We have found 19,302 posts across 4 actor forums:
Can someone please help me to understand scansion? by markalocases • last post Jun 20th
I'm a young actor with a newly-found interest in Shakespeare. I'm particularly interested in Shakespearean meter. However, beyond the basic idea of iambic pentameter, I can't seem to understand scansion. Like how do I know if a foot is to be read as an iamb or a trochee? (Like how do I recognise the exceptions to the iambic pentameter rule?) Because I find a lot of the times my natural stresses may not fall on the stresses Shakespeare has intended. So how do I determine if a line is supposed to be read as iambic pentameter or as an expectation? Also, what about lines that fall short of the pentameter or exceed it?
Favorite character demos? by juniorwitch • last post Jun 20th
Hey friends, I'm updating my voice over demos this summer and I wanted to find some really good animation and character demos to take notes from. Are there any from well-established actors that inspired you? Which demos are your favorites? Thanks!
Getting Started in Vancouver/Toronto by bobabobabobabobaboba • last post Jun 20th
hi!!!! newbie here seeking advice. I’m a Chinese-Canadian turning 18 in two months, and I decided to take some risks and try to submit to some acting agencies since high school is now officially over. i still haven’t fully decided if I am going to attend UBC or U of Toronto (for humanities/film studies), and am also considering berklee college of music for voice (and take acting classes outside of college, but I don’t know a lot about the art scene in Boston. is it better than Vancouver/Toronto? Vancouver/Toronto would be cheaper since I am Canadian.) My family is in Vancouver, so if I do move to Toronto or Boston for school, it would not be a problem to come back for castings, etc. Toronto is also better than Vancouver fashion-wise, as I might also pursue modeling since I meet the measurements. I was wondering which city you would suggest for an actor starting out? I’d like to go to auditions while still staying in school, so it’s not too much of a gamble (but def open to taking time off if an acting opportunity comes up! though i understand that is very difficult.) i was wondering if you have any tips for submissions? i’m trying to do research, but what would you usually address/not address in a cover letter? and would a demo reel be okay if it is just me doing a monologue in front of a bare bedroom wall and a camera? i do have a couple from last year but they’re not great, and my looks have changed a bit from last year. it’s difficult to do more professional self tapes now with corona :( I don’t have a lot of experiences so my resume is quite sad, but i did attend NYU Tisch Drama’s Summer Program at Stonestreet Studios last summer, direct, write, edit, and act in a short film produced at NYU, interned at a casting agency here in Vancouver, am very involved in my school’s theatre company, and have taken in-school acting classes throughout high school, and am a classical trained singer. should i try to expand my skill set more before seeking a manager, or should i just go for it? sorry this is long, but anything would be appreciated! thank you!!!
How do I get past audition anxiety? by justsomethrowawayacc • last post Jun 20th
I have a problem where every time I do an audition I always think it’s not good enough and will do so many takes that I start to hate the spot I’m auditioning for. No matter how many times I do it, I always think it sounds fake or there’s some noise my mouth makes, just something that will make whoever I’m submitting it to write it off as amateur or laughable. I can be stuck doing a single audition for three hours sometimes. Very rarely do I like my first couple of takes and feel good about submitting an audition. How do I get past this? I know I’m at least a decent voice actor. I have training, I have demos, I have an agent. But I always have this feeling of dread after submitting an audition and feel bad most of the time.
How did you guys get started on voice acting? by TheMaskedAlpha28 • last post Jun 20th
I've wanted to be a voice actor for awhile now but the only thing going for me is my interest to do so. I have no experiences, no resources, no connections, no money for training. So seeing as most of you probably started with nothing, like me, how did you guys start your voice acting career?
Can you be too ugly to be an actor? by Hussain_Lali • last post Jun 20th
What Richard Harris actually said about Ian McKellen by MediKron • last post Jun 20th
Those who are interested have surely seen the HardTalk BBC interview with Ian McKellen, where it's finally revealed why McKellen turned down the role of Dumledore. He says because: >I couldn’t take over the part from an actor who I'd known, didn't approve of me. But the interviewer, just prior to that says the following: >He lumped you and Derek Jacobi together and you know what? He said: "These guys are technically brilliant, but passionless." The thing is, Harris never said that. Or at least that is by far not what he said. You see the interviewer not only did not convey the context, but also tried to - poorly - summerize what Harris said. The actual quote - from 1987-88 - goes like this: >No one trusts me any more. I spent half the movie arguing with people and I was accused of causing big on-set rows. But what they won't tell you is I fought for \[author Georges Simenon\]. I fought for the maintenance of quality. I don't believe in lying down on the job. I've seen these so-called "nice" actors. Very able fellows like Ian McKellen and Kenneth Branagh. But they're like bank managers. So sweet and careful. Who needs them? We are suffering a plague of good taste. Give me Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke any day. They project danger. That's what makes acting - and life - interesting.
LA Agent Here - Reopening, Covid, and YOU by Darth_Bad_Guy • last post Jun 20th
With things opening back up prematurely, it is important to know that any live auditions you take are YOUR CHOICE and yours alone . The government does not get to decide when it is “safe” - you do. Your agent should not get mad if you book out of a live audition due to safety concerns. Casting will not blacklist you, in fact they’ve been extremely understanding. Anyone who gets mad or blacklists over safety concerns isn’t anyone you want to work with professionally. The reason I’m posting is because I had a client with a live audition for this Monday that they confirmed. Last night, a precautionary COVID test they took came back positive. I cancelled the audition. If this client hadn’t been tested on Thursday, they would have been in the audition room on Monday because they felt fine and have no symptoms. Production and casting can take all the precautions they want, but live auditions are still a risk. This is especially true with asymptomatic actors who are hungry for work. Believe me, I’m ready for things to be normal again, but now is time to be a smart actor rather than an ambitious one. I know everyone wants to make their agent happy and is programmed to be a “yes-man” when it comes to auditions, but you need to make the decision based on your own situation. As an agent, I’d much rather hear “I’m sorry, I don’t feel comfortable with live auditions right now, I have a young son.” As opposed to, “Hi Agent, I think I may have got Covid at my audition, and now my son is showing symptoms.” PLEASE be smart. Calculate your risks. An audition is not worth potentially dying. I’m not trying to scare people, just make them aware of how close Covid can be to a live audition room. Everyone can be in masks, but you have no control over a sick actor that pushes themself to take an exciting audition. Especially if they don’t even know they’re sick.
Invitation: Acting practise through online improv session by ace1789 • last post Jun 19th
Hey guys, I'm doing an online improv session with serious budding actors who wanna practise with other serious actors. It will be on zoom and hopefully be a regular thing so you could practise your acting. If you're interested, comment below or DM so I could add your details to the list. There will be a short audition to check who should be in the group.
Good acting social media course? by Yaars23 • last post Jun 19th
Looking for a course (online) on how best to use social media as an actor. Anyone have any suggestions?
Launched a new YT Channel: Uplifting Stories in a Minute by Scott Churchson • last post Jun 19th
Hey folks, I just launched a new YouTube channel called Uplifting Stories in a Minute. Short, daily 60 second videos of regular people doing awesome things. Any support for by HUGELY appreciated for this fledgling little page. Thanks! Scott https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV5lC3OmQPNsVMoc8L1YhFg
Does an actor need social media? How best to use it? by Yaars23 • last post Jun 19th
We were planning on moving to LA in October but Covid? by brinkofhumor • last post Jun 19th
My wife and I are both actors living in Chicago and were planning on Moving in October to go to LA then everything changed when the Covid Nation attacked. Does anyone have any insight on how LA is going 'open' wise? We have an opportunity to housesit for a bit for my parents in the winter and save some $, but we don't want to "miss" anything by doing so. Any suggestions?
Looking for voice actors/editors/artists who have an interest in Doki Doki Literature Club! by Tr1angulum • last post Jun 19th
How often do Asians actually succeed in Hollywood? by theysquawk • last post Jun 19th
I was not born in the US. I’m asking this as I’m interested in working in Hollywood someday, however I don’t know how often do asian actors/actresses from their respective countries prosper in mainstream Hollywood. In fact, would it be recommendable for one to do acting in their country and use that on their resume to get a chance, or should one go for as many classes/workshops as possible and go apply straight on Hollywood? Just as a background info, I’m 20F, Asian. I’ve never had any prior acting experience, however I’ve always loved being on stage and offer to diversity, by more than one way.
Does hallmark pay actors well? by Kahli_Elliott • last post Jun 19th
I've always been curious to see if hallmark pays the actors well. They must because theres a lot of I'd say well known actors and actresses who appear in them. And I just would think any actor serious about their craft wouldn't jump at a hallmark movie considering most of them tend to be corny and predictable, unless the money was good. Money talks for anyone lol. I'm sure a lot of actors do or accept a role that they're not really happy about or fond of because the money was good. Just curious how much hallmark must be paying these people lol to continuously go back and do different films
So What Kind of Gigs Accept Recordings From USB Mics...? by JaredAhn • last post Jun 19th
So, to give a backstory... Recently, I went out to hang out with a group of friends. The topic of voice acting came up and one girl claimed to be a voice actor, which was pretty cool because I am preparing to be one as well. However, a couple things raised some red flags. I later contacted her personally to ask her for any help or advice and her immediate response was 1) that we should meet up for a beer, and 2) about her hardship of breaking into the industry because of how saturated it is with white males...? (I am Asian). Which was fine, I guess, because I don't find it weird that the first thing people would talk about when it comes to jobs is the stress they get from it. I then asked her if I could see any of her work, and her reply was that it's all uncredited work. I also asked if I could listen to her demo, and she called me rude for asking. And when I asked to see her mic, she showed me a picture of a Rode USB-NT; that's right, a USB mic. Of course, I don't plan on meeting with her. But some things just really set me off because she sounded very confident. Whether or not it's uncredited or not, 1) wouldn't you usually have your works saved and be eager to share with people? 2) Is it really rude to ask for another professional's demo out of curiosity? And 3) what kind of jobs actually accept usb-mic quality? The rode usb-nt seems very expensive for a usb mic, but is it on par with xlr mics? ​ Just posting to share an experience. Thanks,
I'm holding a two day charity livestream event tomorrow with a bunch of my actor friends, come say Hi! by MylesDobson • last post Jun 19th
Why do actors shift their gaze rapidly between eyes in close-up dialogue scenes? by staunchdemocrip_ • last post Jun 19th
I've noticed actors onscreen often shift their focus quickly from eye-to-eye while up close talking to someone. Almost like an intense staring match. I dunno about others, but I don't think I've ever seen people do this in real life. Is this a common acting technique, or just a coincidence?