We have found 19,446 posts across 4 actor forums:
how do you even know if you're good? by banananuttt • last post Apr 7th
I definitely know I dont suck. even after some good bookings I'm now in a dry spell and I'm losing grip on what is good. I can recognize when other actors are great, but how can I tell if I'm actually doing the right work? or if its believable? how do I know if I'm doing good professional quality work? My barometer of acting well is all messed up after 2 years of no's.. how do you know if you're good?
Drama School Graduates of Reddit. Was going to drama school a mistake? by HirdyGirdy • last post Apr 7th
Current UK Drama School student here, loving my course and meeting some wonderful people. ​ I'm keen to hear from other graduates (not just from the UK) about their time in Drama School and what they felt about their training after they left. Are you still a working actor? Did you struggle to find work? Did you leave the industry after training? Are you happy you went the Drama School route or, on reflection, do you think it wasn't right for you. ​ All perspectives are welcome, really interested to hear what you guys think.
The Casting Process From Hell (Is This Normal?) by versamess • last post Apr 7th
I am really upset, and feel numb, and don't really know what to do. I am hoping you guys can give me some insight into what the hell happened. ​ DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a seasoned actress. I'm just starting out, and have had a few bit parts in a few commercials for local businesses and one big national commercial. I've been going on auditions for the last six months after getting an agent back in October of last year. ​ So everything changed when I got a call from my agent back in January. A movie director from another country (I'm in the USA) was requesting to meet with me after my agent sent her my portfolio (including acting reel and YouTube videos). Apparently, I was perfect for the leading role in her movie, and she needed to know if I can swim. I CAN swim, and pretty well, too! I was super excited. I googled her, found out she had won directing awards for movies and actually had a movie nominated once for an Academy Award for Best foreign film, along with many other movies directed in her country. Things moved fast, or at least they seemed to. She asked to speak with me over Skype. I did that, and she was really nice and seemed to be super excited about me. Filming would be in her country in June, and she'd get back to me with details. But she really, really needed me to start swimming lessons, as the movie was about a professional swimmer. She needed me to look realistic in the water or whatever. Anyway, to make a long story short, I took the swimming lessons--paid for them out of my own pocket, too. She then took three months to get back to me, letting my agent know they were fixing some logistical issues on their end. Last week, she finally told me she was flying in to meet me and wanted to see me swimming at the pool. I arranged everything with the pool and we met at a studio so we could practice lines. I was so happy to meet with her. She had her team with her, including a sour-faced producer lady, a production assistant or something, and a camera guy. The producer lady seemed upset from the beginning, while the director was super nice and friendly. She seemed to love working with me, and I loved working with her. We went over lines and then drove to the pool, where I got in and showed my swim skills. The camera guy filmed the entire time. All was good, everyone seemed happy. I got out of the pool and went to get dressed. When I came out, the director was sitting at the table and talking to her team about locations. I waited patiently for them to stop talking, and when it got quiet, I broke the silence and straight out asked "So, is this a sure thing? Did I get the part?" She nodded and said yes, and like BEAMED at me. She got up, hugged me, and said "You did! Thank you, you don't know how happy you've made me." And then she said thank you again, everyone got up to leave. No word about a contract, or anything else... no details about filming dates, nothing. They just left. The director said she'd get in contact with me, I was like okay great! That was three days ago. I just got a text from my agent forwarding a message from the director. She says sorry, but they decided to pass on me, because I lack experience. They thought I did great, but aren't sure if I can handle the lead role after all. But thanks anyway. I have never felt so crushed and played in my entire life. I'm new to the industry, but wtf? Is this normal? Couldn't they have just told me from the beginning that this was a casting call, not a meeting to meet with their new lead? Why did they tell me I needed to start swimming lessons ASAP? Why did I ask them to pay for them? What happened? I mean, they flew in from an entirely different country just to meet with me. WTF? ​ If you've made it this far, thank you for reading. I guess I am just wanting to vent, but I also want to hear anyone's thoughts on WTF just happened. TL;DR: I was led on for three months by a director who claimed I was the best thing since sliced bread, had me take professional swim classes, and then changed her mind after flying to LA to meet with me ​
Instagram or twitter for social media exposure? by Idobjj • last post Apr 7th
What is the best to use? Insta or twitter for actors. Some agents and people look at that. Thank you
Is Master Class on acting worth it? by birdman13131313 • last post Apr 7th
Great actors like Cumberbatch, Natalie Portman, etc, have their Master Class already. Just wanted to ask if anyone has already bought them and is it worth it?
Good actors are great liars by Zukulist • last post Apr 7th
Potential Scam Warning! Backstage by throwaway6-4-2 • last post Apr 7th
Hey, so this is a throwaway because I don't want to get hounded by these people.. I saw a post the other day about a non-union casting on Backstage advertising a feature film called "Wa\*\*nder" (I added the asterisks so, again, I won't be hounded). I saw it again advertised by backstage on my fb and decided to investigate. I found that the company is super shady and wanted to warn people! \- The CD \*and\* entire production company's profile pics on IMDb pro are all taken by the same photog (what are the chances of that if they are not working together in a scam). \- The people attached are all Sci\*\*\*entolo\*gists - Google "T\*\*X\*L Scient\*\*ology" \- It sounds way too good to be true - 7 continents for a non-union film? \- The CD is not in the CSA, sometimes this isn't important but I think combined with everything else it's worth mentioning. \- In addition, the post mentions not wanting actors who are "afraid of adventure" and bugs (????) etc. Idk, but that's a strange request to me. I don't have complete confirmation that it is a true scam as I'm not going to reach out and involve myself in any way, but I wanted to let people know to be on the lookout. Stay safe people!! ​ EDIT: Also, I feel like I've seen the image attached to the posting before. This might be a repeat scam.
'There are no small roles' by Psynergy • last post Apr 7th
I've seen this bounce around acting communities like ours for ages, and I'm curious as to the validity of it. Does having nothing but small 5-or-less roles on your resume actually lead to larger roles? And if it's happened to you, how? Or is it just one of those slightly hokum phrases, meant to keep actors spirits up in the face of the adversity of the industry?
How do I become Sag-Aftra eligible & why is this such a confusing subject? by tryingtobebetter1225 • last post Apr 6th
I have a lot of union actor friends who are down to make a short for me to be in? Does that mean anything at all? This subject is so confusing. BUT this obviously will make you more appealing to agents so hoping someone can provide a detailed response. ​ Thanks, KD ​ Sorry for grammar & punctuation
Characters and Voice Actors - Warcraft 3 by Jurda12345 • last post Apr 6th
Tips on how to FEEL the character for a beginning actor? Having trouble by Gwts200 • last post Apr 6th
So I’m sort of on my beginning journey with my first year of auditioning for things and one thing I have trouble with is sort of feeling the character naturally? If anyone understands, while I’ll be performing my monologue I tend to sort of think ‘right what emotion am I portraying’ and I’ll tend to think the next line while I’m saying the current one and it feels like I’m still me stuck in my head while acting. I’m only just beginning so I’m not sure whether this is a time thing to get used to or not but any help would be greatly appreciated!
how many successful actors on here are more 'lone wolf' types? i might be getting a break soon and I'm slightly concerned about the current climate by tobiasfunkeVIII • last post Apr 6th
i guess my questions are: how successful can you really be if you're not the social-butterfly prom-king type these days? in my perfect world, i'd be able to act in major roles and not have to be a public figure and do minimal, minimal interviews, attend minimal parties, press junkets, stay below the radar as much as possble. etc. etc. don't get me wrong, i'm beyond thrilled and ecstatic for any opportunity, and I will make a point to be friends with everybody and all that, but I'm just concerned with the current climate of the entertainment industry, having any kind of a public profile today in the public sphere, industry expectations, etc. i want it to be about my work, and that's it. i'm hoping once I can get a major role or two under my belt (and it looks like I might getting my first one), I can be who I want to be and not have to partake in the party shit / political posturing that puts me off but seems to be required in order to sustain a career. super loaded / convoluted question. maybe somebody gets what i'm trying to say
any other potheads new to LA wanna link up? by tobiasfunkeVIII • last post Apr 6th
whats up guys, 30 actor / bartender, just moved here from NYC a few months ago. actually posted on here once before and met some cool people. i'm still getting established out here, just moved into my own place in ktown and have the weekend pretty free so I figured I'd post again see if anybody else, specifically potheads haha, are new out here and trying to meet people. what's good? besides my current bomb ass indica
What are some encouraging words or pieces of advice you can give someone who is an aspiring film actor? by brockdavis128 • last post Apr 6th
I've felt depressed lately feeling like, because I live in Utah, I have no chance of being an actor.
5 Tips For Actors Feeling Uninspired by ActorPlaybook • last post Apr 5th
As actors we crave expression, connection and opportunities to work on our craft. We search for gigs, send out our headshots and fill our heads with theory and technique. And we wait. Soon we might feel a little discouraged, a little stagnant and a little fearful that our dream to be an actor is not going to happen. Do we give up? Convince ourselves it wasn't meant to be? **Of course not.** We all know as actors our passion is what sustains us. So here are **five tips** for when you are feeling defeated or uninspired. 1. Write your thoughts down. Spill it out. The feelings have to go somewhere and paper feels no pain nor can it shout out some unsolicited opinion. It it glorious to free up some space in your head when you land some of your airborne, reckless thoughts on a page. **Need direction?** Answer this: What is it about acting that makes me long for it? What do I wish would happen this year in my career? What am I seeing standing in the way of my dream? Could I win if I challenged it to a dance-off? My vote is yes and you get the idea! 2. Ask yourself, **“What is ONE thing I can do today to stoke the coals of my creativity?”**. Go to a museum, ponder visual art, watch people, pay attention to their body language and facial expressions. Can you mirror them? Can you imagine what they might be feeling and create a backstory about them on the fly? Write a monologue. Write a one page scene. Practice it. How quickly can you get off-book? How many different ways can you read it? 3. Connect with your artist community. Is anyone looking to practice a scene or rehearse for an audition? Do you have a tip, a question, a scene or a story to share? 4. Do something kind for yourself. **Self care is key** and when you are feeling far from fabulous it is essential. Watch a comedy clip and gift yourself a laugh. Treat yourself to 10 minutes stretched out and listening to your favorite music. Eat something delicious. These are all triggers that we can use in our craft. The possibilities are endless. 5. Practice a short scene, send out some headshots and resumes, try a new medium or technique. **Keep throwing that hat of yours into the ring!** Now tuck these 5 tips safely in your passion arsenal and take another step on this path where your soul burns the brightest. Someone else might be looking for a light.
What Voiceover Actors Need to Know About Motion Capture in Video Games by PureGainsborough • last post Apr 5th
Help with headshot, character types, age range please by yunghoneychild • last post Apr 5th
Hi everyone, beginner actor here. I took my first round of headshots and although I know they could be better, my acting mentor recommended not spending a lot for my first set because if/when I get representation they'll want me to retake them anyway and I can spend more for better quality then. We've narrowed it down to these three, out of these, which one should I be using as my main headshot on acting sites? (Mainly interested in tv/film not commercial) Also would appreciate feedback on age range and character types, thanks! https://imgur.com/gallery/4btk216
Hey! I'm practically new to voice acting and would like some tips/general advice. by Xilverknight155 • last post Apr 5th
tl;dr at the bottom Hey, my name is Keoki and I am an aspiring vocal talent. My instagram is chock full of me doing covers of songs, and I've done a little bit of voice acting because I really want to pursue it. Right now all I have is a desktop that was mid-tier in 2015, a razer headset that's hooked up via on-board audio jacks, and no way to currently improve on my equipment. (The demo I am linking down below was created with everything I currently have.) I have done a couple of auditions (every single one I've gotten, but the projects either stopped or they're at a standstill atm) and I worked on a little part of my demo reel: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHyQsoF8iB4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHyQsoF8iB4) I have little-to-no experience with Audacity, but was told that I should add foley to my recording so I worked and try to cook something for that ambiance. It's been a hot minute since I've been able to focus on this type of stuff because my job was taking over everything (construction can be like that), but I really really wanted to get back into it. I enjoy it, and think it's fun. I have talked to a professional voice actor. His name is Oscar Seung (you can find him here: [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6405334/](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6405334/) ) He voiced Seung Gil Lee in Yuri! on Ice along with many other things. A friend of mine found him the day I decided that I was going to try to do voice over/acting in the party finder for Final Fantasy XIV. He had linked his twitch stream in the party finder description, so I went and watched him, talked to him about it and got some pretty good advice/tips and some feedback. I am very grateful to him and still catch-up with him to watch his streams, but the thing is I like feedback from multiple sources. Try to gauge what a larger consensus thinks about everything and then take those comments, criticisms, praise, hate, and turn them into positive improvement for my overall goal. So please, listen to the demo above and let me know what you think! Thank you in advanced for any feedback, tips, tricks or advice you give, and if you have any tips on the foley/audio engineering (paying for someone to do it is a bit out of the question at this current state in time) then also comment on that, as well. I'd love to be able to do everything on my own since it would be better experience as well as not being a financial burden on myself. tl;dr aspiring vocal talent that want's feedback on vocal work/audio engineering work. little-to-no experience in acting/audio engineering, but have been singing for years. demo: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHyQsoF8iB4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHyQsoF8iB4)
Questions to ask for a talent agent meeting. by pop_goestheworld • last post Apr 5th
Hi! I have a meeting with a talent agent in LA next week. What advice do you have on questions I should definitely be asking them? Honestly, feeling a little lukewarm on the agency as a whole but taking the meeting to feel it out. Some questions I’m thinking about asking: - are you a sag affiliated agency? (That is a thing, right) -what casting directors do you have connections with? - what is your experience with comedy actors? - what is the biggest role you’ve booked for someone? What else should I ask? I know these things can be more conversational in nature, but I feel like since they aren’t super well known, I need to understand if they can actually open any doors for me. Thanks for any insight!