I'm genuinely interested in what other people like me are doing in the industry but I've just started out and barely know anyone at this point.
Hey, this is my first post. I've been at it professionally for 4 years now. Thought I'd share some stuff I've learned along the way. 1) You don't need to go to drama school to get a great agent or act professionally. If you don't get in, or I got do in and turn it down, or missed the deadline, don't worry, I'm not sure Drama School is for everyone, and it doesn't mean you can't pursue your career. 2) You don't need to spend hundreds of pounds on headshots, if you don't have the money: my friend did my first headshots for free, he was a photography student and we used the uni's studio and lighting etc. Still got signed. 3) MONEY!!! I WISH someone told me how much money I was going to have to fork out for all of this. I don't live in London, you see, especially if you're based in the North. Trains are fucking expensive; go for the coaches if you can. You might struggle to hold down a job that supports your chosen career, and the time off you'll need. If you opt for London, rent if a bugger. Just SAVE SAVE SAVE as much as you can, you don't know when you're next going to work again. DONT SPUNK YOUR PAYCHECK. And please please please stay AWAY from Pay Day Loans. Its too easy to get sapped into it, to feel like you can't say no to agreeing to another casting, the 3rd trip that week. Be sensible, and BE SUSTAINABLE. Its a marathon not a race. And if you're broke as fuck 2-3 years in, and don't know where your next jobs coming from, you're gonna be stressed and you're not going to perform well in castings. FUCKING SAVE! 4) Expectations vs reality. This is a big one. Now, I'm really into film, and I was naive when I entered the industry, and that's okay, I was a kid. But I thought when I get hired onto these film jobs and tv jobs, that I'm going to be fulfilled creatively, and moreover, that the people running the show were like all great, and perfect etc. Chances are, you are not going to be having an Apocalypse Now - Tree of Life - Requiem For A Dream - David Lynch (etc) screen experience lol. Just because you're working with a director who has won a load of awards for their solely commercial based career, and now they're making their first feature and you're their lead, and they can talk the talk, because they work in COMMERCIALS, this does not make them a good feature film director, or a good director for actors. Directors come in all different camps. A few examples to be aware of so you know how to move around a specific set: Commercial directors- they get paid a lot of money, and I mean a LOT, for 3 minutes of footage, can be very arrogant, care mostly for visual, not much soul (obviously) Commercial filmmaking is a money making business, they don't give a fuck. And they wont necessarily understand, even if they do move over to feature filmmaking, how to direct actors. Music Videos pay terribly and you may be treated like cattle. TV: Soap Opera/Day time tv directors- my first gig, I didn't know what a marker was, wasn't standing on mine and got balled at by my stressed out director. Directing Day time TV or soaps is hard and exhausting, they have to churn that shit out so fast and you NEED to be on the ball. 5) Getting a regular role on a BAFTA award winning tv show doesn't mean shit if it gets cancelled after your season haha. that happened to me. Also, a girl I worked with got cut from a HUGE movie, she had a pretty decent role, in the novel and the film, and she literally got cut to a mere frame, this stuff happens. I really admire her, doesn't let it get to her at all, and I'm very sure good things are coming her way 6) You might notice your "friends" on social media, might only give a shit about you when you've done/doing something and nowhere to be seen when you're unemployed and doing a 'Withnail and I'. Surround yourself with a core group of like minded individuals that really believe in you and you in them. I don't really have a family so to speak, so I have a group of friends, who help me through my fuck ups, highs, lows and before anythings. 7) Spend your down periods well. Easier said than done, right? I'm shit at it, and I'll be the first person to admit it. My bf thinks I'm crazy because I get called back a lot, but even when things are good, I still have this black cloud of depression over my head. I'm a total agrophobe during the down periods, that's my dirty little secret. I wish I was out exercising like I should be, and doing workshops etc, but I've found myself in a rut of confidence crisis. Its easy to find yourself here. But just keep on swimming. 8) What to do if you fuck up a big gig so bad, get fired, think you're gonna get black listed etc. I got fired from a job. Was in a pretty bad place, just came off a feature film, didn't give myself the time I needed before I took on a mammoth project, and I TOTALLY FUCKED UP. I wasn't myself, I didn't bond with the cast, and I was in fight or flight mode the whole time I was there, all the way up until opening night when it all went to shit, and my confidence, emotions everything, when to shit. And I let the big insecurity beast inside me eat me alive. Now. Shit happens. Don't worry. I am a living testament that life goes on and jobs go on. I still get theatre auditions through (but I respectfully turn them down, and keep focusing on what I'm good at which is film). If you fuck up, you fuck up, you're human. People make mistakes. If you have personal shit going on, financial worries, a packed filming schedule, and an anxiety disorder, take my advice, don't take on more than you can chew! And if you fuck up, own it. And if its in theatre, don't worry if you just want to pursue film, because nobody in film actually cares about what happened at some northern theatre on the arse end of nowhere anyway. 9) Casting directors want you to do well, so try not to be too nervous. They're rooting for YOU! I read this somewhere, and it really did affect my headspace, and my success rate at recalls and landing jobs. 10) Selftapes: If you want recall after recall, do it well in every department. Set it up technically perfect, get a read in who you always read with so you're used to each other, make sure the lighting is good. Clean blank wall, all of that shit. Slide at the front. And then nail it. You can do as many take as you like! They're a blessing really. ​ Anyway, I hope this helps any young actors out there and gives them a little bit more insight to what the industry is like, can be like, what can happen, what to expect, and how to cope etc. x
Hi, I'm not a voice actor, and I have no aspirations to become one, but I'm learning to narrate simply for some videos I put together in my spare time. I have a pretty hoarse, raspy, gravelly voice that only gets worse throughout the day. Does anybody else experience this? I can't imagine our voices sound the same in the morning, noon, and night, right? Or do I just have a very crappy voice box? BTW I do not smoke or drink alcohol. I don't even drink carbonated soda, or eat spicy food. But I have an annoyingly hoarse voice. Anyway, I understand I can't do anything about my voice, but I figured I'd reach out to the hobbyists and pros if they ever deal with this. My main problem is consistency. For example, if I do some narration in the morning, and then later in the day, add some more narration or make changes to the script a day later, they all sound different, from my inflection, to my pitch, to the smoothness/roughness of my voice. I don't understand how people who narrate full length books can maintain the same pace, vocal clarity, energy level, etc through 100+ pages. Sorry for the longwinded, meandering post. My question is pretty general... 1. If anybody else experiences inconsistency with their voice, how do you deal with it? Any exercises or routines? Do you eat a certain something before you start, or fast? Do you drink more water? Do you work out? 2. Do you do anything to "preserve" your voice? For example, you might not talk a lot prior to starting a session. Or maybe you might not talk even after the session, because you wanna preserve your voice for the next day's session, etc etc.
I am working on a cinematic VR game and I'm looking for a Voice talent to play multiple characters. this is a complex set of roles and requires confidence and improve. My preferences is for an American voice actor but I do have access to a studio in Central London so this project can either be remote or at my studio. game play video this is old now but has the vibe of the game [https://youtu.be/29oMW-31ZBQ](https://youtu.be/29oMW-31ZBQ) ​ payment terms and conditions * negotiable hourly rate for Skype directed recording sessions 2-3 Hrs * travel if the job is not remote * commercial rights to everything recorded * credit and top billing ​ full script is available upon request, i am looking to work fast on this [benlunato@gmail.com](mailto:benlunato@gmail.com)
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.
Just wondering if the company that used me in their advertising gets a bad impression about me if I excitedly repost their tweets or FB posts that contain their ad, with a comment like "my commercial! yay!" Of course they're going to be notified that their content has been reposted, so they can see who it is and what was commented. But do they likely feel that as the actor in the ad, I am detracting from the charm and illusion of the content if it's supposed to be of a "family," for instance? Does that make sense? I assume the marketing company could also be paying attention to the company's posts since its their product, even if they're not tagged. Maybe there's only one employee who does social media management that might see it, or maybe the head of creative projects or something watches the reactions to tweets and such, I don't know.
I've been acting since I was a little kid, and I've always loved doing it! Problem is, I want to improve my acting skills so I can start working on doing it as a career, but I don't have the money for classes. I had an acting teacher for awhile, but it interfered too much with my busy schedule and I just don't have the money to pay $150 per month for classes. Any tips/advice on how I can keep learning and growing as an actor even without the input from a teacher? Thanks!
Hey all, ​ I'm interested to hear what everyone's opinion on reading reviews of a show you're involved in is. The longer I've been acting, the less I've found them beneficial in any way. Even the good ones, don't feel like a justified validation they just feel disconnected from me and the work I've done in a show. I know you're not really supposed to care but in the age of online it's almost hard to avoid seeing a review for a show you're in. People are posting them on Facebook, some are even being sent directly to you. I understand the practicalness of reviews, for an audience. But as an actor, I'm not sure if there's any true reason to read them. ​ So I'm just curious what everyone's opinion on them is. Are they benefitting to the actors? Are they necessary to read? Is it even possible to avoid them now a days? Would love to hear what everyone thinks.
whats the best way to find auditions thank you
Hello fellow actors, I need some help finding plays with large casts of at least 15 characters, if possible they all are speaking roles. The play needs to be within copyright (sixty years after the writers death). Shakespeare is fine! Thanks for any suggestions
Hello people of Acting Reddit! ​ I am a 21 year old rookie actor based in London, England. Rookie meaning I am working on my showreel, taking acting classes and trying to secure auditions on my own (don't have an agent as of yet). ​ I got accepted into the Stella Adler Studio of Acting conservatory in New York when they were doing oveseas auditions in London. I tried to search some information on this subreddit about the school but everything seems to be few years old. I was wondering if any of you lovely people have some fresh thoughts about the institution. ​ A full-time is definitely something I would like to do but then there is the question of time and money which could be spent otherwise. It's very easy to get drunk on the thought of securing an agent at the graduation showcase sometimes which of course isn't guaranteed. ​ What are your opinions on this 3-year course in New York? ​ Thank you for all your answers!
I was in a "webmercial" for a big soft drink company. Webmerical meaning that they released the video on all of their social media platforms for marketing and promotion. ​ There was no dialogue and we had no character names, the actors were essentially playing themselves. What do you put in the name column of the resume when you don't have a character name? Would you put a Webmercial credit under the Commercial header?
i'm a lone wolf man and nothing feels accessible. i'm just emailing people blindly at this point. that's helped me with acting via imdbpro when submitting for low level reps in the past in other markets, but here man, not knowing anybody i can't even seem to get a PA gig that's paid. i do craigslist, reddit, facebook groups, entertainmentcareers.net, indeed, all the actor websites i pay for which at least get me shitty student film auditions... I feel like i'm missing something. under the radar websites? i'm sure it gets easier once you can network, or at least get your foot in the door in some capacity, once im somehow able to save money ill start taking acting / directing classes out here, try to start self producing stuff with people. i know 6 months is a laughably short period of time, but fuck i hustle my ass off, it's a little depressing honestly to not have made more progress. i just want to get my foot in the door and then i don't care how long it takes, I'm really tired of spending the vast majority of my time working shitty survival jobs just to get by (which ive done for like 8 years previously in NYC so a lot of my burnout is from that) . acting is my longterm goal, along with directing & producing. I'd really like to get in with a production company in some capacity. Is it worth it to literally drop off a resume in person, like a cold drop by?
I act in community theater (yeah, I know), and was recently cast as a lead in a straight show. It's meant for someone 20 years my senior, but I gave a good audition, I'm experienced, and am more than capable of playing the part well. I have known some of the cast and crew for over a decade, so they're all aware of what I've done and what I can do. As soon as I found out my casting, I knew a 'friend' cast in a much smaller role would be upset. A mutual friend and fellow cast member advised me about our friend's shit talk the next day. They were stating everything I expected, IE they were the better choice, they were a better actor, older, a parent, etc etc. Mind you, they didn't see me audition, and we haven't had a read thru yet. Not that that matters. I am young for the part, but I'm a very accomplished actor for local theater and can do age makeup to cover the difference. My SO in the show is the same age as me IRL, which helps. The shit-talker hasn't seen me in a straight show in 10+ years (I usually stick to musicals), and has very little idea of my abilities. I expect anyone cast in the part would have earned some ire. I'm not worried about "proving" myself to this person, as no matter how well I do this person will be negative. The rest of the cast and the director have faith in me, and know I will do a fine job. My only issue is dealing with someone in the cast who I know is actively rooting for me to fail. I'll have to pretend I don't know this person is being an asshole, as confronting them will only lead to a fake apology to my face and more shit talk behind my back (this isn't the first time this person has gone behind my back to try and hurt me). Anyone else ever had to deal with this? **TLDR: I got the role a 'friend' wanted, friend is shit talking me before we've even had a read thru. Any tips for dealing with a two-faced cast member?**
In the US, is it a good idea for a voice actor to incorporate? If so, any suggestions on which kinds of corporations (LLC, C-corp, something else?) might be most appropriate? Do clients expect you to be incorporated? Have you or have most voice actors incorporated?
I am taking a foundations of acting class at my university, which I'm very excited about because I've done film acting before, but have never actually done "performing" which it seems theatre tends to require more than film does. Anyway, my teacher is a method teacher, and yesterday he made us do a 10-point exercise where we had to make decisions on what we wanted to do in a situation where we entered the classroom, had to maneuver around, try to get the teacher's attention and "do something interesting" while sitting in class. While everyone else's performance was funny or enjoyable, when I did mine there was literally crickets except at the end where I decided to pantomime a bit. The reason I say it was embarrassing because everyone else had taken risks or did something actually interesting and was applauded for it. Whereas I made safer choices or not as enjoyable choices and was kind of ignored lol. It made me question my ability as an actor. To play devil's advocate though, I am used to film acting and the minuscule amount of expression that is used to convey emotion or a motivation. According to my acting on film teachers, I do have a natural way of acting in front of the camera. So perhaps it's my used to being in front of the camera and being more "natural" or some type of emotional block I have to move past to be able to take more risks. Anyway, has anyone else had any moments like this where they felt completely worthless as an actor?
Is there a way to get into this industry by making a homemade demo reel and not spending an absurd amount of money that I dont have on a producer and agent?