We have found 19,302 posts across 4 actor forums:
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?
Is it worth buying a cheap interface if I'm not quite ready for the big 200$+ upgrade? by ProperWeeb • last post Jun 15th
I was lucky to get a free BM800 microphone from a friend that is an XLR to USB mic. The cable is starting to go and I have noticed a severe increase in background noise and feedback that is coming just from the cable (it actually used to be almost entirely silent when I first started to use it). When I borrowed my friends Focusrite 2i2 2nd gen, the feedback disappeared completely. I've only have a tiny handful of paid roles, and I would really like to start sounds more amateur-professional without all the heavy noise reduction editing that is ruining my sound. Some folks in the VAC discord recommended holding off on the mic upgrade since I should play around with my XLR anyway, but I don't know if I'm ready to drop 2-300$ on a good interface. Having good equipment isn't going to make me a better voice actor is my thinking. That all being said, I was eyeing the Behringer U-Phoria UM2, because it was cheap, actually in stock on Amazon Japan and would be a significant upgrade from what I have now (which is nothing). I feel more comfortable throwing 6000 yen down the drain when I upgrade again, versus shelling out 20000 + yen now. Can anyone convince me otherwise? If I were to get a better interface, I also imagine I would need a better mic, and I saw an AT4040 for under 30000 yen at a used store.
Advice Needed — No Drama Club, No Local Theater by cloudyciel • last post Jun 15th
People online say that you start gaining experience in a school's drama club or at a local theater. Unfortunately, I live in a country where none of those exist. I assume all schools here don't have clubs at all, nor does the country have any local theaters. Workshops in my area aren't present either, since they all are located in the city. If I were to join one, I'd have to commute for nearly around 6+ hours, and my family doesn't own a car. Plus, I'm still in junior high so I can't go alone. I know my dreams of being an actress are most likely to never be fulfilled, as my family and I belong to the lower-middle class and are from a third-world country, but I still do my best by doing everything I can. I'm determined to land even the smallest role possible. TL;DR How do I start acting when my school doesn't have a drama club, and my country doesn't have local theaters?
BAD ACTOR skit lol (been doing a lot of quarantine skits haha) by azahiritv • last post Jun 15th
Voice Actor here- i compiled some work i did in the past- burn me by Hashtag5624 • last post Jun 15th
From Bad to Good: Examples? by badatdirexons • last post Jun 15th
I’m curious to know if anyone has examples of actors that were “bad”/much less skilled at the beginning of their career but have grown into highly skilled actors. I’m looking for some inspiration to keep me sane as I critique my old tapes. I think I remember hearing that Brad Pitt wasn’t great at his start but that he massively improved because of his work ethic in classes (hope I’m not just lying to myself here). Thanks!
how to land a role in a film when you're only experienced in theatre? by layersofblue • last post Jun 15th
For context, I'm a 20 y/o college student. The way I got into acting is kinda strange, I'd act out scenes from books/films when I was 11 and self-taped myself to practice until I was about 13, and exchanged feedback with my friends who were also into acting. In high school, I participated in basically all of the plays/musicals. Other than that, I wrote/performed a one-woman show early in college - but that's pretty much the extent of my experience. No formal acting class, but I learned method acting techniques from a director I worked with twice, and he basically gave our cast mini free acting classes. I'm studying to work in the music industry actually, so that's been pretty time consuming, and it's been over a year since I've acted in a project. I've had great experiences acting in plays, but I got into acting in the first place because I wanted to act for films, and I still have a really strong desire to. I'm not aiming to become an Oscar-nominated actress or make tons of money off of it, I just genuinely love the art of acting and would like to try acting in some films, even if it's just a student film or a low budget indie film. I just invested in a backstage subscription since I've been hearing good things about it for years, and saved up enough money for it. I've gotten a few responses so far for background work what can I do to land actual roles in small films/student films without a video reel or any on-camera experience? In general, is it even possible to act in any kind of film with the experience I have? Let me know what y'all think. The film industry is an extremely challenging one, so I understand my chances are slim and I'll mostly be facing rejection.
If you could bring any dead actor back from the dead who would you bring and why? by Lord_Of_Grunge • last post Jun 15th
If I could bring any actor back from the dead I would bring Heath Ledger back because of how talented and amazing of a person he is. I would also love to see his reaction to the dark knight and just what else he would do with his talents
How we perceive ourselves by actordownunder • last post Jun 15th
This has been asked 100 times but I forgot the answer so please help me out. When I see myself on camera I look really rigid and all my movements seem forced or too harsh, and my face looks completely diffferent, especially when I laugh or whatever. I’m just wondering is this what happens to every actor? And in reality I appear normal to other people? Normal as in movements not looking so forced. PS: I don’t look like this in self tapes, more videos other people have taken of me in day to day life when I don’t know they are recording