The Questions

 
Welcome to the heart of this website - where we answer your questions about acting. We will sometimes have a featured question, one that the editors of this page feel will help you take control of your career. We will also have one or two new questions from our readers, as well as a tip of the month and a quote of the month. We welcome all your questions about the business of acting, such as “What makes a good headshot?,” How do I get into the Screen Actors Guild?,“ What can I do to advance my career?,” etc. We also invite you to send questions about acting, including ones about the various techniques and methods that are used by actors. The only acting-related questions that we don’t answer are ones that are more fan-based, such as “What kind of music does Lindsay Lohan like?,” or “How can I meet my favorite actor?” There are many fan sites and discussion groups on the web that discuss those types of questions, and they are the places to go to learn about those subjects. To submit a question, email us at ActingQuestions@aol.com and include your name, email address, and city/state. You may sign your full name or first name and last initial. If you don’t want your name used, you may request that your name be left off the website. In other words, sign your email as you want it credited on this site. FEATURED QUESTION What is the best advice you can give to an aspiring actor? First, get training. Lots of it. Explore all kinds of acting methods, as well as classes in singing, dancing, improv, mime, movement, etc. I know a lot of younger actors might not want to hear this, but training is not just something to do for a year or so - it should be a part of your ongoing acting life. Good training in many areas will open you up to all types of performance possibilities, including some areas of acting that you might not have been aware of. However, in the beginning, don’t jump around from class to class - find one that you like and stick to it for awhile. This will provide a foundation onto which you can add skills acquired from other training. Second, don’t sit by the phone waiting for someone to call and offer you an audition or job. Many actors feel that once they have an agent and/or become a member of a union, they can just sit back and wait for the offers to come in. If you love performing - and that is really the only good reason to be in this business - then you must create your own opportunities. This is what is referred to as "being proactive” with your career. This means that you go out and do things, including: stand-up comedy, getting in an improv troupe, storytelling, performance art, sketch comedy, joining a theatre company and/or a networking group, writing and performing sketches, writing and performing a solo show, juggling, singing, street theatre, and even some public speaking. If you think that the only thing you can do is wait for someone to hand you a script and give you a part, then you will find that you spend 99% of your time waiting. And worse, if you do get a part, you’ll most likely find that your performing skills are rusty. You can’t just work your day job, then sit around watching TV at night and be ready to give a professional audition or performance when the opportunity presents itself. And beware the agent and/or friends who advise you not to take a part in a play because you will be tied up for several months and won’t be able to take that great part in a film when it comes along. I’ve known actors who’ve waited years for a film part, while turning down theatre roles that would have helped them become better actors. When you get out there, you meet people and make contacts, hone your sense of timing, gain experience and confidence, and keep refueling yourself with the spirit of performing. If you’ve moved to a new city, there is no better way to meet people in the performing arts than to get involved with a good theatre - even if it means volunteering to paint sets or work in the box office. There are too many times in this business when we have to make compromises for our craft. Getting out there and doing something creative we can call our own is the best way I know of to lay claim to the joy of truly being an artist. READER QUESTION “Where should I look when auditioning?” - Dylan R. - Austin, TX Usually, but not always, the casting director will tell you where to look, and most often that will be slightly “off camera” at the assistant who will be reading the otehr character’s lines with you. If no one is reading with you, you should choose a spot to look at that is just to the right or left of the camera. Also, imagine that the person you are speaking to is standing in that same spot so that you are not just talking to an empty space. In commercials, there are times when you are to speak directly to the “audience.” You might be telling them, for example, how bad your headache was before you took the pain reliever being advertised. In a television or film audition, you will rarely look directly at the camera, so you may assume you are not to look at the camera. You will be told if there is an exception to this, or it will be indicated in the script. For a commercial audition, if the session director doesn’t tell you, and if it is not obvious from the way the scene is set up, you should always ask where to look. This is not a “dumb question” - every professional actor makes sure he knows exactly where he is supposed to look (and stand). If you are to look off camera at a commercial audition, and if there is copy for you to read, then you should look off camera to the same side where the copy is placed. Note: Very rarely will there be a camera at a stage audition, so either read directly to the other actor, or to the person in the seats who is reading with you. TIP OF THE MONTH If you have not gotten the sides (dialogue) for an audition before you get to the audition, pick up an extra copy and keep it for yourself. This way, if you have a callback at a latter date, you will have a copy to study before the callback. QUOTE OF THE MONTH "You act with your soul. That's why you all want to be actors, because your souls are not used up by life." - Stella Adler Please submit all your acting-related questions to: ActingQuestions@aol.com. Be sure to return for new questions and answers. Note: For questions about classes and products, please see the email address on our “Resources” page. 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