Acting

I was just reading about how in the UK, micro-budget films are on the rise in festivals due to funding from the BBC, BFI (British Film Institute) and government tax breaks. I know this topic has been covered before in this lounge but would you make one? Have you made one ? If so, what was your experience?

Here is a cool podcast about how to make one which got me excited. Having fun making it is what they recommend https://youtu.be/4E14kGNzrJo?si=x2VydZZpP1lK7e2e

THERE IS NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS


The phrase "There is no business like show business" first appeared in 1946, written by Irving Berlin and sung by the incomparable Ethel Merman. What began as a musical number soon became a cultural truth — a line whispered backstage, printed in biographies, echoed through decades of cinema. On the surface it sounds cheerful, almost celebratory, yet beneath it lies an undeniable acknowledgment: no other field demands so much heart, sacrifice, imagination, resilience and risk as the entertainment industry. Hollywood embraced the phrase because it captured both the brilliance and the brutality of the profession. It is a world where dreams collide with economics, where passion must co-exist with strategy, and where only those who understand that art is inseparable from business truly endure.

Like every timeless myth, the statement opens the door to something larger. Lights – Camera – Action is not just the beginning of a scene; it is the beginning of a journey. To filmmakers and creatives, Hollywood is what Paris is for painters — a city of myth, a sacred ground of creation. And Hollywood is not merely that legendary district in Los Angeles. It is a symbol — a metaphor for the global creative industry, a state of mind that resonates from Berlin to London, from Toronto to Cape Town, from Seoul to São Paulo. Wherever stories are born, wherever cameras roll, wherever someone dares to dream on a stage or behind a lens — that is Hollywood.

For most hopeful young actors, however, Hollywood — in all its symbolic power, its fame, its fortune, its promise — is still a long way from home. Only a few ever make it there, but that never stops countless dreamers from trying. And perhaps that is the heart of the saying: in this industry, the pursuit itself becomes part of the story.

I remember one defining chapter of my own. A few years ago, I had a casting opportunity for an Expendables sequel — a moment that felt like stepping onto the edge of a dream. Why? Because with Expendables, a childhood fantasy would have leapt into reality. My future colleagues would have been the very heroes I grew up with. Legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and all those other BIG-BANG action performers who shaped the DNA of my imagination. To stand beside them, even for a moment, would have been a full-circle milestone.

It didn’t work out back then… but what followed mattered far more than the outcome. After the casting I sat down for an interview with Will Roberts — actor, performer, and part of the cast of Christopher Nolan’s OPPENHEIMER, and formerly the host of the radio podcast Will Roberts Weekly Telegram Show. Our conversation, which he titled "It’s the magic of risking everything for a dream nobody sees but you," changed something fundamental in me. It crystallized a truth I had always felt but never fully articulated: in Show Business, success belongs to those who create movement, not to those who simply wait. That meeting became the blueprint for what would later grow into my Actorpreneur philosophy — the realization that Show Business is, at its core, a business. And like any business, it rewards clarity, connection, and ambition. Some people rise because they build networks, mentors, momentum; others remain in occasional jobs because they wait for the mythical “one chance.” Show Business rewards motion — always has, always will.

But beneath all the strategy, there lies the artistic heart that makes this world worth fighting for. As actors, as writers, as artists, we carry something ancient within us. We are the last of the Shamans, the Keepers of Fantasy, the Knights Templar of the Creative. We guard imagination in a world that often forgets it. And despite everything, it helps to be a dreamer. I had my dreams long before I had my opportunities. Dreams are the one possession nobody can ever take from you. They cost nothing, yet they are priceless. They can be as real as you allow them to become, and they are entirely yours.

Those moments, humble as they were, became part of the architecture of my story. That’s the stuff my dreams are made of. The artist who understands both the poetry and the process becomes unstoppable. The dreamer and the entrepreneur — united in one path. The one who knows how to tell stories and how to build relationships. The one who understands creativity and consistency, imagination and initiative, talent and visibility.

And that is the essence of the Actorpreneur. The understanding that Show Business is a realm where the artistic soul and the strategic mind must walk hand in hand. Because in the end, there truly is no business like show business — and there is no business like the one you build for yourself.

There is a moment in every actor’s journey when a quiet, unmistakable truth begins to surface: Show Business is not simply an industry — it is an ecosystem, a living organism built on motion, presence, and connection. Talent may draw us onto the path, but visibility, relationships, and supporters are the structures that allow anything to grow. Long before digital portfolios and algorithmic reach, performers whispered this lesson behind the velvet curtains of theatres around the world: an artist may create alone, but no artist succeeds alone. Visibility has never been vanity; it has always been architecture. In a world founded on stories, to be seen is to be understood, and to be understood is to be chosen.

Yet the visibility that matters is not loud, nor cosmetic, nor hollow. It is the kind of visibility that reveals who you are, what you stand for, how you work, and what energy you carry into a room. A headshot can show a face, a reel can demonstrate ability — but neither can convey presence, timing, warmth, reliability, empathy, humor, discipline, or depth. Only a conversation can. And that is what the industry is truly hungry for.

Casting directors are not searching for perfection; they are searching for collaborators they can trust. Talent agents do not want to gamble on mystery; they want clarity, commitment, and the unmistakable sense that you are steering your own ship. Managers and producers look for performers with emotional intelligence and creative synergy. The myth that actors chase decision-makers is a distortion; the truth is far more balanced. Agents need new voices. Casters need fresh energy. Filmmakers need grounded talent. And every one of them needs human connection. Meeting actors is not a courtesy; it is part of their survival, their craft, their responsibility as architects of future stories.

And in a time when our industry is increasingly mediated by screens, profiles, and digital avatars, we often forget the simplest reality: sometimes a conversation reveals more than a thousand pictures ever could. Sometimes one moment of recognition, one human exchange, one shared breath in a room, becomes the turning point a career has been waiting for. Visibility is not a monologue. It is a dialogue. A bridge. The Actorpreneur understands that to be visible is not merely to show yourself, but to allow others to find you.

This truth has shaped legends. When Daniel Craig stepped into the shoes of James Bond, he did not do so by fitting an existing silhouette. He broke the silhouette. But what often goes unspoken is that his rise was not sealed by image alone. It was sealed by the conversations behind the scenes — by producers and casting directors who felt his authenticity, his discipline, his grounded humanity. They did not cast the photograph. They cast the man. The industry does not invest in copies; it invests in originals. And originality is revealed in connection.

That is why events like the Hollywood Networking Week carry such power. They are more than gatherings — they are modern agoras of Show Business, temporary yet extraordinary constellations of creators, actors, agents, directors, producers, and visionaries. This is where strangers become allies, where contacts become collaborators, where supporters are born. It is where the architecture of a career begins to expand. Supporters are not optional in this profession; they are the lifeblood of longevity. And nothing — nothing — builds a supporter faster than human connection.

Networking Week is where visibility becomes human. It is where passion becomes shared, where stories intertwine, where careers accelerate not by coincidence but by alignment. In Show Business, the right supporter is not merely helpful — they are transformative. And every transformative connection begins the same way: by showing up.

It is precisely for this reason that 2026 will mark a turning point in my own journey — the year in which I will host my personal Hollywood Networking Week, not as an event of convenience but as an act of responsibility. Because when I look at the agencies and agents who have represented me, I see a truth that demands both humility and action. I was connected to some of the finest talent agencies in Hollywood — Paradigm, ERIS, Enorama — relationships formed in the years when my IMDb ranking rose below 7k. In those days, doors opened, conversations began, momentum moved.

And then something happened that no artist likes to acknowledge: the momentum shifted — not because the world turned away, but because I stopped steering it with the same intensity I once had. I waited. I hoped. I convinced myself that opportunity would knock again simply because it had knocked before. I waited for the mythical magic moment — the one where Christopher Nolan calls out of the blue — and while that fantasy is charming, it is not how Show Business works. Momentum isn’t granted. It is created. Visibility isn’t gifted. It is earned. A brand isn’t maintained by memory — it is maintained by movement.

And so I realized something essential, something liberating: if I want to rise again, I must rebuild my visibility, my presence, my network — not from nostalgia, but from purpose. Brands with staying power do not rest. They renew. They sharpen. They evolve. The actor who becomes unforgettable is the actor who stays in motion.

This is why 2026 is not just a year on the calendar for me. It is the year of return, of reinvention, of reconnection — the year of my Hollywood Networking Week. A week dedicated to meeting the people who shape this industry. To reconnecting with the dreamers, the decision-makers, the believers. To building the supporters every actor needs — and offering support in return. To becoming once again a brand with presence, purpose, and unmistakable identity. To stepping back into the arena not as someone waiting to be discovered, but as someone choosing to be seen.

The Artist in me creates.
 The Entrepreneur in me acts.
 And together they walk toward 2026 — a year of open doors, of new relationships, of restored visibility, of reawakened momentum.

Perhaps our paths will cross there.
 Perhaps we will shake hands in Los Angeles or London.
 Perhaps we will look back one day and say: This was the moment everything shifted.

And maybe — just maybe — we will stand together as witnesses to the truth that has always defined this profession: there is no business like show business, and the greatest breakthroughs often begin the moment we choose to step forward again.

If you’re looking to elevate your directing craft and lead your next project with clarity and confidence, learning directly from working directors can make all the difference. These webinars and classes are taught by professionals who’ve brought award-winning films, television, and streaming projects to life — and they share the real-world techniques and creative insights that have helped them succeed.

I wanted to highlight some of our most highly viewed Directing webinars and classes so far this year. These have helped filmmakers worldwide strengthen their storytelling, sharpen their visual style, and lead productions more effectively.

TOP WEBINARS:

How to Pitch Your Dream Project with You as the Star >

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-pitch-your-dream-proje...

You’ll learn how you can create your own star-making television show, how to pitch it, and what it’s like to produce a television series that you also write and play the lead in.

An Insider's Tips to Getting Hired as an Actor Anywhere in the World >

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/an-insiders-tips-to-getting-h...

We’re connecting you with a successful actor with vast marketing knowledge. She’ll show you how to create a brand for yourself that producers, reps, and casting directors remember when it’s time to cast their next projects and, ultimately, help build your career from anywhere in the world.

How AI is Revolutionizing the Casting Process and Impacting Actors >

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/how-ai-is-revolutionizing-the...

Learn about the implications of artificial intelligence on the acting and casting industries from Sami Arpa, Ph.D., a leader in the intersection of technology and filmmaking. He will provide you with practical tips for actors, casting directors, and talent agents on how to update their workflow and incorporate AI into their practices.

Actors: How To Prepare To Work With An A-List Director >

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/actors-how-to-prepare-to-work...

Learn how to develop your own preparation techniques from an actor who has worked with A-list directors like Marco Bellocchio, Ridley Scott and more, and whose new film, KIDNAPPED, was in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival!

TOP CLASSES:

Stage 32 4 Hour Acting Intensive Workshop: Develop Your Audition Process for 2025 to Book More Work >

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-4-hour-acting-intens...

Learn from an actor who has honed his craft over 30 years, including roles in Mad Men, Bones, The Big Bang Theory, and more! You'll also received The Audition Process Beat Sheet and Audition Day Checklist, to streamline your audition process.

Stage 32 4-Part Producing Class: Attaching Actors and Directors to Your Indie Film Project >

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-4-part-producing-cla...Learn from a top indie producer who's worked with Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Paul Rudd, Olivia Wilde & more! Get downloadable actor and director offer letters plus actor and director agreements!

We’re in the process of planning our 2026 education calendar, and your input is invaluable.

Which acting topics would you like to see featured next year? Share your ideas in the comments below—your suggestions will directly influence the programs we create.