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Tag: los angeles casting

Mirdon
April 23, 2020
5 Things Actors Should Do during COVID-19

Many of us have wondered what we would do if we happened to be on an island for a long vacation. Or, what we would do if imprisoned. The answer is everything that we do not manage to do in our everyday life. COVID-19 has given us a unique chance to do whatever we have been procrastinating for a long time, to work on ourselves or to open up new talents in us. I am a Los Angeles headshot photographer, and I have closed down my Glendale photo studio in mid-March.

 

It’s been about a month without headshot sessions. So, I’ve started to paint. I had zero knowledge about painting. Meaning, whatever I used to learn at primary school. I was lucky enough to purchase professional paints and canvases right before everything shut down. Online painting classes have come to replace my regular professional photography workshops and masterclasses.

 

With this blog, I would like to share my thoughts on what actors could do during the self-quarantine to grow as a professional and not to waste time while at home. Some people say that to be an actor one has to have natural talents. However, the professionals state that acting is a skill that one can develop over time. If you want to become the actor you dream of, to be confident and captivating, you should build your acting skills. And, now is the right time for that.

This article will help you enhance your acting skills irrespective of your acting level and where you are in your career. Everything mentioned in this article requires efforts and dedication. 

If you think it is impossible to strengthen your acting skills every day, I am going to prove you wrong. We will talk about working on movement, knowledge, text work, voice, and acting. All the elements mentioned above are crucial for you as a professional actor.

1. Voice

Some actors neglect the importance of voice; however, it is one of the essential instruments that an actor should work on. It includes your form of expression, articulation, breath support, and resonance.

1. Why Work on Your Voice?

Voice is one of the essential aspects of the character. If you want to get various roles, your voice has to vary, too. You cannot use your voice for all the roles you get. What if your character speaks twice as fast as you? You cannot develop a fast-paced speech overnight. It is long hours of out-loud reading and practicing. When my clients try to create various characters during the headshot session, they even change their voice, accent, and overall their way of speaking.

 

Los Angeles actors know how to make the headshot sessions fun. Professional photographers know that, too. So, for emerging actors, we use some of those techniques to help them relax and calm down. The professionals’ advice is to keep your voice flexible to embody any character you want. Collect as many “voices” and accents as you can. You have plenty of time now.

2. Voice Warm-Ups

If you google, you will find plenty of voice warm-ups for you to choose from. All shapes and sizes. You need to define which one works for you. The best option is to have a professional acting coach to select the best warm-up that will work for you. If you have a chance, try to schedule an online lesson with an acting coach. I am sure there are many acting coaches available online. Or, if you have done it beforehand try to remember what warm-ups you used to do with your acting coach. When you finish choosing the warm-ups now, it is time to schedule a 5-10 minute warm-up every day. As a professional photographer, I can tell you that consistency beats everything. When I was learning adobe photoshop, I would watch online lessons every single day. It would work for me better than a three-hour session just once a week.  

3. Articulation Exercises

Choose a literature piece that inspires you and start working on your articulation. Some actors often neglect this skill; however, it is vital to work on it. Don’t forget that every skill you are working on has to be on a daily basis. Add 5-10 minutes of articulation exercises to your daily routine of becoming a better actor. 

– Strengthen your Tongue

There are several articulation exercises that can help you strengthen your diction. Firstly, work on your tongue. Try to get more control over your tongue. You can do it by reading aloud or just talking to yourself whenever you are by yourself. 

– Work on your Articulation Muscles 

Learn tongue twisters and practice them as much as you can. Whenever I feel that my clients cannot relax during the headshot session, I ask them to say 3 pf their favorite tongue twisters. And here they are laughing. Besides, it helps them relax their facial muscles. Another good exercise is stretching the jaws and running the tongue around the walls of the mouth.

– Mirror Exercises

While doing all these articulation exercises sit or stand in front of the mirror. Choose a favorite story or a dialogue from a Hollywood movie and try to read out loud. If it is a movie dialogue, try to mimic their style and pronunciation. 

2. Move and Do Yoga

Every professional actor has to be able to move freely. Like with voice, being able to move and do any basic physical movement is essential for a good actor, not to mention how much more role opportunities get the ones who specialize in martial arts and other sports.

As we all have to stay home, and there is no hassle, it is the right time to do yoga. Find an online yoga course on YouTube and work on your body on a daily basis. Here is my favorite yoga channel. Day by day you will feel how flexible your body becomes. Like with any skill, you have to be consistent. Whenever I was fully booked for headshots, I would spare 5 minutes in between headshot sessions and stretch my body on my yoga mat in my photo studio. 

3. Enrich Your Knowledge

Quarantine is the right time to challenge yourself and expand your knowledge. Write down a list of books, scripts or plays you wish to read. Be realistic but don’t pity yourself. Ready at least 100 pages per day. It can be something about the Hollywood industry, acting skills, self-improvement. For example, I prefer reading books on photography business in Los Angeles, online marketing and psychological books as every headshot photographer has to know psychology as well. 

To improve your acting skills, some professionals advise reading drama plays and movie scripts. Most reading materials are available online, even for free. Reading helps you observe different characters, genres, language styles. After reading so much, you may start writing yourself. This is what some actors do after a certain time in the industry. If you don’t know what to start with here is a list of top 50 drama plays. 

Watch Online Movies, Theatre, and TV Shows

When you get tired of reading there comes another great way of expanding your knowledge as an actor. Watch a movie, or a TV show or an online drama play. Here is an excellent list of streaming theatres. Now, it is the right time to enjoy almost live performances. You have to engage in the industry to be able to get your niche in it. Challenge yourself to at least a movie or a performance a day. Even if you think some of those are terrible, you will also learn how you should not do and will be able to tell the good stuff from the bad stuff. 

4. Work with Text

Working with text is tied to your voice exercises. A good actor can bring any text to life and give it a unique interpretation.

1. Read out loud

Another thing that you can do while at home is reading out loud. This point is tied to your daily voice exercises and expanding your knowledge. It will help you become more confident with text, try various accents, voices, styles. Choose an article, a dialogue, a script, or just read the rest of my blogs. I have a lot of blogs on the acting industry in Los Angeles, networking in Hollywood, tips on how to choose the headshot wardrobe and get ready for a headshot session. Just make sure it is out loud. 

 

2. Learn a Monologue

As you have to stay home during this COVID-19 pandemic, it is the best time to learn a monologue. Some emerging actors think one cannot practice acting alone. In this case, it is not true. Pick at least two monologues a week and learn them. As you have a lot of time, you can record yourself and share them on social media and get comments. You can also send them to your acting coaches to get their professional feedback, too. Or, just send it to your headshot photographer who is sure to have some spare time to watch your video. In my practice, I always end up being friends with my headshot clients as they come back again and again with their friends and classmates.

 

Work on Your Acting Skills

COVID 19 has shut down all the acting schools. But it cannot stop you from improving your acting skills. Consider taking an online acting class. There are plenty now. My advice is not to just watch them as entertaining stuff. Take notes. The best thing about online courses is the opportunity to pause, to watch again or just to jump if it is too boring. From my personal experience, as once I was watching a lot of photography courses, I can say that Masterclass has the best stuff for online learning. Read more on Los Angeles acting career.

5. Keep Learning

The key to becoming a professional actor is to keep learning. Again, I’m not tired of saying that you have to learn on a daily basis. Don’t strive to be a perfect actor, just be better than yesterday. If your goal is to be perfect, it won’t work because none of us is perfect. Moreover, it may make you miserable. 

I may take you years to become a skilled actor. But hard work will take you anywhere. Use this time, and by the end of the quarantine, you will become a better actor, and you will not feel depressed or even lonely. Of course, nobody knows when this pandemic will be over, but we should not get miserable because we have no chance to do our jobs as an actor or, me, as a headshot photographer. Now, it is the right time to invest in yourself. If you had an idea to start an Instagram page or a vlog, it is the right time to do so. It will strengthen your acting muscles and improve your on-camera techniques. 

Organize online reads

If after all these you feel lonely and need some companionship, schedule a skype call with an actor friend and do dialogues with them. When you master the craft, you can do a live performance for your social media followers. Another motivating thing is to do all the mentioned above exercises on camera, record yourself and turn it into a success story that can become a movie or a YouTube vlog. Why not? Entertain your friends, family, and followers who are at home. Share the tips from this article with them with your samples. That will definitely be motivation not only for you but for the viewers as well. It can turn into a job as you get more views on Youtube and monetize them.

 

As a Conclusion

Now that you have plenty of time, you can plan your actors’ post-COVID-19 activities. Define what kind of actor you want to be. Comedy or drama? Stage or screen? The same is true for the photography industry. Nowadays, most of the headshot photographers in Los Angeles have turned into product photographers.

Consider taking an acting class. There is a huge selection of acting classes in Los Angeles. Google or ask your friends. Read the reviews. Explore their pricing. And make sure they are not a one-time or a one-weekend deal as it is crucial to keep the consistency even after the pandemic.

Read more on Los Angeles actors’ guide for filing taxes in 2020.

What to read next: How To Get Professional Realtor Headshots in 2022

Learn more about headshot pricing in Los Angeles.

Click here to book a headshot session in Downtown Los Angeles.

You can view more Professional Headshots | Los Angeles Headshot Photographer on our home page. 

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Seda Stepanyan
January 9, 2020
Top 5 Los Angeles Acting Blogs to Follow

If you live in Los Angeles, and you are an actor, this is a blog you should absolutely read. Los Angeles acting blogs will give you an insight into all the musts of acting. Reading acting blogs, you will understand how to create good resumes, how to participate in auditions, how to respond to Los Angeles acting calls, and how to find a professional Los Angeles headshot photographer. Acting blogs will also introduce you to how and where to book acting auditions, and most importantly, they will provide you with good ideas about building an acting career in Los Angeles and, most importantly. Therefore, you may find it essential to know about acting blogs and follow them. Below, you can read about the top 5 acting blogs.

los angeles headshot photographer

1. Reddit Acting

Reddit Acting is a platform where you can participate in various discussions connected to acting. If this form of art interests you, you can register to Reddit and meet up with many other people who share your interest. Reddit Acting welcomes both professional and starting actors on its website. Reddit Acting describes itself as a community, where the users support each other with valuable information as well as share exciting topics for discussion. 

For instance, in case you want to know specific details about how to respond to Los Angeles acting calls, or how to get a good headshot by a Los Angeles headshot photographer, you may go through the articles on the Reddit Acting discussion forum.

In case you have a specific specialization for your acting career, Reddit Acting offers the following subreddits:

  1. Theatre
  2. Shakespeare
  3. Musical Theatre
  4. Technical Theatre
  5. Voice Acting

Reddit offers a considerable amount of acting information that can be extremely helpful for you. Here you can find:

Professional Information 

If you have made a final decision to become an actor, you can consult the Reddit articles on some theoretical knowledge. You can get introductory information on acting techniques such as Method Acting and The Michael Chekhov Technique. You will find the articles helpful as a start for building your Los Angeles acting career. 

Suggestions 

Reddit Acting, being one of the best Los Angeles acting blogs, also provides some tips that you may find helpful for starting your acting career in Hollywood. You can read the great blogs about resume formatting and tools for starting professional acting jobs.

Reddit Acting is one of the most active acting blogs in Los Angeles. It has about 84 new posts each week. So, hurry up to register and read them all.

2. Daily Actor

Daily Actor has particular reasons for being one of the top Los Angeles acting blogs. This is a blog you should follow not only for getting quality information for your future acting career in Hollywood but also for entertainment. Here are the types of information the Daily Actor offers: 

Acting Tips

This is a section that can not only contribute to your development as an actor but also give you the opportunity to spend some good time reading interesting articles. 

Actors on Acting

Probably the best thing about Daily Actor and what makes this blog unique among all the Los Angeles acting blogs. You can read multiple blogs with suggestions and exciting facts for actors. You can read entrancing articles about famous actors’ thoughts about their roles. Recently they posted a fantastic article about Joaquin Phoenix’s about his Joker. There are many other articles like this, so don’t hesitate and visit Daily Actor. 

Advice Columns

There is no question the answer to which you cannot get in this section of Daily Acting. You will find many suggestions from professional actors, producers, Los Angeles headshot photographers, and many others. 

Audition Tapes

Audition: This is a word all the starting actors are scared of. How to prepare for auditions? How to respond to Los Angeles acting calls? Don’t worry! Everybody goes through this. But you are one step forward as you are following Daily Acting, which will tell you what to do. 

How to Become an Actor

If you are thinking about an acting career but are not sure how to start, this is a blog you should read. Daily Acting can help you make the first steps into the job of your life. 

How to Memorize Lines

If you are an emerging actor, you have definitely faced the problem of memorizing lines. This happens to everybody. However, there do exist solutions, and Daily Acting gives some practical suggestions that you should read. 

Acting Resources

This section is more professional and educative for your acting career in Los Angeles. It will give you all the necessary information to become licensed in your sphere and be able to respond to Los Angeles casting calls effectively. Here you can read about:

  1. Acting Resumes
  2. Los Angeles Acting Classes 
  3. Acting Schools and Colleges in Los Angeles, New York as well as Bachelor of Fine Arts acting schools
  4. Casting Websites
  5. Headshot Photographers in Los Angeles and New York 
  6. Screenplays
  7. Stage Directions

Reviews

Another thing why you should absolutely become a follower of Acting Daily. In the reviews section of the website, you will find quality reviews of the following acting genres 

Movies 

In this section, you can find fantastic reviews of the latest movies, which will give you a real insight into the film and make you discover new phenomena about them. Sounds interesting, right? 

Theatre 

Daily Actor does an excellent job reviewing the recent theatre performances in Los Angeles. You can read the reviews not only for professional purposes but also for entertainment. Therefore, Daily Actor is an excellent page to follow to read some interesting articles if you have a couple of free hours. 

Books

Never forget about the professional field. Daily Actor takes various books and textbooks on acting and reviews them for you. As a starting actor, you may consult this section and find out some new literature for developing your acting career. 

Actor Services 

Finally, and most importantly, Daily Actor provides actor services. You can not only learn and have a good time in this blog but also make real steps toward higher points of your acting career in Los Angeles. Here you can find services of

  1. Airchecks  
  2. Demo Reel
  3. Website Design 
  4. Mailing Labels

Overall, as you may have understood, it is a real lapse for you if you don’t follow Daily Actor. Don’t miss fantastic movie and theatre reviews, and don’t miss the chance to get new skills for your acting career. Go there, and you will love it! 

3. Elizabeth Mestnik Acting Studio

Elizabeth Mestnik Acting Studio is one of the best Los Angeles acting blogs for students who are eager to learn about acting as a form of art in an inspiring environment. This is more of a professional rather than an entertainment area where emerging actors can develop in their sphere. Therefore, it offers individual acting lessons in an acting studio, about which you can know about following the blog. 

Following the Elizabeth Mestnik Acting Studio blog, you can learn about and register for the following classes:

  1.  Meisner Technique 
  2. Beginner Acting Classes in Los Angeles
  3. Scene Study Acting Classes
  4. Fitzmaurice Voice Workshops and Classes
  5. Movement Program
  6. Speech for Actors
  7. Playing Shakespeare Class
  8. On-Camera Auditioning
  9. Actor’s Life and Business

In this blog, you can also read an educative article about scene studies, which will be helpful for your future work with this blog. Following the Elizabeth Mestnik Acting Studio blog, you will gain a lot of new skills and quality experience in acting. 

4. Lesly Kahn Acting Classes and Coaching Blog

Lesly Kahn is one of the best acting coaches in Los Angeles. Here drama school locates in 1720 La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046, United States, is one of the most visited acting schools in Los Angeles. Therefore, it makes sense following her blog, as you will definitely find new things to learn about there. Here is what you can get following Lesly Kahn Acting Classes and Coaching Blog:

Services

Lesly Kahn’s blog offers classes, coaching, and workshops for actors. Following this blog, you will have the chance to find new horizons for your acting career. You will acquire new skills and new knowledge that will help you when applying for Los Angeles casting calls. 

Resources

In her blog, Lesly Kahn provides not only services but also some theoretical material that you can use for learning. You can find a fantastic reading list for your studies. The best thing in this blog is Lesly’s Little Black Book. This is a list containing all the possible contacts you may need as an actor, including Los Angeles headshot photographers, casting directors, editors, beauty specialists, and many others.

Blog

The blog section itself is not only one of the best acting blogs in Los Angeles but also a unique one. It is a friendly atmosphere where you can get inspiration, advice, and recommendations from acting professionals and Lesly herself. 

If you do not follow Lesly Kahn Acting Classes and Coaching Blog yet, right now is the time to get there and start reading. You will be welcomed from the very first second you enter this friendly online atmosphere. So, don’t hesitate! Lesly is waiting for you! 

5. Andrew Wood Acting Studio

Another Los Angeles acting blog you can follow to develop your acting career is Andrew Wood Acting Studio. This is the blog Mr Andrew Wood has graduated with a Master of Fine Arts at the Yale School of Drama. Sounds inspiring, doesn’t it? Here is what you can get following the blog of Andrew Wood:

Program 

As mentioned, Andrew Wood himself offers acting services. He organizes various workshops and testimonials in his studio, which you might find interesting to participate in. It is a chance to learn something new about your profession and discover yourself in a new environment. Following the blog, you will be aware of the latest programs and the original dates of classes by Andrew Wood.

Resources

Andrew Wood’s blog offers you a vast range of resources that may be necessary for your acting career in Los Angeles. You can find contact information for different schools and services such as:

  1. Casting resources 
  2. Self-taping services 
  3. Names of acting instructors with contact information
  4. Other helpful sites and social media pages

Blog 

Finally, Andrew Wood has a special section called “blog” on his website, where you can find multiple different articles that you will enjoy reading. For instance, you may find great articles about dealing with anxiety if you are a starting actor or how to prepare for a role. Besides, there are some op-ed articles on the acting performance of famous actors in movies and theatre. Therefore, following this blog, you will have the chance to read about the opinion and some professional analysis of a drama specialist. It is also worth noting that Backstage named Andrew Wood’s website, a top Los Angeles acting class. Therefore, it becomes logical why this blog is one of the best Los Angeles acting blogs you should absolutely follow. So you have already got 5 blogs recommended by a headshot photographer in Los Angeles that can turn your acting career into a definite line. 

Being an actor in Los Angeles requires you to participate in the new initiatives connected to acting actively. That includes not only responding to casting calls and updating headshots at a studio of a Los Angeles headshot photographer. Those are things every actor does. If you want to be one step forward, you should also be familiar with online activities about acting.

Following acting blogs is the best possible solution you may find for being informed, even for a headshot photographer. Acting blogs offer vast amounts of information and services for the development of your acting career in Los Angeles. You can read suggestions on how to create a good resume for auditions, where to find auditions, and how to behave on them. You can also find answers to all the questions you may have concerning acting. Now you know what the best Los Angeles acting blogs are, so what you have to do right now is to follow them. Don’t forget to check out actor’s headshots on our main page. 

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Click here to book a headshot session in Downtown Los Angeles.

You can view more Professional Headshots | Los Angeles Headshot Photographer on our home page. 

Read More
Seda Stepanyan
November 25, 2019
Where to Find Acting Auditions in Los Angeles

As an actor, you want to have an acting career in Los Angeles like Meryl Streep or Tom Hanks. That is a great wish, but for it to come true, you have a lot of work to do. That work includes not only finding Los Angeles headshot photographers to get professional headshots for your resume and your social media accounts. What does an acting career actually start with? It begins with the thing most actors hate and are even scared of: Auditions and casting calls. Yes, acting career begins with those stressful experiences called auditions.

It is not a joke saying that your acting career depends on acting auditions in Los Angeles. Therefore, you should respond to as many Los Angeles casting calls as it is possible to be successful. Don’t worry; everybody has gone through this at the beginning of their career, even megastars. 

Don’t stress!

It is natural that you stress about this issue; however, everything becomes simple when you know what to do. This article will help you make the first step towards your dream acting career. Here you will read about where and how to find the best acting auditions in Los Angeles and enrich your resume with various acting experiences. 

What to start with?

First of all, you should realize that in the modern world, there are many tools to help you reach your goal. There are many opportunities for everybody, and most importantly, it is effortless to find those opportunities. Also, you should realize that nobody is going to bring you those opportunities, but it is your job to look for them and to find them. It may sound a little sad, but it is temporary. You are just a starting actor, don’t forget about that. Soon after, the best directors of Los Angeles will start inviting you to play in their movies. But before, let’s look for some auditions.

As I said, there are so many tools, and the first one is the Internet. What does it mean? Yes, you can open your computer right now and find an audition for a role. The first website name you should type in your browser is Backstage.

1. Backstage 

Backstage is a perfect website for starting actors. It offers not only professional advice but also provides casting calls in Los Angeles. Those calls include different types of acting auditions in Los Angeles. You can find roles in theatre, movies, and commercial advertisements on the Backstage website. 

However, it is essential to note that Backstage is a paid website when it comes to Los Angeles casting calls and that is natural. In fact, most of the websites offering acting auditions in Los Angeles are paid. Backstage requires a monthly membership, which costs $19.99 . For that price, Backstage offers you:

Job applications

You can have unlimited access to Los Angeles casting calls of different types. It sounds like a perfect start for your acting career in Los Angeles, right?

Profile 

Signing up to Backstage, you can create a professional talent profile. Here you can post your resume, your demo reel, and the most recent headshots by a professional Los Angeles headshot photographer.

Signing up to backstage is a perfect start for your acting career in Los Angeles. This website is legitimate, and it is not very expensive. Even though there are cheaper websites, you may still go for Backstage, as it offers terrific Los Angeles casting calls. It also gives you a considerable amount of suggestions on how to participate in acting auditions in Los Angeles. Therefore, paying to Backstage will be a tiny investment in your future career. 

2. Breakdown Services

If you have an agent, then the website that will be really helpful is Breakdown Services. This is the best website where you will meet the best acting auditions in Los Angeles. This is where all the casting agencies and individual casting directors post announcements about Los Angeles casting calls. However, there is a nuance concerning this website. When I asked about the agent, it was necessary. The point is that only agents can use this website. They get special permission from this website and then, access to the best Los Angeles casting calls by professional casting agencies. 

Unfortunately, as an actor with no agent representation, you will not have the chance to participate in these casting calls. However, this should serve as a motivation for you. Take steps to become a more prominent actor: do more acting work, contact more Los Angeles headshot photographers for photo sessions, be more active in your social media. This is all to say, get involved in your sphere more. Agents will notify you and suggest their services. 

3. Actors Access

One more website for you to expand the variety of opportunities for acting auditions in Los Angeles. And there is one more good news concerning Actors Access. You don’t need an agent for that! This website provides not only Los Angeles casting calls, but also the ones in New York and Chicago just in case you need them. 

However, logically, these services are not free. You should pay for applying to the casting calls. Do you want one more surprise? OKAY! It is very cheap! You pay only 2$ for one acting audition. You can also pay $66 per year and have unlimited access to all the possible auditions in Los Angeles. As a headshot photographer in Los Angeles, and a person very familiar to the acting industry, I suggest you pay $66, as you will participate in much more acting auditions in Los Angeles than you imagine. Let’s be serious: nobody applies for just one Los Angeles casting call. It is impossible to choose 1 in 10000. Just pay $66 and ask for all the 10000. You will save a lot of money, which you can spend on creating a website for yourself, getting good headshots from the best Los Angeles headshot photographers, and making good videos. 

As you may understand, Actors Access is a dream place for starting actors. So, don’t hesitate to sign up. 

4. Other services

There are many more websites where you can find acting auditions in Los Angeles. The three sites mentioned above are not the only ones. There is always a chance to do more and discover more. These are the names of other casting websites (I wanted to hyperlink the blog I have written called “6 Best casting websites of 2019, but it was not submitted in the website”) that you may find useful to sign up for:

  1. Casting Networks Incorporated
  2. Playbill
  3. Mandy.com
  4. Casting Frontier

Don’t miss your chance to take the most and the best that the Internet offers you as a help for building your acting career in Los Angeles. There will be no harm from signing in to as much casting websites as it is possible to get access to all the acting auditions in Los Angeles.

Social Media

Let us not forget about this powerful tool called social media, as casting agencies don’t forget about it. It is not a secret how powerful social media can be when it comes to spreading and looking for information. For starting an actor looking for Los Angeles casting calls, social media is beneficial.

Events 

Many events related to the acting industry take place in Los Angeles. These events may not necessarily have websites, but they may be vital for your acting career. Participating in activities can actually be a perfect start of a job and a chance to participate in prestigious acting auditions in Los Angeles. You can meet influential casting directors during these events and communicate with them. You can also meet agents and persuade them to represent you during Los Angeles casting calls. Therefore, make sure to follow social media pages of events. 

When you like or follow a particular page, make sure to scroll down to see the recommendations that the social media platform provides. As you are making only the first steps of your acting career, don’t hesitate to follow everything connected to Los Angeles casting calls. You will not necessarily communicate with all the pages you follow. However, these pages are extremely useful in that they provide you the chance to be aware of the news in the acting industry and the most recent acting auditions in Los Angeles.  

By the way, don’t forget to follow all the official social media accounts of movie productions. What if they suddenly decide to make a job announcement? Who knows? And above all, it is your responsibility to follow the productions you dream to work with. 

Social media will also allow you to find the best headshot photographers in Los Angeles and register for photo sessions. 

Keep networking

It is extremely important to be active in the acting industry. Let’s say you have used the websites mentioned above and participated in a number of acting auditions in Los Angeles. That is not enough. You should search for more and more, and most importantly, you should make some contact with the influential people of the acting industry. You should make casting directors, writers, and maybe even producers know about you. What to do to find more casting calls and to participate in more acting auditions in Los Angeles?

  1. Get a job in the local theatre
  2. Don’t hesitate to do some volunteer acting in commercials
  3. Visit events connected to the acting industry
  4. Volunteer to participate in the films students make for their college projects
  5. Sign up for different acting classes even if you have already graduated from an acting school
  6. Join various filmmaking associations 
  7. Follow the famous Acting blogs and YouTube channels to expand your knowledge and skills 

Auditions for extras

Well, nobody said that becoming the new Meryl Streep or Tom Hanks starts with a lead role in a movie. Absolutely not! All the actors start with small characters where they appear for a couple of seconds in a crowd. Brad Pitt played an extra in a movie called “Less Than Zero” and he got only $38 for his role. Who could even imagine that this guy would appear in 2 Quentin Tarantino movies? So, don’t ever underestimate the job of extras and apply for Los Angeles casting calls for extras. 

At the beginning of your acting career in Los Angeles, the work as an extra in an effortless and rapid way to get into more substantial roles in movies. However, of course, everything depends on you. You should take that role of an extra really seriously. Try to impress the director. Try to do everything so that the director notices you. Show off all your skills and demonstrate a massive interest in what you are doing. Grab the attention of the director and the crew, and maybe they will consider you for more prominent roles. 

It will be unrealistic to say that the job of an extra is the key to a successful acting career in Hollywood. Don’t take it too easy. It should serve you like nothing else but a boost to achieve higher goals and be only the first step of a ladder leading to peaks such as the Academy Award for best actor or actress.

As a Conclusion…

Today, the Internet allows us to have quick and easy access to the information you are looking for. The acting career in Los Angeles does not start from the top. You have a colossal path to go through before you reach your goals and become a famous actor in Los Angeles. You should start your way by preparing a good resume, which includes a beautiful headshot by a Los Angeles headshot photographer, and then start filling in your acting experience. This experience should be vibrant, and for that, you should respond to all the Los Angeles casting calls you come across.

Take real steps to find casting calls and sign up to the websites and follow acting social media accounts that I presented in this article. Be very active: participate in events and never ever stop networking. Participating in acting auditions in Los Angeles is crucial for your acting career, so do that as much as it is possible, and you will become the Meryl Streep or Tom Hanks of the future. 

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Seda Stepanyan
September 26, 2019
How to Book Auditions in Los Angeles

Auditioning is a necessary and unavoidable process for the beginning of your acting career, especially in Los Angeles. However, you should not consider auditions as a job interview, but rather a chance to start doing what you love the most, to begin creating new characters and to get used to performing in front of the audience.  Still, auditioning, especially in Los Angeles, may be a tense and stressful process as a group of casting directors will gather in a small room watching your performance. For this reason, here are some tips for you to gain an insight on how to audition for a role in Los Angeles.  

What do you need for an audition?

The first thing you need for an audition is to arrive not less than 15 minutes earlier to enter the casting room. However, there are several things you should prepare before the audition: 

Role Preparation 

As Konstantin Stanislavski’s method of acting dictates, “The actors’ job is to inhabit the characters they play.” This quote applies not only to confirmed roles but also to auditions. In fact, it is far more essential to have that task completed for the audition to have more chances to get the part. Having done the character research, you will build a reputation of a professional actor for yourself. 

Know the plot of the play/movie/commercial

If the casting director does not consider you for the role you auditioned for, you may get another one if you know the script and the whole plot well. Your knowledge will make an impression on the casting crew, and you will have a chance to demonstrate yourself as another character. Tom Hiddleston, for example, first auditioned for the role of Thor in Marvel’s “Thor.” However, the casting director did not see the Thor in Hiddleston and suggested him to play Loki, as he knew the plot very well. So, follow the example of Tom Hiddleston, and go to the audition maximally aware. 

Memorize your lines

Los Angeles auditions are tough. They are even tougher if you are going there without memorizing the lines of your character. Moreover, it is a complete waste of time. They expect you to learn your lines before entering the audition room so that you can demonstrate your acting skills and not your reading skills. The professional casting crew may put you in various situations to test your body language skills, your posture, eye contact, etc. If you need to have a paper with your lines in your hands, you will surely fail all the task you may be assigned to do. Some Los Angeles casting agencies will immediately kick you out in case you do not know your lines by heart. 

Who auditions you?

You are already in the room where you have to perform in the best way you can to get the role you are dying for. Forget about yourself for a moment and look at the people sitting in front of you. Who are those people? Obviously, they are the ones who decide whether you will receive the part or not. So, it is worth knowing them well, isn’t it? So, just Google them as much as you can.

Casting Directors

These are the first people who see the actors in the auditioning room. The job of casting directors is not only to look at the actors and consider them for roles but also to take those talents and lead them to become distinguished actors. We say that directors “have an eye on the talent.” Hence, the casting director is the person who you should impress first of all, even if you are not chosen for the role. Casting directors not only look for an actor for that particular role, but they look for talents for the future. If you impress them with your performance, they will be likely to remember you and help you to grow as an actor. 

Remember, it’s all about connections in Hollywood.

Casting Associates

Casting associates are the casting directors’ right hand. They “filter” the actors. Out of thousands of candidates for a specific role in a movie, they pick a maximum of hundred. Therefore, you may need to impress them to get the chance to impress the casting director as well. In reference to the final audition, the association takes care of contacting the agents and schedule your audition. Casting associates know everything about you and sometimes even present you to the casting director. So, make sure the casting associates like you.  

The Reader

Even if compared to the casting director and the associate, the reader may seem to be a secondary persona; they are more influential than you can imagine. Basically, the reader is the person who reads the lines of the other characters of the story. However, your interaction with the reader is extremely important for the casting director. The reader is considered to be your partner, and your interaction with him/her is a test of your ability to interact with your real acting partners. 

The Creative Team

All of the movie industry professionals mentioned above are important, right? However, the creative team is probably the most essential out of everyone. The group includes the director, producer and the writers. These are the people who are going to make the final decision whether you will play the part or not. In other words, if you impress the casting associate and the casting director, you are on the final line of your audition. This team meets the final candidates for the role. If this team finally chooses you for the role, it will also match you with your future co-stars and the crew. 

What to bring to an audition in Los Angeles?

Now, when you are already registered for an audition, and you have done your preparation, it is time to think about what you are going to take there with yourself. 

A Headshot and a Resume

These are the two things that are undoubtedly the most important for your presence in a casting room. Even if the casting director knows you very well, you have to have a detailed resume and a headshot by a professional photographer in your hands. These 2 items serve as a passport for an actor. What is more, it is essential that your headshot and your resume are stapled together. The headshot is the first thing Los Angeles casting agencies look at when considering an actor. If you wonder how much it costs to hire a Los Angeles headshot photographer, click here. It is vital for them to have your resume together to be able to form an opinion. 

The day before the audition

You have done preparation for your character, researched, learned your lines, and read the script. Now is the last day before your audition that will give a start to your acting career in Hollywood. There are a couple of things left for you to do. You should:

Revise your lines

Yes, we said that you have already learned them. Repeat them once again. It will not take too long, but “repetition is the mother of learning.” Make sure you know everything well, and if you forget your lines, you will most probably fail your audition.

Put an extra copy of your headshot into your bag

If you forget your headshot or something happens to it on the way, it will be hard to find a headshot photographer in Los Angeles in a couple of minutes to get a new headshot. Remember, the headshot is your entrance ticket to the Los Angeles audition room, so take care of it.

Choose your outfit carefully

Never ever leave this task to the day of the audition. Choosing clothes is a source of panic, which you need to avoid by all means. You should not load your mind with the difficult task of picking an outfit. The last day before the audition is a perfect time to decide what you are going to wear at the audition. The only thing you will have to do on the day of the audition will be just putting those clothes on and leaving the house. Audition clothing rules are similar to those of headshot sessions. Here is information on wardrobe rules and restrictions.

Make a morning checklist

Does it sound an obvious thing? Well, most people forget about this and run in the house in the morning of the audition, and when they finally get out, there is an impression that the house has been under a nuclear attack. The audition is a key event in every actor’s life and your future acting career in Hollywood. That is why everything should go smoothly on the day of your audition. So, take a moment to write down a morning schedule for the audition day. 

Set 3 alarms

Childish? No, it is extremely efficient. Most of the auditions start early in the morning. You need to make sure to get up on time on the day of the audition. Try to wake up from the sound of the first alarm, but if you accidentally don’t, no trouble as you have 2 more alarms set.

What’s happening after leave the audition room

The audition process generally takes from a couple of weeks to several months. You may have to wait very long until you get final decision. If you do not receive an answer for months, do not worry! The audition may still be in process. You may be interested in what actually happens when you leave that room to wait for the life-changing decision. 

Basically, after you leave the audition room, other candidates walk in and out. In the end, the casting team starts narrowing down the list. It happens very rarely when one candidate takes the role immediately. Usually, the casting team makes a shortlist of candidates and calls them back for new tests. It is necessary to note that in this whole process, the final decision is not made by a single person. A whole team works on choosing the best candidate. Therefore, after you leave the audition room, a whole discussion about you and your performance may take place. 

Los Angeles Actors’ Common Mistakes

You may be perfectly prepared for your audition in LA; however, there exist a certain amount of common mistakes. Even the most experienced and talented Hollywood actors can make those mistakes you would like to avoid. Here are the main mines actors tend to step in:

Rehearse, rehearse and rehearse

It is always evident for the casting director whether the actor has rehearsed his part or no. If you have not rehearsed, you only waste your time during the audition. If you do not rehearse, it means you do not take the audition seriously. It also means that you are not very passionate about the role you are auditioning for. More practically, if you have not rehearsed, you will not be able to have a natural conversational rhythm. 

Learn your part every day 

Do not leave the rehearsals to the last day. You need time to get used to your role so that you can perform in the most natural way. Do not say that you got the script a day ago. Everybody can say that. You may want to look above the other contestants. So, if you really want to have the role, take some time, and prepare. The casting directors notice everything. They will understand that you have spent a couple of days to prepare for the audition; hence, you have a serious approach to your role, and they will pay special attention to yourself.

Don’t ask to perform once more

Casting directors hate when the contestants stop in the middle of their performance and ask to start over. Never pronounce the phrase “Sorry, can I please restart?.” It makes the casting directors nervous. They prefer confidence in actors. That is why, if you feel that you did not start well, just say, “I will start once more” and do it. The casting directors will appreciate that. They do not like vulnerability but prefer courage and certainty. In one of our previous articles we offer 3 tips to emerging actors.

You, as an actor, should know that you will need to participate in several auditions in Los Angeles to build an acting career in Hollywood for yourself. Auditions require serious preparation, professional headshots, and there are numerous things you will have to do before the audition date so that you leave the room successfully gone through the audition process.

Finally, if you would like to get information on casting calls in Los Angeles register yourself in some top casting agencies. If you are not sure which ones to trust, ask Yelp.

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