Acting

Welcome to the community, Diogo Ferreira. I think you're going to be able to find acting opportunities on here. Stage 32 has a Job Board (www.stage32.com/find-jobs). It's updated regularly.

And here are some blogs about networking that could help you build relationships on here and find jobs (www.stage32.com/blog/tags/networking-41).

Thank you so much!

You're welcome, Diogo Ferreira.

Yes, times have changed, and the business model is now about creating ongoing endless income streams through continuous improvement. I always know my goals and then look for, what is actually adding value to my life/writing abilities whether it is a person, a mentor, a YouTube, a website or a course. When I do this, I make significant leaps forward fast and see fast results.

Great points, Glenn Axelrod! Like "In both, you have to understand your character—or in the military, your role—and balance that with the reality of the situation you're in." I remember a while back Anthony Mackie said he likes to know five things about each character he plays. I think he was talking about five things that help him understand each character.

Maurice Vaughan thank you so much!

You're welcome, Glenn Axelrod.

This week, we discussed:

- Tips for Properly Navigating the Stage 32 Platform!

- Pitching Essentials & Resources on Stage 32, Including Upcoming Labs!

- Elements to Include in Your Pitch & Loglines!

- How to Share Your Loglines with the Community for Feedback!

- Joining the Introduce Yourself Weekend Party to Build New Connections!

- When to Let Your Support System Into Your Creative Process!

- Upcoming Stage 32 Writer's Room Events, Ask Me Anything events, & Education!

- Informative & Inspiring Discussions in the Community!

… AND SO MUCH MORE!

You can watch the full video HERE: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBRnOAHSK2d/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&...

Oh sooo very funny! You need a Youtube channel with lots of these! The background music is oh so priceless! A much more physically visceral performance! Thanks for the laugh!!!

Haha Funny stuff, Austin Oneal Jones. More fantastic acting! You have the facial expressions down!

hahahaha can def see you on screen !! i sent you a request , and let you no if i hear of anything that pops up my way

Love your tone, the staging. I would like to see you have something to focus on while shooting to enable you to draw yourself in with absolute concentration on key moments in the dialogue. Be also great to split it with a closeup shot in the personal moments. You might want to add more light and dark in your tone and play with the pacing (slow and fast) a little more. It's all about emphasizing those points that are critical to the story or emotionally driven. Your presence is relatable, and you are enjoyable to watch. Hope this helps... Bec

... I would take a look at Al Pacino in Heat - he is a master.

Fantastic job portraying a crooked lawyer, Austin Oneal Jones! You use pauses really well.

That was great, Austin Oneal Jones! And funny! Do you have any Method Acting tips for actors?

Don't be yourself! be exactly someone else, and have fun with it, it brings out character! Make up a different voice than your own, and have those voices and mannerisms in your pocket when developing a character, use them when in need of some flare while playing a role!

Great advice, Austin Oneal Jones! Thanks for sharing.

Impressive acting, Austin Oneal Jones! I forgot I was watching a monologue. It felt like I was watching an actual movie!

Thanks A bunch!!

You're welcome, Austin Oneal Jones.

Hi Glenn Axelrod. Putting on my director's hat and having watched both versions of your monologue, I feel I have to say that I think that the current versions are both, way too soft delivery-wise.

First note: The office background image was far superior to a plain back wall.

Your first version has lots of emotion, I liked that more, but think back to your military days, when you had to deliver a life or death motivational message to your guys.

Why not give it another go, but this time, think more Sergeant-Major-wise on a parade ground. It's momentous that you deliver this message to your guys, and even more vital for their own safety out there (remember HILL STREET BLUES) that they fully take-in and fully understand what you are saying. You have to RAM this message home. Make your delivery far more, IN YOUR FACE. Be passionate, be angry, be emotive! Hope that this helps.

hey Graham Thank you so much for this excellent insight! I really appreciate the specific feedback, and I’ll definitely give it another try sometime this week. I love the idea of channeling that Sergeant-Major energy on the parade ground—makes total sense. I’ll also check out Hill Street Blues to see what you’re referring to; I’m sure there’s something on YouTube that’ll help me capture that intensity.

Hey, if I have any other auditions I’m getting ready to submit, would it be okay to send them your way for feedback? I already submitted one recently—it was a short, comedic piece—but I’d love to get your thoughts on future ones. I’ve been submitting through Backstage, which is the main platform I use. Not sure if you’ve heard of it, but it’s been working well for me so far.

I wish more talent agencies would give feedback like this. Instead, they just seem to push classes and want your money, without offering the kind of objective critique you’ve given me here. It’s frustrating because genuine feedback like this is what’s needed to improve, and it’s rare to come by.

I also hope to get more insights from other casting agents, directors, and others on this platform. That’s really what I’m looking for—multiple feedback that’s objective and to the point.

Once again, I’m really grateful for your mentorship and coaching—this is solid advice. Thanks for taking the time to help me out!

Hey Glenn - absolutely no problem with any of what you suggest. I thank you for your service to the free world and if I can ever do anything to help you, do not hesitate to get in touch. Nearly every episode of Hill Street Blues (surely one of the greatest American cop shows ever ) usually had a scene in each episode similar in tone to the message you are giving in your monologue and the Police Sergeant always ended his briefing to his watch with the words, "Be careful out there." That's the message I thought your monologue was trying to convey.

Good job posting this and asking for feedback - that's brave. You talk really naturally and authentically and you know what you're talking about. It really depends on what you plan to do with it, but if you want use this for casting directors, a reel, your actors access then here are some things that can help make it more professional. 1. Use a plain background. 2. Cut the first scene from something else - you don't need it. 3, Stand still and imagine yourself at the front of a room full of police officers and really connect with them. - think of what you need them to do or say - an intention. 4. I can see that you're reading from a script and that doesn't look professional. It subliminally tells me me that I as a Director can't trust that you'll know your lines. I am a Director and Acting Coach with students on major networks. If I could help you get memorized and create reels and self tapes that grab casting's attention - would it be worth having a conversation?

I watched them both twice. In the one with the office background, I'd lose that outdoor scene clip at the beginning. It felt like what happens when you reuse an old VHS tape and record over something but there's that tiny bit of what was there before still on there. Also, because the camera is so close that it's just your head and shoulders, the swaying back and forth is very distracting. Looking left and right as if trying to look at all the people presumably in the room in front of you seemed contrived, not natural. I'd back the camera off a little and use a podium to give the sense that you're actually in a meeting room with rookie officers sitting in chairs, and tone down the looking around. A white board on the wall behind you would be a nice touch to help create that illusion. People are always coached to look around the room, but when you watch speakers, they don't do it THAT much...unless someone just reminded them to do it so they're over-compensating. And when they do look around, their eyes tend to settle on something for a moment or two; a person, a brightly colored shirt, etc... Also, it appears you're reading the script or checking your notes at times.

You have a nice voice and your delivery comes across sincere, but not necessarily in keeping with the character you described. He's retiring after a long, hard career and he's giving the rookies a reality check slash pep-talk. He needs to get their attention and make them think, without scaring them, but he's also probably a no-nonsense, no sugar-coating kind of guy who wants to send them out there prepared and aware...but not gung-ho and heartless. He needs to strike a balance. I suggest increasing the tonal range in your voice and varying your volume to match what you're saying. Use tempo for emphasis as fits the dialog and don't be afraid to use pauses for impact. I once reduced an entire classroom to tears with a well-timed anticipatory pause. A moment of silence can make a strong impression.

You seemed more comfortable in the other one, but maybe a little rushed. And again, think about who the character is and how HE would be likely to deliver this talk. He's been on the job for years, he's seen some sh*t. He remembers what it was like to be a greenhorn rookie and he's thinking about what he wishes someone had told him that first day so he'd been mentally and emotionally prepared for what he was about to walk into. But he's also remembering the guys who couldn't hack it, the ones who went off the rails and went rogue, or the ones who had nervous breakdowns, and he knows that sitting in that room in front of him are a bunch of fresh officers who are looking to him to prepare them so they have the best possible chance of a long and successful career. He needs to make every word count and he needs to assure they absorb his words. Climb into his head and BE him.

Just my two cents worth. :D lol

Hi, Glenn Axelrod. I wanted to let you know the body text of your post shows up in the Stage 32 app but not the web browser. I'm guessing you wrote the post in the app, so you might need to edit the post in a web browser for it to show up for members who get on Stage 32 with a browser. You can edit your post by clicking the downward arrow to the right of your name, selecting "Edit Post," and reposting the body text.

Hi Maurice --I went ahead and redid the text on the desktop through the edit function. Thanks for letting me know.

You're welcome, Glenn Axelrod.

Glenn Axelrod - I absolutely love your perspective on this. It's so important to psychologically get into what is NOT on the page. Your characters wants, needs, origins - the backstory - all shape how you can become that character when you are acting. I have actor friends who have a whole character sheet where they conceptualize the character's background by writing it down (ie. what would this character order at Chipotle? What did this character get his/her mom for her birthday?) Those little questions help inform your acting choices when you become them. This is really insightful post and I appreciate you sharing!

Yes. You really articulated this very well.

Great advice, Tammy Hunt! I've been seeing more and more actor-writers.

Tammy Hunt while I'm not an actor, I've recently decided to pick up writing and making scripted content. I first saw this with Nathaniel Drew on YouTube and have been seeing more and more content like it, guess this post was confirmation to continue forward. Thanks!

Love this!

This is the best advice. I've heard that all directors should take acting classes and couldn't agree more that all actors should write. Actors can craft such authentic scenes for actors to inhabit and experiencing that side fo creation can only help one's acting. Awesome share, Tammy Hunt!

Julia Cameron wrote a book called THE ARTIST"S WAY and she has all kinds of exercises for unlocking creativity and how to get writing. One of them she calls the Morning Pages, which is first thing in the morning, write three pages of stream of consciousness. Then a few months later you read them and see what kinds of insights you had. Great exercise for everyone.

Hi, Meghann Matthews. I wanted to let you know the body text of your post shows up in the Stage 32 app but not the web browser. I'm guessing you wrote the post in the app, so you might need to edit the post in a web browser for it to show up for members who get on Stage 32 with a browser. You can edit your post by clicking the downward arrow to the right of your name, selecting "Edit Post," and reposting the body text.

Fixed Thank you

You're welcome, Meghann Matthews.

Meghann- I do a free 30 minute class which you can use for whatever you want- prep for an audition, assess where you are and what you need. Let em know if you would be into that!

It's great to meet you here in the community, Meghann Matthews. Welcome! You're in the right place - you'll find so many awesome resources and connections here. Just to share, here's a link to the acting education that Stage 32 offers - some amazing courses taught by folks who have done it and want to help others achieve the same: https://www.stage32.com/education/collections/acting

Wishing you huge success - please keep us posted.