Acting

Depending on the market you are based in, you may have a vastly different understanding of the self-tape audition. If you're based in LA or NYC, you are occasionally required to self-tape, and when that happens, perhaps you use your cell phone or go to a buddy’s house and have them tape you. I, on the other hand, am based in Atlanta. And in addition to being a full-time actor for over 15 years, I have co-owned a taping service with my wife since 2010. We were one of the first dedicated taping...

Do you have a great voice you believe can help you book more work? If you’re considering building a career with your formidable vocal pipes, you should know that there are some tips and business building techniques that can help you mold that raw talent into a golden opportunity. Curious to know what strategies successful voice over actors rely on? Voices.com, the world’s largest online marketplace for voice actors, recently compiled survey data from actors and vocal coaches around the world...

Katie O'Reilly is changing the way the world views people with disabilities. She's writing them onto the stage, leaving their disabled stories out and normalizing them with the same hopes, fears, dreams, and realities that any other human being would face. A hearing-impaired actor uses sign language during a stage performance. The playwright said, "Disabled characters are often metaphors or tropes, representing very negative aspects of what it is to be human. So you’re evil personified, or...

  “Luck” Photo by Erwin More of More Medavoy Every now and again when I hear people talk about actors, it’s not unusual for them utter the word “luck” to reference the reason for the actor’s success. I pause for a moment and then tell those people what luck really is. “Luck is being prepared when opportunity arrives,” I say. “You may not create it exactly, but you sure as hell execute it.” There will always be things that fall outside of your control. But as an actor, it’s crucial that...

It happened. You lost it. Your passion and motivation are gone. We've all been there. Whether you have writer's block or are in an acting slump, it seems hard to get through it. I've been there too and I want to share the lessons I've learned because of it. Creators create and when that fire withers away, it can be life changing and painful. For me, it was devastating and debilitating. I couldn't cope. It took me ten years to find my footing, after losing everything. I left a great University an...

Greetings from sunny London.  It's been an inspiring last few days screening our 3rd Annual Short Film Program at the Raindance Film Festival and shining a light on the incredible filmmakers who won this year's competition.  More on that soon, but for now, let's get to the Coffee & Content. First up, last week's Goodfellas Script to Screen proved to be extremely popular, so I figured I'd double up this weekend with a look at Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher's work with The Social Network. Thin...

More women. More minorities. More diversity. These are the rumblings both on and off set at a television series being created near you. (Or not near you, but still being created.) According to a study completed by the Directors Guild of America, the number of women and minorities seeing employment in television creation has increased. Is there room for improvement? Always. But as it stands now, the DGA found that over the past nine seasons, 82 female directors accounted for 41% of first time...

We're looking forward to meeting and mingling with our Stage 32 members in and around the London area! Join us as we partner with the 26th Annual Raindance Film Festival for an exciting week of events. To start, we've arranged a huge perk for Stage 32 members - If you'd like to get full Raindance Film Festival passes you can get 20% off your badge price! Go to https://www.raindance.org/courses/raindance-film-festival-passes/ Use code: stage32pass Get 20%, just like that! Here's what t...

If you’re reading this, then chances are you need a new perspective on your acting career. Many of us subject ourselves to unhealthy expectations from this crazy business. We unknowingly compare our careers to 100-yard dashes or corporate ladders. We expect that one step leads to the next in a predictable, linear fashion. We think that if we’re motivated, we can get to that finish line (series regular, red carpet, etc.) in record time. Despite the countless books, teachers, and mentors out th...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Time for another edition of Coffee & Content. First up, a look at developing characters with Aaron Sorkin.  Sorkin has created some of the most memorable and beloved characters of the last 20 years (tell me you don't know everything about every single West Wing character).  Whether working with fictional characters or those actually roaming the earth (The Social Network, Molly's Game) few writers are able to imbibe their characters with as much detail, nuance and defin...