We have found 19,295 posts across 4 actor forums:
Actors who work the overnight shift for a survival job. Has working overnight effected your performance when auditioning? What’s your experience like? by TGHD86 • last post Mar 18th
I am thinking about switching to the overnight shift. My current shift isn’t working very well with my acting. I need my days free. I have heard mixed things about working overnight while being an actor. Some tell me not to do it because it will drain all my energy and I won’t be able to perform nor audition. Some say their bodies just adapt to it and they had no problems. What is your experience?
How do you guys practice? by whaleforce9 • last post Mar 18th
As the title suggests, I'm curious what people are doing to practice. I keep reading that we need to practice as actors, but not sure what that all entails.
eyelash extensions by andreajin • last post Mar 18th
is it bad to have them as an actor? should i have them taken off for auditions and my headshots?
Breakdown: "Actor must be able to cry on cue. Strong acting skills is a MUST. Must have a reel to be considered. Name actors preferred. Rate of Pay: Credit/Copy/Meal" ??????? by caalittlemiss • last post Mar 18th
This cracks me up! I see breakdowns like this and really wonder if they're serious. You're asking for NAME actors, or at the very least strong acting skills including an ability to cry on cue, but you don't want to pay them???????? Does anyone else think this is a little ridiculous? Or maybe its just me. Beggers can't be choosers in my opinion. If they're a name actor I would think they wouldn't be bothered with a "credit/copy/meal" job at this point but who knows. Just wanted to get this off my chest lmao
Staging Intimacy - How do we do it? by n8_thegr8 • last post Mar 18th
Hello, all. I’ve deduced that this is probably the most effective sub I could post to, though it’s primarily coming from a directing standpoint. I am directing a show that I am incredibly passionate about in the coming weeks. It’s beautiful, frightening, and a chance for my team and I to stretch our legs. I’m working with my favorite designers, and I’ve cast incredibly capable, intuitive, empathetic actors. It’s just one of those experiences where the stars have aligned and I feel like this process will be more rewarding than draining - The kind of process that we keep lugging through this business for, yenno? There’s a bit of a challenge within the book that I’ve been a little anxious about broaching. There are some incredibly intimate scenes - Never sex, but deep, contextually difficult scenes that I want to take care of with respect, and make sure everyone feels good about it throughout the process. I have never staged anything to this magnitude of... Intimate, yenno? And I just want to make sure that it does the play justice. I’ve been doing a lot of research on Stage Intimacy lately in preparation for this text. IDI and TIE, listening to podcasts, reading articles and publications, the 5 C’s (Context, Communication, Consent, Choreography, Closure). I really do subscribe to the idea that if we choreograph fights and we choreograph dances, we should take care of ourselves by choreographing sex and intimacy. It’s something I never thought of before, but it truly makes sense. When I had my first intimate moment onstage, the director basically said “Okay, you two go off and figure it out.” I felt pressure to deliver, and while I trusted my partner it was truly uncomfortable to have to “figure it out”. By choreographing these things, we eliminate 1) the potential danger of crossing physical boundaries, ensuring that nobody onstage is ever left in an improvisational scenario, and 2) the pressures for our actors to engage emotionally or physically where they do not wish to. All the while, doing the playwright and scene due diligence, and crafting a better audience experience. The reason I’m here, I suppose, is to get some insight. I’m curious if there are any directors out there who have experience with staging intimacy that can hand out some tricks and/or tips? What sort of text and foot work do I do with my actors? How do you broach it? Do you have ensemble exercises to generate empathy and trust? My ensemble is full of beautiful humans who have worked together and have some sort of trust amongst one another, but I’d love to really send home that this is a caring atmosphere where we are all going to tend to each other. We’re a game crew, and we love a good ensemble exercise. And from an acting standpoint, what are your experiences with stage intimacy? What can a director do to make you feel safest when engaging with a partner onstage? TL;DR: What techniques can one utilize to stage intimacy in authentic, safe way for their actors? Thanks!
Is pursuing acting while working 9-5 possible? How do you do it? by InterestingPurpose • last post Mar 18th
I've lurked in here for probably the past year and I read every post. I'm a 21 year old junior accounting major set to graduate next spring as valedictorian of my class so obviously I'm successful in that respect, but I've always felt a pull towards acting and conveying a story. I'm getting into my first acting classes this summer and next fall, but my concern is that when I graduate and get a 9-5 job would my dream of film acting be achievable? How do you do it? I already know that I'd be able to take night classes and practice my craft in my free time, but how would you go about auditioning? What if you actually book something? You can't just take off from work for a couple weeks. I've always wanted to act but never pursued it for various reasons (D1 football, parents telling me it's stupid and I'd make no money, fear, low confidence, thought I wasn't good looking enough) but now I'm finally enrolled to take classes and I know I'll love it because I love challenges and I love the process. I'd love to know how you do it, how you support yourselves, afford all the various classes etc. Moving to a big city would be no problem for me either as I could work for any big 4 accounting firm pretty much. TLDR: So I guess what I am asking is either how you could audition and book while still keeping a roof on your head and staying healthy with a 9-5, or do you just go for it when you think you've had enough training to go out and start auditioning? My fear is taking that risk and failing miserably and not being able to support myself Bonus: I see lots of young actors and actresses my age living it up in Vancouver and LA taking lots of different classes and such and yet they have only like guest stars and have been on one show? How the hell do they afford the life of acting in those expensive cities?
So I want to be an actor by djinsins • last post Mar 17th
I want to be an actor and have already done some work as an extra in a few movies. I've also changed my major to theater. This is the first time in a while were I know what I want. Any advice on moving up? Any and all appreciated. Thanks :D
Can someone give me a clear definition of "Truth"? by atram010 • last post Mar 17th
Actors talk about truth all the time. But noone seems to define what they mean by the term truth. Thanks in advance!
Casting yourself in your script by AmazingChickenX • last post Mar 17th
Totally hypothetical question... If was an actor, and I was signed to a top agency like CAA or WME, would my agent be able to cast me into script that I wrote or present that script to a production company like Universal? How does someone go about acting in their own script otherwise?
(Monolouge + my tough story to success) I'm a very good actor. Listen to my monolouge and story. Give me advice! by desuwest • last post Mar 17th
Some actors are full of themselves? Why? by PuzzledMaybe • last post Mar 17th
I have done a podcast, and there are some actors who are quite accomplished that I have been able to get on, and there are ones who I think are less accomplished than those people who simply have no interest in participating. I think it says a lot about how nice people are when they're willing to give up 30-45 minutes of their time for an interview that will minimally benefit them if at all, and the opposite for the opposite. I can also email most of these people, and they generally respond to me.
Is going bald going to stop my career? by Teoseek • last post Mar 16th
Hi there, I’ve been in the film business for over 7 years now. Made 4 films as a lead actor and another 20 reoccurring roles. Last year I started loosing my hair and now it started to be aggressive and visible. Past year I’ve been riddled and depression started to hit hard. All while maintaining a career in film. I mean last year only I’ve worked on three major films. But now when I see it going so fast I’m paralyzed. Thinking that it’ll be so much harder to get jobs now. What’s your take on it? Did you or anyone close to you had a similar experience?
Overwhelmed by headshot process by DiscoProphecy • last post Mar 16th
I'm a new actor that just landed in NYC and I need to get my first headshots. But there are specific many photographers, so many prices, so many options. I'm a man with a relatively simple haircut, do I need a stylist? Should I get one look or more? Should I be shelling out 500 dollars for my first shots or 200? I want to get these done soon but I'm just so overwhelmed by this entire process. So if you guys know some solid headshot photographers in the NYC area I'd love some suggestions or just general knowledge because I really don't want to end up with just bad headshots.
Differences between the different voice training methodologies? by Chickenbox123 • last post Mar 16th
Hey, all! (First reddit post ever :-) ) I want to self-learn about voice training for acting. I intend to work with a dialect/voice coach at some point, but until then, I’d thought I’d do some reading and studying on my own to get a base down. Before I select a particular methodology, I wanted to get a good understanding of the differences between the various techniques. I’ve done some initial research on the subject, and I’ve seen some names come up a lot: Rodenburg, Fitzmaurice, Linklater, Lessac, Berry. Can any fellow actors describe the differences or similarities between these approaches? And which of these would be most suited for an actor new to the voice component of character portrayal? Feel free to include teachers I haven’t listed. Based off of my initial research, Fitzmaurice sounds like a good place to start, but difficult to self-learn from as she doesn’t have any textbooks or materials to self-learn from. Linklater also sounds good, especially since she has a textbook. I am particularly attracted to their emphasis on relaxation and understanding of one’s own voice. The other teachers seem more geared towards Shakespeare and classical theatre. My focus is in TV and Film, but I am all for learning about classical technique too. I’m just not sure it would the most applicable to my line of acting. Thanks!
What type of actor is Johny Depp? by IdontNeedItSquidward • last post Mar 16th
Is Johny Depp a personality, interepreter, or impersonator actor? I thought he would most likely be an impersonator actor because of the various different roles he plays, but I don't know in the context of the movie What's Eating Gilbert Grape. I read online that during the time of the movie his personality was similar to Gilbert's, so he didn't really have to change much about himself in it.
An insane theory on voiceacting by Dracomies • last post Mar 16th
Got a question here and a theory. So from studying actors from all platforms, there’s a sense of waiting to get ready to hit the big leagues. People start with smaller roles until they progress to much larger roles, etc. But here’s the question I have. Most people around the ages of 15 to 25 may not be in a position to be able to afford a membership of $400 per year (Voice123) or a Platinum membership of ($4950) per year for Voice123. And just to match up to the competition, you have to factor in the bare minimum of equipment of other actors which is generally a Sennheiser MKH 416 ($1000) or a TLM 103 ($1000), etc. Usually both. Add in an expensive demo of the ‘industry standard’ of $3000…. A Platinum membership on Voices.com is $2999/year The point I’m trying to make is that the structure of these platforms is….age-tiered. If I’m a director and I want an actor who sounds like he or she is around 15-18 years old, would I be better off looking through Voices.com or would I be better off looking on Casting Call Club? If I’m looking for an actor that sounds 40 years old, would I be better off looking through Voice123 or Casting Call Club? It’s apparent that if you want to thrive in this career, you cannot ignore Voices and Voice123 or other forms of P2P. But here’s the thing. There is merit to it. Actors with less experience or without the financial means to buy such subscriptions will strongly discourage them. But when asked how they make money, it’s not viable. They’ll mention Casting Call Club and Twitter….and these roles are not comparable to what’s offered on P2P. The issue I’m seeing…is that it seems to be based on ‘experience’…but in doing so…everything seems to be age-tiered. If I’m looking for an actor who sounds 15 to 21 years old, I’m likely to find the genuine article on Casting Call Club. Why? Because \*they\* can’t afford $4000 of subscriptions. So they just stay in Casting Call Club and that’s where I’ll find them. But if I’m looking for an actor/actress that sounds 36 years and older, I’m better off going to Voice123 and Voices instead. And so what happens? It becomes age-tiered. Younger actors stay on Casting Call Club. More experienced actors that can afford these subscriptions will be older and they’ll be on the paid platforms. Is it fair to say that with the structure of these platforms, it actually is age-tiered? The problem is further expounded \*even if\* a younger actor is able to afford these subscriptions. After all, why would a director bother with a younger Voices.com actor when there are literally hundreds of 18-year old actors waiting for a role on Casting Call Club? So the irony is that while people wait for the big-leagues.......it inevitably becomes age-tiered. You don’t get there........... until you get older.
How would an international actor with years of experience go about entering the Hollywood industry? by ssk93 • last post Mar 16th
I know someone who has been an actor in Asia for the last 30+ years, but recently decided to move to the States to settle down. He has always been a free-agent actor, with just a small team of people aiding him through his career. However, upon his decision to move to America, he and his crew parted ways and he is now seeking to find some gigs in the U.S.. He has an extensive filmography and is quite well-known back in Asia, so I'm not sure if that would make it a slightly different approach, in comparison to being a new actor trying to start up? However, he's unsure how to even go about contacting the agencies. Should he just call the agency? Should he e-mail them? Should he set an appointment (if possible) and visit their offices? I've heard of things like actor/actress unions, which being a part of will determine whether an agency decides to represent you or not? How do you get into the union, etc.? I've already read through the FAQs in this acting forum and it did answer a few of the questions that I've had, but it still seems to be of more help to those actors and actresses trying to start up or build a portfolio. However, it did say things like "try not to worry about signing with an agent" or joining a union from the start. Would this apply to him as well? I wanted to see if I could help him in any way, but I don't (nor anyone around me) have any knowledge as to how the Hollywood industry works and would just like to see if anything here would be able to help me out. Thank you.
Help! by lillybabe22 • last post Mar 16th
Hi everyone, I am 21 years old. About two years ago I fell in love with acting after a student asked me to help her with her theater project. Since then I’ve been non stop taking acting classes and improv. I strongly considered moving to LA to try to become a paid actor after watching how actors such as Arnold swarzenegger and others said follow Your dream even if it’s hell at first, it made me worried the lack of support I had from friends and family saying “you’ll never be famous” any advice?
[Ask me anything]Seeking for students in the greater Seattle area. by syumm7756 • last post Mar 16th
Greeting from Seattle! It's Henry here, an Acting Trainer and and Stage Director from Taiwan now living in the Greater Seattle area. I spent 10+ years in the theatre acting and have several experience of directing, the only thing I learned from the experience was that audition(stage/film) is not quite easy for anyone especially if you don't have a decent agency to help. The only thing you can do is keep improving your personal talent and acting skill to make the opportunity knock your door. Also, I'm willing to provide personal acting class if you really need it and it's all free(for now, haha). So that's get it simple: Ask me anything you want to know about acting or what makes a good actor...etc, I'm here to help!
Any Actors Here Based in San Francisco Bay Area? by Kaviness • last post Mar 16th
I'm a Bay Area native and looking to get involved more in the acting scene (classes, improv, companies, etc.). How have you gotten involved in the Bay Area?