We have found 19,469 posts across 4 actor forums:
While waiting on the all important demo reel to be edited, etc... by Olyvia Bollin • last post Aug 23rd
ACTORS WITHOUT ACCESS by Winniehiller • last post Aug 23rd
One of the things I love about Reddit is that in a little over a month I’ve been able to meet and give guidance to actors all over the world...all in my free time on set between camera set ups. Some of them live in small towns in rural areas...some in the US, UK and as far as Turkey. They have this deep desire to act and just don’t have the access to classes or coaching...or any kind of community theater. What can they do? What can you do? The first thing I recommend is learning a monologue and then videoing it. You can’t possibly know if acting is for you until you try it. You’ll need to analyze the script, memorize it, imagine that you are really speaking to someone and see them reacting to you. If you are not sure how to do this, I have posted and commented quite a bit about it. Your goal is to look and feel as real as possible. If you need help finding a monologue...ask me. You should also immerse yourself in great acting performances. YouTube is a wonderful resource for watching films, masterclasses, interviews and advice videos. Start to notice what makes a great performance and what makes a bad one. Read books about acting. Read plays. Read screenplays. Since your goal as an actor is to be as real as you can possibly be, observing how you are in everyday life is a great teacher. Notice how different you are with different people and how your environment affects you. Your life is your resource. Actors are students of themselves and life in general. Observe the different personalities of the people in your everyday life, as well. Everyone is a character. What motivates them? How did they come to be the way they are? See if you can find at least one person who might be interested in acting with you...even if just for fun. Get the script for a play or screen play and do a scene together. Maybe start a group of people that get together to read plays...which might grow into a theater group. You may find there are quite a few people who are aching for an opportunity to try acting - and theater is a wonderful community building activity. And you will find that as a founder of the group you will have a bit more control of what it becomes than if it were already in existence. Here on Reddit I have created an opportunity to be in a virtual acting class. For as long as my schedule permits, I am donating my time to teach and give feedback to actors who are seeking guidance. I am a professional acting coach in Hollywood, so if you are interested, join me at r/Actingclass. I am a big believer that the desires of the heart and soul are never there by accident. Do not ignore them. If this is something you really want there IS a lot you can do to get started. Don’t just wish and dream. Act on it. ACT!
Are there any actors here that are also in school? by artstronomer • last post Aug 23rd
How do you balance school work/classes and making it to auditions and shoots? Do you have to take a lot of time off? Generally just wondering how the experience has been acting while also pursuing education! :)
Are Stanislavski/“method acting” based techniques the only type of acting that is still being taught? by jackinthebox1989 • last post Aug 23rd
If not, which schools are teaching something different? My place is behind the scenes, writing/directing/cinematography, but to be perfectly honest I do not like modern realist styles, which are all rooted in method acting and ultimately in Stanislavski’s theories. I really prefer the older styles of acting which did not hold onto the pretense of realism, you still see it in the theatre but in English language film it is quite rare.
Self-Tapes by ActingLabRat • last post Aug 23rd
Hi everyone! I need some advice on self-tapes. I've heard mixed reviews. Do you memorize your sides or do you use them as you would at an in-person cold read when you do self-tapes? Thanks!
What headshot works better and which role would you cast me in? (Sorry other post got deleted!) by heavenina-wildflower • last post Aug 23rd
Stand In and Photo Double Role by Falconjb • last post Aug 23rd
A week ago I submitted myself online for a role of being a stand in/photo double after I saw I matched the physical description they were looking for. The only information on the submission was that the play was being produced by a well known actor. The submission listed the actor, however I want to omit that for privacy reasons. Yesterday I received a call from the casting director directly stating I looked perfect for the part and was offered the position. Originally, I was going to meet with the production team to confirm I am a fit, however later on he told me that wasn't necessary and that I should just call the second AD tomorrow. Is it unusual to not meet with the production team in person before working as a stand in? I understand I am not the most important person on set, however this seems a little strange to me. I have a full time job that I fully plan on taking a months absence on to pursue this project. I just wish I had more information on the scope of this project to make sure it's going to be fully worth the experience. From other people that have worked as stand ins, how valuable has this experience been in your acting career? Am I in a good position to build connections and network with other people or am I just viewed as a body to fill a space?
Headshot-Age Range-Character Type Post - Aug 23 by AutoModerator • last post Aug 23rd
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.
Who would you regard as the greatest actor of all time? by lilwoodzey2013 • last post Aug 23rd
Who do you guys think is the greatest actor of all time? Not in terms of popularity but in terms of actual acting (getting into character, conveying strong emotions, diverse body of work and roles). Past and present! I’m sure everyone will have different opinions which is great, so I look forward to seeing what you guys think! :)
One Of "Those" Actor Stories by Joe Gooch • last post Aug 22nd
We've all heard them.
Here's mine:
https://youtu.be/TpyXlPIYKVo
Thank You Ms. Hiller For your Contributions by mrarthurwhite • last post Aug 22nd
I just want to say that I wish to thank you Ms. Hiller for your contribution to the subreddit and to acting. I had a question also , please. Ms. Hiller you mentioned in one of your lovely posts (which I cannot find) that the character does not know what is going to happen (as in real life) and does not know precisely what they are going to say in an interaction a few lines down the dialogue. What techniques may we use if we wished to bring this to film ? meaning how do we create an environment on set (some industry giants use minimal equipment and crew and distractions) and what minimal process or motivations or information can we provide to the actor (some legends just provide the actors with motivations and hints and mild direction on the day of the shoot and encourage improvisation on set) in order to enable them to have the magic of the first take (the authenticity and genuine immediacy of it). p.s. I am asking the other readers to kindly avoid responding frivolously or unkindly (observe netiquette ) and permit Ms. Hiller or serious responses only p.p.s if you are a lurker who is downvoting this, explain why please. ( it is likely a moderator)
Is it possible to share a PDF of the Actor's Equity Handbook? Or where to find. by ahess1209 • last post Aug 22nd
I need a copy of the handbook in order to prepare a presentation on some of the rules, but am unable to access a full copy anywhere unless I am already an equity member or a producer. Does anyone know where I could find it online, or if anyone has a copy they would be able to send to me. ​ Appreciate the help from the community!
Advice for a young actor by thatschaalfolks • last post Aug 22nd
As a Comedy based Youtuber, my main goal is to inspire, become an actor, and make people laugh. Im someone who likes to be creative and understands that Youtube is essentially one of the best free platforms to show off that creativity. My channel consists of Skits, Vlogs, Characters, and Challenges. If you're interested you can check out my channel and i would love some feedback.. Thank you! r/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfzydgQ5jOs
Agent by SupremeDreams99 • last post Aug 22nd
I’ve been having a really difficult fucking time finding agent I’m in the dmv area and every agency in the area is just a fucking scam and I need to find one soon
Headshot by Amy Hernandez • last post Aug 21st
Could this photo count as a headshot? Or does it need to be professionally done?
update: Got a role in a short now I found it's a trailer. I feel cheated. by kaeladurden • last post Aug 21st
[original post from a few days ago](https://old.reddit.com/r/acting/comments/989wc5/got_a_role_in_a_short_now_i_found_its_a_trailer_i/) I messaged the producer (we had already been communicating via text for rehearsals) and told him that my manager wanted to schedule an editor to cut my new reel and that he wanted to know how soon I could have my footage for the "short". After answering indirectly a few times, the producer said that they would not be giving me the footage. Producer also said that the project has been explained to me (in that last rehearsal) and that I should have known my only payment would be a credit on IMDb. I want to drop the production. Would that be a horrible thing to do? We shoot in a few days. They told me it was a short film; it's not. This is the first time someone has told me I can't have my footage, so I totally feel like I'm getting cheated here. My one concern is that if I drop right now, I'm also hurting the other actors and the crew... Am I overthinking this? Should I just shut up and do it? Aren't they totally taking advantage of me? I could be using that time to work on my stuff or work shifts at the restaurant... This whole thing is making me sick. And the lead girl, who the project is supposed to be starting her career, at the rehearsal she was telling the wardrobe person not to dress me sexy but to put me in bland clothes so that she would be the focus... the whole thing has been a total disrespect fest and I just don't know what to do...
acting & sex work... by markowitty • last post Aug 21st
knowing that your sex work past could one day come out, would you still do it as an actor?
Final update: Got a role in a short and now I find that its a trailer. I feel cheated. by kaeladurden • last post Aug 21st
[Previous Post](https://old.reddit.com/r/acting/comments/98zqh2/update_got_a_role_in_a_short_now_i_found_its_a/) Long story short: I got an email from a producer saying he knew some of my actor friends (he did) and he was in need of an actress for a short film. He asked for headshot and resume and my drama reel, which I provided, the next day a casting director contacted me and confirmed they wanted me for a role. The producer sent me an NDA, I signed, they sent me a script. It was pretty basic and seemed hastily written but I had a beginning, middle, and end and my character got to do some cool stuff. In the email he said there was no pay, just a role on IMDb... which I didn't care about as much but like I said, my character did some cool stuff. I met with the director and we discussed the story and the role. We had a rehearsal and wardrobe emailed me asking if I had some shoes that could work and sent some photos of the look theywanted. All pretty standard. The next rehearsal, the director sent us an undated script and it was bad. From an outside perspective, it no longer made sense and I lost some lines and so the next rehearsal I had some questions. So did the other actors. The director explained that this is what was to be shot, and the partners didn't want to change anything because it would bring up too many questions for the investors... Weird. Eventually the director admitted that the project was a proof of concept, meaning that they were just going to shoot some stuff from their original screenplay and show it to some people and hopefully get funded. The director and one of the producers said they would try to keep us on for the feature if the investors liked us. (The lead also made some comments to wardrobe to make me look drab so she stood out more, which Ok I kinda get that but fuck you) That's when I made my original post and asked what should I do? I hadn't heard of this situation before. And its been years since I had been so blatantly lied to in the film industry. Someone said make sure I get my footage and just go through with it as a learning experience and that would have worked for me except I was told that I would not get footage. I had texted the director asking when the footage would be ready, saying my manager wanted to hire an editor for my reel, the producer responded saying I should schedule my reel edit without the footage because it would be a long time off. I pressed him and the producer went on about his schedule and that he was getting the footage colorized after we shoot and still didn't really answer the question but I'm persistent and the producer finally said that I wouldn't even see the final edit let alone get footage. So- they had said it was a short, it was not. They took away my lines. The lead was being bitchy, who knows what she would have been like on set, and I was not even getting the industry standard Copy, Credit, and Meal. Another commenter in the last post said ultimately, I might even lose the credit on IMDb since it wasn't really a short film. so this was basically volunteer work. Had they been straight forward and asked for help for their pitch, I would have been so happy to help! I love helping people make shit happen. I love collaborating and networking! But I don't like getting used or lied to and that's what this was. **What I learned** I should have asked explicitly what the "short" film would be used for. I assumed it would be like any other short I've done- submissions to festivals or online release. This was my mistake to assume. Granted, the producer had already lied trying to get my work for free but still... I will now ask what a project will be used for. **How I got out of it** I feel weird leaving when it's so close to shooting but I can't stay on. My manager emailed them this morning telling them I was no longer available for the shoot dates. At this point, I had only signed an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and yes I read it thoroughly (read everything!) and re-reading the NDA this morning made me feel better about the situation too because this was so clearly a template NDA from the internet or something. It talked about proprietary info such as *computer algorithms the company had produced themselves*, which is not a normal product of a film company so it kinda screams TEMPLATE. I am very thankful that so many people commented on my posts. I was so stressed about this and I'm really grateful for our little community. I hope maybe my little experience prepares you for something you might face in the future. And thanks again for everyone who gave me advice. I feel so much better now that I let this project go. It's only been like 6 hours but I haven't heard from anyone in that production so I think it's safe to say it's over now. Go study, actors! And if you ever have a similar situation, please post about it! We learn so much about the art but not enough about the business! EDITED- some misspellings
Moving to LA by chalkinparis • last post Aug 21st
Hi there! Like my title is, is it imperative to one’s career to move to LA to pursue a full acting career? I’m currently faced with the option to move there for a full time job and am getting nervous about leaving my family behind to pursue this.