We have found 19,291 posts across 4 actor forums:
When did it all change? by i_want_to_act • last post Jan 27th
I watched one of Wendy's Alane Wright's videos and she said how back in the days anyone could just become an actor. All you had to do was go to a talent agency and you would sign a contract and they out you to business and train you, now they don't do that anymore. That probably explains why she still gets people dropping in wanting to act with no experience. I have even seen it on TV where someone gets discovered and they get put to work and they sing or act and then they get dropped just like that. When did this all change and when did they stop doing this? Why did it stop? Could it be because people would act and then find it's not something they are committed to and not something they like doing? Now that only works when you are a child but all you gotta do is recite a commercial or something and send it to the agency. Now today any "agency" that takes you and puts you to training and charges you for their classes are all scams even though I still see people claim they still got booked with them. But that wouldn't work with the movie industry if you really wanted to get in it because casting agents won't take you seriously if they see you got your training from this place. Is this why they are called scams because they don't get you anywhere? I did try to look this question up but got no results.
Research project by Jordan Bull • last post Jan 26th
Hello Everyone. Im new here but i am looking for interviews from actors for my research project. Acting experience in action movies or tv would be best but i am open to any actors. I am happy to do an interview via email, skype or if you're in England than could do a face to face interview. Thank you.
I'm interested in applying to Juilliard, could use some advice from anyone who goes there. by thespianstruggles • last post Jan 26th
A little bit of backstory, I'm a working actor ( haven't been working a lot lately but still) I've been acting since I was 12 years old, currently 31, and I'm looking to go to theatre school to get better. I love acting, I've studied all kinds of techniques, meisner, Strasberg, with a plethora of different teachers. I have always wanted to go to new york eventually, attend a prestigious school and then do theatre there, while developing my own projects. My questions would be to anyone who already attends. If anyone goes there, please let me know, I'd love to pick your brain. Thanks
People can't type you based on your looks alone by Espressojet • last post Jan 26th
Sure there are certain types better suited to people who look a certain way, but your type is dependent on how you act and who you are as a person. Somebody might look like a leading man, but be a total zany character actor. Ask the people who KNOW YOU about their opinions on your type. A phrase commonly used is "who's stealing my roles". What known actor is doing the same roles you would be doing? Stop asking for type advice from total strangers based upon a picture of your face. You will get misleading information.
How do I network in LA by QCarrier • last post Jan 26th
Hey, I'm a actor in LA , I moved here in September and have had a hard time networking with other people in the business, I would love to, I a bit of introvert. Any advise ? and anyone who also wants to network?
I've made it this far, should I go for it? Any advice on next steps? by Sasquatchdood • last post Jan 26th
I am an aspiring actor. I know, I cringed a bit writing it, but I didn't know how to start this off. I finally drove cross country about a year ago to set up shop in CA. I'm fortunate to have a roof over my head and a job right now. The only thing is that I'm about 5 hours north of LA, and my job has nothing to do with the acting world. Is it possible to drive down for like 3-4 days and stay at an air BB and audition? Do I need to make the full move down there? I'm kind of in a tricky spot being this far away, but I made it this far, and dont plan on giving up and moving back to the east coast. I know I should get some headshots and go from there, but I'm having a hard time comprehending what my first move should even be. I have a car and some savings <$5k. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks r/acting
Thinking my survival gig could be teaching web design to my fellow actors, and wondering if I'm crazy to think so? by eldriyal • last post Jan 26th
Hiya actors! Long time lurker and grateful for it. The info here has helped me more than I can say. I'm finally posting because recently I’ve been thinking of developing a new online course for actors that teaches some web and website basics and I’m wondering if you think it's a worthwhile idea. I've made a 5 question survey to ask more specific questions. It takes about 2 min according to the form timer. If you have a couple mins, let me know what you think? https://artistsautonomy.typeform.com/to/qSTPnr Thank you for all your insights and for being brave, incredible actors every day. :)
Can an Online Masterclass go on my resume? by wallscribble • last post Jan 25th
Hi there! I'm taking advantage of the online learning platform and have signed up for various classes offered through masterclass.com. So far, I'm in the middle of the masterclass offered by both Samuel L. Jackson and Helen Mirren. My question is: Is there any reason why these classes can't or...
Acting a lead role in 6 months, need tips. by Theatergeek1012 • last post Jan 25th
Hi, I've never acted before in my life and will be acting in a movie 6 months from now. I would love any tips or any recommendations for get books to read. Thanks.
My First Pilot Season (& No Auditions Yet) by chapstics • last post Jan 25th
Hello, I am an ATL-based actor and I signed with my first agency (not one of the top 4 here, but solid, SAG-franchised, and with a good reputation) a couple weeks before the holiday season. I am a bit more anxious than the average person I admit, but I'm a wee bit worried that I haven't gotten a single self tape audition (or in-person, but I figure ATL would mostly be self taped for this) for pilot season yet. Not a pilot nor current episodics. I'm a newbie with a fair amount of theatre, but only student films and a couple low budget, non-union films on the TV/film side. My headshots are really good (as told to me by a casting director) and my demo reel is eh, in my opinion (I'm working on that by getting in contact with student directors I worked with that haven't given me footage and I even filmed my own scenes with someone who knows directing better than I do to help with this). I read here from one commentor that January is really for the stars/bigger names and that February is when it kicks off for the rest of us. Am I letting my anxiousness get the best of me? I think I'm just really ready to start auditioning is all. I'm still studying/reading up on my favorite techniques, self-submitting, and I will be enrolling in new classes in a month or so. I know my agency has a fight ahead of them with me being new and all, but if, I am getting anxious too early, at what point should I schedule a meeting if I haven't had any auditions? Mid-February? March? (Also, as a disclaimer, I should say that I am not hoping for those big time recurring and/or guest star role auditions, just those under 5/co-stars to get my foot in the door) Thank you for any help! :)
So I am watching Wendy Alane Wright videos by i_want_to_act • last post Jan 25th
She says lot of things and my acting teacher who is also an actor says the opposite of what she says. My teacher acts like you come to his class and you can go get head shots if you want, go out and do auditions, go to Cast Iron Studios when they do open auditions and every November they go open calls for monologues and do some food drive there. He also gives us resources for where to go for auditions and where to film small films or student films to go for. Wendy acts like you have to go to theater school to be an actor and do years of training first before you start to audition and then you do student films and then short films and she acts like you can't just start taking classes and then start auditioning for films. Or is this only LA where talent managers down there want actors who have art degrees in acting or could my teacher be giving us false hope? I used to think you could just go in and audition and you get the part if the casting directors liked you. Yes people have gotten a part just like that with no experience but that is very rare. Those people were just at the right place at the right time like Johnny Depp when he was spotted by Wes Craven and told him he wanted him to audition because he looked like the right guy for a part in the script. Then somehow he ended up with major rolls and a TV series, he is an exception and Wendy was talking about the 95% of people who want to act in the industry, not about the exceptions. but darn, watching her videos made me feel I might be a wannabe actor and I should cancel my open audition for April because what if I fail miserably and look like one of those wannabe actors? Our teacher did tell us we will fail and we have to fail because it's part of acting so that is why I decided to do that open audition. All I know is I just have to practice and pretend I am at the audition and pretend the camera is on so I am not automatically moving my body (something I do when I am concentrating or excited) or my legs and I look right next to the camera while "auditioning." I want to look serious and have the Cast Iron people think I am serious and not make them feel I have wasted their time and their audition slot. They do say on their website you have to make a good impression and take classes if you have no experience and if you want to be an actor, take classes so that is what I am doing. To Wendy taking classes is going to a university or going to Yule or something, probably not taking the class I am now that is only once a week or doing the workshops. But I guess that is LA. :/ My teacher lived down there and he moved up here because he didn't like it down there. He said there are over 160,000 actors there. That is how many you are competing with.
We need to talk about the myth of the "unknown" actor breaking through by thisisnotarealperson • last post Jan 25th
There’s been an uptick here in posts talking about “unknown” actors getting their “big break” in something that turns into a phenomenon. I’m looking at you, Stranger Things. This is almost always a myth, created either by PR machines or by lazy people who have a passing interest in becoming actors. It really only takes a glance at someone’s IMDb profile to learn that they were not, in fact, unknowns when they were cast in that thing that you love. Has it happened in the past? Of course, and it will continue to happen to a few lucky people. Like Powerball, or a lightning strike. Natalie Portman was approached in a pizza shop by a modeling agent, which eventually led to an acting agent, and then she did The Professional. Bria Vinaite, currently starring as the mom in The Florida Project, was discovered by the director on Instagram in her profile that had nothing to do with acting. The anecdotes dot the history of the entertainment industry. So, sure, that’s a thing. And if you want it to happen to you, good news! You don’t have to do a damn thing. Live your life however you choose and maybe someday someone will hand you an opportunity. (I will add that these days, almost every time someone approaches you in public about an opportunity in the industry what follows will be at best an attempt to separate you from a lot of money). For the rest of us though, wherein “rest”=the crushing majority of everyone you see on film and TV, you need to train, you need to find your own opportunities, you need to make connections, you need to meet agents, etc etc. You need to do just one iota of research when you see someone in a thing and think “they’re great! How’d they get this part?” Then you’ll learn that they’ve been at it for a while and did some stuff no one really saw but it got the attention of an agent and they’ve been auditioning forever and here’s a thing that finally crosses your eyeballs. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were not “unknowns” when they sold Good Will Hunting. None of the kids in Stranger Things were really new to the business. Open cattle calls for blockbuster films are almost always a publicity stunt. This is an industry built on lies both benign and malignant and you need to learn to cut through that and do the work.
How to Become a noticed actor? by rhoades2rocky43 • last post Jan 24th
Hello, my name is Taylor Rhoades and I, like many people, want to pursue acting. I always wanted to be involved in film for my whole life. I began writing and led to wanting to direct but a year ago I realized I love acting. I have acted in seven different short films and I grow each and every time, getting better and better. I want to know, if anyone can help me, how to get bigger or find the opportunities to get out there to have acting as a career. Being involved in film is a dream of mine and I'm just looking for tips or help of any kind. Thank you so much.
What are reddit's tips for future actors / directors? by Jan_Emanuel • last post Jan 24th
Hello! as a complete beginner in this world I would like to gain some insight. My question is deliberately very diversified. The answers to my question could be how to handle and invest a very big sum of money, some real-life tips ( don't you ever, ever start an affair with an actress, only because she must be at the set for a long time ) or something specifically for directors ( you might want to gain some infos about the audience for which you are creating a series ). I chose reddit to ask my question because of the gigantic amount of smart people, who can be reached over this platform. Thanks for reading and every smart answer :D !
Reshooting Old TV Scenes for a Reel? by onionsandradishes • last post Jan 24th
Would it be a terrible thing to shoot some two person scenes from old tv shows for a beginning reel that can be edited to feature each actor? I have access to people and equipment from my filmmaking class to make one. I just don't have any great script ideas and the student films I have done have mostly been voiced over public solitude stuff. My public library has about a million dvd box sets of old teen dramas like Dawson's Creek and the OC. I bet that if I looked, I could find a bunch of scenes that I could make look good.
Motion Capture in Texas by toaster_bot • last post Jan 23rd
I'm a actor/motion capture performer with a few small credits. I'm interested in moving to a larger market, but I'm not ready for LA. Does anyone know anything about motion capture opportunities in Austin/Dallas? I know there are a lot of game studios, but are there many auditions? Is there an agency that works more with people interested in mocap? My own research has not been positive, but I thought I should ask. Thanks! -toaster_bot
Help me find my Brand!? by Tonytarium • last post Jan 23rd
Hey fellow actors! I am in the tedious process of trying to hone in on my brand, or how I'll sell myself to the industry. I've made a list of adjectives in a google document and I'm hoping you all can help me out by scrolling through a selecting 5-15 (or more!) words that you think represent me based on my headshots! I am trying to gather as many responses from strangers as possible because it is important to understand how others perceive you at a glance. Thank you all! Headshots: https://imgur.com/a/JTf7Y Survey: https://goo.gl/forms/fmgsMk51CmKt9wlG3
Typecast as a period actress, not quite sure what to do with it. Please help! by Sakemetekika • last post Jan 23rd
I'm currently taking an auditioning class and we had a NY casting director come in as a guest. She'd stated that due to my intense eyes, I looked like a period actress; and that I would suit roles like a maid, 1950's french woman, or mayor's wife type character. I live in the Kansas City area and know that there aren't very many (if any) castings that fit this type. I'm also young (early 20's), so some of these possibilities wouldn't be a good fit for me. Any ideas?
Getting Sick by Brent • last post Jan 18th
I just got hit hard with the flu. Fortunately, I didn't have any gig this week, but wondering if anyone out there has had experience with having to do a role while ill. And how did it go. I think the best solution is to not do it, stay home...
One-Sheet -- What to include? by Angela Sauer • last post Jan 18th
I'm doing an agent mailing soon and am designing a one-sheet oversized postcard. It's been years since I've made one of these, and I don't really know what I'm doing. What do you generally include on a one-sheet?