We have found 19,297 posts across 4 actor forums:
The Real Reason Established VO’s Shame New Voice Talent by john_lutherVO • last post Jul 1st
There is no doubt that the industry is changing for voice actors. The market is being flooded by talent who charge way below industry standard rates and many voice actors, who have been established for years, are not happy about it. The truth is that the barriers to entry for the aspiring voice over have become almost non-existent. The interesting thing is, with YouTube and people like booth Junkie and Dewees, as well as other online resources, many of them are taking this craft seriously and are focusing on developing themselves. Some are actually pretty good. The response from many voice actors have been disappointing. Rather than focusing on developing themselves in order to be successful in the new market, many have resorted to shaming new talent into this concept that we should all work together in order to “keep rates fair and the product to the highest of standards.” They’ll say things like “Don’t use Fiverr or upwork! They devalue our craft!” “You don’t have a 416 or TLM 103 (or similar)? Then your gear isn’t sufficient!” “You haven’t trained with the best coaches? Your acting isn’t sufficient” “You aren’t represented? Your not ready!” Then they’ll say, “Just keep practicing. You aren’t ready yet!” This sounds great. Collectively work together to get fair wages for the high quality labor we produce. It sound like they are trying to help the new guys and gals. The problem with this, is that their motives are not pure in the least. The truth is that they are hoping for a return to the old status quo. They hope to convince new and emerging voice actors to work within an environment that gives the old guard the upper hand. When they tell new voice talent to charge industry standard rates, they know that they’re likely not going to get it. When they tell new voice talent to purchase a thousand dollar microphone, they know that likely the new voice talent won’t be able to afford it. When they tell Voice talent that they have to have a $5000 demo or that they’re going to destroy their chances for a career, they know that voice talent will likely not do it. This isn’t altruism, this is self-service and it’s bull crap. There is no difference between the old voice talent trying to shame new voice actors than that of the taxi industry trying to stop Uber or Lyft from working within cities. They are afraid and it is easier to try to convince newbie VO’s to work within the old way of doing things then to change. There is one undeniable truth in business. You either change with the times or you die. New voice talent. Take this craft seriously. Get better. Train. Invest in good gear. But never let anyone else’s insecurities drive you to making poor decisions. Be the judge of your own talent and readiness. Who gives a shit if some VO in LA that likely makes less than you do while working on Fiverr tells you that you aren’t ready. Believe in yourself and keep improving. Haters will always hate. Ignore them.
Plans after college by manofsteel1234 • last post Jul 1st
So I'm 100% dedicated to become the best actor I can be however I want to make sure that I have a survival job as I move to the city after I graduate, I'm heading to New York and I'm going to be living with my brother, what survival jobs can help pay my rent as im in the city
Why have actors been looked down upon in society throughout history? by officialFJW • last post Jul 1st
From the Catholic Church refusing to give actors last rights. To todays society seeing acting as an impossible career to sustain. Is there a common reasoning throughout generations?
Red Flags in Theater by xetrix_inkura • last post Jul 1st
We in this profession have to develop a keen bullshit detector if we want to last long without being taken advantage of. There will always be those who take our talents, skills, and commitment for granted because they see actors as expendible. After all, there never seems to be a shortage of people with aspirations of being on stage or in front of the camera, why treat actors well when you can simply replace them? And to be fair, this is not always a factor of malice, more often it is simply selfishness on the part of the production team who only care about the project and not really anyone involved in it. ​ The purpose of this topic is to open it up to some of our more seasoned actors to share their "red flags" that let them know when to get out of a project, focusing on red flags that pop up during the audition process before contracts are signed. My own focus is on theater, but I imagine the Film/TV world has it's own universal warning signs that a project is not worth the time or effort. I'd also like to highlight the experiences I'll start with a few that I've encountered, and I'm eager to read yours. ​ 1) The writer has been cast in the show. In Hollywood, there are maybe a dozen actors with the clout and skill to take on a lead role AND a crucial production job. Mostly you'll see Director Stars like Mel Gibson or Ben Affleck, but they seem to be a rarity. And that's film. In theater I have a personal rule of not working on shows with such arrangement, but I've also forgone this rule in cases where the director takes on a small role to fill out the cast. Recently I was offered a role in a new play to premiere around Halloween, and was alarmed to realize that the director had already basically decided to cast the show's writer as the lead. I realize many actors take to writing to create their own opportunities but this sort of thing comes across as a total vanity move, and is rarely motivated by the writer being a good actor or the best performer for the role. Instead, it saves money on paying another actor (assuming they're offering a stipend at all) and allows the writer (who is most likely friends with the director) to more closely micro-manage their work. This also empowers a single actor to basically direct their fellow actors beyond the will of the director. ​ 2) They try to downplay the fact that the part doesn't pay Theater, being largely ununionized, is rife with companies that don't pay actors and instead try to talk up the "exposure" that the performer will receive and how publicity is worth it's weight in gold. Now I've done community theater that doesn't pay and that fact was clearly stated. The theater operated as a non-profit and everyone engaged with it out of passion, fun, and a love for the art. Sometimes the project matters more to you than making money...such is the nature of art. But if a company downplays this, it's probably because they know that the work is worth a stipend but they're simply to cheap to pay one. You should look at such gigs as an unpaid internship. ​ These two are fresh in my memory but there are obviously more which I will add as I think of them. But I'm curious to hear your rules (and maybe horror stories) for avoiding dead-end projects.
New Voice acting discord server! by Deathlyreaper527 • last post Jul 1st
Hey there all! Im working on making a voice acting discord server! Where voice actors project creators and artists can come together! [https://discord.gg/g6kFxf](https://discord.gg/g6kFxf)
Actress talking about working on a feature film as well as ADR recording by Danfilmman • last post Jul 1st
Actor based workout plan, would you be interested? by DirectivePodcast • last post Jul 1st
I'm looking for some insight. As a component to my MFA thesis I made an actor centric workout plan that could be done in a small space, required no equipment, and was only 30 minutes a workout. I had planned on reshooting the videos and publishing it online, with some free content and some patreon content, but I've really been wondering....would anyone actually be interested in this? Free or otherwise? A lot of research went into it and it's designed to help support you physically as an actor, but I just am hesitant to put it out there. Thoughts?
What ARE my rates? by Ptme3 • last post Jul 1st
I was requested to do a self-tape audition for a short film. On the listing it said “compensation commensurate with experience”. They asked me— a non-union, 18 year old actor with little film experience— what my rates are. I have no idea; what would be a good number for me? Says it would be a 6 hour commitment.
What did you do today to advance your acting career? by JoShoeWa • last post Jul 1st
- did some prepatory work for a scene that I will be acting in for a series on Wednesday. - Practiced my Spanish - sent some texts/messages to agents and other actor contacts - checked AA for submissions - worked out Let’s motivate each other and remind ourselves of the grinding nature of this art.
How to get started? by SaintHoppy • last post Jul 1st
I have a some questions that I’ve thought if after looking through this sub 1. What do I do if I can’t have a coach? I live in a country that doesn’t have that kind of stuff 2. Is there any places online I can do some stuff? (I don’t wanna be paid just yet, I just want to build a demo and such) 3. What makes a good voice actor?
Finding Recording Spaces in Your City (Better than a Closet, Cheaper than a Whisperroom?) by Hopeful_Dot • last post Jul 1st
Hello! I'm a newer voice actor/audiobook narrator and I have been working as a full-time freelancer for the last few months. Up until now, I've been making due with a closet setup, but the abundance of construction, landscaping, etc. in the summer simply cannot be blocked out with the setup I have. I rent my apartment, and I am simply not yet financially/mentally/logistically prepared for the nightmare that is getting a Whisperroom shipped to my place, unloaded, moved up to my unit, set up, and then having to take it all down and do that all over again when I move in a year. ​ Has anyone here had luck using library rooms, music practice spaces, or renting from legit recording studios? I'm based in Chicago, and any Chicago-specific recommendations would be absolutely incredible. I know there's the issue of finding a space that isn't so big it sounds like a church, or so tiny and sharp-edged it sounds like a coffin. But I'm holding out some hope that other people have stumbled upon workable solutions. Almost anything at this point would be better than desperately recording a few words at a time in between jackhammer bursts and weed wackers going up and down the block, all while trying not to suffocate in a closet filled with blankets and acoustic foam on a 90-degree day. ​ I'm totally willing to rent out a space by the hour/week/month, but it seems that most legit recording spaces are geared towards musicians who need the space for a full band, producer, sound engineer, etc., and priced that way as well, and I really just need a space that's mostly sound proof, not too echoey, and has the space for me and my mic. Most places I've called are either way out of my budget and/or want to sell me a director, sound engineer, etc. in the package. Any tips on what to search for that would land me just the room itself would be fantastic (one place suggested I look for podcast recording studios, but no luck finding one of those yet). Thank you all in advance!
Meisner method in San Antonio, tx by myteeboosh • last post Jun 30th
Was wondering if anyone knew of any schools that teach the Meisner method in San Antonio, TX. I found one in austin but it's to much for me to commute every week. Also, if no schools are available, are there any Meisner trained actors who could meet with others interested in learning the technique and sharing/pooling our knowledge to enrich everyone.
Question: Could an actress over 18 playing an underage character be portrayed nude? by NeonElectric • last post Jun 30th
There's a script I'm writing, and I'm just curious as to if that's questionable.
When the PA asks the last Background Actor to get to set... by urbansophistication • last post Jun 29th
Karma Pro Users: Please thread here! by John Soren • last post Jun 29th
Hey All! It's been a wild 24 hours for me, and I'm working through the issues. Apparently nearly 20% of the listings did not migrate properly and that cascaded into several other problems. Those listings have now been moved over, which will help. I want to talk about the issues some people are having with Pro - mainly the "popup" issue. This change actually wasn't due to the new site, it was based on Chrome's recent update which disallowed the old way we'd open windows. People who had already upgraded Chrome were not able to see anything (they would get an "About:Blank" page) until we updated the window opener. So, before getting into it, please make sure of the following: You should have Chrome updated to the most recent version, which is 75.0.3770.90 You should have the updated version of the Karmalicity Pro extension, which is 2.4.1 If either of those things is not true, I can't be sure which issues to address... but given those two things are true, please provide as much detail as possible about what issues you're facing when trying to use the extension, and I'll try to work it out!
How to read a booking info email? by ShatteringLast • last post Jun 29th
Hello there, real actors. I only recently decided I wanted to be an actor. I've zero training, etc. I saw a local casting call for background extras for a TV show filming in my city. Decided to send an email with all the info they requested, and to my dumbfounded astonishment, I rec'd a reply an hour later. Problem is, I'm not really sure how to read it. There are a few different roles for background extras, and I'm not sure which I would be, and therefore not sure what my wardrobe should be. The last thing I'd want is to show up at call time with the totally wrong outfit and be *that guy*. Are there any resources on how to read these emails? It's got that type of bad formatting that you see from like, government agencies. Thanks in advance for any help. This is bonkers to me!
Can you help me figure out my typecast? by LunaYves • last post Jun 29th
Hey guys! I need your help with a typecast survey (1-2 minutes). I'm an actress and I want to find out what my type cast is, or how you would cast me. If you could click the link below and fill the survey out that would be amazing! Thank you! [https://forms.gle/Urww4PsqGa1seMyN6](https://forms.gle/Urww4PsqGa1seMyN6)
I feel like I am an actor on the inside by em8472 • last post Jun 28th
I’m 26 years old and I have never once acted or attempted to act or auditioned for anything, but I sometimes act out scenes at home by myself and I think I am good at it. I can bring my real feelings into whatever I am trying to act out and make it very real to the point where I almost feel like it’s real to me in that moment. I would really like to explore this side of me more but I’m not sure how! How do you get into something like this? How do I start getting into acting if I’m 26?