We have found 19,248 posts across 4 actor forums:
Meeting with Talent Agency by ilto8 • last post Jan 29th
So I just set up a meeting with my first talent agency in Cali. The meeting is with So Cal Talent. I’ve been trying to find reviews but there are only two reviews on google. The agency is located down in Huntington Beach but they said in there email that it in no way hinders there ability to get their actors work. Does anybody have any experience with this agency or using an agency outside of LA. I still plan on meeting with them but their follow up email kind of felt like they were trying to sell themselves to me, where I feel it should be the other way around. Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!
Being a mom and an actress by jericamarie123 • last post Jan 29th
A little bit of my back story. I was 18 when I had my daughter. I have always wanted to be an actress but went straight into beauty school to support my daughter, I realized I hated it and am a waitress now. I decided to go for it and take up acting classes last year and just got headshots and an agent meeting this week. I’m super excited for this journey! My question is how many of you actors out there who are also mothers? How do you juggle it? Do you ever travel for auditions? How do you over come certain challenges that come with acting and being a mom? Like finding time to practice your craft, balancing a job to support your family. One actress who I think is amazing is Sophia vergara because she was a single mom when she became an actress and I feel like for me starting out after having a baby is a struggle but so worth it. It makes me feel better to see other woman out there doing it too! Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
[PAID JOB] Female Voice Actor for animated short by iAmRickOrange • last post Jan 29th
We need 1 Female actor for a 10 minute animated pilot. Pays $200. 5 Teenage miscreants turned accidental heroes. Please send demo reel with contact info.
THE FOUR AGREEMENTS AS APPLIED TO ACTING by Winniehiller • last post Jan 28th
One of my favorite self help books I read years ago (and I keep going back to) is “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom” by Don Miguel Ruiz. The book offers very down to earth advice that is said to be based on ancient Toltec wisdom. It advocates freedom from self-limiting beliefs that may cause suffering and limitation in a person's life. I was just thinking today about how these simple four agreements can also apply to acting. In case you haven’t read the book (which I wholeheartedly recommend) I will include a brief summary of each agreement and then add my own insight about how it applies to acting. ———— Agreement 1: Be Impeccable With Your Word In essence, this agreement focuses on the significance of speaking with integrity and carefully choosing words before saying them aloud. It warns of speaking negatively or untruthfully about others or ourselves. What we speak has great power to either harm or heal and when we spit poison, we are left with poison in our own mouths, which will only do us harm. ********* The 1st Agreement In Acting: In acting, our words are our ammunition for getting what we want. So being impeccable with each and every word, thinking about the meaning of each phrase we are saying as we are saying it, and using them towards our objective, is crucial to a meaningful performance. No word has any meaning unless you give it its meaning with your thoughts. So being impeccable with your word while acting makes the difference between a varied, dynamic, meaningful performance, and a flat, uninteresting, less than believable one. It is also a wise idea to be very careful with your own words in the show business world. It is easy to say negative things about others...actors, directors, those who are in a position of power. You are entitled to your opinion, but speaking a negative one out loud is liable to come back and bite your behind. Refrain from gossip and practice the Golden Rule when it comes to criticizing others. What you wouldn’t want said about you, don’t say about anyone else. When you limit your hurtful speech you will feel better about yourself, too. And speaking of yourself, never say negative things about you. You can’t expect others to support your efforts if you don’t. That doesn’t mean you need to be egotistical or narcissistic. But tearing yourself down is self-defeating behavior. Believe in yourself. Your own inner dialogue should be positive and what you say about yourself should never be negative. Turn those negative beliefs about yourself around. Stop confirming them out loud. Give yourself the love you so desperately need from others. ———- Agreement 2: Don't Take Anything Personally The second agreement provides a way to deal with hurtful treatment from others you may experience in life. In order to do this, you must have a strong sense of self and not need to rely on the opinions of others in order to be content and satisfied with your own self-image. Understand that each individual has a unique worldview that alters their own perceptions, and that the actions and beliefs of a person is a projection of their own personal reality and is therefore NOT ABOUT YOU. Knowing and believing that your own self-worth does not depend on the opinions of anyone, all of your anger, jealousy, envy, and even sadness can lessen or dissipate. ——- The 2nd Agreement In Acting: In a business where you are constantly auditioning and putting yourself out there, you are always putting yourself in a position of feeling rejected. If you want to make it in this business you simply can’t take not booking a job, personally. YOU are not being rejected. Someone else got the job because of someone else’s personal taste and a myriad of other reasons. It is not personal if you don’t get a role so don’t let it define you in any way. On the other hand you must take everything personally AS you are acting and interacting with the other characters. I wrote in depth about this last week in this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Actingclass/comments/etdwj5/taking_it_personally/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf ———- Agreement 3: Don't Make Assumptions Making assumptions is dangerous because we often have no idea what is really going on in a situation. We fill in the blanks in our minds without enough information, and then we’re pretty convinced we know what’s going on. Spoiler alert: We don’t. We’re prone to mistaken beliefs, and acting on these mistakes will cause more trouble. You assume constantly. For instance ...that look on someone’s face means they don’t like you. Or because you are married now, your mate will be completely different. Or because someone hasn’t called, they are mad at you. Or that because you gave something to someone, they will give you something back. And so often you may assume that you are not good enough. The only way to get to the truth in any situation, is to ask questions and find out what’s really happening. Make sure you are on the same page in your relationships...both business and personal. Don’t be afraid to find out what the truth is. Being informed is ever so much better than guessing. And as is so wisely said, “The truth will set you free”. ******** The 3rd Agreement in Acting: I see actors making assumptions all the time. A well known actor is sitting in the waiting room at an audition. Assumption: “I don’t have a chance”. As I learned, personally, that is not always true. I see a lot of actors assume that it’s too late for them to have an acting career. Some assume they aren’t attractive enough or thin enough or have a chance in such a competitive business...all without ever trying. Negative assumptions lead to a life of regrets because they freeze us from doing what our heart desires. On the other hand, some actors assume they can jump into an acting career without knowing anything. Never assume that you have what it takes, either. Find out what is required and gain the skills you need. You can’t assume when you prepare your auditions either. You must always dig deeper than first glance. Ask yourself questions that will give you surprising insight into the character so that you can offer something no one else does. If a script is available, don’t assume you already know the story. Read it! Being informed is the first step in finding the right interpretation of your character. Trying to give a unique portrayal doesn’t work if you don’t know the story. You should never think outside that box. Your job is always to serve the story. Assuming...especially when it comes to what other people will do for you, often leads to disappointment. Don’t assume you will get paid or get a copy of your performance for your reel. Don’t assume what they will be expecting from you. Speak up. Ask questions. Get it in writing if needed. Being clear and concise as well as asking others to be as well, does not make you demanding. As long as you do it in a warm and generous manner, it makes you a professional. ———- Agreement 4: Always Do Your Best Don Miguel Ruiz defines this Fourth Agreement as: 1. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret 2. Your best is going to change from moment to moment (it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick) It’s important to note the balance in this agreement. If you take only the first part of the definition – do your absolute best under any circumstance – we put an enormous burden on our shoulders. We are not talking about perfectionism. Only doing the best you can in the moment. I like to strive for this agreement in everything I do. If I am going to take a shower, I want to take the best shower I can...enjoyable and effective. If I make a cup of tea, I want the best I can make. If I have a student, I will do my best for them, no matter who they are, or what their abilities. My boss/student (I coach him daily on set of a tv series) speaks about this often, quoting a saying his Grandmother repeated to him throughout his childhood. “If a task is once begun, never leave it ‘till it’s done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all.” He has lived this way throughout his career and credits this philosophy with much of his success. And his success has been long and fruitful. ****** The 4th Agreement in Acting One of the most important requirements of having a successful acting career is having an extraordinary work ethic. Let’s face it. Most people are lazy and have a huge list of excuses to support it. You can always find a reason to not do all you could be doing. There is always a way to justify doing less than your best. Doing your best must become what you normally do...always. Of course you need to prioritize, but if acting is your passion, you will make time for what needs to be done. And if you are serious, you won’t (please excuse the expression) be half asssed about it. You will do all you can to make it happen. That’s where training comes in. You can’t learn how to be better if you don’t learn what you are doing wrong. If you are open and listen and learn, each “best” will get better. Never take any opportunity to act lightly. Always do your best, every single time. No audition is unimportant. Don’t settle for less than the best you can do. Be prepared. Do the work. Memorize. Analyze. Embody your character. Climb the stairway of excellence, one step at a time. It thrills me to watch my students who are diligently working on their craft. I love to see improvement and I will almost always be able to come up with a way to make it even better. It’s a lifetime journey of finding new “bests” every time. If you always do your best (no less, no expecting more of yourself than what is possible), over and over again, you will become a master of transformation. Always growing. —— I hope that this post will help you all in both your acting and your everyday life. Your career is a reflection of how you live your life and deal with the entirety of your time on this earth as you deal with challenges and interact with others. It’s very much a package deal. I wish the very best to you all.
Meisner For ADHD by bldileo • last post Jan 28th
Hello! I finally built up the courage and enrolled in my first acting class in October last year - so far I'm loving it, but as someone with ADHD I'm finding it very difficult to properly 'listen' without looking like I'm distracted (i.e., I believe I'm truly listening, but have a hard time maintaining eye-contact and makes it look like I'm 'thinking' too much). Have any acting coaches/teachers had any experience teaching Meisner for ADD/ADHD students? Any tips you could share or experiences from other actors with similar issues would be greatly appreciated.
Is Domhnall Gleeson's success as an actor due to nepotism? by samuelhinchliffe91 • last post Jan 28th
Since his father is Brendan Gleeson (who is widely regarded as the greatest living Irish actor)
Just landed a lead role with no experience. Really anxious about doing a good job. How do I improve? by Triskerai • last post Jan 28th
Hi r/acting, On a whim, I went to an open audition at my University for a student production of Neil LaBute's Reasons to be Pretty. I showed up 20 minutes late completely flustered after some car trouble, didn't know they had sent me the script to prepare beforehand (so I was reading a monologue I'd never seen before) and by some miracle landed the role of Greg, one of the 4 main characters. I just got the casting call and now I'm super excited but super nervous about doing a good job given my almost complete lack of experience. The director who called me specifically mentioned she loved my audition, which, in my mind, was lightning in a bottle - I was so out of breath from running in and the monologue I read was so deep I felt like I was just talking about my own life. My last experience acting was a small part in Taming of the Shrew 6 years ago in high school where I moved more props than I had lines. So now I'm just hoping someone has some advice on where to begin? I really want this to work out as it's always been a pipe dream of mine to be an actor. Apart from memorizing lines and practice, how do I develop some actual skill as an actor? Thank you in advance!
Branding Surveys by paytonmayfield • last post Jan 28th
Hi Reddit actors! The Texas State BFA Acting class of 2020 would love your input about our brand. Attached to this post is a Google Doc of eleven surveys about the members of my class. While the surveys may look long, in reality each quiz takes no more than three minutes to finish. The surveys are also 100% confidential. The opinions of the folx in this group would be so valuable to us as we begin to develop our brand. So, if you are able, please take a look and help us out. Here is the link! [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jaAB\_7-XwF6BThqJXSxcJu1UcKyr7itI2wmrNjlXLM4/edit?fbclid=IwAR2J0NzDL1aeSBJJ2QKFSuueBB9XRdg3m58IB9m8QVr5Qk3v9Ft3EdJFBL0](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jaAB_7-XwF6BThqJXSxcJu1UcKyr7itI2wmrNjlXLM4/edit?fbclid=IwAR2J0NzDL1aeSBJJ2QKFSuueBB9XRdg3m58IB9m8QVr5Qk3v9Ft3EdJFBL0)
What do you do to keep your skills sharp? by EAhmady123 • last post Jan 28th
Hey everybody, I was reading through a monologue today and a thought popped up in my head. I was wondering how actors on this thread practice and stay sharp while not in acting classes or on set or on stage? I have my own methods that I consistently use to practice. I’m just curious how everyone else does it and maybe I’ll be able to pick up a small thing or two that can help me as well as others that might want to pick up some extra tips from more experienced actors.
LLC or S Corporation for actors by KingKilla59 • last post Jan 28th
Is there any actor here (Of if you know) that are getting paid as an LLC or Corporation ? I have some questions Thanks a lot guys !!
Why do I see so many voice actors go into teaching? by PatrykOfTheIsles • last post Jan 28th
I wanna preface making it clear that I am by no means an expert on the industry, and pretty noob on my studies of the VO biz... Which is why I'm interested in asking and welcome to being educated on the matter. It feels like every other voice actors testimonial I read also plugs that they do voice over classes. Some more than others. Some VO actors seem to milk it a lot. Is this because they can't make a living doing VO work alone? It makes me suspicious of the industry as a drop-all career. I understand you shouldn't go into VO if you're doing it just for the money, but if these VO actors who teach stop teaching, would they go broke? Is the money these established VO actors make from VO not substantial enough on its own? I don't mean to sound obtuse, just genuinely curious as it seems there are considerably more experts trying to pitch their classes than other entertainment industries. Am I missing something here... Is it actually just for fresh income? Or are they having a hard time with rent this month?
How do you deal with burnout and dissatisfaction? by StrobeRogers • last post Jan 28th
Hello, Long story short- I've been wanting to be an actor forever. I ignored my need for it and stopped my life from 10-35 until I let myself find a place to really study it for a few years. Finally found a place, basically worked. Still denied some closure..but got the majority work done. Now not sure if I should find a conservatory or take a few years off due to burnout and disappointment with state of life. An ideas?
How did YOU go about seeking a VA/VO coach? by TheClaireProject • last post Jan 28th
Hello! My name is Claire, and I am looking to start getting into voice acting. I know it isn't enough on its own, but people tell me a lot that I have a good voice. It is the one quality about me I take pride in. On top of this, I've always been on the creative side, always enjoying the process of a character in a game or show coming to life, because the actor or actress puts their heart into the role. I want to get into this, and I want to do it wisely. ​ I'm researching the different coaches I can pay for to get online sessions and such. Without going into each and every name, I've found several actors/actresses that I've emailed asking about how they operate and such. But while I'm waiting on them...I'm sitting here thinking, "Some of these sound REALLY good, and while I trust some of these more popular VAs, there's some entries here ([voices.com](https://voices.com) for reference) that just...I don't know, I have no way of checking up on them unless I read the glowing testimonials they show on their site. ​ So! I'm here to ask some questions concerning voice actor coaching in general, and getting some opinions on my current "circumstances". ​ 1. Who is, in your **personal experience**, the coach you feel gives a good overall experience? Do you feel the amount you paid for said coach was worth that good experience? I'm looking for someone to teach me the ins and outs, from the bottom up. I am a VERY cautious learner, I ask a LOT of questions...I do not want to upset someone because I overthink when I'm nervous. x.x" I know that your experiences will not dictate how I would feel under the same coach, but I'd like to hear opinions and such anyway. 2. My current living situation (i.e. a toddler upstairs, my ceiling seems made out of paper with how loud her footsteps sound, and a roommate in the next room who has hearing issues and likes to talk loud enough to pick up on my mic) has me staying up late to record for the silence. I want to invest in coaching, but I'm afraid that with these two factors I will come off rude or I'll upset whatever coach I get when I try to read lines, and outside sounds interfere. **In your experience**, have you had any "off environments" during coaching? Have your coaches gotten upset? Have you ever had sessions fall through for something like that? 3. I want to find a coach for multiple reasons. I want someone to help me learn how to really breathe life into a character, I want to learn how to control my voice to fit certain attitudes, personalities, etc., and I want to be able to bounce questions off of someone experienced. I also REALLY would want someone that is willing to help me compile a demo reel that shows me shining at my best for when I audition for projects/eventually find an agent. A lot of the VAs I've contacted mention demo reel assistance. What's **your experience**? Do you feel happy with the demo reel you made because of those sessions? Do you feel it's worth it? (I know these are very "your mileage may vary" questions, but I'm curious to hear about others, as I said) 4. Finally, the big one, pricing. I'm willing to invest in this, as much as it takes, but I have no basis to go off of when someone gives me a price. What, in your opinion (**based off experience, pleaseeee**), is a good price range for...say...8-10 one to two hour sessions, or you know...whatever amount of time offered? My biggest worry is falling into a scam due to ignorance. I feel I can trust a voice actor not to scam me, but...I have been burned for being too trusting in the past. ​ I know this is a lot, and I'm sorry the post is so long. If you've gotten to this point, thank you so so much. Any advice would be amazing.
Switching between male and female voice? by blackblue707 • last post Jan 28th
Hey, I was thinking about this for a while and thought this was probably the best place to post this question. I'm not really a voice actor, I sometimes to voiceovers for fun, but that's mostly it. I've recently found a band with a (male) singer who can switch between a male sounding and female sounding voice. It's so convincing, I first thought it was a duet until I looked up their music videos. Now I'm wondering acouple of things: Does anyone have experience doing something like this in voice acting? Could I train myself to do this or do you need a lot of experience? Are there any advantages to males/females when training to sound like the opposite gender? (If this post doesn't really fit in here, just tell me and I'll remove it)
Pauses in dialogue by fleurdefrost • last post Jan 27th
Hi! I'm a little frustrated/confused and looking for some insight. I'm in my second acting class and paired with an incredible, working actor. They're helping me a tremendous deal in our scene practice. The thing is, they keep telling me to take out my pauses. I'm attempting to mimic what I see the best film actors doing... which I suppose makes less scene on stage, but it just feels so unrealistic to me. I'm pausing in places that feel natural for my character to think, consider, contemplate. In my partner's opinion, cutting the pauses means cutting the fat from the scene. We're only acting when we speak, they say. I don't fundamentally think this is true - I think some of the most powerful acting happens without words. But I'm just... I'm so new. I haven't even been in a legitimate production yet, and this person is a working actor. It's frustrating me. Do I say anything? Do I just shut up and perform the scene the way they say? Is this really how all theater acting is... would I be better suited to pursuing film/TV? (I'm starting to become uncomfortable with a few other techniques I'm learning that just feel so exaggerated and unrealistic to play.) Thank you. :)
Just finished my first acting class, it was amazing! by erennooo • last post Jan 27th
I just completed my first acting class a couple of nights ago and it was awesome! I never had any formal training or experience besides the ones I had in college when I was able to do theater, short films and other student projects (that's when I got bit by the acting bug) but put in on hold because of life. Now I'm older (just turned 34 last week) and I've decided to finally pursue acting. Going in I was still doubtful about certain things. I had two goals: 1) To find out if I had the same feeling/sensation back in school that made me truly happy and 2) if I could actually act/have the potential to do it. Fortunately, I've checked both boxes! I'm not from North America, but my acting coach studied in the US under an amazing acting teacher there, is actually 2 years younger than me and has had won awards here in my country. Besides being a good actor, he's also a no-nonsense dude who doesn't sugarcoat crap which was great and he gives good insight whenever you ask something which I did a lot. The gist of it is that he said I can act and I have the talent to pursue this if I really wanted to and he told me age isn't a factor whether you start early or a bit late. I did well in almost all of our exercises but he's listed down the things that I need to work on, it's not a lot, specifically being 'too intellectual' and that I overthink a lot, which is true in most cases in my life. He said that I'm thinking way too much consciously in terms of how I want to deliver my lines, my movement, etc. and is the reason why I'm having emotional blocks. Knowing what I need to work on and understanding the criticisms from the coach and his staff alongside the opinions of my classmates is so enriching for me, both the positives and the negatives. I think I've done well in my first class and is a good boost in my morale that someone competent and good (at the least here in my country) said that if I continue working hard for this I can do it. I'm planning to re-take the same class in a couple of months and try to iron out things before I move on to other classes. This has rejuvenated me in so many ways, being able to do what I love even if it's just in the learning stage. I mean, the same feeling is there under all the stress and anxiety that's produced by some of the exercises lol. I also met some amazing new people which is always a plus. I Just wanted to share my experience with those who also lurk here who wants to pursue their acting dream. Take note I'm waaaay older than most of the people asking if they're too old to start or whatnot. Also, I wanted to ask actors here what they do to practice the craft when they're not in class or on set? I have a rundown of the class I took and I know I can do them at home. But I'm curious if there are other things you can do at home to keep improving even if by yourself? I don't want to stagnate just because my first class went better than expected. thx in advance!
Does Nationality effect? by Gagius01 • last post Jan 27th
So, I'm an aspiring actor that hopes to one day break big just like I'm sure what most of us in this thread dream about also. Problem is that I'm from Europe and from my research, I have 2 large obstacles for me to overcome. One is that of acquiring a VISA and actually settling down in the United States, which I'm sure will cost a lot of money and paperwork but for that I've already started saving up. Now the second obstacle is my Nationality. As you all might be familiar with by now, any lead characters in a blockbuster movie or series, most of the time consists of American nationalities. Thing is I'm actually Maltese (if any of you know where Malta is lol) and we Maltese are all Caucasians so my look could pass as an American, but the only problem is the accent and that I'm working on it as we speak. But my issue is, do you think that casting agents, as soon as they see that the nationality is not American, they will completely ignore it and not even consider you for a lead role, even if you nail the accent? Anyone has any similar circumstances of mine and is finding or not finding this a problem? TIA :) ​ EDIT: I really hope that Caucasian part did not come out as racist, what I meant is that we do not have any distinct features that would differ us from what an American would look like (in my opinion).
What is your least favorite thing to hear when you come to (camera) acting class? by tobeavornot • last post Jan 27th
It’s the first day of class, and I love to keep everyone motivated and positive, and be honest about the commitment required to be successful in class and as an actor. So what caused you to go from skeptical to on the edge of your seat?
Free Website/Online Resume Offer by NervousSpare • last post Jan 27th
Hi all! I’m a web designer currently building my portfolio to offer design services to actors, musicians and other types of performers and creatives. Instead of making examples out of made up people, I thought I’d offer a couple free websites for actors who may be just starting out or not able to afford one right now. The offer includes your website and hosting for 6 months. Website specifics will be discussed to fit your needs. **There are a few requisites:** \- You need to have some acting credits, I don’t care how big or small, but I need information to showcase on your website. \- Headshots and/or other professional images required. \- 18 and over only Open worldwide, but the site will be in English. You also need to be available to discuss your website during the next few weeks. To apply, please **reply here with some information about your work and listing what content you have** (photos, demo reel, etc). If more people than I can work with apply, I’ll pick randomly. Thanks for reading!
How do actors manage unexpected coughs, sneezes, burps, and yawns while on stage? by Liceland1998 • last post Jan 26th
Hello Everyone. I have always wondered this, since you never see an actor cough, sneeze, burp, or yawn during a live production, yet these are all noisy bodily functions that can happen anywhere at anytime. Thank You.