We have found 19,369 posts across 4 actor forums:
Silent Video Actor Casting Survey: What Parts Could You See This Actor Play? by swimluva07 • last post May 21st
Hello, acting friends! I've been doing my Self Management for Actors homework (as brought to us by coach Bonnie Gillespie) I and I'm trying narrow down my casting "type". I would love to get some opinions on what kind of vibe I give off. If you could you take a few moments to watch a short silent video of me then and answer a few questions I would be most thankful. [Here's the link to the Questionnaire!](https://forms.gle/TDKJ5MPQkojfrmXSA) Thank you! Aisha
How do you deal with the fact that some acting teachers who are known/popular in the business might be big fans and call you talented and come see you perform while others show you/imply you’re not good at all or don’t like you. 1)Will it close doors? 2) by SitterNeedsHelp • last post May 20th
I don’t know if it’s a good or a bad thing if I name names? But if it’s OK to do so then I will update this post because I would like to know what people think of these teachers (if you know them/had them) but at the same time I don’t want to open my mouth if it seems unprofessional and petty. So for now I’ll keep them anonymous Anyhow I went to conservatory manyyyyyy yrs ago and due to that experience plus other things I quit acting. My confidence has never really come back the same way and I’m trying to figure out if certain teachers opinions of me matter especially if they’re known in the industry and are well liked by many students. Because I want to get back into this industry. I’m worried now. *but most importantly I just look back on all the horrible times at school and I just wonder what was ever real* So what happened was the head of the second yr acting department was my teacher and he definitely pigeonholed me and wouldn’t allow me to really stretch and laughed when I even suggested if I could read for certain roles. I didn’t see that I was so far removed from that character to where I couldn’t at least read for her. He was definitely a jerk. He was a good teacher in some ways, but I was paying thousands to grow and learn and I was boxed into a box that honestly didn’t fit me (hood girl/immigrant roles) And then another teacher there was just a loud mouthed jerk who just barked when he didn’t like something and it made me shrink not grow. And maybe that works for some people. I’m sure some people get chills of inspiration from people who just put you down because the online reviews are nothing but good, but it definitely didn’t help me and I didn’t understand his way of teaching things. I could tell he didn’t like me and he called me a coward for a performance that he felt was me being afraid to show myself The GOOD: I got lots of praise from a teacher there who used to be the head of a major TV network and was also a writer. I got praise from the OWNER of the school, as well as the third year head of acting department teacher. He said my performance was “magnificent” when I performed in a Shakespeare play. So all of them gave me nothing but praise and wonderful words of flattery that I wrote about in my diary and it made me so happy. *And believe it or not I also had a couple of fans who were freshmen who came to see me and I didn’t even know they existed! I remember my boyfriend told me he overheard them saying that they came because they heard I was in the show and they had heard that I was a really good actor. I didn’t believe him but as we were leaving the showcase three or four kids just came running up to me asking for my autograph and saying they hoped I would become somebody one day* But sadly I would never really go on to act again minus a few small parts in some indie films before feeling like I couldn’t do it anymore The WEIRDEST part of all this: The 3rd year Head of Acting Dept teacher who really loved my performance is someone who has horrible reviews online by students who feel that he’s a hard ass and really mean and cutthroat and they’ve made comments saying he made them cry etc. And yet for me I didn’t mind him being very very military-esque lbecause he actually still taught me things and wasn’t *just* a hard ass who barked like the one before that I had so I just don’t know what to think! Is talent just subjective? Will those who dislike me stop me? It just makes me feel like a talentless turd when I see these teachers who I don’t like being praised and I remember how horrible they made me feel and I just don’t know what to believe is real.
Does anybody know of "Jonathan Lopez" aka "Jonathan Keith" aka "Jonathan Yost"? Apparently he is a scam artist the pretends to be a director by Throwawayyyy1234poop • last post May 20th
Unfortunately, me, and a bunch of my friends got caught up in a big fake "netflix" deal (which shmucks we feel like now) and it was never real, this guys is a total liar and scam artists, and he's been doing it for years. He uses the legitimacy of actress Jaies Baptiste https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3936192/ as a cover to somehow legitimize his illegal past into something legal, I belive. Here are some articles about his past: https://www.technologybreakingnews.com/2019/02/dps-man-used-fake-hollywood-connections-to-scam-san-antonio-resident-out-of-more-than-377000/ https://www.click2houston.com/news/houston-doctor-says-man-wanted-in-3-states-conned-her-out-of-hundreds if anybody has any information about this guy, please let me know. there are many people joining a class action lawsuit against him for his various scams and it's very important that whatever truth exists about this guy is brought to light. please, if anybody knows anything abotu this guy, PM me. don't even leave it public on here because you cannot trust anyone in this industry. i hate to say that, but's true.
Non-Union / Union Commercials, online usage conflicts? by robotguyperson • last post May 20th
Hi All, I'm a non-union actor in a regional market. This probably a post an agent could answer, but I do not have an agent. Recently I've gotten a few non-union commerical offers through backstage. The offers are typically for online ads (although some my run on TV in a region) from the production companies. The offers are typically between $200-$400 for the day. Here's the issue: The contracts are "in perpetuity" usage, and the clients refuse to put end times in writing for their usage runs online (meaning they could keep running forever online?). So I'm trying to avoid conflicts with competitors in that same industry in the future. (I.e. if I do a commercial with car dealership, i want to be able to keep doing commercials with other car manufacturers and/or other car dealerships in the future, say after a year or so) My question: If a commercial continues to live on the clients YouTube channel and/or clients website indefinitely, is that considered a conflict for future commercials in that same industry? Is it only for tv spots? Or is it only a conflict if it's in the same region? Would a national commercial in the same industry be a conflict if a regional competitor still has ads running, either online or tv (i.e. cardealships/ car commercials)? Thanks all!
Do you find staying off of social media helps you be a better artist/actor? by Alym415 • last post May 20th
I am in debate of deleting all social media. I just honestly feel unfocused. I also don’t like comparing myself to other actors. Anyway, hopefully no hate comments.. but I just wanted to ask what people’s experiences are with it.
ACT FRIENDS by CactR • last post May 20th
IS THERE ANY ASPIRING ACTORS WHO FEEL ALONE AND DONT HAVE SUPPORT WHO JUST NEED ANOTHER ASPIRING ACTOR FRIEND TO JUST TALK ABOUT GOALS AND DREAMS WITH , I AM FEELING THE SAME WAY WITH YOU , WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND SUPPRT FROM A DISTANCE
The Young British Actors To Watch In 2019 by ybot123 • last post May 20th
Anyone else tired of talking about auditions? by PersonOfLowInterest • last post May 20th
In my country there are two schools that you can go to to become an actor with an acceptance rate of 1%. So this time of year, every damn year, I have many hours' worth of conversations about who got in, why, when, how, who dropped out, who deserves what etc. You'd think these conversations become boring at some point, right? But noooo. Without fail I have several of them every year. It's not improving us as actors. It's not art. It's pointless. And I'm just ranting.
What Stanislavski book to read first? by eduardbrokexd • last post May 20th
After asking a bit a lot of people have recommended me to read Stanislavskis books. ​ But which one should I start with. ​ One person told me to get "Stanislavski an actor’s work".But doing a quick google search I found that there are many Stanislavski books such as "An Actor Prepares" ,"Building a Character" , "Creating a Role" , My Life in Art etc. ​ So which one should I buy first or rather read first? I am 16 years old have been doing theatre acting for about 4 months now.
Networking by kinyem • last post May 20th
Hello! As an aspiring voice actress, I've read a lot about what it takes to even get a start in the voice acting world. A lot of what it takes to get the ball rolling is networking. With that being said, how does someone network, and get into the "scene"? How do I determine what conventions and workshops are real, versus what is a scam? With no ties to any theater community, or actors at all, how does one start meeting others? If it is any help, I live in the Dallas/FW area, and while I know LA is the best place, I'm really happy with DFW. I'm okay with how little or how much work and status that can provide, but I want to do my dream job in my ideal city. I also will have another job because I know that I cant depend on VO work alone. Thanks for any advice
Being an unpredictable actor (in a GOOD way!) by UniqueYetDumbName • last post May 20th
Hey guys, first ever post here. Didn’t occur to me that I could just ask this question myself, instead of being upset at not finding it on here first: Some actors are praised for giving “unpredictable” performances, mainly by their costars — for instance, I just heard a snippet of DiCaprio saying that Jack Nicholson was fun to work with because he was unpredictable during “The Departed.” It’s something I’ve heard many times in interviews and have read in some books on actors/acting, but I’m having a tough time conceptualizing it and applying it to my own work. What does it mean to be unpredictable? How do you achieve that — is it part of preparation? Is it improv? Could it apply to all roles? (Maybe not if you’re playing a minor part in a larger story, like a bank teller or something, but you get it). But more importantly, I think: how do you be unpredictable without being a total jerk & throwing off your scene partners, directors, writers etc.? Let me hear your thoughts — thanks guys!
Where's kabookit? by justmethough • last post May 20th
I know it wasn't much of a resource but I *did* occasionally look at it - it used to be linked at the top of Actor's Access. That link is gone, and the direct URL to the site throws a 404 error. Their twitter still seems to be up. What happened? Anyone know?
Who are today's young actor equivalent of young De Niro, Hoffman, Nicholson, Pacino from the 70's? by DildoMcGillicutty • last post May 19th
Producers / the networks / investors = Gangsters. SAG-AFTRA = your companies HR department. nobody is your friend. you've been warned* by Throwawayyyy1234poop • last post May 19th
acting is not what you think it is. you are a rag doll for rich millionaires / billionaires to throw around. you mean nothing. you are of no value. you are replaceable. you are only of value once you are a millionare as well, because $$$$ is the only thing that matters. but then, that's only because you have become a producer at that point. SAG is NOT your friend. they will report everything you say to the people you "complained" about. YOU CANNOT TRUST ANYBODY. but don't take my personal experience / word for. invest 10 years yourself and see what it is. and if you haven't realized this yet? you haven't gotten far enough in the game to know what the game really is. I wish I could tell every single aspiring actor to NOT try and make this a "career", just do it for fun on the weekends, make movies with your friends, and have a normal job and a normal life, be financially stable and stop sacrificing your sanity for this shit because it's just not a career anymore. it's just not. if it ever was, or if it was just something connected rich people did for fun. everything is fake in this world guys, and acting is honestly one of the biggest scams of all. and actors are some of the most naiive, ignorant people i've ever met that have NO CLUE about the "industry" they're so desperately trying to "break into". it makes me sick to think of these kids getting into 100K+ debt for a MFA in acting... when literally that means nothing to these $$$ people and you can be replaced with some dumb bitch that is blowing one of the producers that never acted a day in her life. also signed contracts don't mean shit. the people with the $$ can do whatever the fuck they want and you have NO recourse becuase contracts are designed to protect the $$ people and fuck over the actors. This is why when people say: If you can do literally ANYTHING else besides acting, do that. can't say nobody ever told you this stuff.
Does modeling help you with industry connections? by serenavanderwoodsen_ • last post May 19th
I came across [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cWY5jrhnrc) Megan Fox interview and she mentioned that when she moved close to Miami she was able to start "doing catalog modeling and **making connections**" so i was wondering how true this might be. I mean, we all know that she isn't Meryl Streep by any means and since she didn't start with a huge resume (i mean she wasn't a famous child actor or anything like that), she did not have any family industry connections, she was not by any means wealthy - if what she said about "making connections" it's true then it was probably exactly the modeling that got her "in". The thing is - she got signed with an established acting agent at 15 without ANY acting experience. If I'm not mistaken shortly after she starred in a Mary-Kate movie Michael Bay also cast her as an extra in Bad Boys 2, then cast her in Transformers a couple of years later. I know that luck and who you know play a huge part in all of it but technically speaking we could freely assume that if it weren't for the modeling she really wouldn't have managed to get signed with a good agent, cast as the extra in Bad Boys 2, Michael wouldn't have discovered her and et cetera. Her case is really unique though since she specifically was in a small town and i guess that modeling and acting agents all know each other because they aren't many (or even close to it). Would that be the case in bigger cities? But not getting signed to any agency - let's say getting signed in NY with Ford models and et cetera. Do the people at the top of the entertainment industry in terms of different towns/states know each other too? And is that the case in other places like for example England/Canada? It's really interesting because thinking about it if she were to have been born in let's say LA there's a chance that she wouldn't have been able to get so lucky exactly because there are way more aspiring actors there, the city is huge and the first roles on her resume would've been a million times harder to land with all of the competition. SOURCE: [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJU7BqgVfH0) short documentary on her career
How do I approach my new agent who won't talk to me? by ladenzalednum • last post May 19th
Long story short, I signed with a newer agency that has phenomenal reviews. After my interview, I took a day to decide if they were the right fit, and concluded that they were. The only issue is that I didn't have a passport, but the agent didn't seem to mind, she just said "get it as soon as possible". So I did. Went out and spent $200+ to rush it even before the interview. In the meantime, a friend of mine also signed with the agency. Signed immediately, and had a passport, and was sent a 12 page packet of things to do and access to an agency group chat which I never received. When I finally got my passport, I sent it into the email address they provided and I heard nothing back. Meanwhile, in this group chat, my friend shares that the agent claims that any actor who doesn't have their passport in will be dropped. So about a week later, I sent it in again and asked if I was missing anything. FINALLY got a reply telling me to send the passport to a different email address I wasn't given initially, but nothing else was said about the things to do or the access to the group chat. So I sent it there and still have heard nothing back. Am I just a lost cause at this point? The agency talked about how important IMDb star meter is and I've been consistently in the top 20 on their roster. I'm so anxious over this, I'm not sure how to proceed. I don't want to seem annoying and email again, but I also don't want to be forgotten. Any words of wisdom?
HELP! Where should i move to? by serenavanderwoodsen_ • last post May 19th
I am 16 years old, will turn 17 in February 8th and will move out from a European country on my own (with my parents' consent) in ca. August 2020. have 6 options: 1. **Toronto** \- tons of projects (small and big ones), a lot of great acting coaches and a lot of high schools with great acting programs. I could build a significantly large resume in 3-4 years there, even if most of it consists of indie/student films. ***Disadvantages***: quite competitive, hard to get an agent compared to other Canadian cities, i'll need to somehow get a work permit and I'm not aware of how the working laws in Canada work exactly 2. **A smaller town in Canada** \- from what i know there are acting lessons just about everywhere available in Canada (specifically in the Ontario area) and the aspiring actors would be 294923x less, therefore whenever there's any kind of a project/commercial work available there will be little to no competition. If i stay around a year in a smaller town i could get enough small credits to then move to Vancouver and get a better agent compared to the one i would get if i move straight to Vancouver. ***Disadvantages:*** not sure which small city gets the most work (there's a difference between let's say 9-10 acting jobs available annually and 30 jobs available) and still how to get a work permit. 3. **London** \- the big agents (if you manage to get one, which is veeery hard, i know) have Hollywood connections which is how British actors like Tom Holland and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin (the guy from the "After" movie) landed their American breakthrough roles. There are a lot of great acting schools and universities available, amazing coaches, a lot of training which is very valuable in the US market. I actually have an audition for a really good arts high school in London next January and will find out whether I'll get in during the end of May/the begging of June. ***Disadvantages:*** it's REALLY hard to get an agent, i'll need to learn a believable British accent and will need some kind of a visa which will be probably very hard to get if i want to work there if Brexit happens. 4. **New York** \- a lot of really good private schools with acting programs available, tons of great acting coaches, a lot of aspiring casting directors/producers/directors/screenwriters with which you could eventually meet up and make student films with + make a lot of connections given the fact that maybe one day they'll succeed in the business, make a lot of connections overall, a lot of small theater work available that's beneficial for your resume, NYU's there if you want to get a degree from Tisch so i won't need to move to another country/state for university if i decide to get a drama degree. ***Disadvantages:*** visas suitable for entertainment are a pain in the ass so until i "establish" myself enough and manage to book a role (something that 0.0001% of the aspiring actors only achieve) i cannot work legally, there is more stage work than there is film work, there's a lot of competition 5. **Los Angeles** \- obviously the center of the world's biggest market in the film industry, many, many, many great acting coaches available, the most film projects available, therefore more opportunities, there are private schools focusing specifically on acting available (there's a chance that they will help you with industry connections) and overall tons of networking opportunities. ***Disadvantages***: literally A LOT of competitiveness, not the best place to move to unless you know you'll for sure make a lot of industry connections/get a good agent + have a lot of professional experience beforehand, the visa situation again 6. **A smaller city or state in the US** \- there are acting lessons (not guaranteed that they're all good) everywhere in the US available. In every small city there's a small local theater and just about everywhere there's an agent. If you manage to get an agent you'll have literally almost 0 competition for any project and in 1-2 years you can build a resume from smaller projects that most people in LA literally kill each other for since there's way too much competition even for the smallest role available. You'll score an agent in LA/NY when you move there afterwards 10 million times more easily since you already have professional experience and therefore it'll be easier for you to build your way up when you move to any large city in the world. You'll also be able to do more stage work (that will look good on your resume) since once again - there's less competition! ***Disadvantages:*** not that many projects available, entertainment visas **NOTE:** Wherever i go I'll be using a student visa at first. When getting one for the US specifically i'll need to choose a boarding school in the city/closer to the city so that i can stay in there for the first couple of months (ca. 4 months and a half) until i turn 18 and could be attending acting lessons during the weekends in the meantime (given the fact that i could check out of the school outside the school hours with my parent's consent), start looking for an agent exactly when i turn 18 and could remain in the same school but as a day-boarder and rent my own place. In my country we finish school at 19 and a half instead of at 18 and a half so i'll have exactly 2 years to be doing small projects, get training and add more and more to my resume. If i get very lucky (which is unlikely, but still) i could manage to get a significantly good agent by the end of my senior year and if i actually do book a role for a project somewhat big enough to be able to apply for an O-1 visa (like let's Ed Westwick applied for Gossip Girl with only 3 small TV appearances in London in his resume) i will be able to remain there legally. If not (and even if i get signed with a good agent but still have nothing booked by then) i could always: **A)** apply for a new student visa for university, get a degree in a drama school which will give me even more time to make my resume larger AND will help me to get a better agent if i don't have a good one already *or* **B)** simply apply for a student visa and attend any university and get any kind of a degree so that i could be staying there legally and have 4-6 years to build my resume even more. I know that i cannot work anywhere legally (excluding England but only if Brexit doesn't happen which is unlikely, but even if it doesn't I'll need a really good agent to book anything which in itself takes years in most cases) so I've decided to work for absolutely free so that i do not get in legal trouble but I'm not sure if that's allowed. I think that if it's unpaid the job doesn't count and if it's a student film (which you don't get paid for most of the time) it doesn't count as "working" either. I'm not 100% sure though so i hope someone from here could confirm that. I don't have any financial issues thankfully so I'll have tons of time to focus on acting only and attending a private school, paying for my rent and et cetera won't be a problem at all. What would you personally go for in my situation? On my resume i have 6 theater work credits, 2 small TV appearances and some training. Hopefully i will be able to expand it even more this school year. I live in a very small European country so i book as many things as i can since the projects are veeery limited (especially for my age group) although the competition is less. It's important for me to move to an English-speaking country so that i could: 1. Adapt to the overall atmosphere, get used to the competition. 2. Perfect my English completely (native English speakers mistake me for a Native but there are some specific words that i sometimes mispronounce since i don't speak the language on a daily basis and i want to get rid of that). 3. Make connections since i cannot make any important ones from the other end of the world. 4. Get more opportunities. 5. Get more training.
16 years old and lots of questions by eduardbrokexd • last post May 19th
Hello I am 16 years old and from Germany,Hamburg. I would really like to get into the acting scene but have a lot of questions. ​ The only work I have done is working as an extra in a Warner Bros movie and being in a youth-theatre group for about 3 months now. We are going to play our first stage play in about 1 month from now.I am also going to get into our school theatre after the summer holydays. ​ How do you progress in the acting scene or rather "break" into the acting scene? Acting is defenitely not as big in Germany as it is in the U.S.A and the only sites known to me in Germany that are similiar to actorsacces etc. are [https://www.casting-network.de/Offener-Bereich/Offene\_Castings/Casting\_Angebote/](https://www.casting-network.de/Offener-Bereich/Offene_Castings/Casting_Angebote/) or [https://jobwrk.com/](https://jobwrk.com/) . ​ What opportunities are there to gather more acting experience? ​ When is the right time to maybe try to apply for an agency? ​ Do I apply for an agency specificly for teenage actors/young actors or does that not matter? ​ How do I even know what a good agency is? ​ How do I practise acting at home? ​ Are there any books I can read to be a better actor ?
Bill Nighy as 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Villain Davy Jones. by itsmetheguy23 • last post May 19th
​ https://i.redd.it/25rfxvnku8z21.png One of the most underrated Disney performances with the use of 'Motion - Performance Capture' is the performance from Bill Nighy as Davy Jones, from the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Film Series. Nighy is absolutely incredible in the role and I highly urge all of filmmakers, like me, and fans to revisit it! Most people would gloss by the fact that his performance was not just a voice over job. Nighy was on set performing with the other actors and delivering every nuance that will be eventually transferred onto the monster we see on film. The Visual Effects team at 'ILM' went so far as not to digitally create Davy Jones' eyes. Jones' eyes are actor Bill Nighy's actual eyes retained for and emotional performance accuracy. As I've matured, Jone's role in the subsequent sequel films has become so much more poignant and relatable; so far as understanding the pain that comes with love. I think Bill Nighy has created one of the more memorable Disney villains and I think Nighy should be given much more credit than he has gotten for what he's given us Disney fans! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Business or marketing? by OverExistinginLimbo • last post May 19th
Which one is more....applicable, as it relates to an actors career? I know both are important and solid but is there one that is more beneficial? Just looking for opinions. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer here.