Acting

Table Reads are so much fun!

Wishing you every success, Heidi.

Wayne, I agree. It's an opportunity for us to stretch our wings and have a little fun. You're welcome to join us.

There is an Art to Everything.

Art is just one form of communication.

thanks

Wow! First off - can't wait to see a Broadway musical on Dolly. She's my wife's idol (and has written blurbs for both of her books, which is amazing) so she has a big presence in our home. Can't wait to see how this shakes out.

As for me... I always wanted to play Billy Flynn in Chicago or Sky Masterson in Guys & Dolls but the singing, dancing and acting kept getting in the way.

That is wonderful to be able to simply do projects that you enjoy. I know some actors and film makers are more concerned about the financial aspects of the project. Personally, like you, I love to work and find something great in everything I do. Whether it is a feature, TV, industrial, print, voice over or a commercial spot. Thanks for sharing,

thank you! Aaron Marcus :)

You are very welcome Fahd. Have you done many self tapes? If so, please share any tips or strategies that you have found helpful. Thanks again.

Self-tapes are so important, and nailing the basics makes all the difference! One tip I always share is to double-check your framing and lighting—casting directors want to see you, not shadows or distractions in the background. Also, always test your audio; clear sound can make or break a great performance. And, of course, bring your authentic self to the read—connection trumps perfection every time!

Those are such great points, Laquan. One point I just thought of, always re-check the recording before sending it. I remember checking things over and realized that I almost sent the original recording and not the edited one. Thank you so much for sharing these great ideas. Hope you subscribed to my channel and have access to 500 + videos.

If anyone missed the Community Wrap-Up live, you can watch the full video for FREE here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDP8G2hS2zI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&...

Using good lighting, know your lines, keep the background simple

Rhoda Blue Thanks for sharing. What steps do you take to get into character beyond nailing lines?

You don't really eat

Hi, Suzanne Bronson. What do you mean?

Fake it. every actor has a different technique. When you're starting out, I think all actors probably really eat the food, but after having to multiple takes eating the samething, you find a way to make it look like you're eating but spit the food out in your napkin maybe, butter your roll, smash up your potatoes... push the food around on the plate..etc etc

Ah ok, Suzanne Bronson. I didn't think about actors having to do multiple takes. Thanks for sharing the techniques!

I like in person better. They get to talk to you and give direction. It’s more personal.

I prefer to do auditions in person. I get direction and feedback from the casting agent. And I often get a sense of whether I've done a good audition (regardless of whether I book the job or not). It's also a chance to show the casting director who I am: straightforward, on time, easy to work with. All that said, I recently did my first in-person audition in a long time. I cycled to the audition (I live in Amsterdam), got caught in heavy rain and arrived soaked to the skin.

Thank you all for your great ideas and comments. I agree that getting information and notes from a casting director always gives us more to play with during an audition. And, I love doing self-tapes so I have the option of doing a few takes. My hope is that if they liked my self-tape, they can always give me notes during a live callback.

Francis, having to travel in bad weather to an audition is another reason why shooting the audition from my home makes life much better. I used to travel 4 to 4.5 hours each way going to auditions in New York. That commute is not missed by me.

Thank you all again for your wonderful comments. I hope everyone subscribes and clicks the notification bell on my channel so you have easy access to my free 500 + videos and will always know when a new video has been uploaded.

Please share the Channel link with all of your actor friends.

Honestly - it really all just depends on your location/region. As top agencies/production may not have much available or going on. If you're fortunate enough to live in a metro like L.A. NYC etc. then onsite may be a given. Esp if you have an agent. For those who don't (for any of varying reasons) then self-taping/submissions are the beat

Frankly I'm grateful for self-taping/submissions as it allows you the opp of getting a little creative in your own space, when you don't have an agent's office or other filming ground.

Thank you, Leanette. I saw your bio. Wow, you do so many different things. I agree. In some markets casting directors are allowing some people to audition in their studios. I also have been given the option to audition live virtually. In the past, Sometimes I have driven, anywhere from 6 to 12 hours each way to audition. So, even though I do miss having the notes given to me during an audition by the casting director, I love taking my time, trying out a few different ideas and upload the take I like the most. And, spend the rest of my day doing other acting related things.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts here.

hmmmm... I think I'm of the mindset of "whatever works for you!" I enjoy combining techniques and being open to exploration. Having said that, I did not study acting in college and have taken only one acting class that was specific to any one approach-- Meisner. I've read books that touch on other methods and take what works for me and leave the rest.

But to your experience, I think that if you feel called to change techniques or mix and match, why not?! My background is in writing and my process with that has certainly evolved over time.

Thank you for your insight!!! Funny cuz Elizabeth is one of my middle names ☺️

And I agree. Especially y as a writer my process differs depending on what it is that I’m writing and I enjoy it because I feel like ever story written has its own journey that makes it even more special.

I also feel like “life’s experinces” has def. Shaped and modeled the way I approach Acting and Writing in general

So I majoted in theater in college and we did Meisner/Stanvislasky. I also took many private acting classes and those were also meisner. Sanford Meisner On Acting is The Bible. I don't even know what this other technique is you're talking about. here's nothing wrong with doing what you know. if what you're doing works for you why change it? There's no wrong way to act. Acting is living truthfully in imaginary circumstances. That's it. The body will believe whatever the mind does.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p318Pf9Sgj4&pp=ygUOaXZhbmEgY2h1YmJ1Y2s%3D

I posted a clip from Ivana Chubbck….shes oringally from my hometown but lives in LA and has coached some of the best in Hollywood. I got the chance to sit in on her Master class last year..

And yes Suzanne, Meisner’s quote will always live rent free in my head and one of the best quotes to describe acting.

Techniques are great tools for gaining insight as an actor, but as a creative, it’s all about using them to shape your own unique style.

Hey Jack, this is Suzanne from the Stage 32 team. I just wanted to let you know I moved your post from Your Stage to Acting, as it fits much better there. Let me know if you have any questions, and all the best to you!This question will best be answered in the acting lounge. It's not really self promotion so you can post it there. I also encourage you to check out other posts in this lounge as you may find this was previously discussed.

The clip around 1:15 with the emotional performance was the strongest part of your reel—really well done! Do you have any speaking dialogue from that scene? I’d love to see more of it. That said, the first couple of clips with the cursing felt a bit off-putting.

StarBound in Toledo, Ohio is great. It's not to far from Detroit.

You can go to SAG AFTRA Website and they will list the SAG franchised agencies