We have found 19,250 posts across 4 actor forums:
How do I move to Vancouver as an LA actor? by SamanthaRoseBaldwin • last post Jun 18th
Hi friends! I have no idea how this website works; I made this account just to ask this questions so please bare with me. lol I'm an actor. I'm currently living in and am based out of LA, but I'm trying to relocate to Vancouver. I have a living situation already set up and a community already, so it's just really the visa aspect I have no idea how to work around. Has anyone ever made this move before? Of course, I would love to get a traditional visa so I could get a 9-5 job to pay the bills, but the acting is the only thing that's entirely necessary. Please... HELP. Literally any information would be helpful.
Smart Line Memorization Tips - From an Actor and Jeopardy Champion by Joibes • last post Jun 17th
Hey everyone, I’ve been doing a lot of research into the science of memory and learning, and I’ve found a lot of simple principles and techniques I think most actors are not familiar with and would be super helpful when it comes to memorizing lines. These techniques make it possible to memorize lines deeply as well as get off book faster. I want to share them with all of you and see what you think. Here are my top 8 tips: **1. Chunking** \- Break your script into chunks and memorize it chunk by chunk. Dividing it into beats is perfect for this. This makes memorization SO much easier than just trying to memorize a scene or monologue all together in a big blob. I suggest always reformatting monologues by dividing them into phrases and then beats before memorizing them. Doing this makes them easier to read, understand, and memorize. Here's an example to show you what I mean. This is a monologue from Tennessee Williams's play *Summer and Smoke:* >Alma: > >You needn’t try to comfort me. I haven’t come here on any but equal terms. You said, let’s talk truthfully. Well, let’s do! Unsparingly, truthfully, even shamelessly, then! It’s no longer a secret that I love you. It never was. I loved you as long ago as the time I asked you to read the stone angel’s name with your fingers. Yes, I remember the long afternoons of our childhood, when I had to stay indoors to practice my music—and heard your playmates calling you, “Johnny, Johnny!” How it went through me, just to hear your name called! And how I—rushed to the window to watch you jump the porch railing! I stood at a distance, halfway down the block, only to keep in sight of your torn red sweater, racing about the vacant lot you played in. Yes, it had begun that early, this affliction of love, and has never let go of me since, but kept on growing. I’ve lived next door to you all the days of my life, a weak and divided person who stood in adoring awe of your singleness, of your strength. And that is my story! Now I wish you would tell me —why didn’t it happen between us? Why did I fail? Why did you come almost close enough—and no closer? Now here it is again chunked to my liking: >Alma: > >You needn’t try to comfort me. I haven’t come here on any but equal terms. You said, let’s talk truthfully. Well, let’s do! Unsparingly, truthfully, even shamelessly, then! > >It’s no longer a secret that I love you. It never was. I loved you as long ago as the time I asked you to read the stone angel’s name with your fingers. > >Yes, I remember the long afternoons of our childhood, when I had to stay indoors to practice my music— and heard your playmates calling you, “Johnny, Johnny!” How it went through me, just to hear your name called! And how I—rushed to the window to watch you jump the porch railing! I stood at a distance, halfway down the block, only to keep in sight of your torn red sweater, racing about the vacant lot you played in. > >Yes, it had begun that early, this affliction of love, and has never let go of me since, but kept on growing. I’ve lived next door to you all the days of my life, a weak and divided person who stood in adoring awe of your singleness, of your strength. > >And that is my story! Now I wish *you* would tell *me* — why didn’t it happen between us? Why did I fail? Why did you come almost close enough—and no closer? I find the monologue much more manageable and easier on the eyes this way! **2. Mapping** \- Take stock of the journey of the scene/monologue. Find the throughline. How would you summarize the journey in just a few sentences? How does one moment lead logically to the next? Doing this provides a simple map of the scene/monologue, which like all great maps, helps you to never get lost! **3. Elaboration** \- Elaboration is a learning method that involves fleshing out the information to be memorized with rich, ample detail and making connections, so the material becomes more meaningful and alive for you. This is why in-depth script analysis is so helpful to line memorization. So this is really where you want to do your “acting homework.” Look for clues in the text and make inferences about character, relationships, circumstances, subtext. Find your character’s objectives and intentions. Your greatest tool in this step is the question, “Why?” **4. Mnemonic Linking** \- Mnemonics is a fascinating field. It’s been around for thousands of years, and **it utilizes the human brain’s natural special ability to remember IMAGES best.** Mnemonic technique involves creating striking images to represent the information to be remembered. It transforms information that is difficult to remember into striking images that are easy to remember. These extraordinary images are then linked together, perhaps in a story, or by being placed throughout an imagined space. It takes a little bit of effort to learn, but mnemonics can really be like steel reinforcement for your memory. **5. Movement/blocking** \- Setting the blocking of the scene can really help line memorization. The blocking provides a helpful structure that gives your memory something to hang onto. As you move about the set as your character, you trigger the recall of your lines. If you’re in the early stages of rehearsal and you and your director haven’t set the blocking just yet, you may want to keep things a little loose. Play around with movement, but don’t do it the exact same way every time as you practice. **6. Retrieval Practice** \- This is just making sure you're actually testing yourself. Don't just study lines on the page. Don't just read the script over and over. Memories get strengthened when you test yourself and force yourself to recall the memories from within. So after initially learning the script, get away from the page as much as you can and only look at the script to check whether you've got the words right or not. If you're ever not sure, guess first, then check the script. This seems like a small thing, but it can save you LOADS of time if you're not doing this already. **7. Spaced Repetition** \- When you're running your lines and are getting those reps in, you want to space out your sessions of repetition. You don't want to just continuously run lines over and over. Spacing out your repetitions strengthens the recall of memories much more than cramming or continuous practice. It also saves a lot of time! So make sure you're taking breaks. If you need to be memorized fast, use shorter intervals. (Maybe 10 minutes, then 20 minutes, then 30.) If you have the luxury of more time, use longer intervals. (Ex: 1 hour, 3 hours, 1 day, etc.) **8. Sleep** \- Sleep is super important for memory and learning. Naps are great for when you're taking breaks. Practicing lines right before going to sleep or soon after waking up is really great for strengthening those memories. So what do you think? Do you find these tips helpful? Do any of you have questions about any of them? I’d love to help out in any way I can. I've been working on this stuff for a while, so line memorization has really become my jam. I have a website, [offbookit.com](https://offfbookit.com) where you can learn more. I also wrote a free guide called The Speedy 8: The 8-Step Formula to Super-Accelerate Your Line Memorization that you can find at [offbookit.com/guide](https://offbookit.com/guide).
Wanting to audition for Nickelodeon by anuvkk • last post Jun 17th
hi! my name is anu & im 14. ever since I was younger, I’ve wanted to act. when I was around 9 my mom took me to some acting classes but they weren’t consistent and one of the agencies I signed up for was a scam. they made you pay a lot and I heard that you should never have to pay. Anyways, what I’m saying is that I have basically no experience. I’ve always loved acting and singing, and in the past few years I’ve chosen singing, and I go to an arts school with a major in singing. but recently Ive been wanting to get into acting. there is a live action version of avatar: the last airbender being made, and they’re having open casting calls soon. I really want to audition for Katara. the only audition/performance experiences I’ve had are with singing. And the thing is, I have literally NOTHING to put on my resume and I feel like that would lower my chances of being considered for the part. the only thing that makes me fit for the part is that I look like her and I think my acting is okay. and I’m genuinely like her in real life so I think it would be a great part to act because it would just be me portraying my own personality. but with the pandemic going on, I can’t really get experience with acting. I’m taking an online class from this YouTuber ( his account is The Actors Academy on yt ) and honestly I didn’t know if it was worth it or credible because I can’t find his name anywhere and people on reddit said that was fishy. but the class was on sale for $25, so I thought why not, and I got it. It’s a serious of videos that add up to 10 hours and they apparently contain everything he knows and has learned about acting. I’m on the 13th video and the advice is pretty good and it’s logical. But I feel like if I put some online acting class that isn’t credible on my resume, it would look bad. so basically I want help on what to do to get better at acting fast, and how to make my resume with basically no experience. I also want to learn how to make a video audition and how to get comfortable infront of the camera. any advice would be very helpful. Thank you!!
Do websites matter? by yippiekayak1408 • last post Jun 17th
I’ll keep this short; I’m genuinely just curious. I have a two part question. 1. Are websites a must for actors? 2. Do casting directors prefer high quality websites from Wordpress or wix or would it be fine to use a free google website (the url is super long)? Does the url matter? Thanks.
Fantasy/Adventure Gig by ShyRebellion • last post Jun 17th
Hello, our new fantasy/adventure podcast is seeking voice actors. Each character is a teenager. Comment or PM for audition info. We're willing to pay royalties or cash. We can negotiate terms. Britney: neurotic, bitchy, smart Dinah: emotionless, aloof, matter-of-fact Maurice: cool, upbeat, oblivious
Looking for a fake cop is (Monash,Melbourne,Australia) to arrest my dad by Calebbjackson • last post Jun 17th
I want an actor to fake arrest my dad for being abusive(my dad is not actually abusive). The price will most likely be lower than u want because I’m 14, but is negotiable. The date and time will also be set at a time good for both of us. I’ll give you a general script to follow but feel free to make your own lines. Also if you want to do it for free that would be great Cause it will be hilarious for everyone.
LAST MIDNIGHT-INTO THE WOODS Male Cover. I’m an actor and singer so why not show off my abilities with this song!!! Hope y’all enjoy!!! by EvanSeago • last post Jun 17th
I’m a talent agent at a major agency - AMA? by throwawayaccountagt • last post Jun 17th
I am a talent agent at one of the “name brand” agencies that has been working at home with some extra time on their hands. I enjoy lurking on this sub and others and thought why not, I’ll post. Feel free to ask me anything, and even from a non-acting stand point. I’m in the LA office. I’ve worked at the same place my entire life since graduating college and basically know nothing else. I was hired as an assistant in 2011 and promoted in 2016. I rep people you definitely, probably know but would not put out them in the “A listers” category (at least not yet!), a lot of them make really good money but certainly rely on a steady income stream from acting to support their families. I don’t work with any specific type of actor, and my clients range from kids who haven’t reached 10 to people who can literally collect social security and have credits dating back to the 1960s. I have some “Zoom meetings” to get to but I’ll check in throughout the day.
What makes a good/bad performance? by InJaneAsylum • last post Jun 17th
Hi! I (17f) absolutely adore acting. Seriously, nothing else has made me feel this way for a long time. I love being able to express myself in other ways...(eg, not being myself, portraying someone else, you know?) But to be honest? I pretty much suck at it. The thing is, I haven’t been able to take any classes recently (thanks, COVID!) so I guess I can have some slack. I can tell that I’m not a good actress, I can just see it. Sometimes I watch back some clips of mine from skits that I’ve done, and just... cringe. I’m not joking. I was extremely proud of one segment I did, so I shared it with a bunch of people. Then a few days later, I watched it back, then just slowly dissolved into tears. It was honestly the worst thing I’d ever seen in my entire life. I can just tell. However, I really really really want to improve. I’m going to try to get an agent after I take some classes, but I wanted to know some things first. What makes a good/ bad actor or performance? I’ve been watching a lot of movie reviews recently, and one of the main problems is “bad acting.” I would rewatch these clips and think they were decent, but then have them classified as “a horrible performance.” Does not seeing the flaws in someone else work make me a bad actress? What if I completely, totally make a fool of myself because I fail so horribly at an audition? (My biggest fear atm!) I’m just very worried that I’m not capable of getting the level that I want to be at. I just don’t know what makes people a good actor or actress. I’ve heard it’s range, but that can’t be it. Can I have any tips, suggestions or comments? Along with anything else that might be helpful? Thank you so much!!!
What's One Thing You Cannot Unhear Now as a VO Actor? by quabbity-assuance • last post Jun 16th
Since you started voice acting, is there anything that you're more sensitive to that you can't unhear, whether it's in other people speaking or yourself or both? ex: I was watching one of my new favorite shows and one of the actresses had the worst dry mouth and I couldn't pay attention to the plot for the next 30 minutes for all the smacking. The poor audio guy!
Grad School or Acting in LA by p4charmed • last post Jun 16th
So, my indecisive brain needs some advice from fellow actors. I graduate this fall to get my bachelor’s in Psychology. I have always known that I wanted to pursue a career in acting since I was little. Well at first it was singing and then I realized I sounded like a dying whale. Acting was second. This year was supposed to be the year I started taking acting classes to confirm that my desire to act wasn’t just some “short phase” that I was going through. COVID happened that stopped any option of class. During quarantine I’ve started to write my own and first screenplay. I have a little money saved up in hopes to move from home to a new state in December (after graduation). I want to do acting I just know it. I was thinking of applying to grad schools in the LA area to continue Psychology but that’s truly not what I want to do. I would like to move and pursue acting. Basically I’m wondering if I should follow my gut and go and work/take classes and audition or if I should just hang it up and get my masters. It’s such a tough decision.
Any UK-based stage actors here? by DebbieDour • last post Jun 16th
Hi! I'm hoping to connect with some UK-based actors for my MSc research in the London School of Economics (LSE) department of Media and Communications. I'm presently interviewing actors in the UK pursuing work in live theatre (at any stage in their careers, with any amount of stage experience) for a dissertation project focused on what it is actually like to work as an actor in 2020. I'm especially interested in how actors navigate expectations around comfort with / use of technology in the pursuit of acting work. Interviews run approximately 45 minutes and are conducted via Zoom. I'm happy to provide any additional information that may be required / requested and anyone who might be interested in speaking with me is welcome to DM me for more details. Thanks!
I'm a Muslim girl.I always wanted to be an actress by my heart since but nobody supports me the idea & says to forget it. I recently watched Stranger Things and I got obsessed with it. Makes me wanna be a part of their team. I know I'm crazy! Can't a by sweetywinchester • last post Jun 16th
I always felt different about acting. Like I always loved hollywood Tv series and movies and songs. Even I've cried like crazy bcz of these. As I knew my parents will think that I'm crazy to be wanting such kind of thing as my career, I didn't say my parents about that until I turned 15. And then when I shared my thoughts about acting and requested them to permit me going for acting and that I want acting as my career, they were like shocked. And for a while they prentended like they are supporting me. Later, they started to convince me that acting is a sin and against of our religion. People around me,like my cousins kept making fun of me like "OOH LOOK WHO WANTS TO BE AN ACTOR. HOW IMPRESSIVE " kinda words. And I was so ashamed. Once I thought if I could do anything by myself. But I know I can't. Because I was so young and don't know what to do where to go and how to get my dream fulfilled. And now I'm 21. Suddenly, I've this feeling of necessity of being an actress after watching Stranger Things. I realize how these kids are so successful with their career and here am I. I couldn't even travel anywhere without my parents concern. I feel like I wish I had some superpowers to get to the Hollywood or somebody could convince my parents that I should be doing acting and I was born to do that sort of things. And if a producer shows up on asking me to be a part of their team and my parents couldn't stop me from being a part of their team. I know a bunch of people might be thinking that I'm going nuts. But I certainly don't know what to do. How come I do all these by myself? I couldn't even get accepted for the study permit in Canada. Let alone LA sort of places. I can't stop myself thinking about it either. I tried to convince myself that I'm a muslim girl and it's impossible to get so far but still I so badly want to be a part of a Tv series. I love North America a lot! I never been there and I want so bad to be there. Can any actual actor tell me how is it possible to get there within a short time? I feel very useless about myself. Thank you for your concerns
Am I being ridiculous by thinking that I could actually become an actress? by xxTheAlienBridexx • last post Jun 16th
Hey there, I’m currently 17 years old, turning 18 in a few months. I’m struggling with my dream to become an actress right now. I never considered acting as an career option until like two years ago. I was watching that really amazing movie with Helena Bonham Carter and it made me realize how beautiful acting is and how much I would love to do something like that myself. Before that I never thought about it, never did anything that could help me with working in the industry (theatre lessons, dancing, singing, etc.) and the wish to start acting was pretty sudden and out of the blue. Thee problem is that I live in Switzerland, a country with a film industry that’s not really promising for someone like me (I have some roots in west Asia, my dads side is Jewish and my moms side Romani so my skin is pretty tan and my face doesn’t really look that Caucasian and because of that it’s hard to find roles here in Switzerland since the directors want a predominantly white cast, obviously. I understand It I guess) So I made a plan and that was to study abroad after high school in a country where I actually have a chance to get a role for tv, film, etc. There’s only one problem: The money. I gotta finance those acting classes while I’m still in high school and if I actually end up studying abroad I gotta pay the really high tuition fee for international students and I’ll probably end up having to work a part time job while studying. I know it’s gonna be stressful and hard. One part of me is hoping for the best and ready to work hard for that, the other part is afraid of failure and that I’m making a wrong choice by doing something so unconventional. It just makes me feel stupid and self-conscious to have such a big dream where the risk of failure is so high and the chance of succeeding so small...I really don’t know what to do I feel like all of that is too big for me. At the same time the thought about doing something more conventional frustrates me even more, so I’m really confused right now. My parents aren’t really supportive either and they ridiculed me. I was already struggling to tell them what my dream was because part of me already knew what their reaction would be like. Thanks for listening to me ranting and sorry for my bad English. I wasn’t really paying attention to the grammar cause I’m in such a bad mood rn, sorry about that.
What to do ??? Advice needed please. by maxsmillion18 • last post Jun 16th
So I know what I want to do in this life time. I want to be an actor. It’s the career choice that I’ve always wanted to peruse and I cant see my self doing anything else. I’m 18 years old and I’ve been performing since I was young. I used to do tons of plays, my mom is a regional actress but she just does it for fun, and I have preformed in front of 12,000 people before. I want to pursue work as an actor in the film industry. I just finished my first year of college, although it’s not where I want to be. I plan on making some money, saving up, and getting some head shots taken and then moving to La to get some experience and break into the industry. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. So should I do it ? My parents ask what my next plan is if I don’t go back to the 4 year I’m at. So what should I say ? I might take some general Ed classes until then but idk. Thoughts ? Advice ? Comments would be appreciated, thanks. :)
Decrease in auditions on Voices.com by cabininthewoods • last post Jun 16th
Wondering if any other Voices users have noticed a significant drop off of their daily auditions on Voices? I know some changes to the site, and news about their ethics, money grabs etc led many prominent actors and clients to abandon the site, and COVID is likely playing a factor - but I went from auditioning maybe 25-30 times a day last year to literally about 5-8 times a day. And many auditions are mismatched (accents or ages I don’t list). Is there another site people have been using?
Is getting a callback a good thing? by jordanaanna95 • last post Jun 15th
I know it sounds like this question has an obvious answer, but I’m asking because of the circumstances of the audition. I recently auditioned for a play in which i was the only POC to audition. I got a callback, but unfortunately did not get the part. I know it’s sort of messed up to think like this, but part of me wonders if a large part of the reason I got a callback was because I was the only POC to audition. I know casting directors are really striving for diversity within casts these days. At first I was really proud of getting the callback, and felt like that meant I was a decent actor. But now that I’m getting in my own head about it...I really wonder if the callback was more for political (diversity purposes) reason. Another thing I wondered about was if I gave a poor audition at the first audition, and they wanted to give me another chance at the callback? Haha I’m pretty insecure (can you tell lol), and I seem to want to believe that I got a callback for any other reason than my talent. Any more experienced actors/casting directors have any thoughts on my “insecurity” about this?
Arkham Riddler Voice Actor Wally Wingert Interview by ThunderHawkLives • last post Jun 15th
How do you find/get auditions for movies or tv shows. by Swish_Fate • last post Jun 15th
I'm trying to become an actor but I have no idea where I find auditions. I've heard I've got to get an agent, how do I find a good agent and what do they do?
Is it possible to act semi-professionally? by jordanaanna95 • last post Jun 15th
Usually when you see people posting about making a decision on whether to pursue acting professionally and major in acting, a lot of people will advise that the OP should choose another major and continue to act as a hobby. I majored in something other than acting (did tons of plays in high school and love acting but wanted stability), and I am fortunate to have landed a job in LA. It’s not a full time job, but it still pays decently and requires dedication and my professional attention/energy. Could I pursue acting semi-professionally? I feel like you either hear about people who go all out and major in acting and then move to LA/NYC and audition/take classes/work on productions full time or you see people who stick solely to community theatre to satisfy their passion for acting. Is it possible to do it semi-professionally though? Since my new job is part time, do you think I could swing it? I don’t know anything about the professional acting world, so the only thing I could see being an issue is filming conflicting with my job. It seems like it wouldn’t be as much of an issue with theatre, where rehearsals are typically at night and on the weekend. But film acting? I assume that filming usually takes place during the day, and casting directors assume that their actors take the casting seriously and professionally. So is there any way to treat both a job and acting professionally? I want to build up my acting resume professionally, while still treating my job professionally. Any advice?