We have found 19,446 posts across 4 actor forums:
Can I get some advice? by Euphoric-Bathroom • last post Dec 28th
Hi, I am new to acting and I have some questions, if anyone can help answer them that would be amazing. 1) At this time, I can only afford either Actors Access or Backstage. I am currently located in San Fransisco but am comfortable with moving to LA for work. Which of the 2 (or other casting sites) do you recommend? 2) I don't have a full video reel yet, and I am planning to just put some monologues together. Is this allowed, and if so, how many monologues should I have on my reel? Thanks so much!
Thoughts on Stella Adler NY by Vazio123 • last post Dec 28th
The Stella Adler Studio in NY. Just finished an intensive semester workshop there in technique, voice and speech, and movement and some improv. By the middle end of the program I felt something was profoundly missing. I felt we were manufacturing the truth in acting from heavy emphasis on playing actions and activites and script analyzing rather than working towards a truth of believability especially in scences. From my understanding the first level of technique was learning to play actions, activities and monologues but the whole time I thought where is the fundamental training for working towards the truth rather than indicating what it looks like per say. Not to mention, the lack of a fundamental listening component some schools do not emphasize especially in scence work. I think the imprtantance of listening to your scence partner should be stressed immensely in rather than making the audience have a laugh or playing a joke. And though I am still new to acting, I have found a passion within the craft of searching for a school/studio that seeks the truth. Now some teachers here do have their favorites which is okay but the name dropping of famous actors during lessons gives a kind of ego that I feel new actors should remember to find their own individuality aswell. Less, trying to make the audience laugh. That said, their technique class drew the line for me from beginning to end. This is where I felt their approach to acting became too cerebral for me becuase of its heavy emphasis on text (verbs) and playing actions and activities. I felt it prevented me from being free and acting instinctively which I found to be my greatest strength. I have always been obsessed with finding the truth in acting. All in all, after my expierence and moving forward I feel the Meisner technique would be more suited towards a solid foundation in what I am looking for in my training as an actor. I am interested in others journey expierence with Stella Adler school? I
"Imitating" an actor/scene in my reel? by MX77799 • last post Dec 28th
Hi ! I hope you're all having a great day. I'm currently starting to work on my first reel and there are certain scenes from certain movies that I really love and that I think can convey what I'm capable of at this point in time. These scenes align perfectly with the styles I'm most comfortable with. When I play them (without imitating them) I really feel like I'm at one with the character I'm playing. Would it be a good thing to recreate/interpret existing scenes for my first reel or is it a no-no? Thank you for your time, happy holidays !
Using other people's connections by Juan_Badmofo • last post Dec 28th
Greetings Voice Actor/Redditors!! I'm as amateur as you can get in this business and I'm recording an animation and commercial voice over this year. I have a question that I could use help with though... As you are all aware, a lot of this business is networking. In order to (hopefully) find an agent (and get my demo into the hands of a few people that are very connected in the business) I have to go through friends of friends. Is there a right way (or wrong ways to avoid) when it comes to reaching out to resources through other people? Your advice? Thanks in advance for any posts on this.
What are your unique selling points as an actor? by TamimAziz • last post Dec 28th
Cultural appropriation by CurristaJay • last post Dec 28th
I think that we all understand that "blackface" is no longer acceptable in performance, however, how far does cultural appropriation extend? Should a gay character only be cast from amongst gay actors? This may cause difficulty as it requires actors to be "out" in order to get the part. Should disabled characters only be played by disabled actors? This may prove impossible if the character acquires the disability during the course of the narrative. What about accents? Many actors list accents as a skill on their resume. Should we stop using this skill and cast actors who genuinely speak with the required accent? Any views on these or similar issues? CJ
Headshot Hair by whatever199781 • last post Dec 28th
I know there are some other posts about what hair to choose but I couldn’t find one necessarily about the optimal length for a male actor. I’m getting headshots done and I have longish hair. I’m 22, and my hair in the back touches my collar of a shirt, while the sides and top are a bit more medium length. I have really wavy/curly hair because I’m biracial. My hair is easily one of my best features but my other really good feature is my face which takes center stage probably when I have short hair. I’m at a bit of a conflict with this since when you google actor headshots, there’s a wide variety of lengths. Thoughts? Or anybody wanna chime in?
No reel, no acting experience, completely green to the acting world. Trying to self-submit for projects, so I can get some credits, so I can potentially land an agent. What are the best casting websites for a beginner? Interested in TV/film--commercials, by justcurious3287 • last post Dec 27th
I heard that Actors Access is the absolute best casting website, has access to more breakdowns than any other site. However, my concern is that if I sign up on there, I will be competing with other actors who have amazing reels and tons of experience/credits. I'd rather wait until I get some credits in order to build a reel from them--but I can't get any credits at all if I can't compete on Actors Access, since I'm a beginner. Any advice?
Getting auditions on Actors Access without a reel--doable? by justcurious3287 • last post Dec 27th
Would it be absolutely impossible to self-submit on Actors Access with just a headshot and no reel and land auditions?
Is it viable to get into voice acting without accepting commercial work? by Brandt-son-of-Thora • last post Dec 27th
"Commercial work" as in literally doing commercials, announcements, how-to videos, etc. "Viable" as in able to get paying character work from mid-size to big companies. I'm a theatre actor and I've always wanted to get into VO. But I have no interest whatsoever doing spots for car sales events and shitty products. I'm not looking to make a living doing this... It's an art, a passion, a hobby, however you want to put it. I have a day job and I'm not quitting it. My question is: Will I be able to get parts without commercial stuff on my resume? Will I be able to get an agent with the stipulation that I only want to do character work? Or do you have to "pay your dues" with commercials?
Headshot-Age Range-Character Type Post - Dec 26 by AutoModerator • last post Dec 26th
Use this thread to post your headshots for feedback, get info on your age range/type, find good headshot photographers, ask any questions you may have about headshots. If you are posting a DIY headshot for feedback, and not just a snapshot in order to get feedback on your age range/type/etc, it is advised that you do at least some basic research on what actor headshots look like--composition, framing, lighting. You will find a Google Image search for "actor headshots" to be very helpful for this. Non-professional shots are fine for age/typecasting; please keep in mind that one picture is a difficult way to go about this. Video of you moving and speaking would be ideal, but understandably more difficult to post. For what it's worth, the branding workshop at SAG-AFTRA recommends a five-year age range. That's inclusive, so for example 19-23, 25-29, 34-38, etc.
Is moving to New York a good idea? by mariabernal1 • last post Dec 26th
Im 18 years old and European and just graduated high school. I want to be an actress and filmmaker and I love everything about New York city. I live in a big city right now and I have a job in which I make roughly 700 euros monthly. Is moving to New York for a few months to gain off broadway theatre experience a good idea? I know its very stereotypical but from what I've heard Nyc is a great place for theatre experience. I only worry about the paper work to get a visa and the money for rent.Are there any New Yorkers or people with such experience that can give me some advice? The acting school I am interested in has a few acting courses some are 2 years long. Am I too young? I know its something I have to decide for myself but I feel like I have to be very sure about the overall idea before asking my parents, I am afraid they will think of me as a silly girl. Is finding a job in NYC hard? I appreciate any advice and help.
CALL TO ALL ACTORS: Read 'How to Stop Acting' by Harold Guskin by TheGullibleGuru • last post Dec 26th
It's a phenomenal book. Probably the best one on acting I've read to date. His practices were revered by many and I think it's a super relatable way to instantly shift the way you approach text and character.
When you just keep showing up... by xwolfeyesx • last post Dec 26th
Hi everyone, So first, a little background. I'm in AZ, so not a huge market... most of the theatre here isn't professional and largely panders to the 65+ crowd; so there will be about seven productions of Annie in one season.... cough.... BUT the landscape is slowly and steadily changing and in recent years there have been more actor/artist-focused theatres popping up. There is, however, a theatre that has been long-standing in this community that came up from grassroots and is now one of the most well-attended theatres we have. They do nothing but edgy, fun, new work that always has both actors and audience members turning out in droves. They also make a point of doing work that gives opportunity to P.o.C, women, and LGBTQ+. They hire new people regularly. I really want to work for them. I have been going to nearly every audition for the past four years, they have called me back once and haven't given me the time of day since. I have been an actor for eleven years (and am still taking classes consistently) my auditions are solid, and someone who works for the company told me (unprompted) that they are aware of me, my name comes up in conversation, it's just "about the right role at the right time." This person, however, is not one of their directors. .... I obviously can't ask them outright why they won't/haven't hired me, but I'll be damned if it doesn't bother the shit out of me. I can't help wondering if it's just starting to look sad that I keep showing up to auditions. If it even matters. I'm wondering if anyone here has ever found themselves in a similar situation and how you dealt with it. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks. ❤️
Beginner actor opinions? criticism by crawlingalien • last post Dec 25th
Is asking an acting teacher or fellow students for agent referrals frowned upon? by kangkodos17 • last post Dec 25th
I am really trying to get an agent, and I know it’s about connections. I’ve already sent out materials and haven’t heard back. Would it be weird if I asked fellow acting classmates if they want to refer me if they feel comfortable doing that? And do agents accept referrals from other actors? What about asking my acting teacher? Thanks!
How to stop coming to the room with set idea of how the scene goes? by tomibombadill • last post Dec 25th
Hey guys! ​ I am a 22 year old actor in London who's receiving great feedback from acting tutors who I have trust in during classes. ​ However, in a professional audition my nerves seem to get the better of me and I can never get through the first rounds of auditions. ​ Recently I got a feedback from one of these auditions and it said that I seemed to come with set ideas which resulted in me being a little less open and responsive. ​ Looking back, I can feel that I can get very tensed during these situations that matter and I fall into a trap of pushing things too much - force emotions out to "impress". It feels like I do this subconsciously on the day which is obviously not helpful. ​ Do you guys have any tips on how to NOT become stuck doing the scene the same way as in the past and try to keep exploring new possibilities and opportunities during the scene? What's the best way to practice this? ​ Because it's holiday season I can't ask my tutors for advice until the new term starts in January but I keep thinking about this all the time and would like to practice on my own during the break so I turned to Reddit for advice, haha! ​ Many thanks for your help guys! ​ EDIT: Forgot to specify, this is mostly about monologue work. I find it easier to be more spontaneous in a dialogue scene as I can react to my partner.
Voice lessons? by AprilJohnJazz • last post Dec 24th
I'm a *very* inexperienced actor, primarily interested in Shakespeare and other classic theatre and I have kind of a stupid question. A lot of my favorite actors (Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Paul Robeson) have amazing voices, not just their delivery and enunciation, but the resonant quality and pitch and musicality. By comparison, my own voice is nasal and monotone. I'm wondering how much of that is just what you're born with and how much is training, and if a lot of it is training, what kind of training? Like, should I be taking singing lessons? Or something like Linklater? or what?
Cut the crap, let’s be honest. by stile03 • last post Dec 24th
Ok cutting all the crap about luck and how anyone can be a famous actor if they are in the right place at the right time( which I’m sure is partly true) but please in your honest opinion what about the famous actors made them so famous? How did brad Pitt go from serving tables to one of the most acclaimed actors In Hollywood? Or how did Johnny Depp pick up an acting twitch at 26 and become a world wide star at 30? I get it, everyone wants to believe their dreams are true and that they can just sit back and wait for an audition to come back as a yes. BUT what did these famous actors do/have to succeed so spectacularly? The best example I can think of is Adam driver, he isn’t particularly attractive nor was he a child star with connections in the biz, yet he is currently one of the biggest names in Hollywood, HOW DID HE DO IT...WHY IS HE SOOO SPECIAL?