Acting

Karen, this is such an important step. Casting directors shape the emotional reality of a story in ways audiences often don’t realize. As a writer, I always imagine the kinds of actors who might inhabit the characters while I’m writing. The right casting choice can reveal layers in a character that even the script only hints at.

Ashley, thank you for sharing this. It’s fascinating hearing actors describe intimacy scenes as emotional conversations rather than just physical moments. As a writer, it really reinforces how important it is to map the character’s emotional arc clearly on the page so performers know exactly where they are in the story, especially when productions shoot out of sequence.

I was actually looking into this recently too. I think online acting classes can be really helpful, especially if the instructor gives direct feedback on your scenes and auditions.

A friend of mine tried a small online acting workshop and said it helped a lot with confidence and character work.

I'm also curious to see what programs other actors here recommend.

I tried a couple of online acting classes last year and one of them was actually really good because the sessions were very interactive.

They focused a lot on audition techniques and practical exercises instead of just theory.

They also had a free workshop option which helped me decide if the classes were right for me.

I don't know of any interactive online acting classes . stage 32 has several acting and audition webinars and labs that you can find on the education page.

I personally attended John Casablanca acting and modeling classes, I paid attention to what they taught, kept an open mind and took notes. rather my personal opinion on a subject I followed their input on industry standards. the schooling was not free it was 76 a week for 30 weeks but well worth the lessons taught. especially to learn a skill, trade and valuable routine that id never had interest in before. Mohammad Jahanzaib

This is an interesting way to look at it Timothy Miller I can see how a modeling class could benefit a stage actor. Especially if they struggle with stage presence.

Timothy Miller enjoyed reading this. you're also touching on two distinct approaches to working on a character: 1) from the outside in and 2) from the inside out. It always ends up being some combination of both, but usually the actor leans on one more than on the other, either because of training or personal preference or director's working process.

What attracted you to acting?

Sebastian Tudores

growing up I've had to learn how to be a role model because I never had just one person I wanted to be like. from my Father being the hard worker he was my role model, to my protective brother and sister I learned how to be a guardian to my family, and then throughout my job experiences in life all built to what I wanted to become.

a role model is nice but wanting to have the recognition for who I am to show others who I am and what I represent was what I want and to not be blamed for what I had nothing to do with. so being in front of a camera or in front of an audience is what I want to show others that I am the role model people need, someone who shows companion, offering help, teaching others, to standing up to those who are in the wrong and admitting when they themselves are wrong. I hope this answers your question

No Jose Harmon acting classes are open to everyone. They don't' check union status.

Jose Harmon, I want to echo the wonderful advice Laura shared. Stage 32 actually has some fantastic acting education resources, including classes, labs, and webinars with working industry professionals. If you’re not sure where to start, you can even reach out directly to the Education Team at Edu@Stage32.com and tell them a bit about your goals, the type of work you’re pursuing, and where you are in your career right now. They’re really great about providing curated suggestions for classes that might be the best fit for you.

They can also let you know if anything relevant is coming up on the schedule, which can be really helpful if you’re trying to plan ahead.

Congrats on getting those callbacks, by the way. That’s a great sign that things are moving in the right direction!

Suzanne Bronson hi Suzanne sorry for the misunderstanding i was trying to see if the website with the sag agents required you to be union or could you find an agent while being non union

Jose Harmon for sure, put one, two, or three of those self tapes together and get the reels up there. the first thing someone look at is the headshot - the second is the tapes. keep them short (1-3 minutes) also, everything Ashley Renée Smith said :) cheers

SAGAFTRA.org

Hi

João Pimentel One thing that might help you get even more responses from the community is translating your posts and comments into English using tools like Google Translate. Since Stage 32 has members from all over the world, posting in English can help open your thoughts and questions up to a larger number of members and make it easier for industry professionals on the platform to engage with you directly.

Sorry, Ashley Renée Smith I have automatic translation enabled on my computer, so I end up forgetting to translate for you, but thank you for the heads-up!

You're so welcome, João Pimentel!

You know, it's interesting how perspectives can change when you work as a voice actor. When I dub here in Italy, I quickly answer to these same questions in order to understand why that actor played the character the way he did ;)

Andrea Cirillo that's definitely an interesting case of this - you're basically re acting the actor, so you have to do much of the same work. I assume most of the time you do not have the opportunity to speak to the actor, correct?

also, very curious how AI has been changing the way your company operates? cheers

For me, the hardest part is the beat breakdown. I can find my superobjective and my objective for each scene, but sometimes it takes me a while to figure what my objective is in each beat. What is it I am wanting in this exact moment? It has to be active because you can't act passive. "to listen" is not actable.

Seb, this is such a thoughtful breakdown of the craft, and I really like how you framed the difference between finding an emotional anchor versus an emotional storm. That’s a great way of describing how the stakes can shift once you’re actually inside the scene.

Suzanne Bronson you're 100% correct - what sometimes helps is paraphrasing the lines - more often that not, it will reveal what you're really saying and wanting, depending on circumstance of the scene. for example:

This beat from Mamet's Oleanna has Carol (a college student) confronting her professor, John, about a grade and his behavior.

CAROL: I don't understand.

JOHN: What don't you understand?

CAROL: Any of it.

JOHN: What do you mean?

CAROL: I don't know what it means. And I'm failing.

JOHN: Why are you failing?

CAROL: I don't know. I'm stupid.

JOHN: You're not stupid.

CAROL: I am. I am. I'm failing.

JOHN: ...What do you want me to do?

CAROL: I don't know.

JOHN: You don't know.

CAROL: No.

JOHN: Well, then, how can I help you?

The obvious choice would be that she is... well, complaining to him. But that's neither interesting as a choice, nor aligned with where the play is going. So alternatives may be 1) get him to compliment me 2) bate him into saying out loud I'm inferior to him, the professor - that would be a good one for this beat since the whole play is about authority, hierarchy, uneven power struggles, etc.

regardless, they all serve your scene objective, as you pointed out :)

Thank you Laura Hammer so much for sharing this incredible resource.

Great share Laura. We actually have a really great webinar on how to get noticed by Casting Directors that complements this perfectly! https://www.stage32.com/education/products/actors-how-to-get-noticed-by-...

Thank you Amanda Toney That's a great webinar! Lots of advice on ways to set yourself up for success in the audition.

Laura, this is such a helpful reminder, especially for actors who may feel intimidated by the self-tape process. It’s easy to think you need a full production setup, but like you said, casting directors are really looking for clear, honest performances, not fancy equipment. Thank you as well for sharing the resources. Ryan Cartwright is a gem.

SAG AFTRA has a list of franchised agencies on their site. You will need to do your homework and look up the agencies to see if they accept NU. Since you already have a NY agent, I would ask them. They most likely have contacts in LA. If you can get a referral from another actor, that also helps. Network, network, network. You need to build relationships with actors in LA. People aren't going to recommend someone they don't know.

From what I’ve seen, actors often stay close to their marks during long dialogue scenes so the camera and focus stay accurate. But even then, subtle movements, reactions, and timing still play a huge role in making the scene feel real

From what I’ve seen, actors often stay close to their marks during long dialogue scenes so the camera and focus stay accurate. But even then, subtle movements, reactions, and timing still play a huge role in making the scene feel real