You already know Backstage is your go-to for any and all information pertaining to your craft. But now, you have the chance to get in on the action with the Backstage Community Forum. Here, you can engage with others in your industry, as well as teachers, experts, and, yep, even agents and casting directors. Below are some of this week’s most interesting new topics; drop a reply or post a new thread. Either way, fire up that keyboard and get involved right here!
New (older) actor reel advice:
“Hi, everyone. I am a middle-aged man who made the decision to learn to act and to try to book work doing so. I have been taking various classes for a little more than a year, I have done a few background jobs recently just to get experience on several different sets, and I recently had headshots done. I feel like I now want to get a good acting reel together. I have voiceover demos that I am pretty happy with, but I want to also try to get cast in front of the camera. I have heard that getting cast in student films is a great way to get footage. I have also heard other actors recommend self-producing material. Question one: Which way is best? Question 2: If I self-produce scenes, how do I go about doing that? Thanks for any information you can share with me. I truly appreciate it.” —SDCTenor75
Best advice for someone new to the industry?
“Hi everyone! So I have done acting and singing throughout my childhood and growing up, but have never done it professionally for pay. I am excited to make a career of it, but I’m unsure how. What are some tips for me if I’m just starting out? I am looking to eventually do film work, but I assume to get there, I’ll need smaller works on my résumé. Any advice for starting out in the industry is welcome :)” —lulubellactress
Los Angeles–area headshot photographers?
“Heyo! So I’m trying to get started in acting (primarily theater) and I was just curious about something. I don’t currently have professional headshots and am just using decent pictures of myself for now. Lately, I have been looking around the Los Angeles area for photographers. My question is: If I am able to provide a résumé, video reel, audio reels, and cover letters, would casting directors sort of breeze over the no-professional-headshots issue? I was just genuinely curious, because everything else needed for basic application requirements can be done—it’s just that I don’t currently have headshots. Are there any good photographers in the L.A. area that are somewhat affordable? Any recommendations would be helpful!” —AdamDerb
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