I have aspirations of producing one day and I thought of taking a year off one year to get the basics of producing in class. Like, a full sail university course. Looking at a film like Pacific Rim 2, starring and produced by John Boyega, is that route necessary?
I'm taking acting classes currently with an actor represented by a big agency in Canada. It was purely a coincidence, but I've had my eyes set on that same agency for when I'm ready to be represented. I've read that agents can refer actors to another agency, but would an actor do the same? Or is that unethical?
I have been working on creating a New Media project for over a year with the intention of using it as a method to obtain my union card. Apparently many aspiring actors and some scam artists also did this and did so in ways that pissed off the union. I just today found out (because I hadn't checked the new media site for a while) that this no longer seems like a viable option to Taft Hartley into the union. I have been a working actor for many years. I have a masters degree in acting. Most of my work has been commercials, some non-union tv as well. I live in the Philadelphia area. The project I was developing wasn't a "scam" just to get into the union. I legitimately wanted to make this thing and also use it as a stepping stone to elevate my acting career by being proactive. I called SAG New Media, they said they won't even consider a Taft Hartley for a new media project under $50k. That's what they told me at least. Has anyone else had any a different experience with Taft Hartley recently or know other viable options other than waiting for work to come to me and hoping I get brought in to be seen for a union audition when something comes in to town?
I just started taking acting classes, and was browsing through some MFA Acting Programs out of curiosity (e.g. Julliard, NYU Tisch, Yale, etc.) However, I was confused about what they were looking for exactly. There are programs that say (or imply) they are looking for "potential" and "trainable" students that can become good actors. However, at the same time, many programs ask for 3 letters of recommendation. I'm unsure whether the recommendations need to all be about my work as actors, but it seems these programs want their students to have amassed a good chunk of prior acting experiences under their belt. For those who have gone to MFA programs (esp for Julliard, etc.), how "untrained" can the student be to get accepted, or how much experience do you think they are looking for?
Has having these accounts really helped you if you are a signed actor? I eventually plan on making one but I feel like until I have booked a job or two it’s not worth the investment. What do you guys think? Do you get inquired often or are you just submitting via their awful search engines?
As the title says. Is it normal for an agent to demand that an actor never discuss what he's being paid with other actors on a set, or with the client/production staff? It seems kind of fishy to not be allowed to talk to anyone about what you're being paid. How do you guys feel about it?
I'm interested in exploring the relationship between actor and audience. How do you do the play without completely ignoring the audience, or (on the other end of the spectrum) catering to their reactions (e.g. wanting laughs or applause). I would love to know what you all think! Thanks a bunch
I've been reading here often that CDs want to see actors be confident with themselves on and off camera, which I understand on their part. But have any of you ever thought about actors like Kristen Stewart or Michael Cera that don't come off as upbeat as CDs supposedly look for? How do you think they pull off auditions and get roles?
So I've been attending this actors workshop and they record my scene partner and myself while we act out our scene. And everytime we watch the recordings at the end of class, people will say that I seemed really natural and all that good stuff. But, I look terrible on camera, Im skinny but I have a fat exhausted looking face. I hear that looks don't always matter, but in this case, I don't see myself being Hollywood material. I try not to let my looks defeat me, but its still in the back of my head whether or not I will make it big. I know I'm rambling about myself and it looks ridiculous, but I just need some sort of response; something
i've been pursuing this for a few years, and i just feel incredibly depressed and disenfranchised. i love acting, man, and i'm good at it. but this pursuit has just destroyed me. now, i have my own views about how the world works, like how the 1% have rigged the economy / cost of life so the vast majority of us are wage slaves barely scraping by, that contribute to my outlook, but pursuing acting has not made it better. every single thing costs so much money, and I have no idea how to move forward or even get paid auditions or even get a decent agent in a major market. it seems like paying thousands of dollars for workshops with no garuntee is what peoeple do, or pay even more thousands of dollars going to conservatories that have showcases. i can't afford either of these things, by a long-shot, so am I just screwed? i hate working these survival jobs that pay you so little and treat you like disposable garbage, and as embarrassing as this is to say, i really don't have many friends either. i'm just not on the same page as literally ANYBODY anymore. my family was never supportive and writes me off as lazy. i've lost touch with highschool / college friends now because i'm 30 and everybody is has a normal job and lives in one place and starting to have a family, and i've bounced around so much. also as a result of being broke for so long I've had to ask for help a few times and people that i thought were my friends pretty much turned their backs on me, and that is probably the worst feeling in the world. but then, the people i've met in acting classes and stuff have either been legitimately crazy, or really clicky, or just rich trust fund kids that are not relatable at all. it's not like i don't have friends, but not close friends, not the way I see other people around me have them, and honestly that hurts really bad. man this is a depressing post, i apologize. i never in a million years thought my life would be like this when i'm 30. i know the answer would be to just "get a full time job", but like what? what jobs even pay above 50,000 these days that aren't insanely competitive by people that aren't trying to be an actor on top of it? i'm just so lost, just floating out in space surrounded by apathetic people, seemingly ok, when I'm not. i dont have insurance or I'd get a therapist pronto. i just really don't know what to do anymore. has anybody been here before, at my age? how did you solve it? i don't have any place to go and recharge, i'm all on my own. anyway, thanks for reading.
I'm putting a personal story into a script I'm writing. I'd love to use it as a monologue for auditions and agent meetings etc.. How 'ethical' is it to do this? I tell the story well, but it's not something I learnt from an outside source. But it's a funny story and will be filmed shortly by another actor. I'm meeting a new agent next week and would love to do this piece.. so... ethical, fake, bad form? Or a smart use of the resources available to me?
If anyone fancies letting me know what they think of the dialogue and characters, I'm currently knee deep in a total from-scratch re write and it'd be great to get some of your thoughts... I posted an earlier draft of this about 5 months ago and feedback was good, I'm hoping this is MUCH better...Really trying to focus on making the characters relatable, actually funny and getting a good ratio of gags to scares.. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zft4Ym_THRar97pHInr6FMMTzlbKxArV/view?usp=sharing look forward to your thoughts!
I need to laugh. Because today I left an audition thinking, “I shouldn’t have asked that director how his day was going. No way he’s casting me now.”
Quite interested in what your routine is as an actor or aspiring actor.
Hey, so I’m a junior in high school and want to get into acting (or something artsy) I’ve always wanted to be an actor or an artist. And I actually don’t have time since I’m swamped with personal problems and work so the only college I’ve heard of is AMDA which I know doesn’t have the best representation. I also really don’t know what I need to get in cause my “acting” career are two extras in two different plays and now a (bigger) role in twelve angry men as juror six. I don’t really have and roles that I talked much in. But that’s cause I have a slight stutter and I get nervous as hell when I audition. I’m scared that if the colleges look at my old roles they might not think I’m a good actor cause of my past roles. Also how does the application process work? I just don’t know and what to get a feel for it. Sorry this is a lot to take in but I will be asking more questions on here cause I want to learn how to get better (cause I’m not to good) and how acting just works in general. Thanks!
Thoughts on firefighting and acting at the same time? With the general trend being 24 on 48 off (though some time on call), it seems to me that at least training should not be a problem. Auditions seem to be the tricky part though. A quick google search shows that Steve Buscemi was a firefighter for 4 years before a full-time actor, albeit in NY, and we see where he is now. Quite honestly I’m in bit of a career lull right now and trying to find something I won’t utterly despise while trying to work my craft on the side. Unfortunately I’m no web designer or programmer and I’d prefer to avoid waiting/bartending if I can, so I’m in a bit of a pickle trying to find something relatively solid and flexible.
I thought you guys might find this interesting. It's a list of where each one-hour pilot was shot. Much to my surprise, New York attracted the most projects this year. I had my money on Atlanta. NEW YORK, 11 Get Christie Love (ABC) Holmes Sisters (ABC) The Rookie (ABC, straight-to-series)...
Whenever a breakdown comes out and there's a role I particularly want to audition for, I've been emailing my agent asking him to submit me for it. This is maybe once a month. I only started doing this recently when there was a film that came through my city and there was 3 roles I could have gone for and I wasn't called in for any of them, which is strange, because this CD calls everyone in- so I have a feeling I wasn't submitted. I'm worried that I'm annoying him because it is his job to submit me and I should trust him to do so. But, I know that he works for me, and he's also in a different city and doesn't always get my city's breakdowns... I just don't want to be "that" client and end up being dropped if asking him to submit isn't proper agent-actor relationship etiquette.
I'm a fan of Idris Alba and Jennifer Lawrence. They're performances have been so natural and convincing in their last few projects.