Acting

Acting

Whether you’re an actor, voice actor, casting director or anyone else related to the profession of acting, this is the place to discuss, share content and offer advice and tips on technique, audition strategies, headshots and all other topics related to the sweet science of acting

It’s something you hear a lot these days—from other actors, coaches, friends, your mother, possibly—to take some control of your career into your own hands. But is it truly worth your time and creative energy as an actor to merge into producing, as well? Per a number of industry experts, yes, it is;...

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Just put pen to page.

“By writing. Get your hands on books like ‘Story’ by Robert McKee and ‘Save the Cat’ by Blake Snyder. Research how to format your screenplay, then sit down and write it.”

“Above all, keep it simple. This is the hardest part for me; my favorite genres are fantasy and sci-fi but it can be difficult to find a story that’s simple enough to produce on a limited—or no budget. But it is possible. Look at the subtle sci-fi in ‘About Time.’ ”

—Charis Joy Jackson, actor, casting director, director, producer.

“Something new has happened recently because of the Internet and social media. Actors can now establish themselves (no need to be a movie star to get a primetime series) by creating their own material (i.e. webisodes, short films, creative videos and even standup comedy) which can be posted on YouTube, Vimeo, and their websites.”

“In the old days, a triple threat was a singer/dancer/actor. Agents were thrilled to sign a performer who could work all the time in one media or another. Now they’re delighted if their clients are super proactive, creating their own products. That means really owning your career.”

“I began my career as an actor, then started writing. I wasn’t getting as much acting work as I wanted. Extra creative energy, a love of writing, and performing in a play together brought me and my writing partner together. (Pro tip: If you can find a writing partner, it can make the adventure more fun.)

“This leads me to my main advice to actors: This is your life. You cannot wait for your reps to make the moves for you. Take control. Explore all your contacts—and their contacts. Meet whomever you can, work as much as you can, and keep in contact with everyone you’ve met on the way.”

—Catherine Schreiber, actor and Tony-winning producer

#actor #filmmaker #director #writer #producer

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One of the essential qualities of being a great actor is the ability to transform. Having an array of accents at your finger tip allows you to play a much wider range of people and increases the number of roles you can be cast in. If you’re a foreign actor and want to work in the American market, being able to act with an American accent will dramatically increase your opportunities as an actor. And even just reducing your accent will make you more castable, and prepare you to do other foreign accents more easily and convincingly. And learning how to do all this is fun and fascinating!

The hardest part in learning an accent or reducing your accent is not learning the new sounds. It’s breaking the speech habits that you’ve had all your life, or that you’ve had for as long as you’ve been speaking English. We learn our first language as children, absorbing the sounds without any awareness of the process. But as adults the new sounds are competing for dominance with the old sounds. Luckily there is very cool science for breaking down and understanding the sounds, the mechanics of the sounds, the relationships between the sounds, and the nature and rules of stressing, rhythm and intonation, and a technique for rewiring your brain so you can speak these new sounds effortlessly while you are acting.

Learn all you need to know to understanding and eliminating the American accent!

Plus! Receive A guide to vowel and consonant sounds for Accents and Accent reduction!

Email edu@stage32.com with any questions!

Tom Lapke

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1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
2 days ago

What a great interview.

Sydney Summers

Loved this interview and the picture made me laugh!

Ashley Renee Smith

Ugh. I love the three of them so much. As a comic book fan, I'm so excited to see Deadpool and Wolverine, to finally see these characters truly interacting with one another! Wolverine Origins does not count.

Pat Alexander

1 day ago

I think they'll definitely breathe some new energy into the genre this year, but we reached critical mass a couple years ago. Less is more with superheroes these days but think this will be a fun one!

Sam Sokolow

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2 people like this
- Ashley Renee Smith
- Maurice Vaughan
2 days ago

Outstanding post and advice, Tammy Hunt. Everyone should read ‘Story’ by Robert McKee and ‘Save the Cat’ by Blake Snyder. And always be creating. Find your tribe. Stage 32 is a great place to do that....

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I am a big fan of creating your own content. It has never been easier or cheaper, and there are countless examples of major stars who got their break because they took their career into their own hands and made their own content.

Yes yes yes!! I love this, Tammy Hunt! We're also hosting an Ask Me Anything here in the Acting Lounge next Wednesday the 17th with actress and content creator Ashley Ottesen talking about this very t...

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1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
1 day ago

I think it's all about balance. You can easily get stretched thing campaigning on so many different fronts. Acting/Writing/Directing/Editing/Your Day Job/Fitness. The key for me is setting achievable...

Maurice Vaughan

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2 people like this
- Ashley Renee Smith
- Sam Sokolow
3 days ago

"Halle Berry & Glenn Close Board Hulu Legal Drama ‘All’s Fair." I'll be watching, Sam Sokolow. I'm excited to see "The Penguin" starring Colin Farrell. And “Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft” star...

Ryan always manages to entice such knock-out talents to his projects. I got an up-close seat to it when working on Pose. Actors in the industry love to work with him and be a part of his projects.

Wow that would be an amazing pairing. Icons across from each other - you love to see it!

View all All comments

Aaron Marcus

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3 people like this
2 days ago

I am so glad you both mentioned the job board. Honestly, I didn't even know one existed. Thank you both so much.

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2 people like this
- Ashley Renee Smith
- Tom Lapke
2 days ago

You're welcome, Aaron Marcus.

Great advise. And yes, the job board is a must.

Love this, Aaron Marcus!

Thanks, everyone. If any of you have a topic for a new quick tip video that will help other actors, feel free to share it with me.

Ashley Ottesen

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6 people like this
6 days ago

Love it! It's comforting to know when Casting has our back.

Lindsay Stevenson

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4 people like this
5 days ago

I concur dr ;)

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3 people like this
4 days ago

It is always important to remember that no one is rooting for you more than the CD. If you walk into the room and deliver exactly what they need, they can forget about the "problem" of casting that role and move on to others. You make their day better when you show up with the goods.

Francine is such a badass.

Olga Gabris

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3 people like this
3 days ago

Correction: "...yet still would want to level up." Thank you!

No problem, I updated!

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2 people like this
- Tom Lapke
- Maurice Vaughan
3 days ago

Looking forward to the webinar beginning shortly! Please put your questions below for John :)

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2 people like this
- Tom Lapke
- Maurice Vaughan
2 days ago

Thank you to everyone who attended today, I really enjoyed the Q + A!

Sandra Isabel Correia

Thank You, Sydney :) I saw live yesterday and it was really helpful. Thank you. Now, I need to practice :)

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4 people like this
1 week ago

Interesting idea. Thank you.

Glenn Axelrod

Yes, I have a few resume tips for actors. Like in any resume one should say what value they bring to the production? Here is what I have used but not in the same context “ I bring a unique blend of se...

Great point. Listing special skills that one has is very helpful. Thank you so much for sharing.

Pamela Jaye Smith

As a former Casting Director and when Producing and Directing, after the requisite qualifications we always wanted the most interesting people, as evidenced by the various activities and background on...

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4 people like this
2 days ago

Those are great points, Pamela. I think that some actors forget about the importance of special skills. Thanks again for your information.

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4 people like this
6 days ago

Hi everyone, Olga here - a multi-lingual first-generation Russian immigrant who writes and produces dark psychological pieces about finding your place in the world. I don't have that classic "villain"...

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1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
3 days ago

Hi, Olga! Nice to meet you :) We have updated the lounge link to here, I added your question in comments! https://www.stage32.com/lounge/acting/Webinar-tomorrow-Understanding-Acc......

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CRAFT AND BUSINESS

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