Archive for the "Acting" Category

Navigating Through the Maze of Casting Calls

If one truly wants to succeed as an actor, they must first start at the bottom and wade through the daunting ordeal that is a casting call.

Some of the greatest Oscar winning actors began their journey at casting calls which were looking for parts in cereal commercials! Such a simple, menial part in a 30 second commercial can make all the difference to someone who needs the exposure and experience.

Casting calls in new York are usually very different than in other large cities where aspiring actors and models flock to, such as Los Angeles. The line between the serious, thoughtful actors and those individuals only seeking fame begins to blur and can only be seen by those with much experience in the business.

The audition begins after much waiting in line with the other hopefuls. Judges have the experience and eye for talent which gives them the ability to sort through the many people and find their star. Sometimes they call you back multiple times, after a span of weeks or even months. The wait is all worth it for some, just to hear the words, “You got the part!”

While the process of a casting call be a long and arduous one, all actors have made the climb. From the small waitressing jobs in LA, to the casting calls in New York, to the red carpet and screaming fans, its all part of the same path!

 

Improv Acting Classes in Los Angeles

There are a lot of acting schools in Los Angeles that make a lot of money by offering “improv classes” or “improv training.” This is due to agents pushing their actors to take up improv training as well as actors themselves who believe that honing up on their improv skills will help them land a gig on Saturday Night Live. While this could be true, improvisation skills are more than just trying to be funny. Improvisation is not just about telling jokes in class or being the first one to come up with a witty comeback. The essence of improvisation is the ability to explore one’s honest and spontaneous reactions within the confines of the script. It’s about the believability of an actor’s performance even under made up circumstances. A good acting class should be able to teach improv as part of the lesson but only as a technique to help the actor explore personal truths which will enable him to inject spontaneity to make a scene real.