We have found 19,378 posts across 4 actor forums:
Demo Reel for Agencies? Hit me with the truth (Any Responses appreciated) by padgettjwr • last post Feb 8th
Hi, so I am basically a typical 21 year old aspiring actor moving to LA soon, and I have had years of training and experience with background work and short films, but I have no solid footage for a demo reel, as all the footage were from when I was 17-19 and I look a tad bit different. I hear from some people that it is okay to film solid self tapes and put them together for a reel and send them to agencies, but I am worried and I wonder if I should just try getting people together to make our own scene or just paying for a scene to be shot for me for my reel. Do I need to do all of that for a better shot at agencies, or do you guys think that I can get by with self tapes of aired scenes? Thank you in advance
Examples of professional business cards? by Clairoscopic • last post Feb 8th
Does anybody have any examples of actors business cards, like professional actor cards?
VOICE ACTORS by EDSON12_ • last post Feb 8th
Hi! I'm Edson Nolasco, international manager from a full-service audio company. At the moment we're looking for german, korean, russian or french voice actors for a kid show that is broadcasted on a website. We need the voice of a mom, dad or some kids. Maybe you match with a character. Also, an important requirement is that you must be able to sing. Please, let me know if you are interested and if you meet the requirements. All the best
Where is the best place to find gigs for beginner teenage voice actors by Starshotstream • last post Feb 8th
I've seen so many websites for gigs and jobs but I cant seem to find one that would actually get me anywhere. Any tips on what site I should use?
What's the scoop on being a handsome, Asian male actor these days? Pro-tips? by ZaraZote • last post Feb 8th
My partner is a really attractive East Asian man and we live in an area where film is a huge industry. He loves acting but never has time outside of his job to do it, except for classes. We see that there is a bit of a trend for more hot Asian men to be in movies and TV shows these days. What do you think about his chances at making good money if he were to shift his focus to pursue more acting gigs? Any pro-tips or advice for someone in his position? Thanks for any insight!
A Whole Handful of Acting Questions (Long Post) by PiratesAndPotatoes • last post Feb 8th
What's up r/acting? I'm back with a whole handful of questions for you. I was unsure if I should do this as one post or multiple, so if this type of post goes against the sub's rules, by all means, remove it. I don't intend to infringe; merely I wanted to get my questions out there. ***Firstly, I have a few questions regarding making a reel with no experience:*** * In general, I've heard that for those of us with no industry experience, we should make a reel by memorizing a handful of monologues, filming them, and editing them together to use as a reel. Is this how I should go about it? * Would I be able to use dialogue, especially monologues, from a novel in a reel? * For example, there is a trilogy I read recently that I absolutely loved some of the dialogue in, and at one point, the character speaking spoke in a way that was essentially a monologue. Would I be able to use this? * I'm not quite sure how best to word this, but could I use a spoken-word work or "song"? * Specifically, the thing I'm thinking about for this is Starset's "A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FUTURE". I absolutely love the monologue, but would there be any sort of legalities surrounding it, as it is technically a "song" released by the band, that would prevent me from using it as a monologue in an acting reel? * When it comes to student films, would those need to be published or publicized in any way in order to be able to list them on my resume or use clips in a reel? ***Next, I've got some questions about acting in general—a few different topics:*** * I'm currently still under quarantine due to familial health concerns. Is there a way to take my own headshots at home so as to not have to wait until summer at the SOONEST to get them done professionally? Of course I will as soon as I am able, but would there be a way to take headshots that could pass as professional-looking enough so I do not have to wait longer than necessary to begin to put myself out there and submit for auditions online? If so, what would be the best way to go about it? * Speaking of online submission sites, I've seen that Actors' Access, Backstage, and Casting Networks are extremely highly recommended and in most cases required by agencies. * What of these, or other similar, sites should I sign up for first? * Which are *most* important when just starting out in the industry? * Should I sign up as soon as I possibly can or wait any amount of time? * I've seen that Actors' Access does not necessarily require a monthly fee, but what about Backstage and Casting Networks? * If they do require monthly fees, how much per month do they generally tend to be? * When the time comes to begin submitting to agencies, are Atlanta and Miami typically considered the same region or would they both cover different areas? * This is sort of important to me as I'll be moving to a city in FL about half an hour outside of MIA in a little over a year, and I'm just unsure as to what areas agencies in each city would cover. * How would agencies in the Southeast compare to agencies in an area such as Los Angeles as far as project submissions? * Should you mass submit to agencies? * If so, what would be the best way to go about it? * I'm currently 17, but when my family moves I will have turned 18. Currently, my family is supportive of my wanting to act, but isn't fully able/willing to travel long distances, such as to LA or even ATL (I currently live appx. 2 hours away), or to travel very frequently. I'm more than willing to travel, love traveling actually, and will try to do so on my own if or when that's necessary, but I'm not sure how my family would respond to that idea. I am fully aware that traveling tends to be quite a huge part of the job. How might I be able to make this work? * I absolutely love the craft of acting, and I realize I'm likely overthinking this and it won't even come up for months to years, but I'm terrified out of my mind that if/when I get a part with any number of lines, I won't be able to memorize them in time, or that I will but my performance will be unrealistic. Any tips on how to calm my overactive mind and ensure that I can memorize to the best of my ability and also remain realistic in my acting? * What are some tips or resources for writing cover letters for both agency and audition submissions? * Finally, one of the likely often-asked questions: what are some tips on how to get the best lighting in self tapes? Thank you so, so much to anyone who took the time to read through that. Any and all tips, resources, answers, and advice are very much appreciated! *(Edits: grammar, clarification)*
Hey NY actors. How did you get into Bob Krakower's class? by Illustrious_Minimum1 • last post Feb 7th
Hey NY actors, I was wondering if anybody have any luck getting into Bob Krakower's classes before or during the pandemic? Any luck especially during the pandemic? It would be a real privilege to study under him even if just for a very short period of time. ​ Thank you!
16 year old. Peer pressure, family judging. High aspirations. by mrchris20040072004 • last post Feb 7th
I am inspired by the likes of Tom hanks, Tom hardy, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Johnny Depp. I would like to start acting; or at least to start learning to act. I have never mentioned this to my family before, it would seem so weird from their point of view that I, a introverted 16 year old kid would want to start a career in which you have to perform in front of hundreds of people. I have no prior experience. Nothing. But honestly, when I watch an emotional scene, I want to be the person on the screen, screaming/crying/shouting my heart out. What can i do to get started? I’m from the Uk. Family are middle class and don’t really live near a city. Maybe tmi but yeah just looking for tips really. Do i HAVE to go to acting school to become an actor? Cheers guys
Basics of acoustic treatment...demystifying by aka_trouble • last post Feb 7th
I'm the kind of person that needs to understand the fundamentals before I can even think about taking action on something - namely my voice "booth". There's a lot of highly technical information out there and it's difficult to weed through what's good advice and what's bad advice. So I put together this list of videos that broke down acoustic treatment clearly and for non-engineers like myself. I also asked a local voice over audio engineer for more tips. I hope this helps some of you wrap your heads around how you need to treat your space for voice acting. How sound works in a room - very Bill Nye with fun visuals and analogies: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPYt10zrclQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPYt10zrclQ) When to use diffusion vs absorption - these two methods are really the essence of acoustic treatment, but I was very confused as to when and how to do it: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m\_LUighoO4U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_LUighoO4U) Vocals in particular. This guy advocates for expensive diffusion, but my takeaway is to prioritize bigger space and sound absorption: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSwDpm-7dec](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSwDpm-7dec) ​ Key takeaways & advice from engineer: 1. Use absorption on surfaces that your voice will bounce off of. 2. Only use diffusion if you can afford the expensive stuff. Those foam squares do practically nothing. Put diffusion panels behind the mic and behind you the actor/singer so that they form a semi-circle or V. 3. A bigger space is better. 4x4x8 rooms are too small and sound boxy (so does a literal box). 4. Don't build spaces that can be divided into themselves ex 10x10x10. Use odd/prime number lengths to be safe (15 x 5 x 11). 5. Put as much space between you and the walls as possible. 6. Better yet, stand in the middle of a room facing a corner so you and the mic are lined up diagonally in the space. This is really just the basics, you can go even further but if you're like me and just starting out, treating a room with these in mind will get you really far without spending too much. And hopefully it gives you a clearer GOAL to aim for instead of getting cross-eyed at sine waves and geometric equations. Feel free to offer more advice and critique.
Tips for finding a VO Agency? by polyglotconundrum • last post Feb 7th
Hi friends, I'm an established VO actor (mostly commercial) and am now looking for representation-- Any of you veterans have any advice on finding one? I recently came across DirectSubmit (from NYCastings), is that worth using? Thanks!
I’m trying to get started and have no idea what’s going on by Jmantheboss04 • last post Feb 7th
So I’m trying to be an actor but I realized I don’t fully understand how any of this works. Like how do I go about trying to get an audition, do I have to pay to be in a role cause I read something that confused me about 100 different ways about that, and honestly just any advice would be welcomed here please
My plans after high school. by Fuzzy-Food-4737 • last post Feb 7th
Hello. I’m a 15 year old sophomore that live in Pennsylvania. I hate school. I’ve always hated school and i’m barley surviving high school. The thought of me doing 2 or 4 more years at college makes me sick to my stomach. I’ve been interested in acting at a young age and no i’m trying to persue a career in acting because i don’t want to work for a more professional legitimate job like real estate. I want to be an Actor because i feel like i was born to do it. I really do think that i can get my name out there one day. Even being in a commercial would really make my life lol. So i’ve decided to get a job and save up my money. For anything. i’m just gonna save everything up. It sounds movie like i know but i’m going to move to LA and do it. Is it realistic ?? i know i can do this.
Do I even need a Twitter? by TheGentlemanWolf • last post Feb 7th
Normally don't post here but I need some advice, I've been a voice actor for a couple years now and have found good success and feel I'm on the right path to becoming a professional one day. But recently I've been feeling like I should get rid of my business Twitter because of a number of factors: 1) VA community on there is toxic and hypocritical as hell 2) Found that Twitter can be a serious liability to people who use it for business and professional endeavors because of the people who make Twitter what it is. And 3) Fear of slipping up and say the wrong thing resulting in me being affected. I mean Twitter does offer some potential good jobs (I've gotten some) but I've been thinking of just deleting it and making a secret private one that I use for jobs only. But what are you guys thoughts on Twitter? Do you have or feel it's necessary to be a successful VA?
Acting reel NYC by KickBlue22 • last post Feb 7th
I have been hired by an actor here in New York City to do a shoot, showcasing her abilities. My thoughts are that showing an actor delivering monologues is one way to demonstrate what an actor is capable of. On the other hand, since I normally do corporate video production in NYC, I believe that featuring her in the starring role of a mock commercial could look a LOT more compelling! From a marketing perspective (in terms of helping her 'sell' herself), presenting her in a spec commercial like this should be even more effective in grabbing the arrention of casting directors / talent agencies. The actor herself is open to going in either direction and I want to do the right thing by her to help her out. Any thoughts on pros / cons of one approach versus the other? We already have a location booked at Time Square a week from now, so timing is tight...
Ideas in the future by Pentaholic-23 • last post Feb 7th
Fairly new to the sub, and I know you guys probably get questions like these often but I would like some advice. I’m a high school sophomore and I have a real passion for acting and theater. When I watch movies and tv I look at it through this different lens of how amazing it must be to do that job. To get to work with all these amazing people who I’ve idolized for years and dreamed of meeting let alone working with. I also love the dancing that comes with the more musical movies, but haven’t done any real dancing. I’ve always been told that I’d be a great actor, I’ve tried the drama clubs at my schools but can’t get into them. They aren’t what I’m looking for. I have fairly recently thought about majoring in real estate with a minor in theater/acting, just so I’d have something stronger to fall back on since it’s such a competitive career. I’m also worried about what people will think, my dad has always has always thought about me going into healthcare or communications, and his response to this path would be “it’s very competitive” “it’s expensive” “how do you know you’ll achieve what you’re looking for”. My mom may be supportive but I know she’d think it wasn’t the best idea. There are so many places to begin, so many things to do. This is something that I feel is calling me, something I see myself doing and enjoying doing everyday in the future. So after all of this talk, is there something that stands out in the industry that is something you feel I should know? I also want to know, when did you decide to become and actor, and what were your first steps to getting there?
How far can you live from your primary market? by aandAction • last post Feb 7th
So while lots of people live right in Atlanta/NYC/LA, I understand some live in smaller cities that are within reasonable driving distance. What do you think is a reasonable distance from your primary market to live, if you are not doing theatre or live performance at all? Obviously it's more convenient to live virtually on the doorstep of the various casting offices and training opportunities, but particularly with the shift to self-tapes, how far could one reasonably live? 1 hour drive? 3 hours drive? Even 5 hours drive? This question is with actors in mind who are still only really auditioning in one place for the most part--not being represented by people in LA, NY and London all at the same time.
I want to be a Voice actor..but how? by Jalen_02 • last post Feb 6th
I can't take classes, they cost too much, i'm not good at editing demo reel, and i can't afford an agent. i heard parents can become their kid's agent, so looking into that, but this is something i wanted to try, and i don't know if i'm good enough..everytime i hear my voice via recording, i cringe..like i'm not good enough,,
Should Background work be listed in a Resume? by meanstoflourish • last post Feb 6th
I know the answer is no, but my friend thinks I'm crazy for not including my "role" as "Guerilla Woman" in an upcoming massive DC film. I had 2 scenes and no lines (I do exchange a nod with one of the film's stars but that's about it). Should I include it, if only because the movie is so big? I know of famous actors that only had 1 scene and no lines in Star Wars films, and it's still listed as roles for them. But I understand we're not the same. I've had 2 lead roles and 2 supporting roles in theater plays, a supporting role in a student short film, and nothing else. That's all I'm listing under experience. I'm putting together my Resume to audition to drama schools for a Master's, and I've been told by friends I need more experience in my CV so I should include it—particularly since this film is so well known. **TL;DR: Is the old saying that you should never list background work still true if it's a big film? This would be for drama school auditions, not casting directors.**
What problems do you run into by breathing_oxygen12 • last post Feb 6th
I was curious recently how do voice actors deal with a sore throat. Also what little miscellaneous things get in the way when you are trying to perform when recording.
The Actors Channel by TheActorsChannel • last post Feb 6th
Hi, We’d like to share a brand new Channel on Youtube called: The Actors Channel Performers, Students, Teachers, Theatre Ensembles, theatre enthusiasts, may Subscribe for FREE, click on the bell for notifications & receive brand new weekly episodes that help performers of all levels in arts with acting techniques, auditions, theatre history and a myriad of topics including: How to Enter/Exit an Audition Room How to Memorize Lines How to Prepare for an Audition Dealing with Fear & Rejection How to Create a Resume for Acting How to Get an Agent How to Find Work without an Agent Each Season at The Actors Channel has 10 Episodes full of skits, talks, guest artists, speakers all with professional insight from NYC and LA arts educators, casting directors, theatre directors & choreographers and professional artists in the industry with over 25 years of experience. Think of it as a cross between Sesame Street and Saturday Night Live - for performers. Each episode ranges from 15-20 minutes filled with insight, inspiration, advice & is geared towards the performer who really loves the craft, but wants a cushion of knowledge to further enhance the training they are already receiving at your institution. Season 3 includes topics : Top 25 Movies of All TIme Intro to Shakespeare Acting Techniques & Methods Theatre & Film Terms & Vocabulary Musical Theatre History Film Actors and more! Feel free to subscribe & share our channel in your arts community, theatre community and fellow performers. [https://www.youtube.com/c/theactorschannel](https://www.youtube.com/c/theactorschannel) ​ Hope it adds fun and insight to your creative journey.