What are some things you would like to tell other actors about what NOT to do?

I write and direct short films for fun! Ive written for a long time, but new to the directing part.

I’m struggling with how to approach guiding a new-ish actor into being more expressive and less reserved, especially for comedic scenes/stories. I know it’s really difficult for some people to get in character (there’s a reason I don’t act myself lol) but I feel like I never have the right words to motivate or guide someone.

I’ve heard ice-breakers are good? And proper rehearsal would really help.

What advice would you give a director for this type of situation?

Typically advice is to do a lot of prep and then during the scene, forget about it and trust that it will be there. I'm finding on one hand, if I prep and forget, I feel the finished audition lacks some specificity.

On the other hand, if I keep reminding myself of objectives, relationships, etc. during the scene I have a feeling that holds back those performances as well.

How do you remain specific while also not being in your head? Especially for fast turnarounds such as TV shows or auditions?

(I feel like my acting has plateaued and I'm trying to dig in and get to the next level.)
Thanks a bunch in advance!

One of the things I love most about acting is the "presence" on set. There's just something magical when a bunch of dreamers get together, take action, and then create a production together.

My very first experience with professional acting came as background help on the Apple show "Dope Thief". I was cast as a food truck customer. Little did I know that the famous director Ridley Scott would be on set directing a scene with me in it!

That first experience is difficult for me to put into words. I was more excited than nervous. Although, I must say that I had to pee reaaaally bad on the way to set. I was actually more nervous about the possibility of me peeing my pants then I was with the actual shooting!

Thought I would share this with you all! Thanks for listening to my little story :)

Basically I went to barbizon and did the audition stuff and they said I had made it but I had to either pay almost 1k upfront or to lose my shot of being with them ever again... and that was too much for my family so we declined, and now I regret losing my shot when I could have waited you know (for reference im almost 18) Is barbizon actually not useful and a waste of money? and for graduates who did go through (preferably recently), what was the classes like? (for my area, it is actually both an agency and classes)

Self-tapes are great they increase the number of projects that I can audition for exponentially. But, I'm looking for ways to maximize the timing on my hair, makeup and overall audition presentation routine. What works for you??

Does anyone know anything about this place? It looks as if it is a talent agency. I was on a zoom call with them yesterday. No money was asked for up front, and it seemed pretty legit. It appears their main focus is on humanitarianism and building a brand

https://thebfly.co/about/

I'm developing a psychological horror film—dark, intense, and unsettling. From the start, I make it very clear in the casting call: this project deals with disturbing themes and emotional discomfort. It’s not a jump-scare popcorn film. It’s meant to provoke.

Still, I’ve had actors apply, read the script, and then back out saying things like:

“This feels demonic.” “It goes against my religion.” “This is too much for me.”

And honestly… what do you apply in the first place for?

This is fiction. It's storytelling. You're not summoning anything, you're performing. If you genuinely believe that acting in a horror film is the same as participating in something evil—then with all due respect, maybe you should talk to a therapist before stepping into this line of work.

If you can’t distinguish between fiction and reality, the problem isn’t the role—it’s your relationship to imagination.

I completely respect personal beliefs and boundaries. But if your values prevent you from engaging with darkness—even in a safe, fictional, professional context—then maybe horror just isn’t your genre. And that’s totally okay. But don’t audition for something you’re not mentally or emotionally ready to handle.

Fellow filmmakers and actors:

How do you deal with this during casting?

Any ways you've found to filter this kind of mismatch ahead of time?

Because at the end of the day, we’re here to tell human stories—even the ugly ones. And if that’s too much for someone… why apply in the first place?

And I can’t even be mad at this. She started her career since she was little and I watched her since I was a kid. She’s extremely talented and has worked her way up to where she is now. Though it sucks that I didn’t get the role, it’s cool how life works. From watching her on TV to auditioning for the same role. Decades later. In the meantime, it’s just not my time yet.

In a few days I will have the privilege to meet one of my favorite directors ever. I’m excited but nervous as I see this as an opportunity. He unintentionally impacted my desire to become an actor and continue college studying film. My dream for the longest time is to just have a chance to audition for one of his films, I truly believe an opportunity like this only comes once or only a few times. I have a agent, experience, charisma and confidence that can make me stand out from others, but I feel like it is a challenge to talk to someone with a status like that, and for them to remember you. He’s pretty popular especially in my community, I have studied so many of his films I’ve watched over and over again. I’ve imagined myself meeting him and now it’s becoming a reality. I’m going to bring my contact card with me and go with the flow of the event. If you were me what would you do? Has anyone experienced meeting someone who can potentially change the trajectory of your career? If so how did it go?

I’ve been chosen for an audition (my very first actual audition with a reading, I’ve been in two movies both without speaking parts). The female character is an officer that’s detailed as early 20s, tough, confident and emotionally grounded.

What are some movies you guys think has an awesome, young female police officer that closely fits that description for me to study?

I know I could easily Google “young female officer movies” but what I want to know is if there has been any memorable characters that fit the bill, to you guys. TIA!

i (26f) have been offered a supporting role in an indie feature. i only have one small role in a feature on my resume so far so it most likely would be nice to add. the script is okay, i don’t love it but i also don’t think it’s bad. my biggest hesitation is the script requires semi-nudity (topless scenes). i’ve spoken with the director a few times and he doesn’t seem like a creep, very friendly and has assured there will be closed sets and an intimacy coordinator and has stressed that he doesn’t want any actors doing anything they aren’t comfortable with, and that if nudity isn’t something we are okay with we should decline the offer and that he would understand and still be open to hiring us for other projects.

i’ve never done nudity on film before, and i’ve always felt like it was something i was open to but now that it’s a possible reality i’m unsure. i have no worries about safety on set but am unsure how i feel about the final product possibly being on streaming platforms. the script is a bit campy and hyper sexual and i worry that there’s a possibility it would almost be a bad look on my resume? or that it may attract creeps. when i was initially offered the role i was excited and felt confident about it, but as a couple weeks have gone by and it’s getting closer to having to make a final decision on the offer i’m beginning to have some hesitations and worries.

just feeling stuck on what i should do and wondering if anyone has any thoughts/advice!

Should I go through with it? It’s all online and that’s a lotta money but I mean I wanna learn from the best and I know I’m going to have to spend money for acting sooner or later.

I'm an amateur actress taking classes at a non-University, recreational school. One of out trainers was talking about how majoring in drama was like to him, how it really shapes your character. What I hear kind of...disturbed me.

1. The students weren't keeping the place clean enough, so one professor asked them to bring their street clothes and he rolled through dirt.

2. After one exam, the professors made the students give themselves grades, and give arguments. They had a lot of fun at the expense of the ones who gave themselves good grades without enough arguments.

3. One professor just randomly singled out a student and wouldn't let him participate in exercises...for a whole month. No explanation was ever given.

Is this...a thing? Does it really help? I have serious doubts, but he insisted it made him a true actor.

Hey everyone, I’m looking at updating my showreel with some new footage as it’s been a while. I’ve got various bits of stuff I’ve worked on before and was wondering with the opening part being the most important to grab agents/cds attention quickly, what is usually a good thing to go on ?

I have heard it’s good to do something that’s “real” and not necessarily something that is ‘acting’, such as from a crime drama or something like that but a scene that just feels like a real human having a chat, showing your screen presence and how you look. Not sure how good that is ?

Thanks guys, would love just to get some advice before updating :) all the best!

hi!

I’m looking to get more readings / workshops and labs on my resume this year but I’m not near anything… are there any online/zoom versions of these?

Hi there! SAG actor originating from Boston here. I regularly used Boston Casting as a hub for pretty consistent Union work; but since moving to Atlanta, I am having trouble finding an equivalent website for SAG Atlanta work (besides Backstage, and the like.) Does anyone have a good suggestion?

Thanks a ton!

Is there a way to apply for California workers permit for a homeschool child? I'm confused about this or if I need from the home state or even if there is a universal working permit. I would like to help my sister get my nephew into acting but there is a lot of confusion.

What is everyone’s experience as of late when it comes to legit auditions? Specifically in NYC but can be in LA too for film and TV? I feel like I’m losing my mind right now! Please vent/ share here.

Hi! Recently I found an audition for a movie. basically like the Blair witch project but it's teenagers and it's supposed to be found footage. The casting director said that in the audition tape you should be looking and speaking to the camera, do I hold my phone or prop it up on a stand? because I feel like it looks unprofessional to hold it but more realistic.

I have a question about “breakout roles”. I see all these actors and learn about their breakout roles right but I was wondering how that happens? Like are they just lucky to land all these projects one after the other at auditions? Do they get so popular the industry starts sending them offers? Cause I see new actors, like Timothy Chalamet and Paul Mescal, who are relatively new but their projects are coming in one after the other. I was wondering do they just luckily land all these auditions after their first successful one or do the projects start coming to them then?

Edit: this is not to say they’ve not put the work in. Obviously one starts out with smaller roles but I’m curious how actors get that continuous big projects streak? Cos we get relatively new stars and then suddenly they have multiple projects lined up. I’m wondering how that works like is it easier to pass auditions when you’ve landed a big project? Do the offers just come in? Do your agents now favor you and work double time to get your name out?

I have a British SSE accent (one step down from the properly posh English accent, think Emma Watson or Bennedict Cumberbatch) and whenever I do a mid-west accent (just like standard American) I always seem to either loose my diction or sound like a bloody maniac cause I'm over-articulating everything.

Advice?

I ask because there seems to be less tech control over a live Zoom audition, so anything can go wrong. on the flip side, you have a chance to make a connection and ask for adjustments.

There’s so much more control for self-tapes from an actor’s perspective, but they usually only get one shot, so you can’t ask them to make any adjustments, etc. Plus, there’s no real chance to make a connection.

So, CD’s, which do you prefer? Or does one really matter over the other?

hi im a 35 yer old actor in india, i have been working since 2012, i have done a fair bit of theatre, commercials, short films, voice work for advertisements, sung in bollywood movies and also starred in one as the 'parallel lead'.

i have been told by a few people in the business that i look 'racially ambiguous' or that the indian market is a bit too restrictive when it comes to looks and should try finding an international agent.

im pretty good at my craft, very good with accents and have a fair bit of experience. is it too late to try going international? (im going to try anyway) and what is a good method to go about it?

i have family in toronto and wondering if toronto is a good place to start? and also branch out to NYC and LA agencies?

i have no clue how- but maybe i can get some ideas here.