We have found 19,373 posts across 4 actor forums:
“Fan” Conventions? by Anon-i-Muss • last post Mar 31st
As an actor, I’ve always wondered if it was unprofessional to attend a fan convention for something you love. Has anyone ever gone to one? Should I avoid going, or would it be ok?
Have impressions/accents ever taken over your life? How did you get out of the trance? by srirachase • last post Mar 31st
So I'm not really a professional voice actor. Not yet at least. For most of my life, I have found doing impressions and creating voices to be extremely funny when used well, and super fun to use/listen to period. After all, you can make a character say something you wish they would, right? While I still hold that position, I have found that since I started bringing different impressions and even accents into my life, they have completely taken over for me. For a little bit of context on me, I'm a 19 year old college student in the US. Dude too. This fall, I will be attending a conservatory program for acting in film(New York City). I really just want to be able to have an everyday voice that I can use unconsciously, but it has been proving difficult to achieve. Part of the reason I started messing around with and using impressions more often was because I didn't(and still don't if I'm being honest) like my natural speaking voice. I sounded a little too nerdy for my taste(I think this mostly came from a little too much constriction in my throat), and wanted something a little bit more rounded(this isn't a difficult thing for me to achieve). Have you ever had this happen? I just feel like no matter what I can't figure out how to create my own everyday voice. Another factor that makes it a little more difficult is that since I started manipulating my voice around my family(brother 20m, both parents in early 50s), they have reciprocated it back to me. Of course this didn't happen immediately, but now its like every day(mostly just my dad and sometimes my brother) is the same old slop of accents and inside-joke-one-liners that are floating around my house, and I have become determined to break free of the cycle. Sorry if this is the wrong sub for this, I just wanted to know if you had some advice.
Does Denver have a good VOA industry? by mercury0079 • last post Mar 31st
So I live in SoCal and was considering eventually to pursue a career in VO in LA, but with LA being the insanely expensive city that it is I’m not in a financial situation where I can live down there. I have family in Denver and was considering moving there to become more financially stable, however I’ve noticed that a lot of VO work is produced in three main hotspots: LA, NY and Dallas and I haven’t really heard anything significant about Denver. Are there any professional voices actors in Denver that can tell me what the industry is like over there?
Has anyone ever told you that you're bad at acting? by duamylipa • last post Mar 31st
I'm curious if anyone has had a similar experience and how they have handled it. A while back someone who I went to acting school with told me that I wasn't a good actor. I believed that this person cared about me, but that was one of the last things I ever heard from them. It was really hard to hear at the time because I had just moved to another city after graduating to pursue the career and was already feeling less than confident. Prior to college, I never acted so this was all new to me. Although some time has passed and other people since have had positive things to say about my work, I can't help but replay those words in my head over and over. I try to forget, but the worst part is that this person is finding success in the career while I'm still struggling to find my footing. It's so hard to watch, but I'm trying to make peace with it. Has anyone else been told you weren't good at what you love and how did you overcome that? Any advice would be wonderful right now
I feel like I've become disillusioned with acting by JallerBaller • last post Mar 31st
First off, sorry if this isn't welcome here, I just kind of wanted to get it out and off my chest. Also sorry if it comes off as silly or pretentious, I know I'm young and inexperienced, I'd just like to get other opinions. Second, I don't know if disillusioned is necessarily the right word. TLDR: for the past four or five years I've wanted to be an actor, but I don't know anymore. I started in highschool and I guess took to it pretty well; I've never not gotten a role in something I auditioned for, but I think that's more a function of my being in a small town with a limited pool of actors than some genius on my part. I'm lucky in that my school had a pretty robust theater program and for some reason the rural area I live in has a bunch of local theaters that do shows year-round, so I've gotten a lot more experience than I imagine most other people could in a similar situation. I've been planning to study acting in college, and I have my gen eds out of the way and I've taken a year off to save money in preparation, but this public health crisis has gotten me thinking and it just feels irresponsible to go to college as an acting major. I know how mixed feelings are about the usefulness of studying acting versus just getting out and doing, and I feel the same way. I've kind of come to the realization that when it comes down to it, acting is just using body movement and voice inflection to convey meaning, and all the different methods and practices and whatnot are just techniques for getting you to naturally communicate like that without having to think about it. Acting is just understanding why people behave and matching behaviors we've seen other people exhibit to the appropriate underlying thoughts or experiences. With that understanding, I feel like an acting degree is even less useful than ever. If I go to college, I think it should be for something else that will let me make a decent living or navigate society at a higher level and allow me to focus on acting on the side, rather than trying to make it my sole goal in life. I guess I've made the decision to be a person who acts, rather than an actor? Idk. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Thoughts on what I've said? Again, I realize this is kind of "DAE QUESTION LIFE?" but I still want to know what you guys think.
Tilda Swinton is better than Meryl Streep by Robert_de_Saint_Loup • last post Mar 31st
Oh, I do love Meryl Streep, she is an amazing actress, but after glossing over their resumes, Tilda has had a much more impressive and distinguished career. Her filmography, her work in the theater, etc... Tilda Swinton is to Meryl Streep what Hugh Jackman is to Brad Pitt
Is 16 too old to start taking acting lesson to become an actor? by NateLamperouge • last post Mar 31st
When I told my friends I want to start taking lessons and become an actor, they said it was too late and that I should've started at 4 or at least as a kid, and that the era where actors who became famous when they were older ended. Should I then give up and not even try to take lessons? Am I really too "old" for this kind of career?
I’m an actor in highschool. Acting comes natural to me, and at first I was happy with my skill. by sred69 • last post Mar 31st
At first I was cocky and thought I was a great actor. Now I realize: acting is hard. I have been acting for about 8 months now (I started last summer) and I’ve been in 3 short films and 2 plays. I want to refine my skill and learn how to act more believably and just get better. If you have any exercises or really just any methods to improve acting, please let me know.
I wanna have a la la land journey by mrzizar • last post Mar 30th
Hey I'm a 16 turning 17 in May and I wanna have a la la land journey where I go to L.A. and hustle my ass off to become an actor I've never went to an acting class in my whole life, but I'm good I can't act I promise i do little plays at home, and I even know how to cry on cue now, I just need advices I really want to become an actor it's eating from inside that eagerness I wanna have a girlfriend that goes in the same journey with me when I got to L.A. I want to meet a girlfriend that wants to become an actor as well please cheer me up I'll give it my everything I'll hustle till I become a grandpa I don't care
My First Attempt by Softblackwater • last post Mar 30th
Hi all, I'm an audiobook enthusiast & voice acting amateur. I've never taken lessons in any capacity. Currently, I'm exploring the possibility of recording a hobby to see where it leads me. Of course I'd love to quit my teaching job and record audiobooks but haha let's see how far this path can take me first. If it's not too big an ask, I was hoping ye swell community of voice actors wouldn't mind providing some feedback. It's a 4-part series. The videos are mostly about 12 minutes long. If you don't have a lot of time, I'll take whatever time you are able to give. I have some specific questions: 1. I hear the quality of my voice changing from video to video, and sometimes even within the same video. Is that normal? Is it undesirable? Which parts are good and which should I avoid? Time signatures could be helpful. 2. I wonder which video has the "best" voice quality in your opinion. Personally, I think I'm giving a pretty good performance starting about halfway through the fourth clip. 3. I struggle to find the fine line between being an objective storyteller and being a performer. When I'm too objective, it feels boring. When I perform too much, it feels invasive and annoying. What do you think? Thank you so much for any constructive advice you may have to offer. Link: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPnK92ZMnCE&list=PLQGxU0ydMHvzkEMb9H2qz6QkVY-CHiFTk&index=2&t=0s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPnK92ZMnCE&list=PLQGxU0ydMHvzkEMb9H2qz6QkVY-CHiFTk&index=2&t=0s)
Those of you who had problems with envy when someone succeeds, how did you stop that? by daddymonster1 • last post Mar 30th
So, envy is a really toxic trait of mine that I really don't want but it keeps popping up whenever someone I know has a big success in their acting or directing career. I don't act upon that envy, of course, and always congratulate these people because deep down, I really am happy for them. But this stupid, stupid emotion really overshadows it. Unfortunately, I figure it's kind of a frequent thing in this profession and if someone else managed to get rid of that feeling, how did you do it? I've really developed both as a person and as an actor in the past 2 years, but this never seems to quite go away. I really don't like it and what it does to me, but I can't seem to get rid of it.
Adjusting to a COVID economy by GandalfTheTartan • last post Mar 30th
Judging by the amount of auditions available and general social media, work has dropped significantly for a majority of commercial voice actors. Audiobook listeners are also listening to less work and less likely to purchase books as they no longer have a commute given they are now working from home. What are people's predictions for the current COVID economy with regards to the voiceover industry?
Can I still deduct classes and other acting expenses if I wasn't able to make any money as an actor in 2019? by Designer_B • last post Mar 29th
I've got a bachelors in acting and moved out to Los Angeles to pursue this last year, but I made all of my money in the restaurant industry.
Quotes regarding P2P by Dracomies • last post Mar 29th
The following are quotes from actors and actresses in the industry regarding [Voices.com](https://Voices.com) and Voice123. *"If you aren't a bookable actor, P2P is a waste of money. It'll only be profitable if you are already booking."* *"Refusing P2P will take you away from jobs and opportunities you simply will not find out of CD agencies."* *"You could effectively build a reel using only projects you book through P2P. As much as I don't wish to admit it, P2P is a great way to get work under your belt early on."* *"At this point, not being on P2P is just giving up money. For people who book regularly, you'd jump your annual income even more by being on P2P."* *"To be frank, especially given the situations with the Coronavirus and where there are no longer any physical studios or physical locations to go to - writing off P2P as a whole -- is throwing money away. It's a death sentence. You \*need\* to get your space up and running and get there now."* *"P2P is a numbers game and you need to be quick. P2P isn't going anywhere and it's going to grow."* *"It's another avenue of revenue. You're essentially throwing money away not trying it."* *"What makes a P2P subscription different than any other business expense in any other industry? What makes it different from the overhead expenses of running a restaurant ? "* *"Think of P2P as training. People pay thousands of dollars for training. People pay $200 for a session with trainers with absolutely no guarantee whatsoever that it will benefit them. Think of it as training - in the same vein. Learning on the job. Try it once. Try it for a year. You may be pleasantly surprised. Even if you don't succeed, it'll be a learning experience. You'll quickly learn what you need to change. You'll learn what you're up against - which in turn - will help you improve."* *"It's a stepping stone. It builds your resume. Don't think of P2P as making money. Think of it as building your resume, making connections to people. I've had commercials for Disney, Barbie, The Olympics, Target, Comcast, etc. And I wouldn't have had those opportunities or be able to build my resume without P2P."* *"People will say don't do P2Ps. But when you ask them what they recommend, and those platforms (Casting Call Club, Twitter) pay nothing in comparison to the gigs offered in P2P. You simply can't get commercial roles outside of an agency. I'm getting so many auditions, actual auditions that pay much more than anything on Twitter and Casting Call Club."* *"Replace "paying for a p2p" with "buying your first microphone or interface" or "paying for internet" or any other VO related thing that costs money. Paying for a p2p is a "building your business" kind of move, where you're spending money to try to make more, and if you don't have the capital to spend, you're not ready for that kind of move."* *"P2Ps aren't recommended if you're not already booking well."* *"If you aren't already booking work, you'll likely not make money on a p2p"* *"VDC is your surest source for consistent auditions that actually pay money. The competition is fierce, both in equipment quality, acting quality, and sheer number of people."* *"If you have:* *A. a solid studio-quality XLR mic* *B. a solid interface (e.g. Focusrite Scarlett 2i2)* *C. a treated space (closet or well-treated area with bass traps / acoustic foam)* *D. a good demo for the relevant categories you're interested in* *then you will almost certainly make your subscription back + some from a p2p"* *"Common misconception here (at least from my observation) is that P2p is bad and* [*voices.com*](https://voices.com) *is bad and voice123 is bad when the people on there are hardly bad at all. I'd argue many of them are some of the best I've seen"* *"Once upon a time, I made all my VO money from work I sleuthed up myself. Then I got on a p2p site and made some more money. Then I got with a couple agencies. Maybe 10% of my annual income was from agencies, tops. Then I got better at this job and got more agencies and now like....80-90% of my work is from agencies and I'm not on any p2ps any more."* *"It's more the fact of, "Don't do it unless you KNOW you can be competitive" - people often take the leap into P2P's too early, and it's just a waste of money that could be allocated to other avenues like classes, workshops, coaching, getting professional sounding reels, etc."* *"There are a lot of pro actors that can't afford being on a P2P."* "*VDC is a p2p. V123 is a p2w"* "*P2Ps are NOT a good idea for beginners but they aren’t scams either."* "*Minimum amount you should probably invest in your space to be really bookable on a p2p is around $1000. you can do it for less but $1000 is where you start getting diminishing returns"* "*Well there aren’t a lot of options for talent who live in remote areas so p2ps tend to work for them for example."* "*P2P can work really well under specific circumstances, but they are not a good idea for newbies trying to get rich quick"* "*It also really depends where you are in your career. If you're new to VO it's highly recommended to avoid p2ps until you're competitively ready at a near industry level."* "*One thing to keep in mind is that p2ps are very competitive and unless you're already very good at the genres on there you probably won't find much work"* *"I personally found P2P a part of my revenue stream. And yeah, yeah, I know all the downsides - you guys don't have to chime in with them. The upside is you get consistent opportunity for practice. If you're on VDC for example, there WILL be at least 20 auditions a day you can crank out. And VO is a numbers game."* "*You do need to make sure you’re confident you can book at least some work on P2Ps before jumping into them. Not beginner friendly by any means"* *"If you're in LA or NYC looking for a career, P2Ps might be something you do as a last resort, but if you're in the Midwest, and there's three agencies in a 200-mile radius, might not be a bad idea to look into them."*
self tape struggles of a broke college actor by minhja0 • last post Mar 29th
3 Ways to Get Experience as a New or Returning Actor — Step 3 — Get Expe... by ChrissyBartels • last post Mar 29th
Anyone else find stanisvlaski's books boring? by Hyper_Intake123 • last post Mar 29th
So I've read an actor prepares and thru building a character. I think there alright for a beginner but after gaining alot more experience since the last year I find it hard to get through them. They're not really practical and more on the philosophical side. Anyone else ever read them?
Van or Apartment for acting in LA. by Nomad79 • last post Mar 29th
So I’m a Veteran and work background for extra money. I am SAG. I have a pension and I just love doing background to supplement my money. It’s fun for me and sometimes I make super good money. I’m not really interested in being a actor, actor. I get a lot of parts without having to act for real. With that said I wanna do it for a year in LA. Currently I live in Florida and I have two options. I can rent an apartment in LA but that’s so costly, or I can buy a house here in Florida for like five hundred a month. Lower rent mean I can finally buy me a van and travel, and do some acting but also have a home to go to. I dunno. Which sounds better.
Can I avoid theatre? by livvlo • last post Mar 28th
I want to be an actor, but only on camera. I cannot do theatre, because the thought of being in front of a live audience absolutely terrifies me. I also have a terrible singing voice. Is it unrealistic for me to want to be an actor if I can’t stand stage acting?