We have found 19,412 posts across 4 actor forums:
What's the "standard" when it comes to memorizing lines for an audition with a day's worth of notice? by billfrugal • last post Mar 12th
I'm starting to get on-camera auditions. Usually one agency tells me 3-4 days in advance, mentions to memorize as best as I can (or no need to memorize)... BUT now with the new agency, I get script the day/night before, and no mention if I should completely memorize or not. Current script is about 3 page long, back and forth about 20-30 sentences. Just got script now and my audition is tomorrow morning at 9am. I don't know the acting world "standard"... is it, "of course you memorize it, it's what they expect", or instead "just get familiar with script because it's just an audition...." If I spend all day/night I probably could memorize it, but I have A LOT of work to do tonight so don't know if I want to waste my time or stress about it for no reason. \*\*BTW only pays $500 for a one day filming which isn't crazy at all (obviously if it was big I'd go balls to the wall). TL;DR are actors held at some next level work ethic when it comes to memorizing lines, or do they treat us like normal people and don't expect all this effort for an audition.
I did it! I quit work by donnie_marko • last post Mar 12th
Hello all, I am diving full into this community right now! I have been a long time lurker, watching many of you fight for success, and have been very inspired by this sub. ​ I currently live in LA, and moved here to work for a STELLAR tech company. I have had an amazing time with them overall, but ultimately knew that my calling was to become an actor. I have dreamed my whole life of working in films. ​ I am engaging with the sub not just to say "hey I did it" (by it I mean paid off my debt, saved cash, and got prepped to chase this baddie full time), but also to ask, "what next." ​ I am currently looking for a few side hustles to help keep my income stable, and am ready to tackle this beast head on. I don't have up to date headshots, so I figure that this is the first place that I should start. I also just wrote my resume, but all of my work is from college (about 4 years ago), and a current live hosting act I do at a small dive bar. ​ What should I get into next? Please keep in mind my current financial restraints (ie I don't think I could afford a costly acting school at this time). Do I just start showing up to auditions? I have heard of Actor's Access, and Backstage, should I make accounts for these? Should I start reaching agencies? For my resume, is it going to look bad that my work is all old? How can I "boost" it to be more appealing to CD's and Agents? ​ Any help is welcome. I am so excited to become a part of this thespian family.
Crooked teeth headshot by ejalbert1990 • last post Mar 12th
Hey everyone so I’m trying to break into the business and be a full time actor. I have no experience and I’ve applied to jobs with no success so far. I know my headshot isn’t the greatest but I know I can make it in this business. I’m so nervous about my teeth that I try my hardest not so smile. Is there to digitally fix a headshot with crooked teeth? Thanks!
I'm 30 and I don't want to live with regret for the rest of my life. by NotBillShakespeare • last post Mar 12th
Hi, longtime lurker here. **TLDR** Could someone recommend a solid, reputable place to take night / weekend classes in NYC? Preferably something more structured (as opposed to rolling scene study classes or one-off workshops) that doesn't completely break the bank (though, I know you 'get what you pay for'). **A little about me for anyone interested...** I'm a newly 30 (yay) working professional with a very flexible 9to5. Back in the day I took some classes (even minored in Theatre) in college and then again *very* briefly after graduation. I last took a 6 Week Acting I class in 2014 before deciding to focus solely on building my professional career and paying off my student loans, which is what I've been doing the last 5 years. Since then I've grown, gained perspective, traveled a lot as well as started up a marginally successful photography hobby as a creative outlet. I'm starting to get the itch for acting all over again, and want to see it through with a bit more vigor this time now that I'm financially stable. I just know that this is going to be a regret I'll never get over and I'd rather fail spectacularly than continue wondering *what if*. I'm in no rush to 'get booked' or get an agent - I just want somewhere where I can take class and start stretching these muscles again. Maybe meet some like-minded people, build a circle of 'acting friends' and start laying the foundation for whatever would come next. That's not to say I'm averse to networking, headshots, drafting what would amount to a laughably short resume, trolling Actors Access for auditions, etc. I just don't think my time would be well spent going after those things at this time considering my station in life and lack of experience. I wouldn't even know where to begin. Anyway, if you read this far cheers! Hoping to get some honest feedback, and thanks in advance.
Can you be an Actor with acne? by fools_blood • last post Mar 12th
I have acne and I feel like people always look at my acne first. I was just wondering if people would still hire me if i have acne because I always see actors with little to no imperfections. And there are hardly any acting opportunistic here in Oregon well at least I can hardly find any. Thanks
Dropping out to pursue acting. Need opinions/comments by Triple_G_ace • last post Mar 11th
Hey everyone I just recently found this sub and wanted to give you a little background on me and want your input on a couple things. Im currently 19 (M) and at a university. I am a business major but I am really interested in acting. My mom is an actress and has been professionally all her life on stage in Chicago, Hawaii, etc. Ive also have been constantly told my family and friends that i should become an actor due to my outgoing personality (and told that i have the face for acting/modeling.) Im contemplating even dropping out and moving to LA to start acting classes because its what i truly want to do but im afraid of what my parents might say because they obviously want me to get a degree. I used to act on stage as a child but quit when i was 10 and im very interested in starting up again in the film industry, not theatre. Maybe even start with print modeling and taking acting classes. Im just asking what do you guys think I should do and where to start? I can answer any questions you might have as well. Thanks
ACTOR SCAMS | a.k.a. What I told this BULL$%*# filmmaker [storytime...] by prueslove • last post Mar 11th
New rep approach. Any suggestions by IrishActor • last post Mar 11th
Hey all, would love some feedback or suggestions on this. I'm a hardworking and skilled Actor. I've done alot of training ( although not a 3 yr drama school) and I have really good footage, showreel and have been professionally cast and have pro credits. I was previously with a top agency in London after they saw a film of mine and signed me but after a year which included me booking a feature film and great audition feedback I was dropped....ruthless industry. Anyway I have a different agent atm but to be dead honest they are not great. My question is how do I go about getting a different agent because I am drafting emails, really personal ones, with all my info, strong credits and strong showreel. I'm generally considered ''attractive'' so it can't be purely a look thing either. Not be being an asshole, just being objective in terms of the overall package for a prospective agent. Any help would really be appreciated because I am losing my mind at the moment. I am starting to take it all so personally and feel like im smashing my head against a wall.
Does anybody know any one-minute male monologues about grief? by crister17 • last post Mar 11th
I’m auditioning for The Secret Garden and they are requiring for their actors to have a monologue prepared which I do not!
Characters and Voice Actors - The Dragon Prince by Jurda12345 • last post Mar 11th
Another agency question by meemow • last post Mar 11th
Whats up guys? So last time I was helped out pretty well regarding an agency. I kept on my original for actors access and a new one for Casting Networks. The new one just asked if I can do an audition for a baseball commercial tomorrow morning. I said yes but had conflicts due to the producers requiring a video of baseball playing that I needed to make the day of the audition, so I asked if they could move the audition later in the day. The agent said she would ask. Later I received an email with the breakdown time and requirements. I noticed certain things that couldnt be taped because they required another person and since its tomorrow on a weekday Im hard pressed to find someone. They said a demonstration would be fine. I asked if they were able to reschedule the time for me and haven't received a response yet. Did I say or do something wrong?
Looking for female actors to play a victim (supporting character) for $10 by SBJTV • last post Mar 11th
Hi the movie I'm working on is called Humanoid Divergent which is a sci-fi genre about a female robot named Mandy who is created by a company named Isecurity in which their initial goal is to create her to become a housemaid servant. When that fails, she comes back to life to help with the law enforcement. During this time, she hopes to seek humanity and instead of being this obedient machine that was created solely for taking orders, she wants to further her life by helping people and making the world a better place. ​ The plot: Humanoid Divergent A robot named Mandy (number 39000) developed by a company named "iSecurity" is created as an enforcer to help the Chicago police department. She eventually gets called in to help investigate a crime involving a young girl who killed her abusive father. Having second thoughts through her program, Mandy's goal is to help the young girl escape and live a better life someplace else despite the orders she was given as a machine. She eventually becomes a parent-like figure to the young girl and wants to become apart of her life and help her grow. Despite everything else, if she does not comply to bring the girl in, she will be terminated and eventually sent back to the company that initially created her. ​ For this role ladies, I want you to come in as the overly-emotional and sobby victim named Heather who is brought in for questioning after she was accused of killing her ex boy friend and his brother in their residences. The role is only 3 pages and if you're down to do it for 10 bucks then I want you to provide me an email, I will send you the script for a quick audition and we can get started from there. ​ Thank you ​ \-Sylvron ​ ​
Directing my first short with professional actors and need some tips! by LancasterDodd777 • last post Mar 11th
I’m about to shoot my first short film with professional actors (have made shorts before but with students and friends etc), and the thing I’m most worried about is not knowing how to get a good performance out of them. I’ve read Judith Weston’s book “Directing Actors” and read a hundred tips from a hundred different filmmakers, so I know basic things like keep the eyelines clear, don’t give line readings etc, but is there anything more specific I might not have read about or that would be worth reiterating? I’m wondering also how to create a comforting/safe environment for the actors. Should I take them out for drinks or a meal first and get to know them a bit in the days or weeks leading up to production so they feel more at ease and also establish better chemistry with each other? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
My progress so far without formal acting training. by Ramoach • last post Mar 11th
TLDR: Got cast in several things now with no qualifications as an actor. It can be done if you work your booty off! Hey there, For a little over a year now I have aspired to follow up on my old dream of being a professional actor. I studied creative writing at uni but dropped out because it wasn't for me. A couple of jobs later I got into background acting since it sounded fun and this re-kindled this dream. It was on a particular movie set at the end of last year that I really felt the desire to play a bigger part in helping create worlds on screen, so since then I decided I'd do whatever I can to make it happen. Since that time I started watching interviews with the greats, reading articles on acting and acted along with anything I watched (pausing to try out the lines I liked). I also applied to an acting school which resulted in my first two recorded monologues. I recieved an acceptence but alas I couldn't pay for the course. This however, gave me confidence to move forward and I started applying for roles on casting websites. Eventually I got cast in a short film as lead with like one line, but I learned a lot and had my first bit of showreel footage! I then made a professional actor friend on a background job and he gave me advice - things were defintely progressing. Following this I recently performed about half a page of lines in another short film, have micro-film with a few lines coming up tomorrow and I just finished an audition for a play today having recieved complimentary comments from the director! I worked my ass off finding these opportunities but things are moving forward at a more rapid pace now and I'm really psyched about it. I just wanted to tell someone and maybe encourage people to just go for it and see where you get. Maybe this comes across as a little humble-braggy but I just want to put some positivity out there for those really struggling with the idea of maybe not being able to attend school or secure jobs. Theres stuff out there and an abundence of creative people wanting to make stuff for screen and theatre, so go for it if you're on the fence. Thats all really! Good luck fellow actors ;)
I’ve started an acting advice podcast to help people out. Please check it out if you have time! by watkins1989 • last post Mar 11th
Hey all! I’ve started an acting/ theatre industry help podcast called Making It, or What I Wish I Knew, mostly based on the posts I see on this sub all the time. I want to create content that gives real world advice from working actors, directors, stage managers, etc. to the listeners, with some perspective looking back. I’d love it if you could give it a listen, and hope it can shed some light on what it’s like being a working professional in our field. Also, I welcome feedback and suggestions to make the podcast better, as it’s just sort of finding its feet at the moment. I’d recommend starting on episode 4 too, since I kinda find my podcast legs there https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/making-it-or-what-i-wish-i-knew/id1447298495?mt=2&i=1000428132470
Is there ever a perfect time? + tips on extra work by mylifesuxks • last post Mar 10th
Hey guys, Firstly I just wanted to say I’m really excited to finally be a part of this community where people share the same passion as me! Im 18 and in university. Ive always wanted to start acting because I feel like I’m very unique in what I have to offer when it comes to acting. Im Somali and theres not a lot of Somali actors, (minus that guy in Captain Phillips lol and Alisha Boe in 13 Reasons Why) in mainstream tv and movies so I kind of feel like I’m filling in a gap in the market! I actually don’t know why I haven’t started doing it yet but I just feel like its gonna be daunting to start and I know the road will be long and hard. Maybe its also because i’m scared of the unknown and diving into a world that i’ve never been exposed to? Idk I also feel like i’m scared to start because I’m kind of shy? And being shy and wanting to become an actress just seems like a complete contradiction to me. So I was just wondering if there is ever a perfect time to start pursuing acting? How did you guys start? Also I wanted to get into extra work because I wanted to see how the process of filming and being on set is. Is it hard/competitive to get extra work? I live in London if that helps. Also, anyone who is currently pursuing acting in UK/ London please pm me! Id love to talk :) Thank you and any answers you guys give will be greatly appreciated!
Somebody else's unprofessionalism has cost me my job and my reputation. What should I do? by voice-actor-guy • last post Mar 10th
Made a new account for anonymity. TLDR at the bottom. ​ Hi all. I'm a voice actor primarily situated in Dallas. I would like to think I'm a pretty nice guy, as many people would agree, and my biggest flaw is easily my anxiety. I have many friends in the area, and one of them decided to open up his own studio. He invited me to be an employee and I graciously accepted. ​ I should clarify now - my "employment" was very limited. It wasn't a pay-by-the-hour thing. It was mostly myself and other friends getting together, volunteering our time to put together sound booths and whatever else was needed. I was mostly requested to come in and draw things. Of course by extension I was invited to attend company parties and meet lots of cool people. ​ My friend - we'll call him Mark - is not the most socially advanced creature on the planet. Essentially he is the walking definition of a man-child. He likes to insult people in a failed attempt to be funny. He is a self-proclaimed asshole and while he can be nice at times, this huge trait cannot be ignored. Mark had this and other flaws, but I looked past them for a long time in the years that I've known him. When his manipulative and controlling nature became more and more of a constant assault, however, I soon began to run into problems with him. ​ Despite that negative description, I was always surprised at how well Mark could communicate with other people and squeeze himself into high-up places. He's like a car salesman who can talk his way into anything. I was always impressed and supported him from the day we met. Three days after we first met at a voice-over meetup, he asked me if I could ride with him 3 hours away to help move his stuff. Despite not knowing him for very long, I agreed and ended up taking the ride. Our relationship continued to operate like this, where we would do favors for each other. I even ended up living with him for a short period while looking for another place to stay. That was where his manipulative nature became more apparent. ​ Mark was frequently asking for favors, expecting a guarantee each time. Everything from borrowing my game consoles to requesting massages, something I'm not entirely comfortable with especially from someone who can't take no for an answer. I would comply because we both lived stressful lives and I acted as emotional support for all of his ramblings. But the few times I calmly said no to any of his requests, he would respond with a variety of negative behaviors - putting me down, trying to convince me that I was a jerk, or flat-out insulting me. The insult thing was a constant barrage no matter the situation, though. This guy would call me everything in the book aside from the n word. F\*gg\*t, cocksucker, gay, bitch, whore, slut, pussy, shithead, retard - whatever he could come up with to put me down. His language was usually very sexist and homophobic, a sometimes racist, and always derogatory. Eventually I had to relocate and asked for my game consoles back, which he took as a personal insult. The negative language never stopped and that's where I finally began to grow annoyed. ​ On several occasions, Mark would complain to me about having a bad day because people treated him badly and called him names. Though I found his blindness to irony to be huge, I'm an anxious person so I would never call him out on the hypocrisy - my mistake. Despite comforting him, he would continue to sling a slew of negative words at me because he knew that I wouldn't respond negatively. And whenever I did, he would find a way to manipulate me or the situation to avoid confrontation. ​ As I mentioned, I relocated for a while to get finances and resources together. Once in a while I would visit and he would emphasize how much I needed to return. He would mix positive and negative language together and it became clear to me that he even began to take my absence as a personal offense. I eventually had to sit down and talk with him and explain that he needs to stop putting me down and using negative language. He understood and agreed that it was mean and he would stop. He didn't. That happened twice. ​ Recently I moved back. He offered me a beanbag chair in his room to sleep on while scoping out a place to live. I accepted, only to find out that he wanted me to park half a mile down the road and sneak in past his roommates, and remain only in his room. He told me I could do laundry, but changed his mind once I got there. Needless to say, the conditions were a little ridiculous, and when a friend offered me a place for rent a few days later, I took it. Mark once again took this as a personal offense, because he viewed me as a commodity to keep around for fighting loneliness, and is a very controlling person. He acted very passive aggressive once I moved into the other house (which was 20 minutes closer to my job I should mention) and stopped inviting me to any events. His passive aggressive behavior became more and more obvious during his attempts to rub this in my face with small comments in passing and multiple efforts to bluntly put me down (for example, one day I got out of a recording session and left the studio; a few minutes later he told me that I just missed a multi-thousand dollar opportunity and continued to rub it in my face through text messages, just to make me feel bad. Not very uncommon behavior for a manipulator). ​ Months later, after some awkward moments of reconnection here and there and a hug I initiated, I figured that things were back to normal between us when I attended a party. As it turns out, he was constantly suspicious of me, expecting me to betray him at any moment. Eventually I got a job as a drawing instructor at the studio for private lessons on weekends in a character design course. It was a little sketchy (wow no pun intended) because he told me I would be paid under the table and I shouldn't spread the news too much that I had the job. Excited for the opportunity I accepted anyway to make some extra bucks. ​ As my own life grew more stressful behind the scenes, my anxiety came into full swing. Mark's negative language and sneaky behavior wasn't slowing down. One day I reached out to the official studio e-mail to ask about a payment plan for a class being offered, and he responded by asserting that my paycheck would be automatically deposited to the class, with the tagline "Bitch" at the end. I nicely asked him for another option since I was counting on that paycheck and the e-mail was just an inquiry, and asked him to stop calling me bitch. ​ The next day he came in very angry. He told me to never send him an e-mail like that again, asserting that I was the one being unprofessional, and he was "obviously" merely suggesting the idea for automatic payment. He told me that he can call his friends whatever he wants and if he can't call me bitch then that means I don't have a meaningful relationship with him. He continued to insist and insist on calling me bitch, slut, and all the other negative words until I told him "no" much more firmly one last time. He left the room. ​ The aforementioned class arrived 3 days later, and I had been traveling 3 hours north from Austin. I ended up being 2 minutes late and Mark glared at me as I walked inside. He continued to scowl and mouth things at me the whole class. I had enough and refused to make eye contact with him, instead choosing to look at the teacher, in this class that I had paid for. He tried to distract my attention the entire class and grew more and more insulted as I refused to give into his behaviors. Once the class ended, I walked towards the elevator. He called for me, but I had had enough, and didn't step out. I drove home and went to sleep. This "confirmed" Mark's suspicions that I would not put up with his behavior forever. ​ A few weeks passed and while I would see him in person every now and then and still say "good morning" and act professionally, I noticed he had stopped reaching out to me entirely. I didn't initiate conversation myself because I didn't want to support the negative behaviors he kept exhibiting when nobody else was looking. One day I heard that he had been trash talking me publicly. Eventually I realized that he had stopped calling me in for the drawing class. Then he removed me on Facebook. Then he removed me from the official studio website. ​ I was silently fired from all positions because I simply wanted to be treated like he treated everyone else. He saw me as more of a nice-guy beta male, and once he realized he could get away with treating me like garbage once, he continued that behavior for our entire relationship. It was always strange because he seemed to respect everyone else, but used me as an absolute punching bag, because he knew he could. I don't even know if I should bother auditioning at the studio anymore because I imagine he will refuse all of my submissions even though I've landed several roles there in the past. ​ There's no HR department at the studio, and now that he's fired me and already spread a few negative comments about me, I fear he will try to blacklist me, especially given my knowledge of his unprofessionalism. Now I'm not sure how to advance or what to do because he has a good grip on the community here. Please help. ​ \---------- TLDR; my friend owns a studio, is a huge unprofessional asshole, fired me for no reason, and is threatening my reputation.
17ish-27ish Female Voice Actor for Comission Requested! by Jekselpeone • last post Mar 10th
I am running a super detailed dnd campaign, and I am going to have my party stumble upon a hollow tape. I am looking for a soft and kind female voice to be the voice of my character. I am 100% open to commissioning this work, we can negotiate price together. I will need to hear samples of hour voice before hiring you. Thanks everyone!
everything about this pursuit is chaos and insanity. i don't know how anybody actually makes this into a career by tobiasfunkeVIII • last post Mar 10th
i've been chasing this for years, and i'm just dumbfounded by all of it. everybody is just a selfish psycho, honestly. out for themselves. its all fake. it's all puffery and bullshit and capitalizing off other people's success and screwing them over. talent has literally nothing to do with it. it's all $$. period. that's all. everything you think acting is.... it's not. i'm finally looking at a major opportunity with $ attached... and all i can think about is how all i want to do is take my $$ and when this is over RUN THE FUCK AWAY AND NEVER LOOK BACK! i dont WANT fame. i dont WANT to chase acting after this opportunity. i could not even fathom having this crazy bullshit be my life for another 30 years. this shit is a fucking NIGHTMARE. nobody has your back, they just want to make money off of you. EVERYBODY is out to get you... like people have no idea how this shit really works, and anybody who actually did make a career out of this has a fucking ARMY working for them. fighting tooth and nail for jobs and spending SO MUCH MONEY just to maintain existence, fighting all these battles of people attacking you for NO REASON because you are now a TARGET! ....... like..... you could be a totally normal innocent person and as soon as you "make it". bam. you're a target for EVERYBODY. this is crazy. i'm not built for this shit nor do I want it. ima take my $$$ go buy a lil cheap house in a quiet part of the country and chill in peace and tranquility while this country burns to the ground. yall can be "actors". it's all fake anyway. i just wish somebody would have told me this 30 years ago so I could have done something different with my life, because i truly do not believe this is meant for "normal" people. this is a social "club" based on "chaos" for sick rich people who live life as a game. it's all the WORST parts of high school.... with money. human life is not valued, nor is talent, nor is morality, nor decency. it's all just a bunch of sick sociopathic opportunists running around trying to profit off each other and screw each other over. thats what this is.
Dealing with Tricksters and Intentional Blockers in Improv games/scenes. by beingpotential • last post Mar 10th
Hi there, I was wondering peoples opinions on improv actors within scenes that go out of their way to intentionally make someone look bad, to set up them up or to screw up or fail. Knowing Actors and Acting is sometimes a cut throat business. What do you do to better prepare yourself against, for example: borderline harrasment, snide comments, ganging up on someone, rude remarks, very voilent or suicidal satire. I am asking for tips on how to rebound these actions while still being able to be positive and keep the scene moving forward.