We have found 19,242 posts across 4 actor forums:
9 to 5 job and VA? by CrackedPlayDoh • last post Apr 15th
Hello everyone! I've been wanting to be a voice actor for some time and I've been doing my share of reading, practice etc. I'm taking things slow and making progress slowly but surely. What I wanted to know is if anyone knows of a balance between a 9 to 5 job and VA life? I've been trying to think to myself how anyone would balance a job (for bills, food, rent) and living the life of a VA and the only thing I can think of is if you take vacation / sick days, use your days off to record and even then; who knows when the project youre hired for will finish? I'd just like to hear some input from someone that currently or has done it or maybe even just some thoughts on the matter. Thanks again.
collaborated with a new actress on this 48 hour film - we just thought she was fantastic and wanted to share! by AbnerH7 • last post Apr 15th
Help/advice needed by Friendswontfindthis • last post Apr 14th
Hi voice actors, I recently shipped my microphone to myself as I moved county and it now sounds like I’m about 30 feet underwater and incredibly quiet when I try and record. I’ve checked the cable connections and they seem fine, does anyone have any ideas? If that’s a sure sign of my gear being busted, I’m also open to recommendations
HELP! Transitioning From Acting In Your Country to Acting In Hollywood? by xpurplelightx • last post Apr 14th
***PLEASE HELP! (long post ahead)*** Hi! I landed a role for a TV show in my country (i'm from Europe) and that's basically a huge thing since our film industry is nearly nonexistent so the only thing you could achieve in terms of acting is book a role for a TV show because only one show is made yearly and basically that's the only project anyone could star in (i'm 16, filming starts in August). What i genuinely don't understand is how people make the transition from their own countries to Hollywood. I mean it is definitely easier to get "discovered" in here since there are nowhere as much actors due to the lack of projects to begin with and that's the case for a lot of countries. Technically speaking - starting off your career in a foreign, not so competitive country is in a way a privilege since you don't need to compete with millions of others actors in L.A. to get your first 2-3 roles or any kind of a role just so that you could make a showreel for example, at least that's how i see it. You're not becoming a worldwide star but you have professional experience in your resume which many actors in the US are fighting for, especially if you become a show regular for a year or two. But there comes the visa problem.. getting a visa for the US really is a pain in the ass. If you wanna go to a university or start a business out there it isn't anywhere as hard, but getting a visa suitable for entertainers/actors? My head aches only thinking about it. From what I've heard most agents and directors won't even bother working with anyone who has a visa suitable for acting for only a period of time (they usually last 6 months-2 years) so your only chance is an O-1 visa, which allows you to work as an entertainer in the US permanently. The thing is, in order to get an O-1 visa your lawyer has to prove that you're an entertainer "of extraordinary ability". Well, to me an entertainer of extraordinary ability is Meryl Streep for example. I am not someone who could win an Oscar with their performances as of now (i'm not saying that one day i will but after all i'm a complete beginner in the literal sense of it, i have years to get better at the craft) so how could i even think about qualifying for this visa? Apparently you can manage to get one if you hire a good lawyer and make him showcase every proof of how "amazing and extraordinary" of an actor you are. You need proof of you starring in topflight roles in your homecountry (I've technically achieved that although my role will be far from spectacular), articles written about you (individually, not your name mentioned) that talk about you as an actor (as in an article about you where it's mentioned that you act, not necessarily a detailed breakdown of your Stanislavsky method acting lol. for example you cannot show an article about you saying that you're a doctor and also occasionally do acting.. the main profession mentioned should be acting). That wouldn't be extremely hard either since there are tons of "gossip sites" which are apparently our news sites.. they are trying to find people to talk about so badly that they're making thousands of articles about unknown TV hosts and the wives of 50 year old retired sports players that even don't do anything. Actors from the "annual show of the year" get talked about a lot in the media because of that too, regardless of how boring or untalented they may be.. literally. Tons of these articles get printed in newspapers and magazines too and in here we're huge about "celebrity gossip" for some reason.. think American pop culture in the early 2000s. Our magazines, articles, headlines look exactly the same. Having an award for some of your performances would be an advantage too but we literally don't have awards for anything acting-related in here, a very small amount of countries do and these awards aren't as relevant as an Emmy let's say. Given the circumstances i do have a chance, because that's the country i'm in an the competition is almost nonexistent. The problem is that i don't know anyone in here who has went to the US in order to make it "big" or anything since: 1. They don't speak English at all. Even if they do their accents are very thick so they'll get typecasted as "the foreigner" roles only. 2. The people who star in the "show of the year" transition to the next year's show. They get paid well since they're the only ones in here so they live perfectly. So i was thinking about foreign actors who have made it in the US. Not Priyanka Chopra, but actors who weren't big or famous internationally back when they were starting out in their countries. Well - i found 2 great examples: 1. Margot Robbie. She is from Australia and her only "prominent" role that could qualify for a visa was her role in "Neighbors". That's basically the type of a sitcom i got a role in. She had starred in some extra indie movies and a couple of other student films but these roles were nowhere as beneficial as her being a regular in Neighbors. 2 or 3 years afterwards she went to the U.S. for a pilot season, meaning that she was able to get a visa thanks to this role alone. 2. KJ Apa (the male lead in Riverdale). He's from New Zealand and was in Shortland Street as a regular for 2 years (his role was very minor, Margot's was more prominent in the series) and then in another series The Cul De Sac for 6 episodes only. He then apparently got a visa since he starred in the comedy-drama film A Dog's Purpose which was filmed in the US. He said that 5 months after filming A Dog's Purpose he went back to LA for pilot season and landed his Riverdale role. If i do as much projects in my country as possible until i become 18 (i have roughly 2 years) and get the media attention that i need (neither Margot or KJ had gotten a lot of attention in their countries back in the day), which will be easy because everyone in here is "celebrity" obsessed for unexplainable reasons, technically speaking i could qualify for the visa. The other day though i read somewhere that in order to apply for an O-1 visa you need to have booked a role in the US so that you can get a chance of actually getting the visa. How could you book a role without the visa then? This doesn't make any sense. How do you find an agent in the US without a visa or being there if you're not Deepika Padukone in the first place? I know that Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass in Gossip Girl) didn't know whether he'd manage to get the visa or not because the show creators weren't sure about it although they applied him for an O-1 visa BECAUSE he had landed the GG role. Beforehand his only work in TV/film ever (he's from England) is starring in [3 different series only for an episode](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Westwick#Television). And all of his appearances were made a year or less than a year before he booked Gossip Girl. Okay, so Ed's acting experience was almost absolutely none, KJ had only 2 roles before coming to LA and only 1 of them was a regular, as minor as it was and Margot had only 1 regular role and a couple of unheard of indie and student films. How did Margot and Kj get the visa in the first place when they got them before they had *any* acting roles booked in the US? How did Ed get the visa with so little acting experience? How did they get US agents in the first place (especially Ed, who didn't even have a visa)?? KJ Apa literally said that he went to read for David Rapaport a couple of hours after he had landed in LA. How did he read for him without an agent? I cannot understand any of that. Can someone please enlighten me?
Need to know some tips and clarify some doubts I have about my acting. by ThrillBillPandey • last post Apr 14th
I am aspiring to be an actor. I've been imagining myself giving different expressions in my head which were great. I never looked at myself giving any expression. Today I recorded myself making different kind of reactions and they (did not) look good. By that I mean they were a lot better in my head and I cannot live up to the mark. When I see other actors with a really horrible acting I judge them immediately 'cause I've been seeing myself better than them. Today's incident gave me a whole new perspective towards them. Is this normal. How to improve my acting skills and give really good facial expressions. And is there a place where people can review my expressions (other than tik tok) TIA
Toronto Actor, Just secured my first real agent!...Now what? by Prodime • last post Apr 13th
Hey Everyone! After months of preparation and hard work, I have finally secured a principal agent! Only question is...now what? It's strange to be constantly on the look out for work and then suddenly just trust that someone else will do it. I have a great relationship with them and feel that they have my best interest in mind, but what do I do in the mean time? I feel like I have no control over my career now that this has been taken care of. What are you all doing while you wait for auditions? What should I be doing to position myself better? Thanks for your time!
CDawgVA's undercover voice actor video. by funwithfenrir • last post Apr 13th
In one of CDawgVA's recent videos, he went to various voice acting sites and auditioned for jokey roles on them (Stuff like Asuna X Thomas the train shit) but didn't link to the sites he went to. But I actually really wanna know what website(s) he used because I'm trying to dip my toe in the waters of voice acting. Does anyone know which site(s) he visited, or maybes have any recommendations for alternative websites that work the same?
How do you prepare for a role? by Gwarek2 • last post Apr 13th
Hi r/acting! I'm just starting out as a student to the art of acting and I'm wondering if some of the more seasoned actors in here wouldn't mind answering a couple of questions? * Did you go to acting school (if so, what kind) or are you self-taught? * Are there some physical and/or voice exercises you swear to and what are they? * Do you do any sense memory stuff outside of school? * What books can you recommend on acting? * Do you read a lot of scripts or practice monologues in between work? I didn't want to make this "questionnaire" too long but if you've got some other tips or things you'd like to say it's very welcome
How to become a successful actor? by Dikshaaggarwal • last post Apr 12th
​ Becoming an actor is like exploring new world, new roles every day. A successful career in acting requires persistence, hard work and a bit of luck. Don’t confuse yourself with luck. Luck only comes with hard work and passion.If you want to be successful in any field you have to be passionate about your work. There are few tips and tricks to become successful actor \- **Join a Media School** Acting is a skill, to enhance your skill you need to enroll yourself into media school.Okay, now the thing is how to choose best acting school. Acting doesn’t come by reading books, it’s more about practical knowledge. Look for the media school, who provides you with the industry exposure ,placements support and guidance under experts. In many colleges acting programs will also have useful insight and industry contacts, which can help with networking and making the right connections. \- **Observation** Become a keen observer. Observe what other actors do, what are the best they have, what mistakes they made. Learn from them.Observe them. Like at ICE- “Institute of Creative Excellence” by Balaji Telefilms organizes celebrity lectures on regular basis and gives opportunity to the students to learn at the live sets where they meet the experts and build their network as well. \- **Practice! Practice! Practice** Practice makes a man perfect. You might have heard it many times. But yes, It is the mantra of becoming successful in any field. It’s not only about acting. If you meet any successful actor, they still practice their skills. Try to do better every time. \- **Build Good Network** To survive in this industry, you need to build a good network with people. Be nice to everyone. Try to speak to everyone and learn from the people. At ICE- “Institute of Creative Excellence” by Balaji Telefilms organizes celebrity lectures on regular basis and gives opportunity to the students to learn at the live sets where they meet the experts and build their network as well. \- **Say yes!** Say yes to every role. It doesn’t matter what role you have been offered, how much appearance you have on screen. It doesn’t matter. Start with your career. Always remember “You don’t have to be great to start, you have to start, In order to be great” \- **Don’t quit- Stay committed** Never ever quit, failures are the path towards success. Don’t give upon your dreams. Stay motivated, Stay passionate. Read about successful actors. Always stay committed to your dreams. Setting Realistic Expectations Becoming a famous actor doesn’t happen overnight. Knowing how to become an actor is hard work, and actually becoming a successful actor is even harder. That being said, it’s important to keep realistic expectations. You may not become the star of the next big blockbuster movie or the next person to win an Oscar, but you can still love acting and aspire to be the best actor or actress that you can be. Celebrate your successes, and take each audition and role as an experience and learn from them \- **Have Patience** There is no shortcut in this field. Some actors were completely unknown until that one day when they got that opportunity which brought them to limelight. The reality is that years of hard work and preparation brought them to that light. Bollywood is a strange town. There are actors who have been working for decades when, suddenly, they land a role that brings them fame.Lastly, make sure you truly know what you are getting yourself into and try to prepare yourself mentally. If you can’t handle competition and rejection, this may not be the right career for you. Apply for an Acting Institute - [Learn Acting](http://www.theiceinstitute.com/) ShareLabels: [Acting](https://filmyeffect.blogspot.com/search/label/Acting) [Animation](https://filmyeffect.blogspot.com/search/label/Animation) [Cinematography](https://filmyeffect.blogspot.com/search/label/Cinematography) [Direction](https://filmyeffect.blogspot.com/search/label/Direction) [Editing](https://filmyeffect.blogspot.com/search/label/Editing) [Media](https://filmyeffect.blogspot.com/search/label/Media) [Photography](https://filmyeffect.blogspot.com/search/label/Photography) [Script Writing](https://filmyeffect.blogspot.com/search/label/Scrip%20Writing) [VFX](https://filmyeffect.blogspot.com/search/label/VFX) Location: [India](https://maps.google.com/maps?q=India@20.593684,78.96288000000004&z=10) ###
An actor's fee for a re-used commercial? by formoverflair • last post Apr 12th
Hi folks. I hope this is an okay place to post this. I'm looking for some advice for a friend. He recently did a commercial that was roughly £4000 for 1 months use in the UK (December). They now want to extend that commercial for a further 3 months. Would anyone have any advice on what he should be asking for in terms of money for his commercial to be re-used? Thanks in advance
Need advice by Orange_North • last post Apr 12th
So, my dad got connection with an actor and managed to get contact with his agent who's looking for someone new. I didn't know any of this, but last night he asked how I would feel about acting and I was like "sure, why not". I have no experience, no idea what I'm supposed to do at an audition or what to bring. I never took classes either. I do like the idea of becoming an actor though so I would like to make a *decent* impression, any suggestions on how I could start? Should clarify that no audition has been booked yet, this is not an emergency.
Feedback by Loveyouguysbut • last post Apr 12th
I’ve been in the situation recently where my friend (who is a fantastic actor) was in a play that was not good (though my friend’s performance - was as usual -excellent). I concentrated on how great she was and danced around the weakness of the production as a whole. I have writer friends whose work was murdered by terrible acting - again I concentrated on telling them what was good about their work. I’m just wondering how other actors approach feedback. Would you really want to know what your friends think? I know timing is key - never tell them truth once they have just stepped off the stage and are raw. My question is - do you give honest feedback? Ever? Have you ever been grateful for feedback? How do you network with people who are influential, but you think their work not great?What avoidant strategies to you use to not hurt their feeling?
I can't remember how to act... by tangerinedino • last post Apr 12th
I feel so stifled right now and i don't know what it is? I’ve been training consistently for about a year now. The first two classes I’ve had were with one teacher and now I’m in the advanced class with a teacher I’ve never worked with before and I feel like I’ve never acted in my life. I feel so uncomfortable and embarrassed and when I do make an attempt to overcome these feelings by making stronger choices when doing a scene/ monologue, that seems to go wrong too. What's even more frustrating is that Ive never had an issue with this before I’ve always been a very confident and capable actor and now I feel lost. Though I’m determined to power through it. I feel like maybe have a new teacher might play into it … like we don’t know how to communicate with each other yet. I like to be directed and I feel as if she just critiquing and not offering a solution, or asking me to do anything specific. Idk …. I was wondering if anyone else has ever had these feelings or nah?
Headshot-Age Range-Character Type Post - Apr 11 by AutoModerator • last post Apr 11th
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. 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.
Portland actor in LA for a family vacation this summer - what to do? by languageflowers • last post Apr 11th
Hello! This is a very early post since I'm not sure how long I'd be in LA, but I was wondering if anyone knew of any Facebook groups where casting calls are posted for immediate LA area student films? I'll be in LA for a brief time this summer with my family and I'd really love to squeeze in as much acting stuff as I can before coming back to Portland. Forgive me for asking 'dumb' questions, but are there any reputable acting teachers that do one-day intensive sitcom classes? What networking events happen during the summertime that would be a fantastic idea for me to go to? Sorry for being so much all at once, but this really means a lot to me since I don't have any family or friends in LA area that would let me bunk up with them for a while (nor can I afford much of anything on my own right now), so I want to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible while I'm there. Let me know if you need clarification on anything!
What is the process of taking headshots for Actors Access or Backstage like? by xyzd95 • last post Apr 11th
I signed up with Central Casting about a month ago and got hired for two background roles since then. While working someone I was talking to said I ought to sign up to Backstage and I saw people here liked Actors Access so I figured I’d try either one out and hopefully make enough money to pay for the other. I’m not entirely sure how this goes but from my understanding you need headshots to apply to either one and you need to go to a professional photographer to take these headshots. How much should I be paying for basic headshots just to start out with? Also how many headshots should I have? I know there’s a commercial look and a theatrical look but should I have a third? I’m sorry for the long rant but I was hoping that with some advice I could get myself signed up for a lot more work
20 years old and I want to start acting by mork0324 • last post Apr 11th
Hey all! I’m sure this question has popped up on this sub thousands of times by now but I wanted to ask my own questions. I’m a 20 year old male currently living in California and as you could guess, I want to pursue acting as a possible career. I’ve just always wanted to do it because it seems so challenging yet so fun. Every time I watch a movie with convincing actors I feel as if, better yet I know that is exactly what I want to do in my time here. Not to mention I’m at the point in my life where I don’t care what people think, I’m going to do it if I want to. My question is, how do I acquire rolls? All of the audition search engines online cost money to use as they all require subscriptions to operate. Do I have to start relatively local and expand from there? If so, how do I find these local gigs? Any advice in this situation would be much appreciated.. Thanks!
Making the most when your partner doesn't know their lines by zasiel • last post Apr 10th
I have a big scene with an awesome person who has been struggling with their lines in class. It was really painful from my side and as a new actor I didnt really know what to do, I just tried to hold onto the scene but I just couldnt be present which is what I really wanted to work on this week. I had no idea what to feel because I honestly was bored and frustrated which made me feel terrible in the end. My instructor is great and was just told me next time to act like my character and respond to it. I'm just worried now if it's as bad as last week, I might over compensate with improv and just take over the scene. Any tips, insight, stories, funny dog gifs?