We have found 19,413 posts across 4 actor forums:
Acting headshots: What do agents and casting directors want to see, and is that also what actors want? by BenFromPerth23 • last post Feb 4th
Hey guys, I'm a photographer, and I'm just wondering what the current "standard" is for acting headshots? I'm talking about things like... * Indoor/outdoor? * Background color/type? * Color/B&W? * Soft, "flattering" lighting, or more dramatic lighting? * Smiling/Serious? * Looking to camera, or off camera? * Length/composition * Clothing choice? And does any of the above depend on the sex of the actor or the way they want to position themselves? If a Clint Eastwood type walked in to my studio, and then the next person was a Jennifer Lawrence type, is my goal to make Clint look like a badass, with hard lighting, and then make Jennifer look "beautiful"? Or am I meant to paint them both as the most attractive version of themselves possible? (Soft, even lighting no matter what). And in any given portrait session, should I be shooting one amazing portrait that follows all the rules? Or covering that off, but then experimenting and trying to make something unique?
I need guidance to jump start a career by __Pharos__ • last post Feb 4th
What's up guys. I need some advice. I'm not here to say I am a great actor. But I've always loved film and know I can act and I know I want to tell stories. Ever since a kid I've always had dreams of things I do believe would be good movies. I never pursued this dream because I was lazy and scared to take a risk. But this is something that I believe is a calling of mine but I need help on where to start. Please help. I live in Miami, FL if that helps. Thanks
Need advice on making the right steps to find a Manager/Agent. by tommyknockers26 • last post Feb 4th
I've been in La since 2016, been a member of Sag for almost a year from now. I've worked La Casting and Actors Access, I honestly get like three gigs a year. I was in class but I'm not anymore because I can't afford it I have to eat and pay rent. I have a youtube channel 'Shukenstein,' where I have 12 short films. Always pushing new characters and pushing new stories. But obviously I'm doing something wrong. For years I've been emailing and mailing Agents head shots, resumes, and I only get scams. My best opportunity was last July where I had a referral for BiCostal Talent. I interviewed with the President, had a great time showed everything I do, everything I've done, everything I worked on, gave them a box of cookies as a thank you. They said they were going to talk highly of me but two weeks later they emailed me saying 'They're conflicted with my type.' Then they also said they had all the white guys they needed. I used to do showcases, I did a big one infront of 14 agents at THe Grove in Ny but didn't get one after 3 months of work on a play. I'm just running out of ideas of what I can do, and I'm really limited by my own budget because I have to pay rent I don't have the money to take 250 bucks in classes a month. Any suggestions I'll happily take.
When will ads like this finally be considered discrimination and become illegal to require as part of an audition? by NimbusCloud1 • last post Feb 4th
Pay per day TBD depending on talent's personal draw. Performers without a significant nationwide following should expect to fall in lower range. Making your casting decision based on how many followers an actor has is downright stupid, and also discriminatory. Because if you are relying on that for your financing or distribution you're giving yourself a false sense of security. Just because someone has a lot of followers does not mean his followers are going to provide money or will be a fan of every project the actor does. A lot of people's followers are just fake bots anyway. I'm all for a team work ethic. And I want to hire actors who are going to have that ethic. But I do not feel it is an actor's job to guarantee you an audience. If you can't create that on your own for your project then your project is probably not that interesting anyway
Confidence by Ometzu • last post Feb 4th
Okay. So. I’ll put a TL;DR down there. I started acting when I was 8, in local community theater. Realized at 12 or 13 that what I was doing wasn’t necessarily the real thing, and asked my parents to help facilitate finding a real acting school to study. So I started taking classes year round at an acting school connected to an Equity theater in my area, and met my mentor, who would guide me and help me grow into a fantastic actor. She’s the whole reason I decided I was good enough. She showed me that I had real talent, and connected me to a number of industry people that I still get appointments from to this day. She hooked me up with my first manager in NYC, which helped me get an agent at a top agency (one of big three) What followed was my unavoidable fight with alcohol and drugs. A good two years of drinking every day, drugging it up every day. I was a complete mess, and I didn’t care. I thought I would become famous as all hell for no reason whatsoever. And, obviously, my manager dropped me, my agent dropped me, and I went to rehab. This is not the point of the story, I’m sober now, 6 years, and confident in my recovery. But shortly after that time, my mentor had a massive brain aneurism and died, very suddenly. I was spiritually bankrupt. I still am, somewhat. And I think of what she would do if she saw me, living in New York, working as a fucking restaurant server, still getting appointments but so absolutely mortified and anxious every time I send in a self tape or go into an audition room that I can barely function. I hate acting now. I hate the industry. I hate the fake faces and constantly having to pretend that I’m happy and working and blah blah blah. I’m not happy. I haven’t felt inspired by performance in god knows how long. I work nights as a server so it’s next to impossible to get to EPA’s, and the few appointments I do get from the people that I know seem like impossibilities in my mind. And I know that I’m good. I just want to fall in love with acting again. And to really believe in myself. I never learned how to do that, I always relied on my mentor to tell me when what I was doing was right, and I feel like I’m not surrounded by people who know what they’re talking about, so I’m completely lost. TL;DR: I guess I just need to feel inspired again. Please read the rest.
Guerilla warfare style of an industry breakthrough in LA. Need some help/opinions. by dragonburger • last post Feb 4th
Hi folks! Theres a TL;DR at the bottom...I recently moved to LA in October, I'm non-union, but have worked on a major Netflix film set when I lived in Pittsburgh as a stand-in (out of SAG jurisdiction so I didnt get union status from it...grrrr). I'm a 25 year old white brunette female from the Rust Belt. Blue collar/rustic/Irish+freckled/classical/historical look/type. I am an actor first and foremost, and I had about 3 agencies interested in my off the bat when I moved due to this experience. I wasn't signed because I have no real "professional union acting** work" outside of some non-union indies which have gone into some smaller festivals. I am not interested in commercial work which is what they all seemed to want me to do as it is "low risk". Don't get me wrong... I'm not above commercial work, but I don't think I'm the right type for it. I desperately want to do theatrical film work, but getting into an agency's theatrical division is like infiltrating a fortress. I did get a compliment from a notable director from my stand-in work ( it was through a PA, but still it was from him...so indirectly?). I've been trying to use that as my selling point as much as possible, but no one cares since it's not acting. I have a reel I need to update, and I probably need new headshots. I have all the casting profiles and bells and whistles you need to be "taken seriously". However, recently I've been thinking of a "guerilla warfare " type strategy that I need some more help on... From what I've observed, Everyone who claims to be an actor in LA is doing this: A: Spending $$$$ on classes or workshops with casting directors that may or may not guarentee you work. B: Desperately trying to get noticed via social media or via viral videos/marketing. C: Selling their soul to the Church of Scientology. D: Trying to work their way up in an agency as an assistant or personal assistant to someone "important" who may or may not get them work. E: Spending $$$$ in Beverly Hills/Weho trying to get invited to parties where these big people may be hiding to trying and slip them their business card in hopes of skipping the pack. I'm proposing something like "E" on this list, but in more of a cost effective way. I know I'm talented (so is everyone), but I know that casting directors and agents aren't creatives (they're glorified recruiters... no offense). I want to get to the source of where these directors and producers are so that I can use my hard earned skills I've acquired through professional set work and the countless acting classes I've taken to actually get them to take a chance on ME directly. I've heard numerous stories of people just using networking to get jobs as actual day player or reoccurring roles on TV or Film....but how is it done? Where do I go? I've heard on taking chances on budding directors but it's similar to bidding on a horse that may or may not win the race. I know this may all seem horribly calculating and scheming, but I just want to work and be taken seriously as an actor. I want desperately to be treated with dignity, and the only place to do that is up top in this industry (or at least on sets with union standards). Feel free to disagree with me, I know this brutalist style isn't for everyone. I have seen talented people who "work hard" literally never work....and then I've seen talentless schmucks book major TV roles. And we're all losing against the Brits anyway. This is just a brutal reality I'm trying to navigate... TL;DR: Sneaky actor in search of becoming a Hollywood sneak-lord, and sneaking around the masses to gain access to roles.
Am I crazy? by talaxia • last post Feb 4th
I'm a 38 year old woman who has had a difficult life, and am only now reaching a place where I can focus on thriving instead of merely surviving. I've always wanted to be an actor and I have acted in a few plays and films, mostly regional / student (though I did land a Volvo commercial once!). I've never pursued acting full time or what I would consider seriously, but as I hurtle towards the second half of my life I'm trying to figure out how I want to spend it. And I think I might want to be a professional actor. thing is my age. Is it reasonable to expect that I could get into any good acting schools at 38? I know there are roles for middle aged women, and now more than ever. I'm also lucky enough to look about ten years younger than I am due to genetics. Also, I know the acting industry can be cliquish and who-you-know based, is there room for new older actors in those communities? my ideal scenario would be to move to Vancouver (no desire to live in LA), get into a good acting program, and eventually be cast as an evil villain space general / evil fantasy queen in one of the syfy productions out of there (not a requirement, I'll play anything to the best of my ability, I just always seem to be cast as a villain due to my intense look and I love playing the bad guy. and I live for anything scifi / fantasy). I'm not expecting all consuming stardom or oscars or millions of dollars. Just a life focusing on what I enjoy and what I'm passionate about. But I also don't want to be delusional or waste time or get my heart broken if the entire venture is misguided. Maybe it's silly to assume it's misguided? When I was growing up my family, my mother in particular, pretty much forbid me to pursue acting seriously - she was in that industry in the 60's and 70's and suffered a lot of Weinstienery. it's taken me this long to deprogram myself from her horror stories and due to this my perception is likely skewed. so I figured I'd ask. so what do you think? worth a shot?
Why so many annoying voices?? by Jay423 • last post Feb 4th
99.9% of voices in voice overs make my skin crawl. In real life I don’t find people’s voices annoying but on the radio or on TV the voice overs are like nails on a chalkboard to me. Almost all are women. But women in real life don’t sound like this. Women newscasters don’t sound like this. Women actors in commercials don’t sound like this. But women voice overs? The worst! What are they doing to the voice in post production? They must be deliberately altering it to make it more “memorable” (read: torturous to hear). In the 70s and 80s voice overs were trained, smooth, and mellifluous. Then “real people” casting started in commercials. Then it extended to voice overs having a “real person” sound, which actually developed into the style today, annoying, head turning, grating. If a smooth pleasant voice is visualized by a straight line, today’s voice overs would be seen as an electro cardiogram or a seismic wave reader. Just grossly discordant, harsh, gravelly, hoarse, nasal, vocal fry, etc. I try to avoid commercials but it seems like the biz knows the audience is dividing their attention so they want to force your attention by these heinous voices. Can we PLEASE return to smooth, pleasant voices?
Acting by Icelydone-in • last post Feb 4th
Can you become an actor as young and no experience, even not being living in US/UK?
Market myself as a young bald actor? by sudrawkid • last post Feb 3rd
Hey everyone! So to cut to the chase, I lost my hair at a pretty young age (18) due to illness. Ever since I initially shaved my head I was never able to get my hair to grow in and had to resort to wearing a hair system. It looks ok but is a lot of hassle and can look pretty fake at times (I’ve been clocked for wearing it twice in the last couple years, I’m sure others have noticed just haven’t said anything) Im 23 now and wanna just shave my head and save myself the hassle and embarrassment of wearing a hair piece so young. The problem is, I don’t know if I’d get like any auditions without it. I get a decent amount of 18tpy auditions currently and that’s like 95% of the roles I go out for. I’m 5,3, skinny and baby faced, not some buff action guy. Any advice? Is there a market for young bald guys?
Not a Actor but I have a question, Can boxing get you a role in a movie if so what type beside CREED, ROCKY, or even GLADIATOR or is XMA more likely to get a role like Star Wars by Demon-Ace • last post Feb 3rd
I was truly wondering when watching STAR WARS how did they young people get roles and I know Ray Park( Darth Maul) took a variety of MMA classes but not I don’t believe he did boxing mostly acrobatics. And other Cal Kestis from the game of Star Wars. Can boxing get you these roles
Questions about residuals by maverickRD • last post Feb 3rd
Hi all, am not an actor but a big supporter and have a few friends in the business that sometimes ask me for more financial-related advice. A couple questions about residuals as I have dug in a bit: 1) It looks like the documentation I can find (e.g. SAG - Television agreement) says that residuals are based on the SAG minimum - is that how it works in practice? So an actor who might be a series regular and get $20k/episode doesn't necessarily get more in terms of residuals than someone being paid the weekly minimum for a guest spot? 2) Do managers and or agent contracts typically entitle them to the same percentage (10%) of residuals?
NON-Union Actor/Actress For Feature Film by Indiefilmsllc • last post Feb 3rd
Award winning Producer/Director looking for both Actor/Actress ages 25-35 for a feature film shot in North Jersey. 2 day shoot. Minimum locations. Will pay, let's discuss. NON\_UNION
Do I.... not want to be an actor anymore?!? by glorwen • last post Feb 3rd
Hi internet! I need your input because I'm not sure I want to be an actor anymore and that scares me... I moved to LA 5 years ago, as so many of us do, and I've slowly realized I don't need to make money from acting to be happy doing it. Which is great! But now I'm faced with the quandary- should I move home and have a more financially stable life or should I stay here and keep trying? HELP
What’s an appropriate amount of pay for yourself? by RayCarlsJr • last post Feb 3rd
I myself do not act, but am at the point where I want to be hiring actors for shorts and commercials. Most of these people would be acquaintances I’ve met in the business (digital realm included) or also friends of friends. My question is, what would be considered the average day rate for actors at different levels of the career? Or maybe you don’t go based on day rate? I do not have a good starting point and was wanting to hear your guys’ opinions. I enjoy reading discussions here about all things that film and entertainment.
Actors in Puerto Rico! by Reptilebear • last post Feb 3rd
Looking for actors on the island to I guess hook me up with all of the tips and information needed to continue acting while being in Puerto Rico. I will be staying here for a little while and have done a bit of research here and there but I’m not finding anything very helpful asides from move back to NYC! I would like to speak to those who avidly pursue the carrier over here. It doesn’t seem like there is a lot going on acting wise based off searches alone but maybe I’m just approaching and looking at this all wrong. I use a few acting websites to find jobs but none of them seem to branch over to this side of the world. So if you know a proper website or agency to look in to... any helpful information please do talk to me... any information would be helpful. I just would really hate to have to retire the craft until I’m able to move back.
I never realized how awful I sound by supportplayersmatter • last post Feb 2nd
Just a heads up: This is just a gripe post I've always been a big fan of English Dub anime and the voice actors, and I never got the hate for Dubs. While the name pronounciation was always bad, I thought English Dubs were often very good. The hate for English Dubs was what inspired me months ago into voice acting. And while I have no interest in doing voice acting in an official capacity, I have a dream of one day bringing to life my personal fiction books and voicing my animated main character. I often practice voice acting him in my car, shower, in my room, wherever. And I always thought I sounded good. Some days are way better than others but I generally thought I sounded well as him: A teenager who had the ability to express emotions other than self-hate sucked out of him by his own delusions and life experience. Just today, I thought "You know what? I should try recording myself to see how I really sound." You can tell where its going from here. Obviously, when the words are coming out of your mouth, the weight of your skull sends vibrations that makes your voice sound differently to yourself than it does to the outside world. So while I thought I sounded fantastic and was hitting great strides, my smartphone was telling me otherwise. I listened back to it and I don't think I've ever been more disappointed about something before. I'm pretty sure it entirely killed my desire to improve my voice acting. I'm not entirely sure if it's the low quality of a smartphone microphone that could be contributing to the poor quality but I believe the acting itself is also unignorably bad. Things I didn't hear, like the drawing out of words sounding unbelievably facking stupid, I'm at a loss for words. Just wanted to complain in someone else's company. If you actually read this, thank you and have a nice day.
To all the actors... by Saucy_Sloth • last post Feb 2nd
As a film Director, I was wondering, what is something you hate hearing from a director? And what's something that you really wish you heard more of in a direcotr?
Accents: which one should I get? by Eragon7795 • last post Feb 2nd
I've been living in the UK for the past 6 years and recently, I decided to finally start chasing my dream of becoming an actor by (hopefully) enrolling in an acting school. English is not my first language and unfortunately, I'm afraid that this will be a big problem in my career (if I ever get to actually have an acting career that is...)