How to become an actor?

[The Guard]

Yeah, getting into acting won't make you want to drink less...

 

[the last son]

Also how would one be able to have a script be read. I really have been writing two different projects. One is titled Nightmare and the other is kind of a character study in the sense of the movie Flight. A different movie about an alcoholic/user. Would craigslist be a place to post the synopsis

 

[Anita18]

Also how would one be able to have a script be read. I really have been writing two different projects. One is titled Nightmare and the other is kind of a character study in the sense of the movie Flight. A different movie about an alcoholic/user. Would craigslist be a place to post the synopsis

Did you want to direct it? IMO most won't bother replying to a Craigslist request for crew work unless there's something in it for them - money or great connections. On the short film I worked on, we all worked for free but everyone who was on the crew in a major capacity was either a professional working for free or a film student wanting something on their demo reel. And they were aiming to submit it for festivals. That's how you knew they were serious. If you get any old fool from Craigslist, it's very likely you'll end up with amateurs who have no idea what they're doing.

Make friends with film students. Even though they aren't professionals, at least they'll have some idea of what they're doing and they'll be willing to work for free to have something on their demo reel.

 

[the last son]

How does a story of an alcoholic video gamer sound? A guy who struggles with drinking and video game addiction

 

[Cunning Stunts]

One, there is a big difference between imitating other characters and creating a character yourself, based on what you're given from a script. I'm by no means saying you can't do it, but you can't approach acting thinking, "I can do Heath Ledger's Joker voice and mannerisms, so I can act as well as Heath Ledger could." You would be shocked at how many actors get into theatre with that mindset.

Second, like everyone else has said: community theatre. Even if you're not the star, or if you don't even get a single line, you can get experience and network. Through my networking, I've met quite a few people who are extremely talented: a director (who is making a full length film for her school at the moment), an actress who has been in TV a few times, a graphic designer who also makes kickass music for commercials, etc. Hell, I even was in a show one time with a girl who's on a commercial for a major company that is played around the country. Acting is 99% who you know and getting your foot in the door. The other 1% is just plain luck. And because of this networking, the director I know wants to help turn the script I'm working on into a feature-length film.

Also, as everyone else said, no drive or determination will get you absolutely nowhere. If you're perfectly happy showing up to rehearsals and shows, hanging out and acting for ****s and giggles, then more power to you. But if you want to make something out of it, you've got to bust your ass.

And the one major rule: Don't piss anyone off in theatre. I learned this one the hard way. I had a paying gig as an actor, and I pissed off one of the other actors in the show with me. The following year, I went to audition for the next season's shows, and was set to get in. However, the guy who ran the shows the previous season left, and the other actor (who I regularly fought with the previous season) wound up in charge. Guess who didn't wind up in the shows.

 

[ThePhantasm]

I'm 25 no acting experience other than what I do by myself. ... I have no real drive or determination. I go over scenes that movies do over and over and act them out in front of family members who laugh at me and say we all know you are not this person. ... You can not tell me I can not act better than those people on sci-fi.

How does a story of an alcoholic video gamer sound? A guy who struggles with drinking and video game addiction

Is this a serious thread?

I don't know how you'd get an acting gig of any kind if you don't have the drive or determination to go for it.

 

[Anita18]

One, there is a big difference between imitating other characters and creating a character yourself, based on what you're given from a script. I'm by no means saying you can't do it, but you can't approach acting thinking, "I can do Heath Ledger's Joker voice and mannerisms, so I can act as well as Heath Ledger could." You would be shocked at how many actors get into theatre with that mindset.

So, so true. Just because you can copy doesn't mean you can create from scratch.

Many artists start out by copying, but then you eventually have to push yourself out of your comfort zone and try something new. The more you work, the faster you will get there.

Also, as everyone else said, no drive or determination will get you absolutely nowhere. If you're perfectly happy showing up to rehearsals and shows, hanging out and acting for ****s and giggles, then more power to you. But if you want to make something out of it, you've got to bust your ass.

And the one major rule: Don't piss anyone off in theatre. I learned this one the hard way. I had a paying gig as an actor, and I pissed off one of the other actors in the show with me. The following year, I went to audition for the next season's shows, and was set to get in. However, the guy who ran the shows the previous season left, and the other actor (who I regularly fought with the previous season) wound up in charge. Guess who didn't wind up in the shows.

And that too. Unless you're an A-list star, any actor is replaceable.

 

[Cunning Stunts]

So, so true. Just because you can copy doesn't mean you can create from scratch.

Many artists start out by copying, but then you eventually have to push yourself out of your comfort zone and try something new. The more you work, the faster you will get there.


And that too. Unless you're an A-list star, any actor is replaceable.

Exactly. This isn't to say you can't learn something from copying, but using copied material in your own art is a huge no-no. For example, I also do a lot of visual art, and by copying what I see others do, I can pick up the tricks they might have in shading, creating the form of a muscle, making an expression look real, etc. That said, I can't re-draw the Vitruvian Man and stick that in my portfolio, trying to show it off as my own- unless I make it painfully obvious I used my own model and did it for my own reasons. And even with that, just because I can re-draw the Vitruvian Man line for line, doesn't mean I understand exactly what it took to get there and build it on my own. Which is what da Vinci did.

Same applies to acting, really. You can imitate your favorite character all day long, but creation is what you get hired for, and you won't understand how they created it without creating something yourself. And creation takes that drive and dedication. It's not hard, it just takes the desire to study and learn. A lot.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

My lack of motivation comes from years and years of heavy drinking. I've been drinking since I became an adult and have been drunk more than I've been sober. I recently have started to try to quit and focus on activities that take my mind off of drinking. I go online and see when they are open auditions for roles. I don't think plays and things of that nature would work for me. My anxiety would take over. I just want something where I can have a few lines and move from there. Thank you everyone for your suggestions and insights. I still say the movie flight would have been perfect for me if I was 15 years older. Pretty much how my adult life has been. Without the crashing of a plane

I understand that. It starts at the bottom. Way, way, way at the bottom and that's fine. I'm doing it more for fun than anything else. And like I said a hobby which I think I could be decent at and to keep my mind from idling.

These two posts tell me your mindset is completely wrong. Until you can change that, you'll get nowhere. You don't think plays and things of that nature would work for you? How do you think most actors get started working on plays. You think you would be perfect for a movie starring an Oscar winner? Sorry, no you're not. Not right now at least. Then backtracking saying this is just a hobby and something to take your mind off drinking. Again wrong mindset. If you want to make something of yourself in a career like acting, you can't do it half assed, you have to throw yourself in it completely, push all that fear and anixiety to the back of your head. Also can't be afraid of rejection because you're going to get rejected, time and time again. As for where/how to get your scripts read, get to be friends with the directors of plays you're working on and ask them. As Yoda said, "Do or do not, there is no try."

 

[grout]

How does a story of an alcoholic video gamer sound? A guy who struggles with drinking and video game addiction

Nah thats no story,, thats a documentary... these days you can start the camera and walk into about any household to see that.

 

[the last son]

^^ Yea but it goes a little deeper than that. It's a character study about addiction and abuse. Video games are just a way to connect it all together. The character is a sever alcoholic and smoker who stays sober when not playing video games. But while playing games is when he abuses himself. He plays video games a lot and it's a struggle to learn to play games sober.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

^^ Yea but it goes a little deeper than that. It's a character study about addiction and abuse. Video games are just a way to connect it all together. The character is a sever alcoholic and smoker who stays sober when not playing video games. But while playing games is when he abuses himself. He plays video games a lot and it's a struggle to learn to play games sober.

Do you really think a movie about someone playing video games is going to be interesting. Spend a day watching someone playing video games and see if you think that's interesting.

 

[the last son]

it's not about video games. games are just apart of it. it's about addiction

 

[ThePhantasm]

It sounds both depressing and boring, to be honest. Unless there's more to it.

 

[TheBat812]

I certainly think that could work as a story, but I think the main thing here is how you perceive your drive/determination. If you're just giving yourself an easy way out by not really expecting anything out of it, you'll never really push yourself to succeed. If this is something you truly enjoy, ditch the booze and study the craft and take EVERY SINGLE AVAILABLE acting gig you can find (as long as they aren't becoming an active detriment to each other). Until you actively pursue success, you won't find it. Until you actively fail, you won't actively succeed, either.

Maybe take a break from video games, which would lead to a break from drinking, and use that time to study acting, whether it's classes or reading scenes while filming yourself and truly being honest with what you're seeing/hearing. Read up on your favorite actors and what makes them great at their crafts and dissect what you truly love in their performances and figure out how to use those ideas to make your own. Just remember, talent can only get you so far, it's the work ethic you put behind it that really will lead you places - and only you can make that happen. In many ways, it's the same battle an addict has - you need to take full control and believe you can win this game in the long term, so actively work your ass off to get there. Maybe your story IS the story. A man who wallows in booze and video games finally decides to be somebody who spends that energy creating instead of enjoying creations. An attitude change is in order, trust me, I recently went through a very similar experience (with weed), and not only am I more successful now, but I am a happier person for it. Read this and don't be afraid to be honest with yourself and truly take it to heart, I know it did wonders for me: http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-harsh...aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

 

[the last son]

Now boring it might be. I will have to add some humor and action to it. But yes it will be depressing and I'm thinking of just writing it, with just myself in it the whole time. Maybe like a half an hour long. Act myself just so I won't have to worry about getting anyone else involved. Could it possibly be boring. I don't know. I know people like things they can relate to. A man who struggles with alcohol, weed, and video games sounds interesting to me. And if people don't like it they can simply hit dislike

 

[the last son]

I certainly think that could work as a story, but I think the main thing here is how you perceive your drive/determination. If you're just giving yourself an easy way out by not really expecting out of it, you'll never really push yourself to succeed. If this is something you truly enjoy, ditch the booze and study the craft and take EVERY SINGLE AVAILABLE acting gig you can find (as long as they aren't becoming an active detriment to each other). Until you actively pursue success, you won't find it. Until you actively fail, you won't actively succeed, either.

Maybe take a break from video games, which would lead to a break from drinking, and use that time to study acting, whether it's classes or reading scenes while filming yourself and truly being honest with what you're seeing/hearing. Read up on your favorite actors and what makes them great at their crafts and dissect what you truly love in their performances and figure out how to use those ideas to make your own. Just remember, talent can only get you so far, it's the work ethic you put behind it that really will lead you places - and only you can make that happen. In many ways, it's the same battle an addict has - you need to take full control and believe you can win this game in the long term, so actively work your ass off to get there. An attitude change is in order, trust me, I recently went through a very similar experience (with weed), and not only am I more successful now, but I am a happier person for it.

Thanks for your comments. Yea I think almost everyone feels better clean from anything. But it's just sometimes you don't want to feel better. Well maybe the wrong choice of words but temptation is just to strong and being clean can be a little too boring

 

[TheBat812]

Thanks for your comments. Yea I think almost everyone feels better clean from anything. But it's just sometimes you don't want to feel better. Well maybe the wrong choice of words but temptation is just to strong and being clean can be a little too boring

Take a lesson from The Dark Knight Rises - the best way to overcome fear is to confront it head on. You've already talked on this site about how you've had issues with alcohol, but what you're craving is the comfort of numbness, not the release of boredom. Creating something is hardly boring, but it is scary to put yourself out there. Just know that everybody goes through that at the beginning (including the best of the best), but those who succeeded weren't afraid of judgement but thought of it as a challenge they KNEW they would overcome, so they worked their ass off to do it. Check out that article I edited in, it's well worth the read.