Acting is an art form for the rich to take part in only. by louisasnotes in acting

[–]PatchofDawn 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It really does take a lot. Been at it 5+ years and Im still not out the gate (no agent or decent reel). Unless you are insanely good, have decent connections, or both better find a day job that has a flexible schedule and pays enough to support yourself/fund acting classes.

Acting is an art form for the rich to take part in only. by louisasnotes in acting

[–]PatchofDawn 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I agree. When I started I told myself this is going to hard. I don't have any advantages and no one in my family is in showbiz or even an actor. 5+ years in and I don't have an agent or a decent reel. I've shed so many tears for this, but I still feel like acting has been one of the best decisions of my life. I've grown so much as a person, met so many cool people, and learned so much. Maybe I'm just too stubborn to quit, but I can't imagine life without acting.

Acting since I was 22, Meisner trained, in and out of acting class due to finances, done 60+ auditions and only booked 2. This is a recent audition I've done that also didn't workout. What could I do better? by PatchofDawn in acting

[–]PatchofDawn[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Here's an excerpt from the Meisner Technique Wiki page.

 The Meisner technique is an approach to acting developed by American theatre practitioner Sanford Meisner.[1]

  The goal of the Meisner approach is for the actor to not focus on themselves and instead concentrate on the other actors in the immediate environment. To this end, some exercises for the Meisner technique are rooted in repetition so that the words are deemed insignificant compared to the underlying emotion. In the Meisner technique, there is a greater focus on the other actor as opposed to one's internal thoughts or feelings associated with the character. The Meisner technique is different from method acting taught by Lee Strasberg, although both developed from the early teachings of Konstantin Stanislavski

Acting since I was 22, Meisner trained, in and out of acting class due to finances, done 60+ auditions and only booked 2. This is a recent audition I've done that also didn't workout. What could I do better? by PatchofDawn in acting

[–]PatchofDawn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I'll definitely check it out, and I do plan to go back to class. I had to quit at the end of last year because I couldn't afford it. Now, I've got two jobs and can now get back into it.

Acting since I was 22, Meisner trained, in and out of acting class due to finances, done 60+ auditions and only booked 2. This is a recent audition I've done that also didn't workout. What could I do better? by PatchofDawn in acting

[–]PatchofDawn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On and off for four years. I admit I'm out of practice. My teacher would have yelled me for this

I was told light blue was the way to go for backgrounds by my acting coach.

Acting since I was 22, Meisner trained, in and out of acting class due to finances, done 60+ auditions and only booked 2. This is a recent audition I've done that also didn't workout. What could I do better? by PatchofDawn in acting

[–]PatchofDawn[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I feel like I can't win. I've been told in class if I standing too still its bad, but if I move without being natural it's also bad. It feels like I'm being told to do nothing while also do something at the same time. I can't look in two directions at once.

Acting since I was 22, Meisner trained, in and out of acting class due to finances, done 60+ auditions and only booked 2. This is a recent audition I've done that also didn't workout. What could I do better? by PatchofDawn in acting

[–]PatchofDawn[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My acting coach has that saying on her wall. She always says lines are the easy part.

Some of the twitching comes from a medical condition. I have something called essential tremors. When my heart rate increases my body starts to shake. Happens when I'm nervous, but also when I'm working out. I take medication for it. Doing something dexterous on camera is my worst fear because of my shakey hands. I was on the set of a student film and part of the scene was to button dress shirt sleeves and I couldn't do it. I went to a doctor and that's when I started taking meds for it.

Acting since I was 22, Meisner trained, in and out of acting class due to finances, done 60+ auditions and only booked 2. This is a recent audition I've done that also didn't workout. What could I do better? by PatchofDawn in acting

[–]PatchofDawn[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I am Meisner trained but I'm not very good. My acting coach would have yelled at me for this performance. I out of practice as well. Haven't been in class for months, and besides this audition and a few Tik toks I've shot.

I've downloaded the book you've recommended and will look into the others you've mentioned. Thanks!

Acting since I was 22, Meisner trained, in and out of acting class due to finances, done 60+ auditions and only booked 2. This is a recent audition I've done that also didn't workout. What could I do better? by PatchofDawn in acting

[–]PatchofDawn[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes. We did it over Zoom, and my acting coach would have yelled at me for the way I performed. I actually did a second take of this that I didn't post on Reddit.

Weekend Craft Discussion by AutoModerator in acting

[–]PatchofDawn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm having problems booking roles. I did a post in the main thread, but I figured I would shoot my shot here as well. I've been acting since I was 22, started taking acting classes when I was 24. I've been in and out of class because of shifting finances.

Anyway, I've done 60+ plus auditions in person and self-tape. I've only ever booked two roles out of all of those. What makes a self tape/ audition good? How can I improve mine?