We have found 19,368 posts across 4 actor forums:
You should pursue your dreams. No matter what. by srirachase • last post Dec 1st
So about 2 or so weeks ago, my family scraped together enough money for me to fly out to NYC and audition for a conservatory program(New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts), as well as visit another school(NYFA). **Story about the visit:** I had been sick the week of the audition. It was on Saturday, and I had been sick since Tuesday. My throat was extremely sore(thank God I wasn't auditioning for musical theater), and I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to perform as well as I had been practicing. On top of this, I was a little unsure about the fact that after being unable to find a monologue that I really liked online, I just chose to perform a standalone one that I found online. Anyways, we got there, and I had been chugging green tea all day long. Eventually, the president of the conservatory, Richard Omar is talking about the program. I really liked a lot of what I heard, and started getting more nervous for the audition. He eventually mentions that there will be a couple of people who do their auditions before everyone else, and in front of all of us that were there(probably 25 people between all the prospective students and their parents). This got me a little bit excited. I knew that a lot of people in the industry(or so I've heard/assumed) like confidence in their talent, and that it would look good if I volunteered. A few minutes later, after he had left the room and returned again, he asked, "who is (my name)?" I raised my hand and said, "that's me." He had randomly selected me to audition in front of everybody. I was like *alright* and was sort of preparing myself. When the time came, I stood up and walked to the front of the room. For more setting context, he had a camera pointing towards stage center with an HDMI out to a TV so that people could see through the camera's *eye*. There were a couple of back and forth jokes between President Omar and I, and then I did my monologue. He told nobody to clap/applaud, but a couple of people almost did. He told them to *shut the f--- up* and started to workshop my monologue. I was really impressed with my work here, because he gave me different actions to complete throughout my monologue, which I remembered, along with my lines, and without breaking stride. I had a great time, and when meeting with him later(as the "second part" of my audition where he just wanted to get to know me, he told me that he wanted me to come to the conservatory. Later that week, I received a call saying that not only was I accepted, but they wanted to offer me their highest audition-based scholarship as well. More about me and acting: I have always dreamt, as many have, about being on the big screen. Making major motion pictures, telling stories through film, and exploring what life is like through other peoples' eyes; those are the things that I want to truly accomplish throughout my lifetime. But I didn't start pursuing anything until this year. I'm in my first year of university in the US, and I put a lot of thought into where I'm at. I think that I've always known that being an actor was my dream career. I've just been much too scared to go for it. I got bullied a fair amount in school for just being myself(I don't think I was that bad, eh?), and really never found "my people" in high school. I was really hoping to change that in college. But once I got here, I really realized that if I actually want to pursue my dreams, *I should start now*. And so I did. I found out about a play that was being put together here at my school, auditioned, and got a part! I was super happy about it, because I knew that it was my first step in getting to where I want to be. It was the first play that I had been in since the 3rd grade. And then this whole success getting into the conservatory! *Especially* with the scholarship? I'll be thinking about where I was last year, the dark place that it was for me, and imagine how crazy it would be to tell that boy that he'd be living in NYC in 2 years. It really is unbelievable. I really want to share this to tell those out there contemplating just following their dreams, whether its film-related or not, to go for it. Even if you have to start small, like a 9-person production of a student-written play. Start. Go.
Gift for an actor! by chicagoxtc • last post Dec 1st
Hello everyone! Im sorry if this rude but a I need gift for a traveling actor. Can you guys help me with ideas? Hope I'm not a bother and thanks in advance!
How does acting-training affect your ability to be strong socially, like at a cocktail-party or in other social scenarios? by FunUniverse1778 • last post Dec 1st
How does acting-training affect your ability to be strong socially, like at a cocktail-party or in other social scenarios? What about "comedic timing?" Does that make you funnier? What is it like to date an actor? Is that a challenging experience since they can fake any emotion and emotionally manipulate you? What is it like to be friends with an actor, given their ability to fake emotions?
Searching For Actors in NYC for Production ASAP by carldo2 • last post Dec 1st
Why are actors fun people but depressed inside? by FunUniverse1778 • last post Dec 1st
Let's assume the stereotype to be true. In that case, why are actors that way? Someone said to me: >you know the whole ‘stereotype’ about actors being fun people yet depressed deep inside? That’s usually true. Be sure to check up on your [actor] pals from time to time.
at what point are you supposed to realize that it's just not in the cards for you to be an actor? by creatingmyreality123 • last post Dec 1st
i've done everything i can think of. trained, in sag, have agents, have a reel, i used to do student films but i'm sick of the unprofessionalism, lack of quality footage (if you even get it back), and taking time off from work. i'm also tired of paying for workshops, which are only going up in price. i'm at the point where I've done everything i can and i just simply don't get auditions, maybe 5-10 in a year. it's pretty devastating. i also once had a really decent manager and agent with a high profile client but I fucked it up and dropped then because i had the wrong person giving me advice. probably will haunt me for the rest of my life. but at the same time, this shit is just ridiculous. some people get multiple auditions a week and me? 5-10 a year? it's just fucked up and insane to be honest. it has never made sense to me and nothing i do seems to be able to change it, and all it does is drive me crazy so I'm finally realizing i need to move on in life. i'm early 30s and this is just not happening how I want it to... at all. I guess I'm wondering if anybody else has been in this boat and if you moved on to something else with your life or somehow found success getting 5-10 auditions a year?
Young actor by _Brown_Sugar_ • last post Dec 1st
Hello im Tibo and its been i think 6 or 7 months that i have been having an addiction to acting i havent found any acting club or had any acting experience wich i have been looking for if anyone has something for me close to belgium flanders that i could participate in i would be forever greatful
Casting Issues: Nationality. by SarahTchil • last post Nov 30th
I really want to start learning acting after I finish my senior year this year. I'm Armenian Lebanese and I live in Lebanon so I'll have to move if I want to get the best classes in the major cities. But I have some concerns regarding castings.. are there any prejudice regarding actors' origin, nationality, etc.. is it considered a positive? Negative? I might be completely wrong but if you know anything about this I'd appreciate the help.
Self education on Acting by SarahTchil • last post Nov 30th
I will have around 1 year before I actually start attending real acting classes/ a drama school (still have to decide between the two depending on what I can afford or is better as a foundation). But till the time comes I dont want to be wasting time and I want to start learning some things on my own. Any recommendations on certain courses that may be helpful? Some books on acting ? Public speaking, vocal, or any type of a class that is going to help me in the future as an actor ? Anything is much appreciated ♡
Any tips for voice acting in college? by ChristopherJngs • last post Nov 30th
Hello, fellow voice actors! My name is Chris, and I've been producing voice-over content for the internet since I was just 12. I've since expanded my technological and performative expertise through middle and high school, and currently operate out of my bedroom studio without any issues. As excited as I am to study Radio/Video Production in college, there is one problem with that process; a dormitory complex is not going to allow me to get away with nearly as much noise as my current house does. What can I research or implement to combat that come my Freshman Year? Any and all recommendations are appreciated! Many thanks!
A beginner question by Skarchii • last post Nov 30th
What's the name of the time when the actors read their lines aloud? When they act, but only with their voices and maybe facial expressions
As actors, what are your thoughts on the TV show "Barry?" by FunUniverse1778 • last post Nov 30th
1: What do you think about the acting class, the instructor, and the students? What are some funny thoughts that come to mind for you, given that you're an actual actor? 2: What are some of the "inside baseball" jokes that a non-actor wouldn't get, regarding these classes? 3: What do you think about the point that the actual real-life people (Bill Hader, etc., etc.) who are playing these roles are actually talented actors IRL, but in the show they *play* terrible actors? 4: Is it hard to play a terrible actor if you're a good actor? (All the people they hired are talented for a reason, and I don't know if all of them are required to ever display good acting; some of them are bad actors in every episode.) 5: When the Sally/Barry characters actually have their moments of "good acting" (which is just real emotions misinterpreted as acting, right?), then the actors (Goldberg/Hader) have to do GOOD acting. I find it very good acting, anyway, when they actually "turn it on." However, is real emotion supposed to just look like (good) acting? In the show it does; everyone thinks that they're just acting. But is that realistic, for (real) emotion and (good) acting to be indistinguishable? 6: Is it realistic for them to feed off their real emotions like that to create amazing performances? 7: What is the actual technical explanation for how Goldberg/Hader suddenly become so powerful/believable when the show calls for it? (I'm not an actor; I don't understand the technique. It is cool how they suddenly change something and then they're suddenly believable.) 8: Does good acting mean imitating real life? My guess is that it does not; that would be un-interesting. But why then does it seem "believable" if it's not mimicry of real life? 9: Is *any* of Gene's advice in the show actually good, even if it's *accidentally* good? 10: What other things about *Barry* jump out to you as an actor? 11: What do actors actually think about, and focus on, during their acting? Is it always different? Is it something about physical movements or vocals inflections? (In *Barry*, would they be focusing just as hard on these things when they're doing "I'm a terrible actor" parts?)
Acting in auditions vs acting on set. by jamesjimmybyrondean • last post Nov 29th
Hi guys please I need your advice from experience. So my story is that I've been going for auditions for a while now and so far I've been picked for only three roles. However I've been able unable to act those three roles so I've never ever acted on set. My only experience in acting is in auditions and that's the thing. I don't enjoy it. So far the experience I have in acting has been when I'm practicing alone or when I'm at an audition but I don't seem toike acting at that point. I feel so stiff and chained and empty. I developed a passion to become an actor since I was 13. I'm 19 now and I don't if that passion was all in my head. Because now that I'm acting in the real world even though it's just auditions and when I practice on my own I don't like it. But this hurts me because I do want to love acting. I do want to be like Gary Oldman and the people I watch but what if it wasn't meant for me and I'm not good at it. My question is that is that since I've still never acted or been on set is it possible for me to love acting when I'm on set? From your experience
[Guide] Memorizing Lines by a_humble_player • last post Nov 29th
# Introduction Memorizing lines is an important part of the actor's craft. Many of us know the struggle of being "on book" during rehearsal. Once we're "off book", it allows more opportunity for an increased sense of creativity, playfulness, and awareness that comes from not having to struggle to remember our lines. It's when we're really allowed to "act". Knowing our lines helps free us up to maintain connection to our scene partners and our action. Every time we stop the scene as we attempt to recall a line we've forgotten, we temporarily drop out of that connection, go back into our heads to find it, and then have to come all the way back. It's not fun to do and it's not fun to watch. So let's look quickly at both an approach and some methods memorizing lines! # Prologue Taking a page from Meisner's playbook, it's highly recommended that you memorize the *words*, but not *inflection* or "*how you say them*". You want to be able to be free to say them however you want, with whatever objective, tactic, subtext, or given circumstance you're experimenting with using in the scene for that run through. Those can all shift the "how you say it", so don't lock yourself out of options by memorizing it one particular way. Also, whatever's going on between you and your partner when you run the scene will also color your delivery and intention, you'll want to be open to those subtle differences and impulses. Second, I personally find memorization goes much easier when you know what all the words mean, so do take time to look them up if you're unsure. As an English speaker, I say this for things like Shakespeare, but I also apply it to memorizing bits of text that are in a foreign language. You can memorize it phonetically, I just think it's harder to \*use\* in performance, and that's ultimately what we're aiming for. Third, it's good to aim for specific, precise memorization of your text. (I personally don't like saying "word-perfect", because I feel like it makes the emphasis on "getting it right" for the sake of "getting it right", rather than about deeply understanding why the words are important for the story.) Authors use specific words for their nuanced meaning \*and\* for characterization. The fact that your character uses a particular word tells the audience something about them. If you find yourself substituting words or paraphrasing your lines, dig down and figure out what the difference is between what you're saying and what the line is. It may help clarify the story for you. But onward to the juicy bits! # Memorizing lines has two components: 1. **Line Learning**- initially being able to recall the line from memory 2. **Line Retention**- not forgetting that line between performances # Line Learning This is where we need to get our minds to hold onto a line, if only for a few moments. There's a lot of different ways people do this, but I'll suggest you try the method outlined in these videos: [https://youtu.be/Jbe1-oHnR6k](https://youtu.be/Jbe1-oHnR6k) [https://youtu.be/k8k\_rNTDjJM](https://youtu.be/k8k_rNTDjJM) The first link is from Lauren Tothero, a professional actress, and she discusses the acting side a little more in-depth. The second link is from Nelson Dellis, a memory champion, and he offers his own spin for clarification of the process. (There's also a link in his YouTube video description to a website that does the word-shortening for you.) `[Too Long; Didn't Watch]` 1. `Read the passage in your script a few times to build familiarity.` 2. `Write out the passage, using only punctuation and the first letter of every word.` 3. `Attempt to recall the passage using this first-letter only copy. Repeat this a few times.` 4. `Attempt to recall the passage from memory. If you cannot, refer the first-letter only copy. If you still can't recall it from that, refer to the full text.` 5. `Repeat until you can recall the passage from memory.` 6. `Move on to the next passage!` `[/Too Long; Didn't Watch]` I find this method really does help. You can also combine it with other methods, like recording your lines, then listening to your lines, and then seeing if you can repeat them back. Some people like to write out their entire lines repeatedly, a la Bart Simpson on the chalkboard. Whatever works! In the end, the more you practice memorizing, you'll begin to figure out which is easiest for you. Whatever you end up doing, know that in order for memorization to occur you must attempt to **actively recall** the information. Simply reading the script over and over again isn't enough. You have to put the script down and test yourself somehow: "When they say x, what do I say?" This method is useful because writing out just the first letter of every word gives you a **hint**. It *prompts* your recall quickly without simply "giving you the word". Your brain is still working on recall since it has to *associate* the correct word for the single letter, making it a nice half-way point between just reading the line and having to fully remember the whole thing. It can also help avoid paraphrasing (as long as you correctly copied the letters!) because you know what letter the word starts with, so it can't be any word that means something similar but *doesn't* start with that letter. # Line Retention Once you've learned the line and are able to recall the line, even for a short time, **retention** is about *making it stick* so you don't forget it. (Or, more accurately, so you forget it *slower*!) Here's a link to an explanation of "spaced repetition" from Nicky Case, in which you'll learn about spaced repetition by using spaced repetition (neat, huh?): [https://ncase.me/remember/](https://ncase.me/remember/) `[Too Busy; Didn't Play]` 1. `Create a prompt for the information you want to recall. This is usually our cue line, but for longer monologues you may want to "chunk" smaller sections together, prompting yourself using beat changes within the monologue.` 2. `Test yourself by attempting to recall the line.` 3. `If you succeed, wait a short time before attempting to recall it again.` 4. `If you succeed in recalling after waiting a short time, double the amount of time you wait before attempting to recall it again.` 5. `If you can't recall the line:` * `Review your line (perhaps using the first-letter copy) until you can recall it again.` * `Go back to the shortest time and repeat the testing process from the beginning, doubling the time between attempts after every success.` `[/Too Busy; Didn't Play]` While that link is addressing how to retain information for "forever", the process is the same for actors, just on a shorter time scale. We usually only need to get to a point where we can retain our lines for however long the breaks between performances are, which (most of the time) isn't going to be much longer than a week apart. But it can also be used to hold onto things for longer than that: especially for things like audition monologues that you know you'll want to use again, but don't know when. It's great to have them in your back pocket, and spaced repetition is a great way to keep them there. It's important to note that you need to manage your time \*between\* working on your lines, not just the time spent on them. You need time to "tempt" your brain into forgetting, so you can catch it and say, "No, we still need that! Don't throw it out!" Each time you catch it in the act, it'll hold onto it for a little longer, until you \*don't\* catch it- then it'll throw it out. Which is alright. We just don't want it thrown out until we're done with the performance! # Learning a Big Script You may find yourself with a particularly *large* amount of lines to learn. Trying to *learn* the whole script in one day and then *retaining the whole thing* going forward is a **big** ask. If you spread out your *learning* over time- for example, a scene a day- then you won't tax yourself by trying to *cram*. Cramming increases stress and is mentally exhausting; it also becomes more difficult to sustain your concentration the longer you try to sustain the learning, meaning it's more difficult and less likely you'll learn the things towards the end of your session. Cramming looks like: Day #. **Learn Scene #** | *Test Retention of Scene #* 1. **Learn Scene 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8** | *No Test* 2. **No more Scenes to learn** | *Test Scene 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8* 3. **No more Scenes to learn** | *No Test* 4. **No more Scenes to learn** | *Test Scene 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8* 5. **No more Scenes to learn** | *No Test* 6. **No more Scenes to learn** | *No Test* 7. **No more Scenes to learn** | *No Test* 8. **No more Scenes to learn** | *Test Scene 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8* It's a *lot* of work concentrate on a very small number of days, and that work takes time. Maybe you don't *have* hours on those days to test and (potentially) relearn sections. But if you *don't* cram and work on learning one scene per day, look how the methods above break down over two weeks: Day #. **Learn Scene #** | *Test Retention of Scene #* 1. **Learn Scene 1** | *No test* 2. **Learn Scene 2** | *Test Scene 1* 3. **Learn Scene 3** | *Test Scene 2* 4. **Learn Scene 4** | *Test Scene 3 + 1* 5. **Learn Scene 5** | *Test Scene 4 + 2* 6. **Learn Scene 6** | *Test Scene 5 + 3* 7. **Learn Scene 7 |** *Test Scene 6 + 4* 8. **Learn Scene 8** | *Test Scene 7 + 5 + 1* 9. **All learned!** | *Test Scene* 8 + 6 + 2 10. **All learned!** | *Test Scene* 7 + 3 11. **All learned!** | *Test Scene* 8 + 4 12. **All learned!** | *Test Scene* 5 13. **All learned!** | *Test Scene* 6 14. **All learned!** | *Test Scene* 7 15. **All learned!** | *Test Scene* 8 This is an "ideal" progress example, but hopefully you can see how it's more balanced and more likely to work in gaps and relearn forgotten chunks. And you won't spend entire days trying to keep to the schedule. Introducing little bit of learning at a time increases your likelihood of actually sitting down to the work and succeeding at it. Even on the "big work" Day 8, you've only got 1 scene to learn and 3 scenes to test, not 8 of them! Memory is also a skill. As you practice, you'll probably find yourself getting better. This means you may find yourself able to increase how much you can learn in a session. If you don't have a script you *need* to learn, start practicing with single monologues or short scenes you simply *enjoy*. If you start building a habit, then it can be easier to work a script you get cast in into your routine. # Afterword Thanks for reading! If you've been struggling with memorizing lines, I hope this short primer helps with both the why and the how, and perhaps which *part* of the memorization you're struggling with (line learning vs line retention). I also want to take a quick second to say a thank you to /u/BoomSamson for asking me about this topic which spurred my motivation to write this out. Break legs!
How can I move to america and become an actor as a child? by Iwanttobeanactor1 • last post Nov 29th
I'm a 13 year old boy that loves acting and I've been doing it since I was 8. I am self taught and how I've been learning to act for the past 5 years is taking scripts from movies or episode of tv shows and taking my own spin of the character or just remaking the scenes. I have gotten to a point where I think I could definitely do good on auditions. I live in europe and have had the dream to move to the USA for the same amount of time now. My country has extremely strict rules against child labor and so directors choose for 18 year olds to portray 13 year olds in movies so they don't have those problems. What I'm trying to say is: in my country there is very few opportunities for kids. That's only 1 of the reasons I want to move to the us. Over the years I've learned to speak english reasonably well. .Does anyone know how I could, from here in europe audition for jobs in the usa?
Actors, how do you stay sharp between auditions? Do you practice monologues, scenes, etc? by NobodyNamedSmith • last post Nov 29th
Black Friday gear shopping by Zantclick • last post Nov 29th
Alright, I know these threads are floating around everywhere on every subreddit for every possible subject - this is just mine for voice acting gear as an aspiring voice actor. I can’t spring for the ultimate, yet I don’t want to splurge on something easily replaceable. Additionally, despite my best attempts I can’t seem to settle on an external mixer. So here’s my question, I’m looking to get the following: XLR Microphone, External mixer, Boom arm, Pop filter, Shock mount, Any other recommendations What are the best choices? Let’s say a $1000 cap. I’d really appreciate the help, it seems a waste to let BF come and go.
Voice Actors by DoloresDrawing • last post Nov 29th
Does Anyone Have Experience Working With Funimation? by Farmerea14 • last post Nov 28th
I’m a voice actor in Dallas and I’ve been looking for places to do some animation work. Funimation really seems like the best game in town, but the only contact info they’ve given me is an email address to get on their open audition waitlist (which they told me could take years to hear back). I’m a non-union actor and I currently don’t have an agent. Would an agent maybe get me in the door sooner? Should I try looking somewhere else? Any Advice?