Acting

I don't trust that one. Any site that requires a monthly fee to create an account, to me is suspect. Most non union actors, use Actor's Access. It's free to create an account and you are allowed two photos for free. You do have to pay to upload your reel. They did away with their monthly fee and you only pay $2 per submission. Project casting makes me uncomfortable, I have chose not to sign up with them. May be someone else has experience they can offer?

Hope you have a great trip and time and book roles, @Delphine!

Be Very careful! First make sure your bank account is full and you have a back up for cash for escape. Expensive, and there are a lot of money grabs out there they will say " Oh you got what it takes, I like your look, we could really do something special" Let`s get updated head shots $$ some advanced acting classes because your that good $$ and so on. If you have people out there you know and trust, great, if not be careful, especially being a female. If you do take the plunge, non-union, first sign up with Central Casting they're in Burbank under a bridge. Don't try to Live LA, look at the Valley. And please vet vet vet. There are really good people out there but the snakes are everywhere. Just saying. Good luck and God Bless! Donn

Just noticed you're in Paris. Okay, well, if you'd like some in side info before you go, feel free to contact me. I no longer live in LA, I am in Oklahoma City, happily married,I have no bad intentions and you don't need a subscription to contact me. : ).

Thank you very much everyone; this is really helpful. It’s very supportive to have your advice and not feel like I’m heading into the unknown. All the best to you.

First of all...absolutely love NOISES OFF! The movie version had me in absolute stitches (probably helped watching it with a bunch of theater kids such as myself). And the fact that the cast (made up of such brilliant performers as Carol Burnett, John Ritter, Christopher Reeve, and more) did the movie simply because they loved the script makes it even better.

As for on-stage mishaps? Oh, so many...

There was the times (plural) when doing a choreographed fight scene onstage during the performance (worked perfectly every time in rehearsal) when the weapon I was using broke at the beginning of the fight scene. There was the time when I was on top of a stool and had to dive off it and land safely...and it broke as I was pushing off...and I bounced off the stage into the audience. There was the time when we were shooting a scene and a singing guy on a bicycle rode through the shot behind us. So many mishaps...

Luckily, we just had to yell cut and do another take in the latter. In the live theater examples, though...well...the show must go on...

That reminds me Doug Kayne of when I was working on HAND OF GOD - I think that's what it's called, the Amazon show with Ron Perlman. We were shooting in a warehouse in downtown LA- and FAST & FURIOUS (have no idea which one- it was 2014) was also shooting on the 6th bridge with helicopters right above us. Unbeknownst to our production, because the AD was pissed, the noise kept ruining our takes, even though we were inside. I think F&F hadn't checked to see if there were other productions in the area as they were rushing the movie since Paul Walker died.

That’s pretty funny, Suzanne Bronson. I wonder if, on the amusing flip side, the Fast and Furious crew thought your movie was inconveniencing them.

I would love to hear from those who can speak on this!

Hundred percent. Don't give up!

Hey, Yunus Quddus. I'm not an actor, but that goes for writers, directors, and others too. Thanks.

I am an actor, not an agent or producer. I would suggest you get an agent for writers who loves it and wants to pitch it to production companies

Where did he get an agent? Can you help?

I would search on line for agents who represent writers. I am sure there are many more pipe on stahe32 who are writers who can be much more helpful than me. Best wishes to you

Thank you Aaron, it would be great if one agency could handle submitting you in all of the markets. The only issue I see is if you want to be working constantly within the acting world you need to be averaging 3 to 4 auditions a week and managing them well. More audition give you a higher booking rate is your agent is doing this, but if not you need multiple people making this happen for you to stay booked on large projects.

I agree that having more auditions gives you greater chances for more work. As I mentioned in the video, there was a time period where I had around 25-30 agents submitting me for projects.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts here.

Mikka Hope I wouldn’t call your problem unsolvable, but I also don’t want to minimize the very real barriers you’re facing because you live in Russia. Rduced access to international opportunities can make an already difficult industry even harder.

For now, I’d focus on what you can control. Keep improving the pilot, build strong pitch materials, and develop genuine online relationships with writers and producers outside Russia through communities such as Stage 32. Your situation doesn’t prevent you from strengthening the project, meeting collaborators online, and preparing for circumstances to change. A finished script and great ideas still have value, even when the path forward is much harder than it should be.

Dwayne Williams Great question. There's a TON of misinformation floating around. Even people who seem like informed content creators are exaggerating a lot of AI claims. The restrictions haven’t stopped studios from using AI, but they have made everyone more careful about consent, copyright, ownership, security, and how someone’s face, voice, writing, or performance can be used. So AI is still moving forward, but there are more lawyers and contracts standing around it now. Some think it's almost at a point where it's not worth it to bother with AI in some situations, which is good for artists.

A lot of the AI tools being used professionally in studios, though, aren’t even separate programs. AI is consistently being embedded into software the industry already uses, such as Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Avid, DaVinci, and After Effects. For many people, learning AI will really mean learning how the new features fit into their existing workflow.

Prompting is helpful, but I don’t think prompting alone is the most valuable skill. The industry needs people who know what the tool should do, whether the result is actually good, when it saves time, and when it creates a legal, ethical, or creative problem. Quality control, confidentiality, disclosure, and knowing where the human contribution begins and ends are becoming increasingly important.

For example, I have clients who want me to use some AI imagery when creating their pitch deck material. I can make it way more realistic than most I've seen, but even with my advanced skills, I need to use photoshop to perfect the images. It still saves a ton of time, but knowing how to use other software to improve your results is the key.

For writers, actors, directors, editors, and producers, I’d focus on AI literacy rather than trying to become an engineer. Understand the tools in your area, test them, know their limitations, and don’t upload confidential material without knowing where it may go. The easy part is getting AI to generate something. The valuable skill is knowing whether it should be used at all and whether it actually makes the work better.

That’s really the heart of Tools NOT Terminators. Use AI to strengthen your skills and workflow, not as an excuse to stop developing the judgment the industry is actually hiring you for.

Thank you, Joshua Young. Fantastic answers! Exactly what I was looking for, and beyond helpful. I’m looking forward to learning more from you and applying all the great advice!

Joshua is the best!! We love having him as a Stage 32 educator :)

Thank you so much, Sydney! That means a lot!