We have found 19,412 posts across 4 actor forums:
I'm going back into acting to help with my anxiety/depression by bessita • last post Mar 28th
I have never acted professionally, only in community theater and school productions, but it always made me so happy to go up on stage and lose myself to the character. The last time I was on stage was 10 years ago, but it was a very positive experience. High school was when my anxiety and depression kicked in full force. I lost my passion for a lot of my hobbies, including acting. Every day, up until a year or two ago, was a struggle to get out of bed. I had friends who stayed in the acting scene and would always encourage me to audition or just to join different groups, I couldn't muster up the will to do it. Now, 10 years later, I feel the need to get back up on stage. I want to belt out monologues with extreme passion, I want to feed off of other actors' energy and return the favor, I want to make an audience laugh and cry, and I want to lose myself on stage again. My therapist said acting would probably be a good coping mechanism for my anxiety. I don't want to act professionally. Frankly, I think that would worsen my anxiety. I want to start off with some classes, I'm leaning towards some improv classes I found online. I have never taken any professional acting classes, so I think that would be a great way to start. Then I need to find some community theater groups to join. If anyone has any recommendations for the Houston Area, please let me know.
Should I change my stage name ? by bustergaming777 • last post Mar 28th
So I mainly work on screen and I’m registered in the UK with equity and all profiles like spotlight in my stage name but there is an actor in the US who mainly works on musicals/singing with the same name as me. Will this be a problem ?
Acting Industry in 5 years time (2028) by IForgetHowToRead • last post Mar 28th
Considering the slump in acting jobs at the moment and the oncoming recession we're heading into (or are currently in), where do you see the industry for actors such as yourselves being in five years time? Back to normal? Better than pre-pandemic? I know there are a thousand factors to this but just wondering what people's versions of returning to actual normality are.
Is it possible to be an actor(trees) without college? by bowlmanfan • last post Mar 28th
Hope this doesn't sound like a dumb question. I mean I was curious if it is still possible without a formal degree other than high school.
How much did you have to learn/unlearn when going from theatre to film? by MCKtheMan • last post Mar 28th
I have a theatre background and while I've gotten a good handful of roles in film, a TV credit and a national commercial under my belt, I'm realizing how much of my theatre days I haven't left behind. I have a naturally loud voice (partly because of my theatre training) which have been deemed too big for the camera so I'm looking to sign up for an on-camera class in the future. I've taken a few of them in the past, and each have been different so I'm curious to know what all you had to unlearn in these classes. I ask because even though I'm trying to focus more on film and TV, I would like to get back into occasionally doing theatre again (provided my career's in a good spot) and I don't wanna lose what all I learned in that area. I know there's the saying of 'stick to one medium' but I don't wanna leave theatre behind. I mean, some of the most versatile actors I know can do both theatre and film.
Who else is glad that the way of thinking and certain views have changed by love_acting99 • last post Mar 27th
I read an article about how film/theatre were more prestigious than TV (or any other combination they could think of), and I hated the way of thinking. How can you compare them when at the core, essentially, they are all the same thing (acting)? That's why this new golden age of TV and TV now being considered just as prestigious as any other medium makes me happy because let's be honest: TV is a very exciting medium. But also I just don't think it makes sense to compare film and theatre and TV when they're all acting. And also they each provide their own pros/joys and cons/annoyances but who cares? It's acting. It's fun. TV is great because you get to act in a "longer" story where the characters grow in every episode, and you have opportunities to be a big role but not necessarily be in every episode and still have the flexibility to audition for other roles (aka recurring roles), and you're doing something different every day, and usually you're filming several scenes in a day so there's a whole lot less downtime. Film is great because there are so many great films outside the Hollywood blockbuster spectrum that tell the most amazing stories in anywhere from like 20-120 minutes and just like film, you're working on something different every day. And if you really want to you also get to really pay attention to other aspects of filmmaking due to the long set-up times. Theatre's awesome because you get to perform live and get to experience things as they go. And who doesn't like an audience? Cons is that for TV if you're a series regular you might be tied down to that one show for years, for film they just shoot so slow lol, and for theatre it gets boring doing the same show every night (at least for me). Personally I think that not every film you work on will be better than every TV show you work on or vice versa, and not every film will be better than theatre and vice versa, and not every theatre show will be better than TV and vice versa. TL;DR- Basically I'm happy that the old way of thinking is scrapped and no medium is necessarily considered more "prestigious" anymore and us actors have the luxury of bouncing between TV theatre and film because let's be honest: I don't want to stick to one when I can do all three.
Why Does Everything I Record Sound Terrible? by CuttlefishWarrior • last post Mar 27th
(Sorry if this is the wrong flair, I wasn't sure which I should use.) Hey there, folks! I'm a high school junior amateur working on my demo reel right now. I've done theatre for all of high school, and it's my dream to do voice work as a career. Problem. I'm recording some work (context: I know someone who works at USC in the School of Cinematic Arts who offered to send in my reel when I record it), but everything I record sounds terrible. Not the sound quality, the voice and acting themselves. According to my classmates and director, I'm a good actor, but everything I record just doesn't sound good, even after tens of takes. Is it a matter of rehearsal? Am I just being too hard on myself? Any advice?
A controversial opinion: Scene Study is not necessary for Film & TV by CreepyKaiYay • last post Mar 27th
I've been taking an on-camera class for Film & TV for the last year and my teacher has emphasized that scene study should not be the focus, but rather creating character first. Character is the #1 thing that as actors, we need to focus on creating. It's the personality of the character and what they're dealing with on the inside that pulls us in. Not their beats, moments and transitions and saying each line in a different tone. While great for foundations, scene study is not necessary and will not work on camera as it's very manufactured and the consistency of your character may not show. We don't use beats, moments, or transitions when talking to people in life. You first need to get down your character before even looking at the script. Think of one or two personality choices for your character that the CD's have given you. Then see if there is something you can bring to the chatacter and scene that was not written. Playing the scene the way its written can be a death trap. As one of the CD's from Euphoria said "don't fall into the trap.". Well what's the trap? "Playing the scene the way its written". How important is scene study to your actors process? Personally for me, character must come first before I go through the script/audition sides. Then see if there is something that I can add that will help my character standout that works appropriately.
What show has the best casting? by briancalpaca • last post Mar 27th
not the show you most want to appear on, but the show that if you know you make it through their casting process, it says something about you as an actor?
I’m frustrated and agitated to being screwed over by Proof-Pollution454 • last post Mar 27th
As an actor who is currently finalizing their materials to make sure they stand out professional and show great acting capabilities, it pisses me off how filmmakers fail to communicate with the cast and crew on how on the cast and crew on how their project is coming along and update it. I’m going to share an experience. Back in 2021 I auditioned for a short film which was low budget 30 minute shit in a black magic. I did the self tape and never got the audition. Weeks pass by and the guy needs a replacement on set ASAP. I went out of my way and messaged him about wanting to do the project and he offered me role on the spot. I got the script last minute which was long , the director said it was a 3 day shoot back to back in the night , and on top of that it was unpaid but that was the least of my concern. I didn’t know any of my lines at all whatsoever so I had to learn them as I went along. We wrapped filming and the director said it would IMDb credited , go to festivals , and we get the footage. The weekend ends and we don’t hear back from him which is normal. But then those weekends turned into weeks and then months and we didn’t hear back from until fall 2022. He then responded to the entire cast and said that reason he didn’t get back with us was due that he had a family emergency and that it required his full attention. He then asked me if I knew any editors who would be fine editing his short film for free. I spoke to to countless editors and explained to them the situation and even told them that I wouldn’t mind paying for it because editing is time consuming. I sent them all to the director and go figure the director then said “ I appreciate looking out for me but I’ll let you know when I get a director “ and just left me on read. I then told him that everyone needed the footage for their reels and etc and he didn’t bother to listen. Fast forward to 2023 , one of the cast messaged him and he said he was waiting on his tax return transcript to help pay for the editor and he would immediately give us the footage. We haven’t heard back from him at all. Then a costar who I was good friends with then told me that by mid March we would have the footage but by mid March we would have it but mid March passed already. Then , he had the audacity to post another casting call of another film he is currently working on filming only for the same issues to happen with the the previous film we did. He needed extras to show up on his set asap and quick to help film urgently. I really need that footage to help me make my demo reel before submitting to agencies
IndieGOGO campaign by Kylee Nicole Peck • last post Mar 27th
"WTR Cities" will officially have (9) more dates before wrap and post production. We need your help! $1 or sharing goes a long way. Sci-Fi adventure in production https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/wtr-cities--3#/ Thank you, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24068210/
First role by Zestyclose_Gate_9688 • last post Mar 27th
Dear actors and actress of reddit. What were some of your first roles?
stavin’s talent by absolutestrawberry • last post Mar 27th
hello! i was wondering if any chicago actors know anything abt stavin’s talent? if you’ve heard/experienced anything good or bad with them, pls lmk! thank u
Changes to Casting Process by lurkingaround3312 • last post Mar 27th
Anyone else feel like there’s changes to the casting process that we haven’t really caught onto yet? Wanted to create a thread of things we’ve been “told” function a certain way (and maybe they did pre-pandemic) but experience is telling us otherwise. Here’s what I’ll start the list off with- - callbacks and producers sessions before any booking- almost every role I’ve booked has been directly off tape, from co stars to guests to recurs. I’ve had producers sessions for large lead/series reg roles but that’s about the only instance I’ve seen them happen. - only a small number of actors are sent to producers- I don’t think this is true any more with how common self tapes are now. I think because the pool of people casting is seeing is larger, the selects pool is larger too. Before I’d hear about 4-8 actors per role were sent to producers- now I’m hearing 15-20. - don’t exactly know how to phrase this one, but I think casting was more involved in the decision making process before. Definitely feels like now since everything is virtually done (and more specifically over email) they don’t really have the same insight into production’s conversations the way they used to. So the feedback we get is vaguer. Any thoughts/things to add?
Best SAG event advice/observations by briancalpaca • last post Mar 27th
We try to attend as many sag screenings as we can because we have learned that the actor panels after the screening are some of the most insightful we have ever seen. The actors on stage know that they are talking to an audience of actors, so the things they have to say are often very tailored to that audience and aren't things you'd normally see them talk about in an interview. You really get to hear some inside baseball from both actors and directors with some details about the craft that I've never really heard anywhere else. I'm curious if others that attend those events feel the same way and, if so, what advice or observations you've heard that were the most impactful. For us, it was probably a screening of Dune where Oscar Issac was talking about his role as Leto. The moderator was saying that when the casting was announced, he couldn't picture Oscar Issac as Timothee Chalamet's dad, but when he watched the movie, he was blown away by the performance and completely believed it. He was asking what Oscar did to make that work. Oscar's answer was that it wasn't his job to convince people that he was Timmy's dad. (yes, he called him timmy ;) ) It was Timmy's job to treat him like he was his dad. He said that an old acting coach of his had asked them once, "If you walk into a royal court, how do you know who the king is?" It's not the person that claims to be the king, it's the person that everyone else treats like the king. So he sees it as his role to reinforce everyone else's performances and for them to reinforce his. So if he was believable as Timmy's dad, it was because Timmy sold it, not because he did. It stuck me as such a generous way to look at acting and a way to take the pressure off ourself and to think about your role as primary helping other people. Most of us are better at helping others than we are at helping ourselves, so making your acting focused on helping others takes a lot of the pressure off of thinking about having to carry yourself. Not sure why that stuck with me so much, but it has helped a lot with the kids booking roles and working on set as part of a team. ​ Any other thoughts that jump out at other attendees?
Is this excerpt from Uta Hagen's Respect for Acting true? by Abstract_Corduroy74 • last post Mar 27th
To quote from her book: "If you are affected in your daily life, calculatingly self-aware in your relations with others, you will undoubtedly be a bad actor, because your attention is narcissistic. If you have acquired these affectations in your teens and have not shaken them by the time you are twenty, you are in trouble. After all, if you possess borrowed behavior in life and focus on it rather than on others, how can you be really active on stage?" When she says "affected", she means self-consciousness that is applied to an awkward or "affected" person. I suppose I am, in Uta's terms, "affected" because I am socially awkward with others and I worry about what people think about me a lot, I'm very self-critical, and self-loathing. (I mean, if you take a look back through my post history you'll see what I mean). I am 22, which means in Uta's words "I'm in trouble". I personally feel like what she's saying is wrong, and I kind of take offense to it. I mean, I'm sorry I haven't shaken my emotional baggage and self-loathing off yet, but I don't think that's the right criteria that will determine whether or not I am and will still be a bad actor. Is what Uta Hagen is saying in the passage above true that someone like me will undoubtedly be a bad actor? Or is it just another great influential acting teacher spewing bullshit in the name of her own ego that only certain people can become actors?
What does it mean to stretch yourself as an actor? by Abstract_Corduroy74 • last post Mar 27th
What does stretching yourself as an actor mean? I want to stretch myself as an actor, artist, and human being, but I’m plagued with self-doubt. I’m wrestling with the fear of it being too scary, too hard, that I’m not capable of stretching as far as I’d like to. Any advice for not being affected by this doubt/fear AND stretching myself as an actor and artist? Those who have stretched and played roles they thought they were not ready for or incapable of doing, how did you overcome that wall and succeed? Or how did you overcome a challenge or step outside your comfort zone for your art and how did it affect you?
HELP! Fear I'm deficient in empathy and imagination for acting by Abstract_Corduroy74 • last post Mar 27th
I've taken a couple of online empathy tests and quizzes over the past couple of months, and I've received low scores...lower than what I'd like on most of them. I'm not a sociopath or a psychopath, just to clear that up right now. But I'm seriously afraid that I have lower empathy than necessary to be as good of an actor as I can be. How can I inhabit the life of another person when I don't have as high of empathy as I want? I don't know what has blocked or decreased my empathy but I need to fix it. What do I do?!! Second, I'm afraid I'm lacking in high amounts of imagination. I just have this feeling that my imagination is not as strong and as rich as I feel it needs to be for my acting. I'm seriously internally worried and freaking out guys. I worry that my lack of empathy will not only lead me to not being a very good actor but that it will cost me future relationships. (Being an introverted, cerebral loner with ADD and anxiety disorder, I don't have that many strong relationships or friendships anyway.) How do I fix this? What can I do to solve my imagination problem?! Please help!
If I were to die or get shot or something y’all think the news outlets would call me “aspiring actor” by mydixxxierectt • last post Mar 27th
I’m from the rough bad part of Philadelphia anything could happen at any given moment I’ve been in 4 movies & tv shows one of the shows had my name in the title you google my name it’s the first thing that pops up What you think would be the criteria for me to have Actor associated next to my name? Or would it just be “20 year old from north Philadelphia”
A Lesson Learned From A Failed Audition / An Advice for Newcomers by AngelSideFX • last post Mar 26th
It's about my previous post that was deleted - I shouldn't have added my voice sample (sorry about that). I didn't do it intentionally. For a brief moment in 2015 I was considered by Capcom for a motion/performace capture role of Leon in RE 2 Remake. From what I now know, I lost the part early on. But here's the mistake I did: I have a formal vocal training, but at that time I was more focused on pure mo cap. I completely failed to advertize myself as someone who could provide voice over work in addition to motion capture. In the end, Capcom hired a Romanian model for mo cap and an American voice actor to create the character of Leon. I should have presented myself from the start as someone who potentially could do both (just as Eric Johnson did in SP Blackist). I was lucky to be considered but luck isn't just luck; it's preparation meets opportunity; well I had my opportunity but I was completely ill prepared; I had no monologues recorded at that time that I could send them just in case. It may sound trivial but we got only one chance to make a first impression - it's true in life and it goes double for auditions. Also, it's always good to list your set of skills and experiences, we never know which one will give us an upper hand during an audition. Thanks that I could share my story.