I'm not going into the "how" of acting and acting career because it has been covered by more qualified people than myself. However I do spend a good amount of time on set and here are a few things that always stand out... 1. Be a pro. Even if your resume is meager, being a professional on set is so appreciated by the crew. Come early, know your lines, be prepared, and only ask questions about story/characters/scenes you couldn't figure out for yourself. 2. Focus. When the DP or AC is pulling focus...don't pull a face...seriously it's not cute, it's distracting because we're looking for a steady face, not a grimace which involves movement. 3. Chatty. Actors on set spend a lot of time waiting. It's not fun, but everyone else is busy doing stuff, prepping, setting up the next shot/scene, etc. Chatting people up while they are working is super distracting. The pros run their lines or work with the director on a quick rehearsal. 4. Script breakdown...continuing on #1. As a director I break down each script backwards and forwards, left to right. As an actor you should do the same. If you care about the material, (you should) this is not optional. Spine? conflict? needs, wants, subtext...explore them. Then ask the questions. Asking obvious stuff that even basic script analysis would uncover signals: unprepared. 5. Excitement and enthusiasm. Being new on set is fun. Great energy. But, don't go overboard. Offering to move lights or C stands is not helpful. Each department is like a fine tuned machine. Let them do their jobs. 6. Don't beat yourself up when you flub a line. Everyone flubs lines, it's part of the deal. But when you berate yourself after each flub 2 things happen, 1) you delay the shot even more and 2) you put yourself down, which creates negative energy. Filmmaking is a headache reduction business. Actors (and crew) who are pros get hired again and again because they are good and also because they are easy to work with and reliable. Fewer unknown elements = less headaches.
You know what I'm talking about. That breakthrough you had that led to more bookings, and more confidence! For me it was that thoughts are the key to a great scene, and that the best choices were already put in the scene by the writer! When I started focusing on having thoughts on every line, i started booking a lot more. What about you?
Not finding much work through my agent so I'm curious where everyone else is getting theirs! Facebook groups, NowCasting, Backstage, Actors Access, Casting Fronteir, Cast It, Craigslist, word of mouth, Mandy, acting classes? Where have you gotten the most work outside of your agency?? Let's get the ball rolling! Personally, I've found a few jobs through Facebook groups and a local casting site called Movieworknow (but they turned out to be shady). Wondering if it's worth paying all the subscription fees to submit myself to projects on the big name casting sites. This life is expensive as I'm sure you know, with headshots and acting classes and uncertainty about your next role, the last thing I want to do is waste money on a scam site that's not worth it! Thank you for your time and good luck!
Like the title says. I need some advice. I've started the process of removing my agent from my relevant casting websites, but their personal agency website is still up with both myself and obviously all of their actors on display. Apparently when you google their name, my headshot appears in the images search, and I've already been contacted by one newspaper who found my phone number somewhere associated with him. I obviously don't want to be connected to this *at all* but I'm not sure what other steps I can take.
Hello Actors! This is Winnie Hiller. I love this community and I am enjoying being a part of it. The mod here offers so much information that more people should take advantage of. Sidebar, people! Check out all the links! This sub has inspired me to start my own subreddit called r/Actingclass. I would like it to offer a virtual acting class experience. I truly love helping people who love acting. So this sub is for actors who are serious about honing their craft. I will be posting periodic acting lessons (some I’ve reposted from this sub so you can find them easily there). I’ve got lots of new info to share, soon, too. Please join me and feel free to ask questions about acting and the business. I am an acting coach in LA, and I’m here to help in any way I can. I will respond as quickly as possible. I am working on set of a tv series everyday...so I can be with you between takes. If you have a self-tape or show reel, you may post it. I will give feedback whenever I am available and of course others are welcome to comment as well. I’m hoping this will be a community where real actors can learn from each other and from me. I invite other acting coaches to join in as well. I want this sub to be inspiring and informative. And you’ll be able to say you study in LA...sort of. Lol. If you have a favorite video on acting, have learned something new in your acting class, or had a recent breakthrough as an actor, please share with the group. I’m so excite about sharing and learning together! Pass it on!
Hi Reddit, I'm Jeff Seymour and I've been a working, professional actor for 39 years. Most recently, I've guest starred on shows such as Homeland, The Expanse, Suits and Seal Team. I've won the Canadian Emmy and have been nominated 4 times. I've been the lead in a number of TV series, as well as creating and starring in my own TV show, Jeff Ltd. I've been an acting coach for 38 years, and wrote the ground breaking book on acting, [The Real Life Actor] (www.thereallifeactor.com) . My weekly podcasts are currently ranked #1 with 96 episodes on acting and the business, can be found on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher and Podomatic. Please subscribe, we will have a cool and useful giveaway for any actor, so stay tuned for that. [iTunes Link] (itpc://reallifeactor.podomatic.com/rss2.xml) [PodOmatic Link] (https://reallifeactor.podomatic.com/?utm_source=web-player&utm_medium=podcast-link) I'm here with fellow actor and student, Kit Taylor, so Ask Me Anything!
I'm considering moving out to Austin possibly to pursue an acting career. I lived in Dallas for a few years and went to KD Conservatory there. I'm currently in KC and I've never been to Austin. Just curious as to what living is Austin is like and what the acting scene provides. I'm a big fan of Rooster Teeth so they're kinda what got me thinking about Austin and it's not as big of a step as moving too LA or NY.
I’ve done everything right for years and years and I don’t even get auditions at all. They don’t give me feedback as to what I could be doing to help them out. None of this makes sense and I’m tired of feeling jealous of other people that aren’t even good actors who get auditions all the time. This is just all so fucking warped. At what point do I just conclude that this industry wants nothing to do with me? I’m certainly tired of waiting tables for flexibility I don’t even need. I just don’t even know what to do anymore, I’m not even given an opportunity to START.
I'm from Toronto and I have no idea how to hire an actor for my business ventures, I'd be happy to work with student actors as well as professional actors. Also how much do most actors make hourly?
Long story short: I have the top billed lead role on a feature film that is making its debut at a mid sized festival. The film looks set to make something of a splash at this festival, and is nominated for awards in nearly every category. Most surprisingly, I'm nominated for Best Actor. It's an honor just to be nominated - but I’m not sure where to set my expectations in terms of this being a break for my career. A little bit about me: I’m NYC-based and I’m not traditionally an actor. I didn’t go to an acting conservatory or anything - I’ve been crossing over from stand-up/improv. At this point I have a fair amount of credits (film, off-broadway, standup, etc). I’ve read the sub FAQ got all the essential basics - headshots, website, plenty of credits (film, off-broadway, stand up). I’ve never solicited an agent (comedians generally tell each other to wait for an agent to solicit you, but that hasn’t happened either). All of my friends who’ve also gotten lead roles in indies like this have had representation before this, but I got into this project because I had collabbed with the director before. Thanks for reading! Hope someone on this sub has some advice or insight before I fly out west for the big premiere.
September 8th will see the return of Actors Pro Expo New York. This FREE event for Actors/Creatives provides a platform for connecting with like-minded people. You can sign up for 121 career mentoring, industry led seminars and the chance to audition for paid feature film roles Lead & Supporting. For more info and to register for FREE admission, visit: https://www.actorsproexpo.com/new-york-2018
Hi all, with background in theater, I am starting as a new actor in film/TV industry. Please visit my profile for head-shots and let me know if you would like to see some of my work.
I am an Indian, based in Warsaw, Poland.
Hey folks, we're excited to announce a new AMA on Wednesday 8/15 at noon EST with Jeff Seymour. His name has come up here a few times in various discussions about his Real Life Actor approach, so he'll be here with an assistant to answer any questions about that, acting methods in general, and the business at large. If you want to familiarize yourself beforehand go to http://reallifeactor.com where you'll find links to his podcast and book, and information about his perspective on the current state of acting training. Get those questions ready!
Hey there, 21 Male Australian, trying to make it as a voice actor, Short and sweet [Demo Reel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZxdK7GhOiU&feature=youtu.be), if you're interested at all hit me up at: liamcreevey@gmail.com
Other than a few plays as a kid, I never acted much and I'm in my second year of college now and realize I want to do this on the side at least for now. My college does theater plays, but no acting classes. I never clicked with theater much. I feel I'm more internal and can portray something on screen, as opposed to the more external way of performance in theater. I would like to basically just see if I can work on some student films people need actors for, but I don't know how to find any opportunities in my area. What would you guys suggest I do?
Hi, I know each actor is individual but as a director, I often come across a problem and am interested in the actor’s point of view. Often in scenes I need an actor to give a reaction when there is no one to play against. For example, in a film...