPinNYC  •  last post Sep 1st

I’m a 21 year old European actress. I have a degree from a well known American conservatory, but due to the pandemic I was forced to move back to my own country, rather than pursue work in the US. The country I’m from has a rather closed theatre community, and the actors that actually book work are usually the ones who are already famous, have famous parents, or happened to go to the one theatre school in the country that’s seen as the best but only accepts 10 people a year. This means, I haven’t been able to book a lot of work here, especially during a pandemic. In the past year, I’ve only booked three jobs. One was an extra in a TV show, one was a one-day job shooting a demonstration of the use of a product to be used internally in a company, and one was an unpaid monologue project filmed remotely. I want to have a career in acting, and I know I need to build my resume with more than a few minor projects a year. I still have an active Backstage account from when I lived in the US, and there are some jobs showing up for my country, even though Backstage is not commonly used here. I was approached on Backstage by an American dating app offering me a job where I film 4-6 social media ads for a dating app, 5-10 seconds each, for $20-50 per video. The app seems to be a legit app, and has a high score in ratings, but a lot of pretty bad reviews. I’m not sure if it’s a decent app or a money grab, and I’m not sure if it’s my responsibility, as an actor, to make 100% sure before I accept the job. I am worried being the girl in the annoying social media ads for a bad dating app might damage my career rather than help it. Then again, I’m an actress, and this is an acting job for a visible ad. What do you guys think? TL;DR: I got approached by a potentially bad dating app and offered an otherwise decent acting job. Will it hurt or help my career?

My friend said I look better for theatre than movies by Hamiko4  •  last post Sep 1st

And she is a pretty logical person. I do kinda agree with her, which makes me sad. What I feel towards acting right now is a NEED. I HAVE to do it. I have no other choice. It kinda makes me feel hopeless/afraid/a hole in my chest/tired/soulless Because I think of the future. What I will have to do. How many things I will have to do to become great (and the thing is, nobody guarantees that I CAN be great. That I am CAPABLE of it.) I will also have to fly on a plane to London. I am afraid of flying, I get a panic attack and I will want to end my life. Plus I will be all alone in London (far away from family). I will again have a panic attack because I am afraid of being away from family and I never feel right sleeping somewhere else other than at home. I don't even feel safe with friends. The only thing that could help is having a partner I LOVE very much and he feels like a home. But I don't want to have a boyfriend here (and they most likely won't come with me to London) \---------------------- My friend asked me to act a very little scene she came up with so she can see If I am good or not. She said I was good and that I startled her for a moment. Then I, out of self doubt, asked her If I was average? She said I was average but a very good average. But what hurts me Is that even If I can be great, I will never look good enough to be in movies. But I will still continue to only play in theatres because I cannot imagine myself doing something else apart from acting (It's a tugging feeling and also frustrating because I will need to change my whole persona and my whole life because I am introverted) Hamiko4 no more, lol. I was wondering If It's normal to feel those feelings towards acting, or If It's a sign that I don't truly like acting? Feelings come and go, so for sure nobody can ONLY feel GOOD about acting, right? \----------------------- I was walking home, now really doubting myself as an actor. Then I saw a TopJoy bottlecap on the ground. I picked it up. It had a message on it: "Your dreams don't have expiration dates." What a coincidence. Then continuing my walking home, I saw a dead cat right next to me which startled me.. And then another dead cat on the road where cars drove. I wonder If It has any symbolic meanings?

Are dating app ads good or bad for my career? by ENTPinNYC  •  last post Sep 1st

I’m a 21 year old European actress. I have a degree from a well known American conservatory, but due to the pandemic I was forced to move back to my own country, rather than pursue work in the US. The country I’m from has a rather closed theatre community, and the actors that actually book work are usually the ones who are already famous, have famous parents, or happened to go to the one theatre school in the country that’s seen as the best but only accepts 10 people a year. This means, I haven’t been able to book a lot of work here, especially during a pandemic. In the past year, I’ve only booked three jobs. One was an extra in a TV show, one was a one-day job shooting a demonstration of the use of a product to be used internally in a company, and one was an unpaid monologue project filmed remotely. I want to have a career in acting, and I know I need to build my resume with more than a few minor projects a year. I still have an active Backstage account from when I lived in the US, and there are some jobs showing up for my country, even though Backstage is not commonly used here. I was approached on Backstage by an American dating app offering me a job where I film 4-6 social media ads for a dating app, 5-10 seconds each, for $20-50 per video. The app seems to be a legit app, and has a high score in ratings, but a lot of pretty bad reviews. I’m not sure if it’s a decent app or a money grab, and I’m not sure if it’s my responsibility, as an actor, to make 100% sure before I accept the job. I am worried being the girl in the annoying social media ads for a bad dating app might damage my career rather than help it. Then again, I’m an actress, and this is an acting job for a visible ad. What do you guys think? TL;DR: I got approached by a potentially bad dating app and offered an otherwise decent acting job. Will it hurt or help my career?

Help with vocal control? by JackBBSS  •  last post Sep 1st

Hi, I started to do vocal control but I'm struggling. Any videos that will help an beginning actor with vocal control? Thanks.

Self-Tape Backdrops by songofthelark117  •  last post Sep 1st

Hi all! Love this community, thanks for all the advice and inspiration! I'm upgrading my self-tape area since it's becoming clear these aren't going away even post-pandemic in LA. Curious if anyone here has a suggestion for a new backdrop that would fit my space better. Mine works great, but it's a bit narrow (4 ft across) and I'm also wondering if there is a way to get multiple colors (ie blue, grey, green) in one system? That's just bonus though. Basically it has to be wall mounted (space issue) and retractable, and ideally 5-8 feet wide. Seamless paper has been suggested but considering how often it's used I think it needs to be fabric of some kind for longevity. I tried asking my actor community on FB but no good suggestions yet, and I've been researching for days, so thought someone here might know of a product that would work! Worth a shot!

Email Marketing Subject Line Help by Bonesawzine  •  last post Sep 1st

Hey all. Haven't been booking much lately, wondering if it's my email subject line. Response rate has been about 2% which is in the "OK" area. Just picked up Sales Handy as an email tracker to help check the open rates. The subject lines have been "Voice Talent Inquiry" and "Voice Actor Demo Submission." Are these bad? What do you use that generates/generated a good response rate that has led to bookings? What would be a good rule of thumb when creating a new one? ​ All help would be appreciated! Thanks everyone!

Sydney Acting Career by mayertanza  •  last post Aug 31st

Wondering anyone in Sydney that has career in acting willing to share and help. I have taken a few acting classes in NIDA, since we are in a lockdown was hoping to chat and share with actors around Sydney. Questions regarding starting out, looking for extras, and agencies. Thank you, best wishes.

Does not majoring in theatre mean I’m not as “serious” or “dedicated” of an actor? by rk2142  •  last post Aug 31st

I’m almost a third year in college and I’ve done theatre for a little while now (had no drama experience in high school but have done many plays now). I’m a business school student (suggested to me by my family as a “safety plan” since the industry has gotten extremely difficult to even crack into and also I’m in business school because of the weird way the college process worked out for me— rather than something I’m remotely passionate about). Unfortunately, because of the rigorous number of classes my business school requires me to take, I fear I won’t be able to do a BA in theater arts to graduate in a timely manner. I considered transferring to my university’s BFA acting program a while back but I eventually decided to opt against it because it wouldn’t let me major in anything else to cast a safety net and also because of my lack of experience from high school. I’m also partially hesitant about the BA in theater arts since it’s way more focused on theater history and more academic based with all the other aspects of theater than on giving me professional acting training, which is what I’m ideally looking for. I’ve strongly considered the idea of attending a conservatory for training or applying to MFA programs in acting after I graduate university and for now perhaps double major in something like film studies, as I’m a bit more interested in technical/theoretical aspects of film than I am in learning about them in theater— since I’m mainly concerned with and interested by the performance aspect of it (the craft of acting). If I truly had to do something outside of acting, I’d want to find ways to work in media/production based roles as my day job, so I feel like film studies would help me in that way if my acting career never prospered. Regardless of my areas of study, I know acting and cinema are things I am strongly passionate about and would want to keep pursuing them in any capacity possible, even if I managed to never make a living in acting or in a film based job. As long as I continue doing as much theater as I can and auditioning outside of university theater as well, am I at all doing a disservice to my aspirations for a professional acting career or not “taking acting seriously” if I’m not infatuated with all aspects of theater like I am with cinema / not majoring in theatre arts?

teenage actings weird by smelbulock  •  last post Aug 31st

I’m like conflicted like um… I can’t seem to find anything really anything my age (I’m a teen) but I’m usin actors access and backstage but nothin’s actually happenin, in the sense where actors access to me is just pressing submit and…that’s it lmao theirs nothing after, any advice?

If there ever was a Meet The Robinsons tv show or sequel, would the original voice actors return to voice the characters or would they get replaced? by BobsBurgerLover1998  •  last post Aug 31st

I was thinking bout a Meet The Robinsons tv show happening on Disney plus and I kinda wanna know if the original voice actors would return to voice the characters? Ideas?

To Seasoned VO’s: How much do you price for a book narration? Am I being low-balled? by SwagMage  •  last post Aug 31st

As a newer voice-actress I’ve switched from hourly rates to a number-of—words-per-$ rating. Right now, I’ve got a client requesting a 52,000 word novel to be voiced at a budget of $600. I don’t plan on accepting this job offer because I feel like I’m being way low-balled, but I’m not too sure. What do you guys charge for novel readings? Is this a definite low-ball from a client?

LA Casting Site - Barely Any Projects? by Actor4Action  •  last post Aug 31st

Hey y'all, New to LA. I see a lot of posts here mentioning that LA casting is great for self submitting and that a lot of LA based actors get gigs through there. However when I log in I keep getting an alert at the top under 'Castings' that say there's like a 100 castings that match me I guess. Though half of them are way outdated and only a handful are starting soon. Are there just not that many projects on the site? There's also the following alert at the top when under the 'Castings' page: "Note: The following casting changes are in effect. Not all castings will be listed here. We will also call and email you directly any opportunities that match your talent profile." All of the roles I'm seeing that are actually shooting in the future don't even fit me (i.e. different gender or ethnicities). Am I missing something? Anyone else running into similar? Thanks!

How difficult is it to land an acting role if you don't have the best looks? by Starfox_2020  •  last post Aug 31st

I dream of being an actor. One day, I might go to acting school and learn some techniques and skills to land auditions and hopefully, some good roles. However, there is one problem: I don't see many Asian actors in Hollywood movies. As a result of that, I think it's very hard for me to get a job there especially if I'm an Asian male. Do looks matter for acting?

Comedy directors by Right_Candy859  •  last post Aug 31st

Is comedy harder for directors than drama?When it's broad, how do you give notes to actors?Clearly at times the acting needs to be heightened yet also grounded. Seems tricky. How do you get actor to be brave without getting carried away. Also how additionally important is the editing in this? People clearly need comedy chops but how do you maximise effect?

Actors/actresses band ? by iguessimacting  •  last post Aug 31st

Hello !! I do not know how to word that but I had some idea that I hope no one ever did before lmao. So as you know there’s boys/girls bands for singers, but are they any boys /girls bands for actors ?? This is an idea I’d like to develop, HMU fellow actors if interested :) To make everything easier, we could start by make a group chat on Twitter and then move on TikTok to do our scenes (but start by going into my dms here !) Have a nice day everyone. :)

Should I get my mfa in acting or a 2 year conservatory?? by StrobeRogers  •  last post Aug 31st

Hi everyone, I have almost 10 years experience barely working as an actor. Ive been in some local commercials, i was a lead in one that never got aired but still got payed. I went to a small community College for their well connected program because their teachers all do local theater. I went to undergrad previously to a terrible college and just picked film to network but i was terrible at writing and everything. I didnt quit and study acting because i had a lot of bad experiences in other community colleges and worked w a terrible controlling nightmare dir who didnt like me because i talked to a girl he liked, so he and his producer friend used every moment (when they werent getting loaded during rehearsal) to terrorize me. I finally quit and he always said he knew everyone, so i just did extra work until it was enough time for him to forget about me. I cant really focus on building my career now because im broke. I cant find a job that pays for anything beyond basics. I was considering just taking a break and studying something useful for my masters like digital marketing. Whats everyones thoughts? Thanks