We have found 19,460 posts across 4 actor forums:
I was credited in a feature film, but had no lines. by noclownshere • last post Aug 20th
Since this is a credit, I want to put it on my resume but I don’t know if it’s allowed. For privacy purposes, I’ll change the name. I was booked as “Movie Girl” on a feature film and shot a scene with a very well known actor. There was no dialogue. He was watching/stalking me. To my surprise, the scene made it into the film and I was actually credited on it. I’d love to add this to my resume considering the name actor I shared the screen with and my credit. But I don’t want to look green/unprofessional. What would you do? -for context, I did not sign a principal contract that I’m aware of, I signed release forms and took covid test/paperwork etc, but nowhere did it say my role was “background” or anything else. However, i was specifically directed by the actual director. For about 1.5 hours while filming. I’m at a loss here lol!
Headshot-Age Range-Character Type Feedback by AutoModerator • last post Aug 19th
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. Non-professional shots are fine for age/typecasting; please keep in mind that one picture is a difficult way to go about this. Video of you moving and speaking would be ideal, but understandably more difficult to post. 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.
small studios in need of VA? by sk8tergossipgirl • last post Aug 19th
hello! so i was thinking, do any of you know any small studios who use voice actors? i'm looking through twitter rn, but i'd love to see more :)
Non -Union Work Pay- when not used on set by Positive_Speech9539 • last post Aug 19th
Hi guys, please I have a question about rate of pay. I understand Non-union productions technically dictate the rules of pay, but i want to see if i have some push back on this matter. I was asked to hold dates of about a week(23rd-30th) for production. I have speaking lines on this production but it's very low budget. Obviously booking off a week already for a low budget production is hard enough but I'm obviously a pawn as an actor and experience is always good. But I havent yet been told what dates I would be specifically needed for. However, I was then told that if for whatever reason I am on set and they are unable to get to filming my role that day, I would be paid half of the agreed amount(essentially$50). Is it weird for me to pushback that if I am on set I need to be paid the full amount regardless of if I am used or not. I know the rules are fuzzy, it just feels like it shouldn't matter if i am used especially if I've already given up my job days for that range of days I was asked to make available. Or am I tied up since I aready agreed to be available for that week range? ​ Does anyone have any experience with a matter like this?
If I have multiple agents in different markets who gets commission? by paulhollywood- • last post Aug 19th
I just got an agent in a new market and still have one in a smaller market. I know there’s tons of actors with agents in more than one market and I can’t find anything in either of my contracts that specifies if only the agent who got me the audition gets the commission or do both? Would love to hear from other actors with multiple agents. TYIA!
Best day jobs? by j0rdan21 • last post Aug 19th
What’s up guys? Hope you’re all doing awesome. I’m a newish actor (primarily focused on voice over) to the professional world. I’ve spent the last ten years in undergrad and graduate school for theatre, and working in a crappy job to save money to move to Los Angeles in between. I’m here now and I want to put myself out there as much as I can. I currently work nights at starbucks, and while I appreciate the scheduling flexibility, I hate the job. It’s incredibly exhausting and I really only stay for the health insurance. Having decent insurance is a must for me, but I was wondering if you guys might have any recommendations for what you do to not be homeless while acting? Thanks!
Thinking About Dropping My Agent by throwawaythrowsthrow • last post Aug 19th
I signed with my first LA agent back in April. I've seen them on sign in sheets before, and they have a decent social media following, so I was familiar with them prior. We had a zoom meeting before signing and it was 100% about them. "Ask me questions about myself and my agency" and not once did they ask me a single question about myself. At the time I figured that I was in the business of making money and not friends, so I shrugged it off. As long as they help me get in the room, I'll stroke their ego. The relationship started off strong. I was getting 3 auditions a week from them, and 3 auditions a week from self submitting, so my plate was full. I didn't feel like they were submitting me to roles that were fit for my type, but I figured if I'm getting called in, then casting thinks its my type, so I went with it. I noticed that the new agent in the company was the one who signed me, but all my submissions were coming from an assistant. Not sure if this was normal or not since this was my first agent, since I don't really know the behind the scenes. I took a trip in May, and booked out weeks prior. I was still getting auditions, despite booking out, and I had to tell them 3 times, that I was away and couldn't audition that week, before the audition submissions finally stopped for that week. Ever since I came back from that trip (and booked back in) I've only gotten 2 auditions from them. 2 auditions in 3 months! Meanwhile I was self submitting, and getting myself 5 auditions a week. So I know its not slow. I also found out that the assistant who was constantly submitting me, no longer works there, and I honestly don't think my new agent is even submitting me to anything. In the last two months, I booked 3 commercials and 2 TV shows, all myself. Made my agent roughly $2500 in commission. And for what? I honestly think its just my agent, not the agency. They take forever to respond back to booking emails (literally days), and I don't even send my contracts over to them anymore, since they are so slow. I truly think my agent came on because she was a friend to the owner, and she clearly has another job, cause it shouldn't take this long to hear back. I don't even want to think about the casting directors, that contacted her directly and not me, and them never hearing back. I have two options. Drop them completely and have to search for news reps again. Or two, contact the head of the agency and see whats going on and if I could possibly switch to another agent within the company. (altho she did tell me she doesn't give out submissions reports cause to her thats rude for an actor to ask? ) I don't want to burn any bridges, and if I wasn't booking I wouldn't be as annoyed with them, but I'm over giving them so much money for not doing a single thing. Also, I haven't gotten any auditions from them, that weren't available on my side of the breakdowns. I feel like they submit me to "my leftovers", of things I didn't submit myself too, cause I didn't feel like the role fit me. Maybe because my resume doesn't have any network TV credits on it yet, is the reason I'm not getting called in for small roles in TV shows? Trying to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Why isn't Thespian the professional term for an actor? by doowopcartoons • last post Aug 19th
I've never understood why Thespian isn't the professional term for an actor. A: Thespian is a gender neutral term. As the term Thespian literally means " an actor or actress " while Actor means A male Thespian. B: To me Actor sounds more derogatory and immature term, and sounds like your" acting out and not being serious" While Thespian says" I'm a professional" "I'm not a amture" Isn't the professional term for actor?
Etiquette for taking pics with other actors on set? by Bar86 • last post Aug 19th
I’m supposed to be shooting a very minor role but with a pretty famous actor, is it bad etiquette to ask to take a photo with them after shooting the scenes? I feel like they’ll be very busy throughout, and I don’t want to make a bad impression to the production crew or be like a fanboy. Thank you.
SAG Eligibility in 2021 by detlillaspoket • last post Aug 18th
Hi friends! I come to you with the age-old question: what is the current best way for an actor to try to become SAG eligible? I realize there are other threads on this in existence already, but SAG-AFTRA changes their rules frequently and despite combing the web I have had a hard go at finding an updated discussion on this. The reason I bring this up as well is because when I signed with my current agent 4 months ago, she told me she needed me to work on becoming SAG-eligible. In addition to that I've been attending a lot of casting director workshops (casting directors working in big budget film & tv) over the last year and many have said they essentially throw your submission in the trash if you're not at the very least SAG-eligible. I think this is reflected in how few auditions I have received this year, despite production supposedly being crazy busy theatrically at the moment. I do not have that credential despite having access to those auditions through my agent/manager and so those opportunities are largely closed to me, and it is frustrating. Firstly, I know there is the background voucher route. Work 3 union productions as background, receive 3 vouchers, become SAG-eligible. I have a friend who did this and it took her a little under two years to achieve here in Los Angeles. However, I know that this route can take years and often times production will not give you vouchers at all even when they're supposed to. Second, there's the "become hired as a principal/speaking role in a union production" and be Taft-Hartley'd route, which seems like the least likely way in considering most casting directors won't see you for union jobs if you're not union eligible. I HAVE heard that being Taft-Hartley'd is a lot more common with commercial work however, and I am have a meeting with a commercial agent next week to try to start working commercially. Wondering if anyone has joined the union this way? Thirdly and the method I am mostly interested in discussing is the "create your own material" method and cast yourself alongside a SAG-AFTRA actor. I know in the last ten years a lot of people have done it this way, via the SAG-AFTRA "new media" agreement (AKA, making their own webseries), but I have heard a lot of talk of this "loophole being closed." I have been struggling to find out what that means? Is this no longer a route to eligibility at all? Does it make you a must-join rather than SAG-eligible? Are there new non-realistic budget requirements? Wondering if there is anyone out there that has more information on this and what the current hangups/hurdles are in terms of trying to create your own union project. I've ALSO read on SAG's website that if you come to them seeking eligibility from this method, and they view your project as having been created solely for union membership purposes and not as honest production work, they can deny your application and make it harder for you to join down the road. Has anyone heard of this happening? Thank you! \-An actress trying to break out of the non-union cycle
I want to leave everything and go to LA by zuzuzu2121 • last post Aug 18th
I'm in such a crisis rn. I'm 19, I graduate next July and I have to apply for uni and what not and I thought I was just gonna apply for a business course but....sometimes I just want to pack my things and leave Germany to go to LA for like 3 months and hustle through auditions. I have no acting experience aside from like 2 school theaters but damn I want it so bad. But is it even worth it? Whenever I get excited and do research online I get hit with how hard it is to be an actor in LA and it's really the only place I wanna go. I want to be an actress but I hate disappointment.
What do you think is the best website builder for a voice actor? by TheFourthAct • last post Aug 18th
Howdy! I'm looking to build a website and wanted to get some opinions on which website builders you've enjoyed using. I just tried dabbling in [Godaddy.com](https://Godaddy.com) for the first time but when I looked to upload demos, it seems like the best option it gives me is to implement soundcloud links..which isn't really what I want to do. I just want something clean and simple. My headshot with some quick and easy play buttons next to it to hear my demos.
UK union rules that self tapes for first auditions be no longer than two scenes by FicusWaititree • last post Aug 18th
There's also a rule about giving an actor more time to submit a self tape based on the length of the material. With self tapes being the norm these days, does anyone else have feelings about getting 4 scene self tape auditions? Comments? Opinions?
Film Studios in Toronto by No-Acanthisitta-3979 • last post Aug 18th
Hi everyone! I would love to know if you have any recommendations for actors looking for work at studios in Toronto with little experience. I am based in Michigan and about 5 hours from Toronto.
Can I turn down this audition? Do I look like a diva? by Regular_Geologist • last post Aug 18th
Hello! For some context, I am an Asian American actor. My agent has sent me an audition with attached sides that I find degrading and racist. The scene features a Chinese waiter (I'm not Chinese), and he sings Deck The Halls written in the script (verbatim) "and now I sing American Christmas song for you... deck the hall with bough of holly fa ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra" It is not sitting right with me at all, but I don't want to be labeled as hard to work with. The portal where I get auditions will not allow a decline without specifying a reason. Help?
How come for a long time in the USA, TV acting was seen as trash and acting in a TV gig for even a single season can greatly damage a rising star's career? Despite the fact throughout the world, TV actors successfully transfer to primarily cinema and movi by LizTaylorLover • last post Aug 18th
It seems an echoed belief on the internet that TV was seen as the backwaters of the entertainment and that only the losers of the acting industry go to TV. That it was backup for former movie stars whose careers were stagnating, the last spot for people who could not launch a career in film and live theatre, and the starting point for people with minimal, if no prior professional acting experience, esp children. And that for a long time acting on TV was so hilariously bad and that the gap with the acting of movies was very very wide. That the best TV actors were terrible if they tried feature length films or even just made for TV movies. And that the reason George Clooney was so significant to film history was that he was the first actor who came from a TV background to make it as a full time cinema actor in real Hollywood production and not just B movie roles as well as the biggest example of someone who made it to the top of the A List from the small screen............ However someone sent me a PM in response to a post on /r/Buffy I participated in. >Saw your comments along with others about SMG not having a great career post-Buffy and how she attempted Hollywoods s well as comments on Boreanaz trying movies out..... So I had to send this. >A lot of old Telenovelas (in particular from Mexico and Argentina) had a lot of movie stars acting in them including a few A listers in the Latin America region and British TV even earlier than the Charlie's Angels day had some top actors star in it (esp since it seems in the UK there is no dividing line between TV, live theater, and cinema as there seems to be in North America)........ >I mean Timothy Dalton was the leading Shakespearan actor for a time in his career (not to mention he later became James Bond!) and he gives a phenomenal performance in the 1980s Jane Eyre TV show, giving the best Rochester ever and god even relative unknowns like Anthony Higgins gives outstanding performances in various BBC roles (just go watch The Eagle of the Ninth which is available in full). Higgins and other primary TV actors have no problem getting good careers in cinema even if they did not make the A list and actually do both full time with some adding live theater in between. >Don't get me started on nationally produced TV outside of the West such as Japan's Samurai epics and the various stuff that are government sponsored in Turkey even around the same time The Brady Bunch was running. The acting is Oscar worthy and A Listers in the countries were given roles. >Even strictly TV actors in many countries where there is a big gap in quality (esp writing) have acted in serious movie roles and gave great performances even being at B and sometimes D list act and its more common before the 90s to see TV actors outside of English speaking counties to become full time movie stars or even A Listers..... >I mean did you know Salma Hayek started out in the 80s as Telenovela actress before moving onto Dusk Till Dawn when she immigrated to the USA? It seems she and her fellow co-stars on these cheap productions had no problems moving onto to cinema full time and actually dd a mix of both serious films and soap opera TV. >And indeed many Latinas who immigrated to the USA in recent years and are now popular as move stars such as Ana De La Reguera all stared as popular Telenovela stars before moving primarily to cinema in their own country just like Salma did (though they still continued acting on TV shows before immigrating to the USA as seen with La Reguera). I responded with a and he pointed me to an another conversation. https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/lam5cn/do_live_action_tv_actors_in_particular_ongoing/glqrd8y/ >I'm 37 years old and can remember when television used to show stuff from before I was born quite regularly. I'm also in the middle of watching a series from 1991 called GBH and the acting in it is quite excellent. >Every era has "good" and "bad" acting. Nonetheless, I am suggesting that proceeding on the premise that the past was bad based on literally the worst shows on television from one culture only is extremely faulty. >Your responses strike me as fairly ignorant of anything beyond your immediate context, so let me help you out. In Britain and Europe, we actually have a much longer history of producing quality television than the USA. In Germany there is Heimat, Berlin Alexanderplatz, World on a Wire, and even network shows like Tatort. Britain has had countless, including its full Shakespeare revival from 78-85 and multiple 'TV play' strands, where the best writers from theatre and television would work with the best actors and directors that would go on to fame in cinema (Loach, Greengrass, Watkins, Clarke, Leigh, Frears, Kotcheff, Apted, Joffe, Ove). Poland produced Dekalog for approximately $10k per episode and it absolutely kills anything made today on practically every level. >If you want to argue that American network television has improved in some measure then go ahead, but that doesn't speak for the world. Personally I don't see a whole lot of difference between something like The Blacklist or Chicago Med and their antecedents in network crime and hospital dramas of yore, save the superficial aspects of technologically-enhanced production, the method of shooting and the era-specific conventions in performance style. Ultimately they're soapy, kitsch, and shot according to the standard rules (30 degree rule, 180 degree rule) of television shooting. So I really have to ask....... Richard Burton not only acted in a few American TV films but miniseries was some of the main work he did in the UK after his rocky relationship with Liz (see my username!). Despite that, he was able to easily be casted in movies anytime he auditioned and he still remained a pick for more serious roles. Acting on TV at all did not hurt his movie career (even if he was already past his prime while he was doing TV stuff). It as just seen as another day's work according to his diaries in the same way he continued live theater productions to pay the bills. So I'd have to ask. In addition to the two quoted texts examples and Richard Burton how come America had such a gigantic divide between TV and movies and even theatre before the 2000s? While in the rest of the world since the advent of Television in their specific countries, A Listers continue doing all 3 throughout their career and TV stars transition to primarily cinema all the time and even small time TV esp on genres seen as trash like teen soap operas and action superhero monster of the week act in real movies released in theaters and not just cheap daytime made-for-tv films and VHS B Movie releases? I mean since I got the PM as a result of chatting on /r/Buffy one of the lead stars of the show Anthony Head (Giles in Buffy) had done stageplays and or the bulk of his career actually acted in movies including serious roles and genres back in the UK for much o his acting resume before he came to America in 1997. His actual fame in the UK is not Buffy but a few BBC shows including Doctor Who and some local commercials. Compare that to the rest of Buffy's main cast who were small time TV extras and support or models or even outright nobodies aside from Sarah Michelle Gellar herself and maybe Seth Green for the later seasons. And except for Anthony Head, Seth Green, Dave Boreanaz and Alyson Hannigan they all practically struggled to have vibrant acting careers after Buffy (some of them like James Marsters focusing on endeavors outside of acting to continue their career elsewhere). So I really have to ask this obsession of divide before HBO kicked off TV standards with The Sopranos? Even high budget production miniseries are not exempt from this in the pre-90s US TV industry. Aside from Peter O'Toole a lot of high budget production miniseries had to settle for full time movie actors who weren't on the A List or import British actors in. Perfect example is North and South which despite its cinema level production values settled for people who are still unknowns like James Read and had half the main cast as British actors. Even the mos famous name Patrick Swayze was seen mostly as a borderline twee B movie and proper Hollywood productions at the time. Why did America stratify the TV and movie industry as well as stage plays? How come in the rest of the world even you have top bill local names like Toshiro Mifune and De La Reguera acting on TV alongside cinema and live stage performances? How come TV acting was seen as something harmful to someone who is still at the early stages of his career in North American industries while for example in the UK small TV gigs and even doing full time acting on a few seasons is seen as nothing significant by itself in the UK and is done all the time by full time professional no-name movie actor swell beyond the B list and had done serious movies as well as full-time Shakespearan actors? How come someone can do full time TV actin in a Latin American country for about yet transition to the A List no problem in not only their own country but even abroad? As seen with Salma Hayek (i was just shy of 10 years of her entry into acting via Telenovelas when she did Dusk Till Dawn and overnight catapulted into the A List of Hollywood)? Or even smaller names like Ana De La Reguera quickly entered primarily cinema profession without much difficulty in as little as 5 years after doing nothing but TV stuff? Seeing how in the rest of the world it seems a systematic pattern that TV actors later on become movie actors and a noteworthy amount of A listers had their start on TV as well as country's top names doing a mix of film stage plays and television, why was North America the oddjob in this, creating a real divide between TV and cinema (and cinema and live theatre as well I might add)? George Clooney's successful jump to full time movie actor and making it as an AAA list actor seems less impressive when you have guys like Ricky Gervais doing feature films released in theatres and Ian Mckellan juggling in TV,Theatre, and film productions and in at least 2 or 3 years of his career doing a mix of all 3 within a single year. So I have to ask why people jumping Clooney style to Hollywood was almost unheard off before 1995 and even today its still difficult to make the jump full time in the USA contrasted to the rest of the world?
Internet with Voice Actor Charles Martinet Voice of Super Mario by NintendoAcademyMike • last post Aug 18th
20’s Japanese/Viet Actor looking for an agent in LA by da_vinhcee • last post Aug 18th
Hi I’m a 20’s Japanese/Viet Actor looking for representative to audition for Netflix Japanese Series Live Action. I’ve lead only in Student Films, but hopefully receive an opportunity to audition for this project that I’m extremely passionate about, as well as fit the character description. Anybody with an agent that could help reach out would be greatly appreciated.
Hey all! I've been making an animated Dnd show on youtube and was thinking of doing a trailer for it. Looking for voice actors to do the narration, (PAID) by Raghavarumugam • last post Aug 18th
Has anyone here gone into an agent/ agent’s assistant role? What is it like and what do you do? by hxllywd • last post Aug 18th
I have a few friends who are also actors and have been applying to work at an actors agency. Has anyone here made that transition, and if so what is it like?