We have found 19,242 posts across 4 actor forums:
Demo Reel Help For A Union Actor? by TheAskRedditDude • last post Jul 7th
Hey there, I was wondering if I could get some advice here. I've been trying to make sure that my acting materials are all up to date, and I've noticed my reel is less than satisfactory. I want a better showcase of my acting ability, but here's the problem I face: I'm SAG-AFTRA, so I can't do non-union short films to boost up my footage, and the footage I do have from jobs I've booked are quick one-liners. So, is there a place where I can just make a scene and tape myself to more accurately showcase what I'm like on camera, without breaking union rules? I'm in Chicago by the way. Thanks for the advice!
There Are No Stupid Questions - Jul 7 by AutoModerator • last post Jul 7th
Please feel free to ask any question at all related to acting, no matter how simple. There will be no judgements on questions posted here. Everyone starts somewhere. So ask away!
THE REASON WE STUDY ACTING by Winniehiller • last post Jul 6th
One of the first questions people who are new to acting ask me (especially parents with aspiring child actors) is “How many lessons do I (or my child) need to take before I will be ready?” A similar question I am asked by people who learn that I am on set with LL Cool J everyday is “Why does he need an acting coach? Doesn’t he know how to act by now?” Both of these questions suggest that the asker does not understand the process of acting... or any skill, for that matter. OK...there is a certain amount of study one must do before even beginning your pursuit of an acting career. Acting is a craft. Auditioning is a skill. And an actor only gets one chance to make a first impression on the person they are auditioning for. Directors and casting directors are looking for an actor who knows how to give a believable, memorable, unique and interesting performance. They want someone who knows how to be professional on set. Actors are expected to be creative, responsive, flexible, easy going, prepared and talented. If they are not able to show these qualities in their first audition, the likelihood of them having another chance diminishes. I prefer teaching private lessons to my students, because then I can give them a full hour of my attention to address their weaknesses and build their strengths. The number of lessons a student must take before auditioning depends on the individual...their desire, intelligence, imagination and willingness to practice and prepare. But because I am recommended by managers, agents and casting directors, I often see an actor for only an hour before their first audition. I do my best to prepare them for the upcoming performance they must do, but ideally I prefer to be able to work with them on a regular basis before their first audition. I want my students to come in as true professional actors...not nervous hopefuls. Don’t wait until you have been given a great opportunity. Be ready. Imagine if you were interviewing for a job as a fine furniture maker and you stop by Home Depot to buy your first hammer and saw on the way there. Chances are you won’t get the job. When you arrive at an audition, you want to be ready for anything with the skill to respond to any request. This gives an actor the confidence to know, “I am the one you are looking for” and the auditioner picks up on that right away. Knowing you have what it takes is key in landing a role. It has happened that I have coached actors only once before their first audition and they have booked it. Some have even been cast as series regulars in roles that lasted for years. But once they had the job, they needed to keep studying so they could be ready for what they had to face on the job each day. TV work is difficult. Schedules are grueling. New scenes must be learned each day. There are last minute script changes. And the constant pressure and repetition on set can make staying fresh and believable, challenging. Some actors seem to think once they book the job they don’t need any more help. Smart actors know better. They want their work to always be the best it can be. You are only as good as your last performance, and it is up to you to make sure every moment you are on stage or screen is a shining example of your abilities. That is why for the last 9 years, LL Cool J has hired me to be on set with him everyday, for any project he has with a script...NCIS LA, Lip Sync Battle, as host of The Grammy Awards and a number of films and hosting jobs. He wants me there, not because he is not a skilled actor, but because he wants to become more and more skilled. We are now in Season 10 of our show, and if you watch them all, I think you will see consistent improvement through the years. He is dedicated to being the best he can be and is always in pursuit of being even better. He also depends and trusts my extra set of eyes and the feedback I give him. Two heads are better than one. Every scene has hidden challenges and opportunities to bring multileveled character portrayal with focused purpose and specific relationship interaction. And when actors are fully immersed in their performances, they cannot “watch” themselves. Directors are often too busy to give every actor individual attention and feedback on each scene. An acting coach is there to be that set of eyes, that extra creative mind to offer suggestions and make sure all that is being done is working. How long should you study? You should always be learning...getting better...improving your skills. If you find an acting coach you trust, let them help you make sure you are prepared for every audition. Allow them to help you grow as an artist, hone your skills and make sure you are consistently giving your best, every time. As an artist this should be your greatest desire...to be able to bring your unique abilities and creativity to every character you play and bring the very best to every opportunity you are given. For that you need a team. You need a teacher. You need to study!
[Toronto/Union] Do you submit yourself through any sites on your own? by legendary_sponge • last post Jul 6th
I know my agency uses Casting Workbook and Actors Access, but do you use any sites and submit yourself? I used to use Mandy when I was non-union, but it's pay-to-play now. Also, do any of you submit yourself to projects through CW and AA? Are there any sites I'm unaware of? I'm basically looking to start auditioning for student/theatre/low-budget stuff and I'm wondering if there are any sites I should/could look into.
KEEP IT REAL! by Winniehiller • last post Jul 6th
Though 9-10 months out of the year I am coaching an actor on a network tv series, during hiatus I’ve had quite a few new, young actors come to me for private lessons. It’s becoming evident to me that many of them are being taught techniques which are actually harmful to their film and TV careers. This is one of the biggest problems for young actors...especially those coming out of theater programs in colleges and universities and those who attend classes that prey on Hollywood newcomers. But what I’m about to say also applies even to theatrical performances and TV commercials. Bottom line, whenever you are acting...you gotta keep it real! Acting is one of the few human activities in which you must not look like you are doing it while you are doing it. If you are playing baseball you don’t need to hide the fact that you are swinging a bat. Most employees want their bosses to see them working. Even singers get to open wide and wail. But you can never, ever let them catch you acting. The thing is, if you are doing it correctly, you are not really acting...you are BEING. As an actor, you must become extremely aware of pushing your performance beyond the realm of believability. Certainly there are real people in this world who might be described as “bigger than life”, but the fact of the matter is, they really do exist. They have real emotions and an inner thought life. They have a life history that has led them to react in specific ways. They are REAL PEOPLE. So must every one of the characters you play. And you must embody that person, consistently and believably from the moment they say “Action!” to the moment they say “Cut!”. Even William Shakespeare wanted his actors to get real. When Hamlet hires a troupe of actors to reenact his father’s murder, he is horrified at their performances because “they imitated humanity so abominably”. They “strutted and bellowed” and would “saw the air too much with their hands”. I am seeing these same mistakes in actors today. Check out the monologue, below. I often ask my students to learn it, because of the valuable lessons it contains in the text. And let’s face it. If you can believably perform Shakespeare...you ARE an actor. Sure the old English may be difficult to understand at first, but once you get the hang of it, you will agree that no one uses words better. So pay heed to the bard. You are an actor in order to portray humanity as realistically as possible. Anything more or less is a departure from the very purpose of the art...to “hold a mirror up to nature”. To show people who they are and what they are like. “Suit the action to the word, the word to the action”. As an actor, if you can truly “become” your characters rather than “acting” them...filling you own mind with their thoughts, reacting to the other characters in truthful relationship...feeling their feelings, pursuing their goals...it becomes a magical experience for both you and the audience. You are transported to another place in time. And everyone gains a little more insight into what this life is all about. If you have any questions (or want to understand the Shakespeare more thoroughly), leave a comment or message me on Facebook. Winnie Hiller ————— HAMLET - Act III Scene 2 SCENE II. A hall in the castle. Enter HAMLET and Players HAMLET Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to You, trippingly on the tongue: but if you mouth it, As many of your players do, I had as lief the Town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air Too much with your hand, thus, but use all gently; For in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, The whirlwind of passion, you must acquire and beget A temperance that may give it smoothness. O, it Offends me to the soul to hear a robustious Periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to Very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who For the most part are capable of nothing but Inexplicable dumbshows and noise: I would have such A fellow whipped for o'erdoing Termagant; it Out-herods Herod: pray you, avoid it. Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your tutor: suit the action to the word, the word to the action; with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature: for any thing so overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure. Now this overdone, or come tardy off, though it make the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve; the censure of the which one must in your allowance o'erweigh a whole theatre of others. O, there be players that I have seen play, and heard others praise, and that highly, not to speak it profanely, that, neither having the accent of Christians nor the gait of Christian, pagan, nor man, have so strutted and bellowed that I have thought some of nature's journeymen had made men and not made them well, they imitated humanity so abominably. O, reform it altogether. And let those that play Your clowns speak no more than is set down for them; For there be of them that will themselves laugh, to Set on some quantity of barren spectators to laugh too; though, in the mean time, some necessary Question of the play be then to be considered: That's villanous, and shows a most pitiful ambition In the fool that uses it. Go, make you ready. ——-
DO YOU NEED A DEGREE IN THEATER ARTS? by Winniehiller • last post Jul 6th
Do you really want to have a career in acting? You need to take every opportunity to learn from the best and perform with the best. I must tell you, as much as your parents will object, college is not always the best place to learn to be an actor. If you want to be in the film and tv industry, you need to start getting professional credits for your resume. Same with theater. No one will ever require you to have a college degree to be an actor. And if you wait to pursue a career in acting until you graduate, you are at a disadvantage age wise. Hollywood, NYC...and you can get started in some other major cities...but you need to be somewhere where you can be getting credits for your resume. And to do that you need to be studying with the very best teachers. Try to think about why you are in college. How does it project you onto your life path? If you are just going to get a piece of paper or something to fall back on, then I hope you are majoring in something that you can truly make a living at, and you will enjoy...because that’s what you will be doing...not acting. It’s an old cliche, but “If you fail to plan, plan to fail”. There are a couple of Universities and conservatories that can actually propel an acting career, like Juilliard, Yale, NYU, Cincinnati Conservatory...and there are a few others with outstanding faculty, in which agents will seek out students as clients. Otherwise, it’s not going to do you much good. But if you must go to a school that no one cares about, then be as creative as you possibly can while there. Learn to be a film maker, a screenwriter...anything you can so you can create your own opportunities. If you are going to arrive in Hollywood or NYC hoping to start an acting career in your mid-twenties without any credits, you are going to need to create your own. Agents are going to want to see excellent, professional level performances on a film reel. They want to see you do what you do. Come prepared. Bottom line, you need to have the correct skills. I have taught child actors in Hollywood who became quite skilled and worked professionally...then went away to college and came back pushing...overacting...so much worse than when they left and thinking they knew it all. If you want a film career you need to act for film. If you want to have a stage career you still need to have authentic, thoughtful and emotionally driven performances. From my experience, many theater departments do not produce these kinds of actors. And students come out older, no credits and with such a debt that they can’t even afford to launch an acting career. Cold hard facts. On your time off, come to Hollywood or New York. Take some classes with highly regarded teachers. Meet some agents and casting directors who can give you feedback. And above all, your acting must be believable, fueled by subtext and thought. Don’t try to show what you character is feeling. Feel it, working from the inside and allowing your outside to follow. Every scene is about using your lines to change the other characters. It’s not about you. It’s about changing them. Oh...and if you are just dabbling and trying to figure out if you want to be an actor...then yes...act in anything you can. Take classes, join clubs. No need to minor in acting. You don’t need a degree. Just experience. Read books on acting. Watch and analyzing other actors’ performances. And whatever opportunities you have....keep your performances real and organic...spontaneous. Feel free to ask me questions. Hope this helps...and all the best to you.
Better All Around Actor by 489326843 • last post Jul 6th
Tobey McGuire Or Topher Grace. One Could Say Tobey Because He Takes It More Simply.
Just got cast in a show with local director, really want to audition for his next upcoming show. How to proceed? by CommanderDJ • last post Jul 6th
Hi everyone! Long time lurker here, posted a few things in the weekly/daily discussions but never a full post. I have a bit of a unique situation that I’d love some insight on. So I just got cast in a theatre production at an equity theater in my region. Super excited, first time at this theater and it’ll be my first Shakespeare show so even more excited for that. The director of that production, let’s just call him Jim for the sake of this, is directing a show at arguably the biggest theater in my region a few months after the show I’m in with him goes up. That second show happens to be the show with my number one dream role in it. I very badly want to at least throw my name in the ring and see if I can audition for it. Not expecting a handout, just wanna audition and show him what I got. I went to the EPA for that theater’s season, and have not heard anything since. And frankly, my audition at that EPA was subpar and I wish it was a little better. At the auditions for the Shakespeare show I’m in with him he was blown away by my monologue. He was very very impressed and him and I talked for like five minutes after I did the monologue about that specific monologue. It was great. I got a callback shortly after and at callbacks we read in groups and he had everyone in my group leave as he said he wanted to speak with me alone. He offered me a part right on the spot, telling me he had wanted me in that part the second after I did my monologue. So in short, Jim seems to like me. I so badly want to audition for his upcoming show. Is it in bad taste to shoot him an email and be like “Hey Jim! Super excited for [Shakespeare Show]. Can’t wait to start working with you. I saw you’re directing [Show Title] at [Theater]. Was wondering if I could throw my name in the running for [Character Name]. If you’re holding auditions anytime soon, I would love to be a part of that. Thanks!” Is this a good idea? I know the whole point of this industry is to network so is this the best way to go about this? I hear stories about how actors tell directors they know they’re interested in a project and then they at least get to audition. Any advice would be great here. Thanks so much r/acting! TLDR: Got cast in a show by a director who’s directing a show with my dream role in it a few months after. Can I send him an email letting him know I’m interested?
Actors! What’s something you were told was very hard about this business that came surprisingly easy to you? by cmrizzle • last post Jul 6th
How did you know you wanted to be an actor? by kyle768 • last post Jul 6th
How's your survival job going? Making enough to meet bills and be free for auditions? Want to just vent about it? Ask about other actors' jobs? by thetendy • last post Jul 6th
These conversations come up every so often, but I figured we could get an updated one!
Can't get natural tears on stage (advice needed) by fieryroad • last post Jul 6th
Hi guys. I'm in drama school training to be an actor, attending my last year from September. Whether well-perceived or not by the audience, the ability to tear up is considered an additional asset for the actor. So far I've found myself incapable of crying... I've tried many things (found on wiki and such) but I'd like to cause it naturally, without drops or tricks. I'm the kind of person who would cry easily in their life. But on stage, even though I am told very nice things about my acting, it's hard to get carried away and lose myself to the point that could cause me to tear up. Teachers say I usually am on the "brainy" side of it. Emotional memory hasn't helped, though I've had my share of experiences to use for this. I consider taking my contact lenses off in case that might expose my eyes to more sensitivity... It is something I haven't tried yet because I can't see very well without them. Any help from the more experienced? Thanks guys
I want to brainstorm. What are the best paths to stardom? by mfletcher1006 • last post Jul 5th
I think that if any of us were told what the price was that we had to pay in order to achieve the level of success we want in this business, than we would pay it. That being said the price itself is not inherent or obvious in any way. I watch my friends all struggling down different paths that they are sure will lead to stardom. They want at least to be paid actors, but in their hearts they want to be stars. But none of them seem to have the right answer... Some put all of their time and money into theater degrees in college, acting classes, and workshops. Others say that experience is the best teacher and working as background and paying your dues will get you there. Others say writing your own content and staring in it is the way to go. Still some say "just get noticed, then work on your craft," and they sink themselves into posting on social media and networking. And so many say just drop everything and move to L.A. and things will work out. Modeling, screenwriting, working on crew, directors assistant, stuntman, YouTube star, stand up comedian; there are a hundred different paths that people say to take to get there, but which one is the surest? Which one is the right path? Where should we invest our time and efforts and which paths should we avoid? What do you guys think? If you had to map out the path to your dream where would you spend your time? Where would you put the most effort? How do we get there? Please discuss.
Headshot-Age Range-Character Type Post - Jul 5 by AutoModerator • last post Jul 5th
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.
Actor Website and Headshot Feedback by Flair4theatricks • last post Jul 5th
Hello! I'm new to reddit, so please be kind! My agency hasn't been very helpful with getting me auditions or giving me feedback on my new headshots/site, so I'd love to get some honest feedback and constructive criticism on my acting website from this community: [www.rachaelalethea.com](https://www.rachaelalethea.com) I'd also love to connect via IG: [www.instagram.com/rachael\_alethea](https://www.instagram.com/rachael_alethea) (I do follow for follow, but if you're just trying to increase your numbers and unfollow later, I'll do the same.) xoxo https://i.redd.it/b9kv3709i5811.jpg
How long are actors typically on avail? by unicorn626 • last post Jul 5th
As of 5 minutes ago it's been 3 days since my agent called to tell me I'm on avail for a national commercial. I officially sgned with them 8 days ago, so I wasn't expecting anything this soon. I'm used to just letting an audition go and forgetting about it, but shooting is in LA next week so this feels a little more stressful. Long story short how long are actors typically on avail? How long should I expect to get an answer...?
Experience travels by dtonationify • last post Jul 5th
today i was honestly thinking of ways i could expand my horizons before really launching into the real world and business of acting, i have been acting since my childhood and right now i am on the verge of adulthood (i'm 17), and I was thinking of a few things i could or should do (and maybe other actors could too) before professionally starting to pursue their BA or MA in the arts: * trip to rural Nepal? for a year or so - away from the modern, materialistic world. maybe there, you could experience true human nature, or see for yourself how other people around the world might act and live differently then us in the western one. kind of like to give a perception on the different ways people live their lives, however stupidly and boring they may be (and implementing these thoughts and experiences into characters we are chosen to play in the future) * homeless for a year? ok, i know it sounds crazy - but bear with me for a while. potentially, you could be exposed and unveiled to thousands of different experiences than the ones we are granted in real life; being (very much) at the mercy of others, trying all you can to find food and an ideal living for yourself, maybe while working a labor job (cleaning windows) ... (of course- you can have money in the bank or a place to stay/rent for emergency situations), but over all just experiencing a different perception in life (like the Nepal idea) * enlisting in the military? originally from Canada, grew up in Israel, and coming back to the US, i have never really fought for something I stand for, and recently i thought going and giving my part to the country by serving (and i'm talking about being deployed for tours) in Afghanistan/Iraq (i know i'm going far again, and war is no joke), but honestly, being this close to danger and fighting for something you stand for to overall seems like an experience that every actor should have, even though like many teachers (Hagen, Chubbuck etc.) say that even if you weren't in a "life endangering" situation you can implement a similar situation of sorts. i feel being dedicated to something, fighting for a cause, having extreme discipline and overall using less of your emotions (and using more impulse) of course, through all of this, i will still be up to date and practicing in order not to let my skills that i have acquired so far get rusty opinions? have you ever though/will do something like this?
Taking a different step on my path to becoming a professional actor. by bigguysmalldog • last post Jul 5th
Friendly reminder: Assume the best in people on this sub, not the worst by GeniusUnleashed • last post Jul 5th
After a lengthy back and forth in a previous post because a person felt "insulted", I felt it would be a great time to discuss our ability to "choose" how to react to situations. As actors, we're all highly empathetic and sensitive people, it's the thing that draws a lot of us to acting. That sensitivity can lead to hurt feelings sometimes when things get misconstrued. When posting on this sub, choose to assume the best in people, not the worst. Email and text (messaging) can be a very misleading medium, and it's easy to misconstrue something we read choose to be hurt by it. I for one, am a very direct person. I rely on my charm in person to cover for my directness. Unfortunately my directness can comes across as gruff or terse when written down and I can't rely on a smile or smirk to diffuse the content. I'm aware of this and do my best to avoid mistakes, but I'm not perfect. As English speakers, we come from a plethora or locales, and regional colloquialisms change from city to city, state to state, region to region, country to country, and continent to continent. So instead of assuming someone is putting you down, try to give them the benefit of the doubt that they aren't trying to hurt your feelings, and remember that no one has the power to "make" you feel something. We're all here to learn more about acting and we need to remember that there is no "right way" to do something, every area is going to be different, just like every agent, CD, director and producer is going to give conflicting directions on how to do something. It's the most frustrating thing (for me) about our industry. If you're unsure about someone's comment, don't be afraid to ask. If the person seems like they're having a bad day, thank them for their comment and move on with your life, it's the easiest way to end/diffuse a potential problem. If the person says they weren't trying to hurt your feelings, take them at face value and respect that we don't all think the same way or talk the same way. That being said, if a person in on this sub, and offering advice or responding to a question, let's all try to remember that we're here to help each other, not hurt each other (emotionally or career wise). Let's assume the best in people, not the worst.
I just hate the lack of feedback after auditions! by Theurbanalchemist • last post Jul 5th
So I’ve been going in for various casting directors for various shows/films for about two years. Loving the journey even with its ups and downs, but I hate not receiving some feedback as to how I did or why I didn’t book after something like a callback or directors session. I understand casting has a lot to do, but a nice “Hey we went with someone else, thanks for coming in” would kill days of anxiety and stress