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We have found 19,322 posts across 4 actor forums:

Saying no to non-speaking roles to get better opportunities? by FurmidableCat  •  last post Feb 22nd

I have mastered the non-speaking roles but have been struggling to get more speaking roles on professional productions (even though I get a lot of them on independent productions and do have a couple small speaking roles on professional productions). My acting teacher advised me to simply say no to the non-speaking roles that I am offered or negotiate an upgrade to make it clear that I am a professional actor who is only looking for speaking roles at the moment. That’s how he managed to get to the next level and it makes sense because I have gone through something similar in another aspect of my life and saying no really helped me. This is something I haven’t tried yet and I do believe that hanging on to smaller roles is what keeps me from moving forward to bigger roles. But at the same time, should I risk the only thing that I have at the moment? Did any of you make this sacrifice and got better opportunities after that? Or did you try this and now regret it? I want to know about it! Thank you!

not sending in self-tapes you aren't happy with by redalienbaby  •  last post Feb 22nd

just venting here and sharing my experience I finally got an audition after months of not having anything. For some reason, it came out so awful. I was overacting, not focused, and dumbed down my performance. It's probably because I was so excited to be doing a self-tape that I self-sabatoged. I hate that as actors we feel pressure to send something in whether we feel good about it or not. I don't know whether it's a fear of disappointing the agent/manager, the casting director, or what. But I definitely sent in a bad tape simply because I felt like I had to. Next time I'm going to give myself the freedom to decide whether or not I'm happy with what I'm sending in. And if I'm not, I won't. For whatever reason sometimes things just don't click. We're human. In the end it's better to send nothing in and protect the casting director's image of you than it is to send something shitty in and have them remember you as someone who didn't deliver/not bring you in again. As for this last one, Hopefully the cd will see how bad it is within the first few seconds and stop watching! ha

Need Help on asking VAs From a Mini Kids Web Series To do a Interview by XLS_Crystal  •  last post Feb 22nd

Hi so I have a YouTube channel with over 12K subs and 2 million views, and I'd really want to interview these voice actors from this mini kids web series! I've been practiced my interviewing skills for a while now, and I think I'm ready for the real thing! However, I'm really unsure on how to approach them and was wondering if there was any advice on contacting them! ​ ​ ​ \-If your wondering what the show is called, it's called Toca Life Stories

what's it like being a working actor? by opheliatheinsane  •  last post Feb 22nd

so what's it like being a working actor? and no I don't mean, like, celebrities who "made it" in Hollywood and have millions of dollars and live a high-class life and attend the oscars and stuff... because let's be real, the odds of making it that big are quite slim. So, what's it like just being a working actor who isn't 'famous'? what's your salary like? what's your day to day life, is it hard that you booking another job is never guaranteed?

How to title clips? by hithirteen  •  last post Feb 22nd

I have a demo reel on Actor’s Access but my manager just recommended that I upload clips instead. My entire reel is basically “dramatic”. Would I label each clip “drama” or specify exactly what they are? For example there’s one scene of me in a confessional with a priest revealing my mother’s sins. Another is me opening up to the girl I’m dating about my past. Also- how long should clips be? What is the standard? TIA

Self-tape Frustration by hithirteen  •  last post Feb 21st

I follow a casting director on instagram. She was doing a q&a and answered a question saying her self-taping pet peeves are when 1. actors read their sides as a monologue bc they don’t have a reader, and 2. when they prerecord the other lines. I 100% totally get that this is annoying- hell I’d probably be annoyed if I was a cd bc things like that could sacrifice the integrity of the acting, etc, but... considering the state of the world, can we please be given a break? It’s not safe for people to constantly meet in person for self tapes. Some people don’t have both phones and laptops for using a virtual reader. I just feel like too much is expected of us at times!

I'm lost. by Ned2005  •  last post Feb 21st

Hey! I'm 15 year old male from Europe, Lithuania. I'm kinda lost on what to do: I only think about acting, specifically in movies or TV shows. But the thing is, that our country (Lithuania), has a damn poor acting industry overall - actors are always the same, poor scripts, close to impossible to have it as a stable and good full-time job in my opinion. And the bad thing is, that I currently don't even know what I wanna work as (rather than an actor) and what to choose to study in those upcoming years, I'm screwed :D. Anyways, my goal/dream is to somehow study acting and book jobs in America (Los Angeles might be a good place), because I think it has way more oppurtunities and side jobs, and I think I act better in English language (dunno why, just the way it is). I think that you guys might not be able to help me in this situation, but I'm really lost on what I want to do in life rather than acting in America (I know, I know, it's a dumb dream, but I really would love to achieve this) Yep, I might be too young to understand things and I'm just currently maybe overthinking stuff. Thanks in advance!

Networking in organization events by SabReale12  •  last post Feb 21st

There are a few latinx talent organizations in LA like NALIP and LALIFF. Being part of the community, would you say joining these organizations through paid membership to be able to go to the events is a good way to meet latinx directors and actors? Anyone here is a member of any film festival organization?

Tips for Preparation and Resilience? by seanny333  •  last post Feb 21st

Hi everyone. I just recently got into acting again after years of feeling like I wasn't good enough. So far, I've been getting some pretty unexpectedly positive results! I know how hard it is to get auditions right now, let alone receive a callback. And I'm afraid I just wasted an opportunity. I have done tons of self-tapes so far. Those are great with me, as I'm primarily a screen actor. But I got my first zoom audition for a play and had a whole week to prepare a monologue for it, but didn't end up even picking one until last night. I tried to find the time every day to find one and memorize it, but it seems as though other projects kept getting in the way. I still do not have it memorized and the audition is in 2 hours. I don't even like the monologue after doing some analysis on it, so it makes it even harder to prepare. Does anyone have any tips on finding and preparing a monologue? Also, any tips on zoom audition? That being said, my reading of the monologue is flat and boring. I keep tripping up on the words and know I will just make a fool of myself. So I'm deciding to skip the audition unfortunately. I do not want to make this a habit, however. So any tips on getting back on track would be great! What do you all do to be in actor mode every day? I find that it gets hard for me to slip back into being able to portray a character after something like this. TL;DR I could not find the time to find a monologue. When I did, I could not find one I could get into, so I settled. Now I'm having trouble memorizing the monologue, my reading of it is so boring, and I have the audition in two hours. Unfortunately, I'm just going to skip it. How do I get back on track and stay in actor mode and be more prepared next time?

A friendly reminder on a common term! "Cast" never "casted" by WouldDie4aFry  •  last post Feb 21st

I've been seeing a huge uptick in younger actors, particularly if English is not their first language, using the term "casted". This is not a real term and can make you look green in an audition or networking setting. No shame in using it, but now you know! If you see other young actors using it KINDLY let them know, no reason to shame anyone over it!

Need advice on how to approach my parents!! by opheliatheinsane  •  last post Feb 21st

My parents have my life planned out for me: I'll graduate highschool with awards and honors and my diploma. I'll go to a top-notch university, I'll get a good job that pays well. I'll get an arranged marriage (marry who ever my parents want me to) and then have kids with him. Live a typical normal average, mundane life. but I DO NOT WANT THAT!! I HAVE A DREAM! A PASSION! A FIRE INSIDE ME, TELLING ME TO PURSUE MY DREAMS! I want to go out into the world, I want to become a world-successful actress and singer, start my own business, I want to fall in love in the streets of paris, I want to explore everything this wondrous world has to offer! I want to accept an Oscar! I want to get drunk on a california beach under the beating sun and just scream and laugh and LIVE, I want to LIVE, I want to ACT! All I ever want to do is act and sing and LIVE oh how badly I crave for that. I do NOT want to go to university. college is not for me, I just know it. HOW THE HELL DO I TELL MY PARENTS THIS?!

Is it acceptable to be super particular about roles I want to audition for? by fighterandlover23  •  last post Feb 21st

I go out for a lot of high school aged girl roles. I am much older. I would much rather prefer to do serious roles. That is what resonates with me the most. I am a serious person and I like serious roles. I like emotion and drama. I was expressing to my family how I do not even want to do these auditions because they simply do not interest me in any way. I can barely get myself to read through the sides. They told me that "real actors would play anything." Is it bad I am so particular? My mom keeps suggesting that maybe this isn't for me because I don't have much to show for my acting career, which sucks to hear. I simply just want to audition for the right roles or create my own content. I'm overall feeling shitty. I haven't booked anything in forever either so that isn't helping either. Should I tell my agent/manager what I want to go out for? Do I audition for these roles even though not one bit of me resonates with them?

Scotland COVID Restrictions (Help?!) by Smilingtribute  •  last post Feb 21st

Hi guys. I’m 21 years old I’m an actor at college, based in Scotland. My friend who is in the same class as me, put my name forward to be apart of his friends production which he has now dropped out of. In fact, everyone from my college has dropped out apart from my self. The director lives around 40 miles away. I said yes, thinking it would be ages away as the production is in May. We are do a pantomime and I’m an ugly sister. The director is my age. I’ve changed characters twice, but I’ve learned most of lines. We have rehearsed on Zoom since January and now the producer wants to rehearsal in a studio space which is outside my council area. In Scotland, we have different areas. We have been told to stay in them due to lockdown in Scotland by our prime minster and we can’t leave our area unless it’s essential till lockdown eases which won’t be till late March. The majority of the cast, live in that area and I do not as I live the furthest away. They live in Glasgow and I live in Ayrshire. I told my parents and mum isn’t very happy. She told me to tell the producer that he is not thinking of current COVID Rules and they don’t want me fined. I messaged him and he brushed it off saying he can get someone to take me to the rehearsal as the trains in my area are blocked currently due to a landslide. Which they are. My mum is refusing to drive me to the next train station. What do I do? Do I drop out like the rest of my college class did or no.

[Alert: The Dark Knight film mentioned] Does the character that an actor/tress is asigned to, influences in how much recognition the actor/tress receives for his work from society in general? by Scadushhh  •  last post Feb 21st

*Firstly, I wanna tell you that I don't know anything about acting. I just had this question and came here.* I sometimes think that Heath Ledger recognition/success for playing the Joker in the movie Dark Knight is **partly** because of the character he had assigned to play (the Joker). Don't get me wrong, I think **the acting of Heath Ledger in that film is very good**. And I also know that he put a lot, a lot of effort into preparing for his role (In fact, he spent a month in a room preparing his character). But, I think that playing a character like the Joker gave them the opportunity to play a character that is extremely different to "a normal person", therefore a lot more fascinating and also that expresses a lot more of emotions. And that seems a great advantage respect playing a conventional character. Let's imagine that there are 2 actors (A and B). Actor A is asigned the role of playing a conventional cleaning lady who wants to abandon her job and loves her children (like most parents do). Actor B is asigned the role of playing a crazy psycopath who hates society. Even if the 2 actors put a lot of effort into their role (the same amount of effort) and they both have the same level of acting, it seems to me that actor B has A LOT more chances to be loved by the audience or even be praised for his/her acting. I know that the acting is important. But, is it possible that the character an actor plays could give them way more chances to the actor to really succeed or be loved by the general public (those who don't know about acting)?

Is Background work a good side gig for an actor? by SPELDWR0NG  •  last post Feb 21st

Looking for opinions. It's pretty well known that a ton of people who are trying to make it as actors need flexible side jobs. Do you think background work is a good side gig for actors? I'd really like to hear your opinions as to why or why not. Keep in mind, the answer may differ depending on market (ie, LA vs Vancouver could easily have different answers).