Finding the Perfect Acting Role For You

There are many possibilities in acting and each role you find will (hopefully) be different from the past roles you've played. But if you've never acted before, how do you know what kind of acting is right for you? Here's how to find out:

Film acting
Film acting means working in front of the camera, where you play the lead, supporting actor or extra. Films, like all types of acting jobs, have genres, so expect a lot of work in drama, comedy, suspense, horror, action and documentaries, among others.

Film acting requires some very precise and specific movements; meaning that you will be working within the camera's frame and will be limited by it. Speaking and moving will also be as close to normal as possible, compared to stage acting.

TV
TV can offer different kinds of acting for you. There are sitcoms, soap operas, series, mini-series, TV movies and documentaries. TV can be steady employment, provided you find work in a successful series or get cast in different TV projects.

Theater
Theater is as hard as or harder to work in than film. Rehearsal hours are long and you have to memorize dialogues with no second takes. You'll also be playing to a live audience so be ready to improvise in case you commit mistakes. You have to train your voice to reach all of your audience.

With theater acting, you also have to audition so you better come prepared knowing what the play is about and your character's role. Theater acting may also require you to sing and dance. But just because your acting will be confined onstage doesn’t limit your possibilities. Stage plays, especially the more recent ones, have some of the most innovative and avant garde concepts.

Voice acting
With voice acting, you can work in any medium, be it feature films, TV shows, TV commercials, animated cartoons and even video games. The talent fee is considerably less, even if you are already famous, but if you become involved in a successful series, you can expect steady work. It would be wise to have a good range of voice characters so you won’t get stuck with just one characterization.

Stereotyping
One trap that most actors don’t want to get caught in is stereotyping. This happens when you play roles that are similar to one another. For example, you could play a villain successfully but never cross over as a successful hero/heroine. You could also be a success being a comedic character but may have difficulty becoming a serious dramatic actor.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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Being an Actor and Making it Big

Do you wander and dream of becoming an actor or an actress? Have you ever wanted to be in the limelight and become the star of the show in your school plays or community events? There are ways to solve your problem. You too could become the next big thing in your community and grace your audience with beautiful acting or skillful presentation of dances, songs and plays.

How do you do it? You can attend acting classes which are usually offered locally. These classes are for young people who are interested in becoming actresses or actors or just want to learn a craft that can gain an audience if ever you become successful in it. With the training of the teachers or facilitators in these acting schools or acting workshops, you too can act in front of a big audience, on stage or even on television.

Workshops are usually done in groups and they usually are seasonal. For young people, workshops are held during the summer vacation when the kids have time to attend. They are commonly held in communities, towns or cities and a small fee is just what you need to pay to attend the workshops. Sometimes, some of them are free.

Acting schools are very common for people who want to get into acting. These are usually found in the big cities or even in small towns. Acting schools come in a variety of formats. Some acting schools offer short courses and others offer full time bachelors degree courses for very serious people who want to make it big in Hollywood.

There are several acting schools which offer, short courses and bachelors degrees in acting as well as specialized fields like Masters and Doctorate degrees. Do you know that some Hollywood actors took some acting classes during the course of their school years? Yes, many of your favorite actors and actress had some education in acting before they became big stars. They have at some point in their lives went into learning the little details on how to face the camera and what things shouldn’t be done in front of the audience. Yes, they too have undergone the mastering of the craft before they become the stars that you know today.

Start learning how to act and you just might be the next big thing in Hollywood.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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Getting Duet Acting Scripts For Free

Duet acting is a popular high school forensics event. It involves two people who act a script of their choosing together. This event is usually presented in a form of a competition. And depending upon the rules employed, chairs, tables, and other furniture may be used. The general rule is that the pair performs a scene that runs on an average of 8 to 12 minutes. Actors can change roles, but they should only play a single character for every scene.
Duet acting can really be nice to watch. But even more so, they are rather challenging to perform. But the selling point of the acting duo should be their script. If they fail to choose the right script for the play, no matter how good their acting is, their chances of winning the competition may not be as good. Therefore, the choice of script is essential so that the actors can effectively showcase their talents in the best way possible.

So, where does one get free duet acting scripts? There are many options. And here are the most common places where you can find them:

1. The School Library. If your school has been sponsoring duet acting for quite some time now, then there will be records of previously acted scripts on file. You just have to ask where you can find them. You might also need to ask for permission if you can reuse the materials. Clearly tell the administrator though, as to where, when, and how you’ll actually use the script. That way, you won’t be infringing on copyright rules, should there be any.

2. The Internet. If you want free, or almost free, duet acting scripts, then the internet is the best place to find them. In fact, the internet not only contains these. There are a whole lot of other useful materials you can find. You can also get acting tips and pointers from the internet so that you’ll win the competition easily.

3. Your mind. If you dropped by the library and there’s no duet acting script, and went online and can’t find the one perfect for you, then why not write your own instead? If you are a good actor and your mind works like that of a director, then you can surely write your own duet acting script. If you do it well, you might just garner additional points from the judges on the originality criterion. And if you write your own script, you’ll have the advantage of working around your bad side and showing off what you’re good at.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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Looking For an Acting Agent - The Guide

Okay, let's get one thing straight. Agents are a necessary part of the equation in any good actor's career. They help actors find acting jobs, micro manage their careers, and use their wide pools of contacts to help an actor along - all for a fee, of course. There are, however, free acting agents. Now, the term "free" acting agent makes people think that the agent won't be charging them a dime. If that sounds too good to be true, guess what? You're right. Free acting agents are simply agents who don't charge you anything EXCEPT the standard cut they get if you manage to land a job successfully. Here is the criteria to help you find a good, reliable free acting agent.

Make sure that the agent is registered with the Screen Actors Guild or another similarly reputable group. While quite a few free acting agents are independent operators, they are best avoided like the plague when you're new to the industry. Acting in general has been likened to a crocodile pit or shark infested waters for very good reasons, and more often than not the perpetrators of trouble are unscrupulous independent operators. Any agent that's actually registered with a reliable guild has to abide by it's rules and regulations, which are made for the protection of actors.

Another criteria to consider is that YES, the agent will eventually be charging you a percentage for services rendered. Nothing in life is free, and anyone trying to tell you otherwise is mistaken. So, you should find out exactly what services the agent is willing to offer for free, and more importantly which ones he WILL be charging you for. Balance your options, and choose someone that won't charge you a dime if, you can't get any successful auditions.

The simplest yet most legitimate type of agent contract can be broken down into three considerations. One, the agent will help you FIND auditions, and will even book you for them for free. Two, IF you land the acting job successfully, only then will he take a fee (the industry standard is 10% of your fee). Third, in the event that you fail to land the acting job, you WON'T owe the agent anything. Details can often get more complex than this, but this is the most basic operation style of legitimate free acting agents. Lastly, remember to READ the contract before signing anything. You never know when something might get snuck in the fine print...

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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Acting Schools - What You Need to Know

Credibility and Reputation

One of the most important things to look for when selecting an acting school is it's reputation. You don't necessarily need to go to the most high end establishments. Finding a small but tidy acting school held by an acting coach with a good name for him or herself is all that's required. This gives you two advantages over a relatively unknown acting school - for one thing, you have the assurance that you'll be in competent hands. Secondly, if the school or coach has a good reputation in the industry, this will immediately "rub off" on your name when you're trying to land an audition after you're done with the course.

Available Curriculum

Not all coaches and acting schools are the same. Just like any regular college, acting schools also have different courses that you can take. There are acting courses that specialize in the basics like speech control and body language to convey emotion, others that focus on acting out characters from a certain genre or theme, still others that teach "back stage" support skills to their students etc. Gauge which courses the school has available, and pick one whose selection fits your personal level of experience, abilities, and goals.

Teaching Methodology

Right alongside the curriculum you should also consider the teaching style adapted by the school you're considering. Does the school employ a sink-or-swim method of teaching, or do the school's coaches prefer to take a more supportive albeit coddling style? Do they allow freedom of personal expression in a character role, or do they adhere to subsuming your personality inside the roles you're playing? Do they focus on traditional methods or modernized ones? Again, pick one that suits you and what you want to do with your acting career.

Post Graduate Support

Lastly, you should see if the acting school will give you any support after graduation in terms of trying to help you land auditions and acting jobs. Do they have a pool of agents they can call on and hook you up with? Do they contact their graduates to let them know of any openings in the nearby theaters? Do their coaches have connections that they can use to help you get started? This kind of support can make or break your career, especially at the start when you're still relatively new.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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Stage Partners - Tips on Acting With a Co-Star

Act in Complement to your Duet Partner

When working as a duet on stage, the basic rule to remember is that you're NOT a solo act, and neither are you just another face in a larger set of actors on the scene. The tough part about a duet is that it combines elements of both the limelight of a solo act, AND requires the ability to interact with another actor that a scene with larger numbers demands. To this end, the most effective way to treat a duet is to complement your partner's moves, lines, and actions with your own. Think of it as if you were one pedal on a bike, and your partner the other. Work together as a team to get the scene going.

Don't be out to Steal the Show

One of the biggest problems for some duet acts is that one partner or the other may wind up being a prima donna who tries to hog all the attention and glory for him or herself. While this can work effectively for some scenes, there are quite a few cases where it ruins the scene altogether. Unless one character or the other is SUPPOSED to have an overpowering personality that overshadows the partner's character, try to avoid this. As an example of a case where a play can be ruined by this, consider a case where the villain's portrayal and presence overshadows that of the main protagonist. In the end, the audience winds up siding with the villain...

Work out Minor Details Beforehand with your Partner

This is very, very important. Small things can wind up ruining a big scene altogether. Remember that in acting, everything is used to convey the scene to the audience, from the volume and tone of voice of the actors, to small facial expressions, to subtle body motions, to the props and the placement of the actors on the stage. Work out every possible quirk with your partner beforehand to make sure that no small details cause a hitch in the scene when you actually get on the stage.

Practice both the Regular Lines and Ad Libbing

Lastly, in practice you should both work on the assumption that you MAY wind up forgetting your lines. So, instead of limiting your practice to the EXACT lines required by the scene, also practice ad libbing sessions where you both follow the spirit of the scene without sticking to the actual lines used in the dialogue. This way, if one of you suddenly develops a mental block, you won't be left flat footed and the scene won't grind to a halt.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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Mind Prepping For Theater Acting

Empathy is The Key

On the stage, the most vital skill for any actor or actress is empathy. At it's most basic, empathy is the ability to sense and accurately judge a person's mood and emotions. However, empathy taken to a higher level can do much more. For one thing, empathy allows you to accurately imagine the emotions running through your character. By the same token, you can also convey this imagined emotion to a much greater degree by projecting it to the audience. Contrary to what some acting coaches say, when you have to ACT the emotions of your character but never really feel them, the heart of effective character portrayal on stage is that you are able to generate emotion in yourself and convey it to the audience.

You ARE your Character on stage

Another good tip for effective acting is the ability to fully immerse yourself in role-playing your character. Where some stage actors often maintain a certain degree of self on the stage, if you wish to be truly effective you should almost completely forget who you are on stage; while the scene is being enacted, you ARE your character. Don’t just think of the scene itself; during practice, consider the history, mindset, motivations, ambitions, and especially the emotions of your character. Let this shape how you act on the stage.

Project with Everything You Have

A third tip for effective stage acting is the ability to project your character and the scene to the audience with every tool at your disposal. Some people are blessed with excellent voices, or the ability to convey volumes of meaning through facial expressions, or expressive body language. Most actors often only utilize one favored means of projecting their character to an audience. However, to be truly effective you should use every means at your disposal, from the volume and pitch of your voice to every tiny gesture, facial change, and body posture.

Harmonize with Your Team and The Audience

Lastly, any good actor must remember not to be immersed inside him or herself too much. Some actors tend to focus their attention completely inwards - analyzing their own movements, thinking about what lines to say next, or just trying to emote. However, you should also remember that you're working with fellow people on the stage, AND that you're acting for the benefit of the people in the audience. Work WITH your fellow actors and actresses, supporting their roles with your own, and always remember that the audience is out there beyond the stage and that you're essentially telling a tale for their benefit.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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