We have found 20,978 posts across 4 actor forums:
Hades in Hadestown - How can I do it? by SavingCPR • last post Aug 22nd
Wasn't sure exactly the best place to post this, since while Hadestown is a musical in Broadway, my question stems from auditioning for a virtual production, which is considerably heavier on the voice acting side vs just flat out theatre. A little about myself, I'm a baritone with a bass range - what I mean is, my usable range goes from about C1/B0 up to C6 in some cases. The reason I don't cal myself a bass outright is because from about F2/E2 and below is all vocal fry since I just naturally have really strong fry. I've never done VA before, or anything cast-side of theatre (I'm always the one hiding behind a sound console), but figured I could give this a shot. I provided 4 clips in a Google Drive, they are all WIPs as the deadline for auditions is in a month. 'Hey, Little Songbird" | "Why We Build The Wall" | "How Long?" | and the ending of "Chant (Reprise)". These 4 combined capture the scope of my current abilities and where I am. My competition is not just a few other true basses, but also a VERY well-known VA actor who has over a decade of experience voicing low-timbre characters (he is by far the one I'm worried about, and since he joined in I've been contemplating even continuing). Given my competition and the month deadline, is it worth still continuing? Likewise, is there any way to improve in this timespan to better my chances to the best they can be? There's no reliable way I can find to darken my voice without it sounding either forced or fake, but I need it to be much darker to be able to compete with the competition. If you've made it this far into my post, thank you for your patience and thank you in advance if anyone takes a listen! *^(\*(Slight disclaimer: some of the tracks have other voices since some of these are half-finished collabs)**\*)*
Is this a legitimate way to teach acting to complete beginners? by IntroductionSolid965 • last post Aug 22nd
I recently joined an acting class and I'm trying to understand whether the instructor's teaching approach is normal/legitimate, especially for someone with absolutely no prior acting experience. The course seems more theatre-oriented, although they also offer camera acting. I've attended two sessions so far. Session 1: We did introductions, laughter/emotion exercises from level 1–10, including rolling on the floor while laughing, and an exercise where we had to "cry" at different intensities and then switch the emotion off. We also did walking/eye-contact exercises and were given an improvised funeral situation to act out with strangers, without a script or dialogue. Session 2: We did breathing exercises, some spontaneous speaking, a physical exercise where two people had to act out being on a bus using only their legs, and then had about 20 minutes to create a skit set in the Stone Age/among tribal people, using only emotions, sounds and physical acting—no dialogue. I'm a complete beginner and have never acted professionally or taken an acting course before, so I often felt lost about how I was supposed to approach these exercises. Most of the other people seemed to have some previous experience. For the 3rd session, we've been asked to rote-learn a short 4-sentence monologue and a small dialogue/conversation and come prepared to perform them. My question is: Is this a legitimate/normal way to train beginner actors, particularly for theatre? Is the instructor deliberately trying to develop spontaneity, physicality, emotional range and inhibition before teaching actual acting techniques, or is there something unusual about this approach? I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have experience with theatre or screen acting. What would you normally expect in the first few sessions of a beginner acting course?
MFA OR NOT? by No-Suggestion-20 • last post Aug 22nd
Hi everyone! I’m a foreign actor looking to move to the US to continue my training/career. I’ve recently been looking at some MFA programs because it’s my “fastest” route since when I finish I would get a showcase with some agents/CDs + would get one extra year. I’ve been looking into USC, Yale and USD. Thinking about auditioning for the last three next year and going for USC this year around but I wanted to know if anyone had any experience with any of these. It would mean a lot to me! also if anyone knows any other program, that would be great! Better if it’s funded Thank you everyone! :)
SE actor and I've gotten 3 theatrical auditions in the past 3 years, is this normal? by Beginning-Jump-8183 • last post Aug 22nd
I've been signed with my agency in the Southeast (North Carolina) for 3 years and I've only gotten 3 total theatrical auditions and maybe 12 commercial auditions in this time. Booking is a numbers game, but if this is the total pot, then I feel like I have no chance to book anything. I don't know if this is normal in this area and market, or if something is just really off.
HELP!! I regret a job- What do I do? by Okkkkai • last post Aug 22nd
I did a (paid) job this year and now things are being posted, I'm realising it is a very very low-quality production. I'm terrified it is gonna prematurely wreck my reputation/resume as an actor, since I'm still new to the industry. The director is lovely and so are the team, I don't want to burn bridges but I simply CANNOT repost anything, it is all humiliatingly bad. Being on set was a great experience and I doubt the film will go far but while the director is excited and launching it online, I don't know how to navigate things diplomatically and professionally. What do I do??
A passion won't pay your bills? by LooseRanger9432 • last post Aug 22nd
Thought and advice on me. I am 18 now. My dream is to be an actor (it's too much but anyway ?). I am about to move to FRANCE to study there in University. I am an immigrant and of course my family expects me to get a STABLE job that can support me and them at the same time because I came from a low-income family and unstable politics . They want me to be like an engineering job like civil, software, architecture or one of engineer jobs. But I know I am not really into it but I am stuck in the middle of the line. If I choose my acting, I def know I can't support my family cuz it won't even guarantee my life to support myself. If I choose engineering, I know I will regret what I chose but I can support my mom. What y'all think and can y'all give me any advice or thought?
Need a middle aged Asian - German - Russian - Scottish - Irish or Australian actor! by Decent_River_5045 • last post Aug 22nd
This is all digital, all of the work can be done from your phone! I’m a YouTuber and I’m looking for a couple small comedic “reaction clips” that are about 2-4 seconds long each and a couple voice lines. These are best recorded sitting down, doesn’t matter the location Dm me to proceed!!
[HIRING] Long Term US Voice Actor Needed for Youtube Channel by taylor13fan • last post Aug 22nd
Hey guys, So Im looking for a US voice actor for my US based Youtube Channel. Channel and video details: * This is a movie analysis channel where we analyse characters and storytelling in depth. * Ex1: Why Zuko has the best character arc in history * Ex2: I ranked all Star Wars Movies. Here's the trash! * Budget: $20 for 2000 words, and scales proportionately to script length (so $40 for 4000 words, and so on) * Average script length: 3000 words, and some scripts can be as lengthy as 15,000 words * Videos per month: At least 5 videos per month, but I have recently hired an editor and we are targeting to make around 7 videos if possible, so this would be a long term role * Payment method: PayPal Voice Actor requirements: * Age Range: 20-30 yrs old * Narration: You should be able to comfortably convey dry sarcasm, disappointment, contempt and real enthusiasm. As such, only apply if you can convey those emotions effectively * Personality-driven conversational style, not announcement or commercial For those who are interested, please record the audition script and share it in the DMs: [Audition Script](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fFbRdCSgG4D5H40tt6lfsyybvXYe-iulTHDmHQuvyt8/edit?usp=sharing) Heres the kind of read Im looking for: [https://youtu.be/BDJjfcRxfZI?si=zHkyNz2ARLI4gUxd](https://youtu.be/BDJjfcRxfZI?si=zHkyNz2ARLI4gUxd) Please dont send a generic demo reel. I wrote this script specifically to assess whether we would be the right fit as this would be a reflection of our day-to-day work. Thank you for your time :)
feel like you’re not improving? by cryoncue • last post Aug 22nd
Do you ever catch yourself thinking... "I’m always doing scene work. I’m always working on monologues. But I just feel like I’m not getting any better. I can’t create the emotions of the character. I get stuck in my head. I can cry on cue at home, but when it’s time to do it in a performance…nothing ? It's a big headache and it’s a problem that can really crush your confidence. The problem is that acting isn't something you get better at simply because you've done a thousand scenes or monolques. I’m a Jiu-jitsu nut and I see a similar problem there. A lot of people who train jiu-jitsu love to spar. So they show up late to training, skipping the drilling and technique portion of class so they can just roll and try to “win” their rounds. They’re getting “mat time.” Which is a common phrase that gets thrown around. ‘You wanna get better- keep showing up.’ Kinda true, but It's missing a very important ingredent…. Deliberate practice. Deliberate practice is the principle of focusing on specific skills instead of just random , general activities. In Jiu- jitsu the people who actually improve fast do something different. They drill. They isolate one technique, one concept , and repeat it in isolation, away from the chaos of live sparring, until it gets better. Then they take it back into the roll and test it. Acting works the same way. Most actors mistake doing scenes as practice. They keep getting up, doing scene after scene, monologue after monologue, but they're not deliberate about improving the skills that are holding them back You’re getting experience… not expertise. Take listening. Every teacher tells you acting is listening and reacting. Almost nobody actually trains it. And here's why that's more important than it sounds — acting isn't real life. We’ve all seen it and experienced it… How you listen and respond in real life is way different than the way you listen and respond when you have a script in your hand. Listening and responding under an imaginary circumstance is a specific, learnable skill. It doesn't build itself just because you logged another scene. So here's something to think about before your next class, your next scene, your next audition... Ask yourself, "What skill - what acting element have I deliberately worked on? That’s a big difference. And that difference is where your improvement happens.
Couples Therapy S5 unexpectedly put me on TV at 45. Is there something here worth building on? by sussycoin1 • last post Aug 22nd
*Couples Therapy* S5 gave me an unexpected opportunity to experience television firsthand — and it left me wondering what else might be possible. Since then, I’ve been exploring unscripted television, acting, and other on-camera opportunities while trying to learn as much as I can about this industry. I’m not a trained actor. I’m a down-to-earth, hardworking guy with determination, grit, and a whole lot of life experience. I didn’t take the traditional path into this business — I found my way here by being myself. So I have a genuine question for those of you who actually know this industry: **From your experience, do you think someone with my background and an unconventional start in television has something worth building on?** I’m not looking for people to tell me what I want to hear. I’d genuinely value honest opinions — even if the answer isn’t what I’m hoping to hear.
Lisa Schaffer’s 10 VA tips from a VA Director’s Perspective by Voicelings • last post Aug 22nd
We just had Lisa Schaffer (VA Director of Teen Titans, Kim Possible and more) direct selected students from our advanced group session today and she came with so much advice, I had to share 10 tips with you guys. 1. If you’re going to do a reading that’s completely different, do that in the second reading 2. Think about who is on the other side that will be listening to your audition 3. Lisa hates pauses, so take that as subjective advice 4. What you think is super fast is actually normal in animation 5. Only memorize your lines if you’re doing MOCAP. 6. Practice your lines enough to understand the character but not too much to sound like a robot. 7. Always read the room and act a certain way depending on the room if you want to get casted for other gigs by that director 8. There are people on the other side listening to your audition and they deeply understand the actor they’re looking for to voice that actor 9. Celebrities aren’t used as much in children shows as they used to be but still very much in adult shows 10. If you’re doing an excited character, start lower so you can go to a higher register when you’re really excited. What do you guys think of these?
SEO is really boring. by Level_Mall5464 • last post Aug 22nd
Nobody talks about SEO at parties. But it's so damn important. Here's a basic guide that hopefully will help you get ranked.
Hiring an actor as my plus-one / date for a wedding? by limestonepancakes • last post Aug 22nd
Is it acceptable to contact an actor seeking work to hire them as a plus one to a wedding? Would this be considered disrespectful / harassment towards the actor?
Agent/Manager - Self Submitting Q by ActorWriter24 • last post Aug 22nd
I have a manager who I think is really solid and great. They don't want me self submitting on anything anymore. If I see something on Actors Access, Casting Networks, Backstage I need to e-mail them directly the job postings and they will give me the thumbs up or they will submit on my behalf. I think this is great!! Really shows we are working as a team. I'm conflicted because I don't want to bombard their e-mails throughout the day when stuff comes in that I see. Especially, if it's student films. They are very direct when it comes to this and want no self submissions at all. My agent isn't like this and she told me to loop her in only if I get a callback for something. Anyone else have reps similar to this?
Actors, are you curious to learn how crowdfunding can finance your project? by Jackie Letkowski • last post Aug 21st
RB wrote a book on it! Learn more about it here: https://www.stage32.com/blog/crowdsourcing-for-filmmakers-nobody-builds-anything-alone-4562
Casting Looks / Headshots: How Are You Showing Your Range? by Maxamillion • last post Aug 21st
UK actor seeking LA representation by Ok-Share4313 • last post Aug 21st
Hi everyone, but of a random one but I’m visiting LA soon (22-29th) I’m an actor based in the UK, recently been involved in a very popular series based in the UK and done multiple films and prominent adverts. I’m still weary of that fact I don’t have a massively extensive CV but it’s still fairly built up and is all recent stuff. This is my first time in America let alone UK and I’m wanting to take advantage of it whilst I can. Does anyone know of any legitimate and decent agencies/managements in LA who I could email and potentially set up a meeting with that will accept UK based talent and help them with that transition and get them onto the American scene? Any help will be hugely appreciated thank you all <3
Post-debut indie wide release - what should I be doing? Feeling lacklustre by sitkaspruce1998 • last post Aug 21st
I'm an actor in my 20s, I made my film debut as the lead in a genre film last year that did well at festivals, it went to many genre-specific festivals as well as some of the bigger general festivals. I managed to get an agent in Vancouver shortly after it started doing the festival circuit. It had its wide release earlier this summer; it got a fair bit of positive press in big publications and showed at some of the bigger theatres that show independent films in the US and Canada. My performance got strong mentions in outlets like Indiewire and Variety. Living in Vancouver, auditions have been slow due to the nature of the industry here at the moment and the fact I'm trying to get into the union. I was told so many times while working on the film that this movie was really going to change things for me. Apart from managing to get an agent, which I'm obviously thrilled about, things are basically the same as before the film came out. This has bummed be out, and also left me wondering what I actually should be doing right now to capitalise on the release and how to make the most of it for my career? I'm starting to really question if it's even possible to establish a career and build any kind of name/get good work as an actor based in Canada. What would people who have been in similar spots, or just industry professional in general, advise me in my situation or just in general? Thank you!
18 trying to mimic 60yr old VA by it_aint_that_deep- • last post Aug 21st
Hello so basically I’m trying to emulate this character from the game Disco Elysium this character’s voice actor has been swapped because the first VA who was the voice director over the project couldn’t nail him even though he’s a very famous metal vocalist from the UK and is a pretty great voice actor they swapped him with an old 60 year old man who did a great performance so my question is how in the world could I preform a voice like his and am I limited by genetic ceiling that being I’m 18 and not a grumpy old man His voice seems to have projection and is load yet a lot of rasp at the same time whenever I try to do this my vocals feel constricted and if I relax my components it’s no where near him My base is 120hz I think to get a voice like his mine might need to be naturally 90hz Any advice would help immensely
(NY/Actor) Anyone heard of The New Stage Theater Company? by talcotharmon • last post Aug 21st
Hello! I am an actor who works a lot in the indie theater scene in NYC and loves it - but I a startng to have to be more selective about the jobs I accept. I was just offered a job that will be about two and a half weeks of work with a $600 dollar stipend. The team says they'll be flexible with my schedule, but I'm just not sure its a good idea, and I've never heard of or worked with the theater company. Anyone ever heard of The New Stage Theater Company and have any experiences to share that might help me make an informed decision?