Online Acting Classes

Rewards of Acting

2007-11-07T21:55:00.000-08:00

Acting is one of the most rewarding and exciting things a person can do. A good actor can become anything he or she wants to be. Did you ever think about what it would be like being president of the United States of America or a homeless person begging for spare change? You can have the experience of being both, and still go home to your normal life. What other kind of career can offer that?

There is nothing that compares to the feeling of being on stage, or the butterflies in your stomach right before you walk out. It's an amazing feeling knowing that you are going to bring entertainment to a large group of people. For however long you are on stage, you are bringing them into a world that you helped create. A world full of wonder, excitement, heartache or despair. You can make them laugh, cry, or stand up and cheer.

You can also change people's lives. If you are performing in a play with a strong moral message the impact can be amazing. As you bring someone into a different world that you are creating on stage, a person's defenses are lowered. Their minds and hearts become open to the message that is being conveyed.

You will also learn a lot about yourself by acting. As you study a character, you also study yourself. In the process of becoming your character, you find way to relate your real life experiences. A part of you becomes the character and a part of the character becomes you. The deeper you go with a character the more believable the experience becomes for both the audience and yourself.

Now don't get me wrong, it's not the easiest profession to get into. It takes a lot of hard work, study, and determination. Even after all that, there is no guarantee that you can make a full time career out of it. Some actors study for years and years, go to the best schools, but get none of the breaks. Other people get discovered while eating lunch at a fast food joint. There is no formula for making it big. If anyone tries to offer you one, just hide your wallet and walk the other way.

Go out and get yourself a book on acting from your local bookstore or better yet the library (hey, it's free). Study all you can. Search the net, there is a ton of free info right out there. There are also loads of videos you can buy. During the summer take some time and go to an acting camp. There are also workshops all over the country all year round.

The great thing is, there are always places to go to act. Almost every community has a theatre troop of some kind. If not, just go ahead and start one for yourself. There are plenty of people who would love to get up on stage. You just have to look. So stop sitting there wishing you could be like the people you see on TV or at the movies. Get up, get out and start acting!!!

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Acting

Acting Lesson to be an Successful Actor

2007-11-07T00:36:00.000-08:00

Successful Actors Advice to anyone who wants a career as an actor.

Be on time. On a big film the money is going out the door at about 30 grand every 20 minutes. On a network TV show the rate is only a bit less. If you are ten minutes late for a job that pays five hundred bucks - you will be very disliked by the producer and everybody that works for him. People will scream at you. If you are late for an audition, the casting director will worry that you won't get to the job on time. If you are late for a job, that casting director will also have people screaming at her. And further more there is no such thing as an eight-hour day in show business. If you cannot work a long day, you are unsuited for success in show business.

Be an early riser. If you want to be in the movie or television business, you must be the kind of person who can get up at 5 in the morning. If you work in the theatre, your early rising will fall about 10 AM - because you work into the night. But if you plan on working in this industry you would do well to make early rising a lifelong habit. The early starts and long hours mean that you will be spending about half your life with co-workers. If you are a pain in the butt - you will be heartily disliked by other people who are also working 12 hour days. Word will get around and it will be harder to get work. Therefore be nice to people no matter what. You have to keep your 'creative juices' flowing during the entire 12 hours. If you don't love doing this kind of work, being on for 12 hours is impossible.

Well groomed and clean. You are not the part. Even the guys who play bikers and bums wear deodorant and have clean teeth. Your breath must be pleasant. A co-worker who literally stinks will get a reputation and lose opportunities because of it.

No complains Those actors on sets who do complain about the dressing rooms, the food, the director, the co-star, the costume people, the lack of work, the hours, the script and pretty much anything. They are labelled as complainers and are rarely appreciated or tolerated for very long.

Good value from you When you habitually give 100% of your energy to the work - you will get more work.

Much more information on attending an Acting Lesson on this website. See for your self. x

Acting Teachers Offer More Than Just Instruction

2007-11-05T22:15:00.001-08:00

Thousands of careers have been wrecked by actors who "changed horses in the middle of the stream." Those actors go from teacher to teacher without ever finding out what any of them have to offer.

They switch from agent to agent before a long-range plan for their career can be developed. They go from one publicist to another, destroying the valuable groundwork of every publicity campaign. Finally, they fight their way out of legitimate contracts -and into oblivion.

The entertainment field is the only business on earth in which a girl who might never make more than forty dollars a week running an elevator can be molded by specialists into a commodity worth thousands of dollars weekly to one of the major industries of our time.

Actors today have unprecedented prestige and social standing.

Most of them use their advantages to good purpose, as does Bob Hope, globe-circling, good-will ambassador extraordinary to the court of humanity. Royalty welcomes Danny Kaye, and so, in many lands, do the underprivileged children to whom he has brought the vitalizing nourishment of laughter.

While the successful actor acquires prestige and social standing in plying his well-paid profession, he attains other gratifying goals.

Almost without exception, every notable performer refers nostalgically to some artistically worth-while venture about which he says happily, "I didn't make much money with it, but it was a great satisfaction to do."

Where does this satisfaction come from? It comes from giving an audience something he believes in: something that to her/him represents, either inspirationally, dramatically or amusingly, the truth as he sees it.

In a discussion of acting, John Mason Brown, distinguished critic and lecturer, paid a tribute to the men and women of the profession when he said, "An actor turns pretense into truth."

Actors work considerably harder than most people think they do. I have heard more than one parent say of his own hard-working, well-established son in show business, "Yes, he's doing all right, but I wish he'd get a real job."

He has one. Acting is a very real job. As the standards of the profession grow continually higher, and the taste of the public keeps pace, the demands on the actor are more exacting.

Those who fulfill these demands will win the ultimate beachhead and earn the right to live securely on the island of success.

Lucille Ball cried her eyes out the night she was fired from RKO as a stock player. But she never stopped working to improve herself. When she was at her lowest ebb, half frightened and altogether frustrated, she put more drive than ever into her career.

She went on the road with a stage production of Elmer Rice's Dream Girl and steamed full speed ahead on the upgrade again.

She, with husband Desi Arnaz, became co-owners of the studio lot where the name DESILU STUDIOS looms high on a sign replacing the letters that used to be there-RKO.

Addicted to acting? Me too! Tap into an ever-growing source of Free articles, resources, and insider career tips. Visit NYCActing.com

Acting Inspiring Performance

2007-11-05T22:14:00.000-08:00

There are some inspired amateur performances in America every year.

Some of them are extraordinarily effective. But those who give them can rarely duplicate their performances-and then only by accident-because talented amateurs haven't developed either voice, body or mind as dependable technical tools.

The important thing is to give an inspiring performance. It's hardly possible that Judith Anderson could have been inspired during the entire run of Medea, in which she played a heavy emotional role.

But with her magnificent technique and dramatic art she consistently created the effects of inspiration and was therefore inspiring to her audiences.

What is dramatic art? Dramatic art is acting PLUS. It may be described, all too briefly, as acting which inspires an emotional response over and beyond the immediate and obvious word,

action or situation in any given performance.

Is there any difference between good acting for the stage and screen, or for television and radio?

Basically, no. The fundamentals are the same. The differences lie in the way an actor or personality adjusts the same tools and materials to the various mediums.

What is the difference between actors and personalities? An actor is a performer who can up to a point efface himself and, motivated by a playwright's words and a director's guidance, can, within the limits of human feasibility,

create and interpret any character.

A personality is a performer whose individuality is so distinctive and strong that it dictates the color of every role he plays.

Do you have to have talent to be an actor? No. Many actors have made a very good living by being such capable craftsmen in their use of the tools of acting that they have overcome the handicap of not having native talent.

They've made up for what they lack as inherent artists by becoming highly skilled, superior artisans-experts in the mechanics of acting.

If you have talent, and know you have it, why must you study? Even if you have talent, it may be blocked and jammed up by inhibitions and tensions, dissipated by lack of discipline, or cluttered and confused by egotism.

Intelligent training in the technicalities that support talent and compensate for its lack frees you from these drawbacks. However great your talent, you have to build a mechanical foundation in order to organize that talent and use it most effectively.

What is a "good, actor"? In the final analysis, a good actor must excite an audience, must be interesting to look at, and pleasing to listen to. He must be able to transmit these qualities with

impact. He must have polarity and balance.

Addicted to acting? Me too! Tap into an ever-growing source of Free articles, resources, and insider career tips. Visit NYCActing.com

Acting-The Three Primary Eements

2007-11-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

FAITH, AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING... You act by using the three primary elements upon which acting is based: the VOICE, the BODY and the MIND.

They're the materials that go into your acting. They're

the tools of your craft They're the eloquent instruments of your art.

THE VOICE AND THE BODY MUST BE MADE SO FLEXIBLE THAT THEY WILL INSTANTLY OBEY THE COMMANDS OF THE MIND WITHOUT CONSCIOUS

EFFORT.

The more you know, the more those words will mean to you. And you will know more-much more-later.

Where do you begin an acting technique?

You begin with the physical apparatus-arms, legs, torso, tongue, eyes, facial muscles and so on-from skeleton to skin. Technique is mechanics.

Technique is scientific. Isn't a scientific technique very mechanical?

Indeed it is. But you must have at your command, ready to serve you immediately-at your director's will-a practical knowledge of the mechanics of modern acting.

The seven tones of the musical scale are mechanical too, but they can be used artistically to create a great piece of music. The three primary colors and their divisions

are mechanical, but they, also, can be used to create a work of art.

To take another example, the frame of any house in skeleton form, with its cement, two-by-fours, steel girders, and so on, is a matter of good, sound mechanics.

It has very little to inspire you emotionally. But when a Frank Lloyd Wright applies his creative talent to it, the framework becomes the foundation for a piece of architecture that is artistic and inspiring in its finished form.

If the foundation weren't mechanically sound, a

Frank Lloyd Wright's inspiration would go to waste. The structure would collapse.

Do I believe in mechanical acting? No. But I believe an actor must build a solid mechanical mold before he can flood and color the performance of a role with his own talent and personality.

Without a substantial technical framework and foundation his performance will be subject to both hidden and obvious weaknesses.

Do you have to have talent to be an actor?

No.

Many actors have made a very good living by being such capable craftsmen in their use of the tools of acting that they have overcome the handicap of not having native talent.

They've made up for what they lack as inherent artists by becoming highly skilled, superior artisans-experts in the mechanics of acting.

Brittney L Dunn
For more information on everything for the acting student
visit: NYCActing.com

Getting Into Acting

2007-11-02T22:40:00.000-07:00

Now that you have honed your acting skills and enhanced your natural good looks by devotedly following a rigorous aerobic regime and weight training program, you are ready to pursue a career as an actor in the film business. Yet talent, schooling, experience, and good looks, while definitely an advantage, are by no means the only things helpful to getting into the "biz" (nor is their possession a guarantee of success).

Your desire to succeed, to see your dream of cinematic achievement and financial prosperity come to fruition is even more important.

To improve the possibility of your success, quitting is not an option for you. You must be unwavering in your resolve to hang tough through the rough times, determined to endure the rocky roads that lay ahead. The reality is that the odds against making it are extremely high.

Nevertheless, if you are an enterprising individual who's capable of dealing with this high-odds reality - who can focus on that proverbial carrot tied to the end of the stick with your blinders on tightly - then don't make your journey a futile undertaking by pursuing your goal faraway from where the action is.

To be considered for the major films with the juicy roles and staggering salaries, you have to think seriously about relocating to New York City or Los Angeles. These two metropolitan areas are the hubs of the movie industry.

Yes, more and more movies are being made outside of the Big Apple and Tinsel Town, by both independent filmmakers and large studios. It is to your advantage to keep an eye out for them in your community. Along with being a way to earn money - through working either as an extra or fulfilling some other capacity on the project - they are excellent places to see how movies are put together, make connections, acquire on-the-job training, and get exposure.

But before leaving home and the support of family and friends, make sure you have a plan of action as well as a sizeable sum of greenbacks, since just trying to make the cut in the acting game carries a steep price tag. For example, you will need money for food, new clothes, renting a place to live, auto repairs, filling the gas tank to get to distant studios when they call you in for an audition, dry cleaning, insurance, social outings, and hair care, to state but a small number of expenses.

When that day arrives where you finally find yourself on the streets of New York City or Los Angeles, keep in mind that your primary mission at this point in your career is to sell your best and sole product - you. Consequently, if you're the type who has difficulty trumpeting his or her own wares, you're going to be in trouble. Nobody is going to publicize you at this juncture but you. You're an unknown commodity. Nobody knows you or your work. For these reasons, you have to get over your inability to self-promote and learn to present yourself as the consummate professional you know you are.

Sculpt yourself in the way that corresponds with the demands of your prospective employers to strengthen your chances of gaining employment as an actor. Enroll in acting classes upon your arrival in the big city. Although you may have already taken some classes in your hometown, you're going to quickly discover that those classes don't cut much ice in New York or Hollywood. You must become knowledgeable about how things are done in your current surroundings.

Next, obtain one of the most valuable tools for breaking into the business - a headshot photograph. This photograph is important because it is your key to opening doors and bringing about one-to-one contacts with talent agents and casting directors.

To decrease the odds of your photographs winding up buried in a filing cabinet with hundreds of other photographs, or being immediately thrown out, hire the most competent photographer you can afford. In addition to the headshot photograph, you need some pictures for your "book." These pictures ought to show you in different attire and depicting a variety of moods. They should be black-and-white as well as color. The photographs must not be touched up in any way because talent agents and casting directors want to see what you really look like. (Yet both men and women can use makeup to bring out their eyes, cover up blemishes, hide pimples, and so on. If asked, the photographer will hire a makeup artist as well as a hair stylist to assist in making you look your best for the camera.) You should wear clothes that are comfortable and say something about you as well. For instance, if you're a jogger, have some pictures taken in your jogging outfit. The same holds true if your physical activity is tennis or skiing or inline skating.

Have 500 copies of your headshot photograph printed, then take about 50 of them and start making the rounds, knocking on the doors of talent agents and casting directors listed in the phone directory. Leave a black-and-white photograph, with a resume attached to the back of it, at the office of each person who sees your headshot photograph. On your resume record information about your height, weight, hair color, eye color, union membership status, previous accomplishments and contact information. If you don't own one, buy a cell phone, or an answering machine, or voice mail for your landline phone, or sign up with an answering service. Talent agents and casting directors are busy people, and they won't keep calling you back.

Don't be concerned if your resume isn't the embodiment of cosmic credentials in the acting profession. You're just launching your rocket into orbit, remember? So give yourself awhile to reach a stratospheric elevation. Then again, it probably would be wiser for you not to pilot that spaceship exclusively toward the dizzying altitude of celebrity status. A more practical aspiration is that of becoming a steadily working actor. If in the process you attain celebrity status and all the trappings that go along with it - great.

After a week or two, call each talent agent's secretary to remind her of who you are and to request an appointment. Be sure to conduct yourself in a businesslike manner. You might possibly impress her and merit favorable mention by her to her boss. In turn, he just might call you in quicker for an interview.

At any rate, when you do get an appointment, make certain that you put your best foot forward: dress appropriately, get there early, don't become impatient if you have to wait. And, when you meet the agent, smile, maintain eye contact, shake hands firmly, introduce yourself, and tell him that you want to be in movies.

During the course of the interview if the agent babbles on about charging you to sign on with his agency, or if he offers lessons of any sort, be suspicious of his ethical standards. A legitimate agent doesn't charge the actors he takes on as clients anything for his services. He operates on a commission basis, receiving his earnings after his actors have been paid. Though the majority of agents are honest and above reproach, and work hard on behalf of their clients, be careful when seeking one to manage your career. Don't be afraid to ask for references and credentials before putting your signature on an agent's contracts. Also, it is wise for you to work under a non-exclusive, short-term contract of about one to two years in duration to be sure your agent can perform his duties in an intelligent, skilled, and timely manner.

Once you've signed on with an agent, he'll eventually tell you that he's set up an audition for you for a part in a movie. Don't freak out! You should expect that you'll have to do a reading. Therefore, call the people auditioning you a day or two beforehand and get hold of a copy of the script. Then pore over it from front to back, memorizing it completely.

Nervousness oftentimes overcomes actors in a situation like this. Sweaty palms, tightness in the pit of the stomach and an accelerated heartbeat are not uncommon. But you should be aware that those evaluating you are not your enemies; they don't have you in front of them to make you suffer. As a rule, these folks are courteous and friendly, and they want to see you do well as much as you want to do well. More than likely, they have auditioned dozens of actors before you that they're uncertain about and genuinely hope you're the right one for the part.

Take heed, though, that in an effort to quiet your nerves you don't resort to getting sloshed with alcohol or high on drugs. Doing either of these things will hinder you from being the best actor you can be during the audition. Furthermore, nobody is going to risk millions of dollars, his reputation, and his future in the business on an alcoholic or drug addict.

Still, rejection is a certainty. And it is one of the most difficult things for a large number of individuals to handle. However, you are going to have to deal with your ego undergoing this kind of drubbing if you want to remain sane and survive in the biz. There is no simple way to control your hurt feelings over being rejected. They are real. But you have to get over it as quickly as possible and go back to knocking on doors.

Pay attention to a rejection, but don't let it deter you from going to auditions. A rejection usually represents the opinion of one person and means for some reason that person didn't think you were right for the part. If you ask, that person might tell you why you were turned down and give you constructive feedback you can use to correct your mistakes and revamp your strategy, as well as aid you in gaining a more in-depth understanding of your particular facet of the industry.

Lastly, you should be aware that even a proven, established actor is not exempt from rejection. No matter how handsome or talented he may be, he will be rejected more often than he'll be accepted. Alas, this is merely one of many dues you have to pay in your climb to the summit of the acting mountain in the business of filmmaking. Visit web site http://hometown.aol.com/buffalofox/joggingandrunning.html

As a nationally certified fitness instructor, La Rue conducted exercise and bodybuilding classes for the YMCA and other organizations. La Rue also was an instructor/trainer for the Michigan Heart Association, a board member of the Metropolitan Detroit Health Education Council, and a member of the YMCA Physical Education Committee. La Rue is a Detroit native with a BA in English from Wayne State University.

Secret 3 For Your Acting Audition Success

2007-11-02T22:38:00.000-07:00

It?s time to nail that acting audition!

Boy can it be scary in that audition room.

Well let me tell you there is hope and it?s not about relying on
luck, or a miracle but on something that is within YOU. A power
that is so strong that it is never wrong. Once you know how to
use this power acting becomes easy.

All great actors have it and use it.

All successful business people bank on it.

I?m talking about your GUT INSTINCT.

And we all have it.

It?s that ?Aha? feeling you get like a light bulb going off, or
it may come in the form of a vision, a buzz, or a sudden sour
stomach.

As any skill improves with training and practice so too does
your intuition.

A large degree of intuition comes from experience and knowledge.
Your intuition is like a computer in your brain, your
subconscious, that sifts through the endless amounts of
information to make a hit.

Therefore to help your intuition along you need to put the
information, knowledge and experiences into your system before
walking into that audition room.

One thing you can be sure of when you walk into an audition room
is the work that you have put into the script and the character.
If you have done your homework, including research and script
breakdown, then that will give you an edge because you have put
the information and knowledge in so that your Gut Instinct can
work its magic.

One of the most important keys to your acting audition success
is your GUT INSTINCT.

Your gut instinct comes from a place of KNOWING.

I recall this one time I had an acting audition and I had done
all my homework on the character and the script and the casting
agent wasn?t happy with my choice and wanted me to change what I
was doing. Her suggestion went against everything I knew in my
gut, I spoke up about how I felt and then did it again in the
way I knew it to be in line with the character, against her
advice. You know what, I got the job and the director had said
to me I was the only one that gave him what he was looking for
in the audition. Casting agents are there to guide you but they
may not have a full understanding of the character because after
all that is the actors job. As long as you?re coming from a
place of KNOWING then I?d say its ok to question the casting
agent.

I just knew it in my body the feeling came as a sick kind of
feeling in my stomach like what I was hearing was wrong and
wasn?t going to work.

If you know you?ve done the work follow your GUT INSTINCT!

Risky? YES!

Does it pay? YES!

Don?t be afraid to follow what you believe to be true.

Stand your ground take a risk.

To Your Acting Success

Leanne Mauro

Secret 4 For Your Acting Audition Success

2007-11-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

There are two important characteristics you have to have as a

GREAT actor.

1) An OPEN MIND

2) The ability to LISTEN

I cant tell you how important it is for an actor to be able to

let go of any decisions they have made prior to walking into

their acting audition.

So often we the actor make choices that

we believe suit the story only to have the casting agent or

director offer an alternative way.

I know in Secret To Your Acting Audition Success I alluded to

the fact that you don?t have to listen to the casting agent but

I stress here that that is ONLY if you have a GUT INSTINCT that

is telling you that your decision is stronger.

The casting agent is a vital part of the casting process they

are the ones that have sat down with the director and broken

down what it is the director is looking for.

So it is very important to LISTEN to the casting agent they are

giving you important directions that have come directly from the

client (if auditioning for a TVC), director, producer, and/or

writer.

I?ve spent a lot of time in audition rooms both in front and

behind the camera and all too often I?ve seen actors nervously

get caught up in what they are going to do that they aren?t

present and listening to what the casting agent is offering

them.

Big Mistake!

They miss the most important part of the audition ? knowing what

the director wants!

It?s vital that you put your thoughts to the side for a moment

and simply listen and be present with what the casting agent is

telling you instead of trying to figure it all out in your head.

Yes you have to be on the ball and think on your feet but not at

the expense of what the director might be looking for.

So take a deep breathe, relax and LISTEN to the casting agent.

If it?s an audition where you?ve had time to prepare it?s

absolutely acceptable and advisable to come prepared with TWO

ways to play the scene.

Don?t forget it is YOUR AUDITION.

Don?t be afraid to speak up in the audition room.

Ask questions if you need clarity. And let

them know that you have an alternative way of playing the scene.

The casting agents will be impressed and the directors will see

more of your range. Go for opposite choices. If you?re going to

offer an alternative make it obviously different.

If you offer an alternative way of playing the scene and they

still don?t think it works GREAT try what they are suggesting

and you have a whole range of your work on tape for the director

to work with.

So, Remember, an OPEN MIND and the ability to let go of any

preconceived ideas, LISTENING to the important information from

the director via the casting agent, and having an ALTERNATIVE

way of playing a scene are vital to your ACTING SUCCESS. You

will leave an impression that makes you someone people want to

work with.

To Your Acting Audition Success

Leanne Mauro

Why Acting Class is Crucial in your Development as an Actor!

2007-10-31T22:15:00.000-07:00

Do I really need to go to acting class; my friends think I?m a
natural performer? Isn?t acting all about knowing lines anyway??

If only acting where all about knowing lines. If it where that
simple everyone would be an actor. Acting requires skill and
discipline on many levels and to start to learn about these
skills and disciplines acting class is the PERFECT place.

An acting class is not like any other class, history or English
or pottery. There is no formula or textbook regurgitation to
passing an acting class.

Acting class is very different; really it is the study of YOU! Of the Self!

Great acting comes from a place of knowing. Knowing your truth,
knowing how to relate, knowing how to connect and communicate.

Acting class is the place where you go to KNOW more about YOU!

The way to learn more about your Self is to put yourself out
there. Try a love scene. How do you feel? What happens when I
allow myself to be funny or sad? How does it feel? Are my
instincts tuned? How do people react? What can I do to go
deeper?

An acting class should be a safe environment where you can learn
to express yourself. All of you. And even if your efforts flop
this is the perfect environment because it hasn?t cost you
anything in terms of losing a job or making the wrong impression
with the people that count.

Find an acting class or acting teacher that is supportive and
encouraging, one that is constructive and objective not critical.

Acting class, first and foremost should be FUN but also
challenging! You want it to be a place where you are
continuously discovering, going deeper, and pushing your comfort
zone.

Use your acting class to try everything. Don?t shy away from
your impulses, urges, and ideas, embrace them. This is how you
will grow as an actor.

This is the place where you can really screw up, fall flat on
your face, and it doesn?t matter. This is the place to learn to
push the boundaries, to discover who you are and how you work as
an actor.

Also I find that when you are continuously working on your craft
in such an environment you?re in a state ready to work, you have
greater confidence in your ability. You?re prepared to nail that
role!

So go out there, take an acting class and:

Express yourself

Learn the craft, Gather the tools

Find your Technique

Make mistakes

Learn the Lingo

Work with other like-minded people

Meet people and start a theatre group

See if your have what it takes

Practice, Practice, Practice

Add to your resume

Free yourself up

And most importantly;

Have fun!

To Your acting

Leanne Mauro

Great Acting Requires Sincere Effort

2007-10-29T01:30:00.001-07:00

One of the first true mysteries that children encounter when growing up is trying to understand what acting is all about. The idea of people trying to be other than they really are and involved in completely fictional situations?is a bit difficult to grasp. But, like moths to the flame, even confused children cannot help but watch. There is a good reason for this?a great story is always entertaining. Of course, the acting used to tell a great story is as important as the tale because the audience must be able to escape with the actors in the world of imagination and make-believe. Therefore, the actors must be able to envision themselves in extreme or remote situations and give a realistic presentation of how a person would truly behave. Great acting makes it easier for those in the audience to escape with the actor into the tale they are attempting to present.

By combining imagination, physical expression, and vocal projection, acting has taken many forms through the centuries to translate the actions and thoughts of written characters to live audiences. At the expense of social status during the Roman Empire, actors performed the poetry of great writers in open courtyards to entertain the masses. Theater troops entirely comprised of men expressed the comedy and tragedy of Shakespeare?s plays before women were allowed to perform. And, later during the early 20th century, acting was taken to new heights with the invention of cameras for use in movies and television.

Originally derived from the Latin word for ?to do?, there are many forms of expression that acting can take on. Today, actors train extensively in areas of study such as mime, singing, dancing, and improvisation to capture the true emotions of a character. Learning institutions throughout the United States and the world offer programs to develop the skills and insight necessary to perform great literary, musical, and dance pieces.

From your child?s elementary school holiday program, to your favorite television show, acting can be found in many aspects of our daily lives. Consider expanding your appreciation of acting with a trip to a local theater or operatic production for an experience that lasts a lifetime. Many local and regional theaters remain in operation and afford all aspiring actors the chance to hone their acting talents while still providing inexpensive entertainment to those in attendance.

Movies-Music-Television.com makes it easy to find information on movies, music and more. Visit our site and learn more about Performing Arts today.

Acting Schools Teach Performing Arts

2007-10-26T22:41:00.001-07:00

Acting Schools can be found in many fine arts departments in colleges and universities across the country. Acting Schools can also be specialized institutions for teaching the art and craft of the performing arts.

Acting Schools train students in stage, film, and television performance. Four-year degrees through intensive professional study in Acting Schools are common, however, some specialized acting schools provide programs that last just weeks. Students can choose the level of acting instruction and training they want. Private lessons are also available in some instances.

Acting School associate degree programs prepare students to convey information, attitudes, feelings, moods, and ideas through natural behavior in imaginary situations. Acting School instruction can include acting styles; script interpretation; voice, speech, and stage dialects; body movement and improvisation; theatre history; and coaching.

Admission to Acting Schools for obtaining the Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs often involves student application forms, academic records, portfolios, theater experience, and acting auditions. Students should contact individual schools for admission requisites.

Acting School classes can focus on overall ability of individual students, and students may choose to pursue stage, film, or television acting. Students can expect classes in acting techniques; movement; play analysis, production, and production design; and in directing. Additional courses may include theater history, theater theory, dance, and voice. Non-elective general education courses are also required for Acting School degrees.

Stage performance in Acting Schools may begin in the first semester of many Acting School programs. Master studies often include writing and directing.

If you are interested in learning more about Acting Schools and other types of schools, please search our site for more information and resources.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Please feel free to use this article in your Ezine or on your Website; however, ALL links must remain intact and active.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Find Schools, Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com; meeting your needs as your educational resource to locate schools.

Ur Network Film/Acting Biz Support

2007-10-25T22:23:00.000-07:00

ASCAP "Meet & Greet", Durango Songwriters Expo, Latino Screenwriter's Lab, VH1 Hip Hop Honors, Alameda Writers Group Meet, NAB New York, Gothic Pagan Halloween Ball, CMJ Music and Film Fest, Highlight October Media & Hollywood based Ur Network Alliance at http://www.urnetworkalliance.com/3.html will begin weekly networking and support group meetings featuring film and show business industry guests leading sessions where they discuss new projects, share leads and motivate serious actors, writers, and filmmakers. Meetings happen in various locations but will be situated in and around Brentwood in West Los Angeles and are limited in size so registration to email: urnetworkalliance@urnetworkalliance.com is a must. In the series titled "Anatomy Of A Script Master Class" happening in Los Angeles, Tuesdays, October 3 to November 7, Writers Guild Foundation produces a series of discussions tracking the evolution of a script. Music industry support network, ASCAP, hosts a "Meet & Greet" in Dallas on October 4 with free food and drinks and open to the public. More than 300 artists will perform as part of this year's Atlantis Music Conference in Atlanta, October 4-7, representing a wide variety of generes including Rock, Alternative, Urban/R&B, Hip Hop, DJ/Electronica, Soul, Americana, Country, Christian and more. A business primer conducted over 9 meetings, October 4 to November 29 in Westwood, explores starting an Entertainment Production Company, whether in motion pictures, television, music, or the new media sector. Durango Songwriters Expo and Conference, opening October 5 in Park City, is famously known to limit its Expo enrollment to 200 attendees to preserve that low "expert to songwriter" ratio helping to distinguish it from other music events.

Aside from presenting the best Latino films made in the US, Spain, the Caribbean, and Latin America, the 10th LALIFF holds a Latino Screenwriter?s Lab and presents the Desi Arnaz scholarship when it runs October 5-15 in Hollywood. At the Third Annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors, Ice T hosts VH1's awards show to honor Wu-Tang Clan, Afrika Bambaataa, Russell Simmons and Beastie Boys, and pay tribute to Ice Cube, at the ceremony taking place October 7 in New York City. Todd Robinson (Lonely Hearts, The Senator's Wife) leads discussions for the month's Alameda Writer's Group Meeting, October 7 in Glendale. BMI, Gibson Guitars and Billboard Magazine present the Industry Insider Series: "Where Are the New Sounds and Rhythms Taking Latin Music," October 11 in Los Angeles. SAG continues to present its Low Budget Agreements Workshop which are held the second Thursday (October 12) of every month from 6-8 pm in both New York and Los Angeles. American Cinematheque will present the 21st Annual American Cinematheque Award to George Clooney in an October 13 event taking place in Beverly Hills. Miami Digital and Cine Expo presents two days of the latest production equipment, seminars and workshops opening October 13. From October 16-28, Women In Film present "Creating Your Own Yellow Brick Road", an exploration of entrepreneurial and non-traditional Hollywood career options, held in Los Angeles. At Entertainment and Media Forum 2006 industry leaders gather in Beverly Hills, October 18 & 19, to review the challenges faced by entertainment and advertising executives to reach and engage consumers by todays leading edge technologies.

The theme at the 13th Annual Austin Film Festival and Conference, October 19-26, is "Telling Your Story By Any Means Necessary" featuring accomplished screenwriters and filmmakers participating in roundtables, panels, and with agents and producers on hand to network with. For the two day (October 20 & 21) that the 15th Annual Entertainment Law Institute will meet in Austin, a review of current legal issues, such as copyright protection for sound recordings, digital distribution of music and film distribution models are on the agenda. Nashville Songwriters Association International and Nashville Songwriters Foundation puts on an induction ceremony from Nashville October 22. When NAB New York opens October 23 it will feature more than 100 training sessions in cutting-edge production and post-production techniques and an exhibit floor that showcases the latest audio and video content creation technologies. The "Fourth Annual Los Angeles Independent Horror Film Festival and Gothic Pagan Halloween Ball" is merely a celebration of darkness in films, animation, music, art and cyber-creation, on October 29. CMJ Music Marathon and CMJ Film Fest launches October 31 running through November 4 featuring dozens of panels covering topics affecting all corners of the music industry in addition to live music and film screenings.

The above events are only a sampling of what is listed. Many of the events above have a submission process for indie and/or performing artists to take part in. Complete details are on the "Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events" page at http://www.actorschecklist.com/news.html. Experience the newly relaunched message board on The Actor's Checklist which now permits user profiles and private messaging which you can find at http://actorschecklist.com/phpBB2/.

News and Networking Events Covering the Media and Show Business Industry for this Month from The Actor's Checklist News & Events page at http://www.actorschecklist.com/news.html or through RSS/XML feed http://actorschecklist.com/showbiznews.rss.

Hollywood based Ur Network Alliance at http://www.urnetworkalliance.com/3.html

Teleselling and Acting Like a Human who Actually Cares

2007-10-24T23:52:00.000-07:00

If you are engaged in any type of selling career then you know that using the phone during the sales process is necessary. How you use the phone can indeed make or break the sale. These days with CRM machines, Voice Technologies and push 1 if or push 2 if automated machines, a real human voice is a plus. But not if you do not act like a human, a human that really cares that is. In Teleselling you must not only act like you are human, but Acting Like a Human who actually cares is the key.

Too many people act like order takers during the sales process the minute they get on the phone they go into rapid fire prepared sentence speech. They talk over the other person, do not hear what they said. If the client or prospect wanted that they could call the phone company, American Express or their Cell phone provider and not have to talk to the likes of you.

Would you please do your self a favor and act like a human, with real live human emotion? Emotions like empathy, caring and honest listening. And not just act like you mean it, truly caring. Because if you do the customer will respond in kind and you will be able to move the sales process forward without them hanging up on you or making an excuse to get off the line. Trust me on this in 2006.

Lance Winslow, a retired entrepreneur, adventurer, modern day philosopher and perpetual tourist.

Bring Your Dreams Into Reality By Acting As If

2007-10-23T23:45:00.000-07:00

"I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be until finally I became that person. Or he became me."

--Cary Grant

Recently a prospective client told me a little story. He had attended a party in his industry, that is, the industry, he wants to be successful in. As he drove there, he began feeling jitters and a general sense that he didn't belong. There were going to be several influential people in the field, and he started out telling himself he was a nobody.

We've all had these thoughts and emotions, especially when it's about something important. Simple insecurity in any situation is certainly no fun, but when it's in the face of something we really want, it can be debilitating. As he pulled up to the party, he reflected on the fact that he was driving his snazzy, albeit old sports car, and was dressed with a bit of flash, so he decided he'd act as if he was already a success, since he had the trappings anyway.

While he shook the hands of these "high-powered" people, something shifted in him, that he never expected. A tactic to make himself feel better about being afraid, turned around his whole perspective on the possibility of his success in his business. Just acting the part, made him realize he had what it takes to make it.

Of course, this all goes back to that bit of wisdom that has become clich? in recent years: that whatever you believe, you can achieve.

The difference here is that you don't need to sit and think great thoughts in order to change your beliefs. You simply need to open yourself to a different way of acting, even if it's only for a few hours, and then see what happens.

Think of it this way: you've heard the idea that what you're capable of is only limited to your imagination. You probably believe it's true. So why don't we always act as if it's true?

It's because we're deluded; we look around and decide that what we see is true. "I live in an apartment I can barely pay for." "I don't have that special person in my life." "I'm in a dead-end job."

Blah, blah, blah.

Your conscious mind is focused on those things, and we have all agreed to call them reality. They will be your reality if you allow them to be.

The problem there is that those thoughts are boring, and you're boring yourself by thinking them. If you don't believe me, go out and tell someone all the details of your "reality," and see how quickly their eyes glaze over.

What if we allowed our dreams and desires, the things our hearts long for, to be just as valid? What if we decided those things that live in our imagination were just as much a part of our reality as the things we take in empirically?

In fact, your unconscious mind makes no distinction between them. For that part of you, your memories, your current experience in this moment, and what you imagine about the future, all hold equal weight, all expressions of the same thing.

This is why our beliefs are so powerful. It's why people who have opened their minds to what is-and what can be-make such huge progress.

And it's what I believe the Buddha meant when he said, "We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world."

So take some time to pay attention to your imagination. Just as importantly, act as if the things you find there are already true.

Robin is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and author of "Success, The Ezine" (offering a free worksheet each month). He is dedicated to helping others discover new ways of doing things so they move powerfully forward in their career and life. To schedule a free introductory session, contact robin at robin@robinjones.biz or visit his website www.robinjones.biz #TITLE#Great Service Requires Great Acting#/TITLE#

I came across a passage in a book today that I want to share with you, especially if you?re in customer service.

The writer was speaking about the power of concentration, that when we concentrate we become one with the object of thought and lose ourselves in it. He offered this example:

?The greatness of an actor lies in the fact that he forgets himself in the portrayal of his character, becoming so identified with it, that the audience is swayed by the realism of the performance.?

Instantly, I knew this observation was accurate. What actors strive for is verisimilitude, what the Zen folks would call the ?is-ness? and the ?such-ness? of everyday life. Actors need to seem natural in their roles.

A natural performance isn?t one that is spontaneous; it is contrived to seem spontaneous.

It isn?t ?sincere.? It is the opposite. It is a lie, a deception. A person is pretending to be something he isn?t.

A lot of effort is put into making the role seem genuine. It?s art, because the art doesn?t show.

If you ask many service reps about their success, they?ll say their customers like them, that they have close, personal relationships with them.

This is a very agreeable illusion.

They SEEM to like each other, and this fiction enables relationships to be efficient.

But customers and the reps that serve them are locked into their roles. They?re acting out a business script that has at its basis the exchanging of money, of tangible and measurable rewards.

If they were truly friends, they would be acting out a different script, still about reciprocity, but this time it might be exchanging news, jokes, affection, appreciation, and attention. The goal of a friendship generally isn?t money, but ?value? is still exchanged.

"Love" might be that state of mind or heart or communion where roles are allowed to drop, or stop, to relax, be challenged, or to be flexible. Ideally, in love we find a place where we can ?be ourselves.?

But in business, we aren?t paid to be ourselves.

We?re paid to be that always bright and cheerful helper who seems as if the most important thing in the world is the customer, that one customer with whom we?re interacting at a given moment.

Once that person leaves the line or the store, our full attention is given to the next customer, and to the next.

We can never tire or show our true fatigue, because, as actors say: ?The show must go on!?

When we?re offstage, it's a different matter. Our true feelings can show.

What I?m saying is obvious to mature businesspeople, but it must be taught to each new generation of customer service folks.

Perhaps when we hire we should ?cast? them, as the Disney people are fond of calling recruitment.

When they ask an associate to don the costume of ?Goofy? or ?Mickey? or ?Snow White,? they say your ?role is to play? one of these characters.

It?s considered ?show business? from start to finish, no matter how humble your task seems to be. And if you?re in costume you don?t let anyone peek beneath your mask to see who you ?really? are.

You?re not the star; Snow White is.

So, how would a REAL actor approach the role of playing the best customer service rep in the world?

What would he or she say, sound like, and act like, performance after performance?

It is this ideal that customers will applaud, and it?s also a performance they?ll rave about and want to experience time and again.

Moreover, they?ll be happy to keep buying tickets, and this enables us all to pay for wonderfully spontaneous, sincere, loving lives when we?re offstage.

There's nothing Goofy about that!

Best-selling author of 12 books and more than 900 articles, Dr. Gary S. Goodman is considered "The Gold Standard"--the foremost expert in sales development, customer service, and telephone effectiveness. Top-rated as a speaker, seminar leader, and consultant, his clients extend across the globe and the organizational spectrum, from the Fortune 1000 to small businesses. He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Tips and Tricks Found in Acting Books

2007-10-22T23:47:00.000-07:00

For the last three years I have been reviewing books on acting for a drama weekly. However, I haven?t yet found a book on acting that compares to real acting experience. Now, I?m not saying that acting books are worthless because they have their place. These books contain an almost encyclopedic discussion of various acting methodologies and approaches. These books also can also provide useful contact information that might take a while to find on your own. Nevertheless, a book on acting cannot take the place of a good acting course.

Acting books can help you to take your first steps into the world of acting. After that, it is all up to you. You can study all of the books on acting that you want, and try out every acting technique known to man on your own, but they are worthless if you can not use them to impress a director. Acting may require a lot of methodology, but the methodology is not the point. Acting is about figuring out what you want to do and finding ways to do it. Some professional actors know so many techniques that they write acting books on their own, but others know very little. Diving into the mind of the character to make him or her come alive is enough for them.

You should consider getting a few drama books instead of spending hard earned money that actors tend to have in such small quantities on acting books. Classic books of plays are an actor's best friend. After all, theater is one of the original art forms. You can strengthen your acting by delving more deeply into theatrical arts. Even movie actors can attest to the benefit of reading drama books. In fact, many of the best movie actors started out with Shakespearean acting courses. Only a select few actually spend their time reading acting books.

Now, don?t get me wrong because I?m not trying to discourage you entirely. Go ahead and read acting books if you are inspired by reading them. Spending time with whatever inspires you to act is important and worthwhile. Just remember that the purpose of these acting books is inspiration and ideas. None of them will give you real acting experience, although they can be great sources. You will have to take acting courses, go to acting workshops, and hustle for jobs like the rest of the acting world if you want to gain valuable acting experience.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Acting Books. Visit our site for more helpful information about Humorous Duet Acting Scripts and other similar topics.

Acting Auditions

2007-10-22T02:28:00.000-07:00

Auditions - Interview for actors conducted by a director or a casting director in order to determine if the actor fits the role. The actor should prepare a monologue or in most cases read from the project's sides.

Usually after a successful audition, the actor would be asked to come again for a callback.

To learn more about acting auditions or to find actors and models, for modeling jobs and casting calls, you can register for free, and tryout our services. Act now and showcase your talent, or generate an actor search. Actors and casting directors are welcome to use our site for free.

You can find more about auditions, acting auditions, acting, actors, model, models, modeling jobs, calls, cast, free, try, tryout, act, talent, actor search, casting director free of charge at ACTORS PAGES (TM)

Ask any casting director what matters most when an actor shows up to an audition. Most will say, "They need to be prepared." (Showing up on time can't hurt either.) These should be obvious, but it's surprising how many actors make a bad impression with something as simple as inappropriate behavior. It can knock you out before you step into the ring. Remember: Casting directors already have the job ? you don't. So you need to prove yourself to them, not the other way around.

Other suggestions we heard from CDs: Avoid unnecessary chit-chat. Don't linger in the room for too long after you read. Stay away from using most props. And avoid making physical contact with the casting director during your audition.

A feeling of desperation is another sure way not to get a callback. Never view an audition as nerve-wracking nightmare, or make it look that way. Consider each audition an opportunity: A chance to perform for an audience ? albeit a small one. Or walk into the audition saying, "No matter what happens, I'll do the best I can today." Remember: The casting director is not here to judge you harshly; he or she simply wants to find the perfect person for the role. That could be you.

Actors sometimes seek out coaching for auditions, but primarily for large film/TV roles, or for admittance to an MFA program. Many believe it is worth the expense ? if only for the boost in self-confidence. In last-minute emergencies, actors even resort to phone coaching, although that's not an ideal situation.

However, with or without coaching, one trap to avoid is too much preparation. Read the sides carefully but don't freeze your approach ? you may be asked to change it. Longtime coach and acting teacher Craig Wallace says he never sends actors out 100 percent set for the audition. "If you're over prepared, you have no flexibility," he says. "And you don't know what 50 percent of the process is until you walk into the room.

"You can't have the piece controlling you. You have to leave room for the circumstances of where you're going to be."

Ruben G. www.ActorsPages.org Actors pages ? Free service for the performing arts.

How To Break Into Acting And Commercial Modeling

2007-10-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

They're on magazine covers, catalogues, newspaper ads and inserts, billboards, posters, brochures and even on packages in grocery stores. "They" are models. But these models are not famous like supermodels, but they can entice you to buy everything from food to shampoo, jeans to health insurance, and can earn between $25-$250 an hour across North America. These models can be drop dead gorgeous, or can look like your next door neighbor or your best friend?and the best part is, unlike fashion modeling, there are no height, weight or age restrictions to your typical modeling assignment. The opportunity is available to just about everyone.

old, had the ?perfect? height, weight, look, or if you had the time? Stopped pursuing modeling because you weren't getting the opportunities or the work you desired?

The first step to realizing your dream of modeling or acting is to find yourself a good agent. Your agent is going to be the link between you and the modeling or acting audition information that you need, so having a good agent can mean the life or death of your career.

How Do I Get A Good Agent?

1. Go to a local theater. After the performance, ask the actors for the names of the agents who represent them.

2. Call local photographers and find out which agents they use when hiring models.

3. Call your local SAG (Screen Actors Guild) or AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) office for the names of signatory agents in your area. These are agents who have signed contracts and have agreed to abide by union rules. SAG or AFTRA will give you the list of names for free.

4. Call the agent(s) of your choice, and schedule an appointment to meet with him/her. Make your appointment during working hours and meet the agent at his or her office. Avoid meeting with an unfamiliar agent anywhere else.

5. Call models who work with the agent before your interview, if possible. Do they like the agent? Do they get work through the agent? Does the agent treat them well? Are they paid on time?

6. Look around the office. Do you see pictures of ads the agent has booked for his or her models? Are the phones ringing? You should see a busy office.

7. Decide whether or not you feel comfortable with the agent. If you're not sure, call the local SAG or AFTRA office, which might have some information about the agency.

A few things to watch for:

? Agents make their living by earning a percentage of each job they book for a model or actor. Fees paid to Photographers for photos, comp cards etc., are normal. Any fees that you pay, should not be fees that you?re paying to the agent. Do not pay any up-front fees to an agent.

? If the agent lies to you, makes outrageous promises or asks for up-front money (to cover phone calls or mailing expenses on your behalf), keep looking. Legitimate agents do not ask for expense money.

? If you're not happy with the number of auditions or bookings you are getting, set up an appointment with your agent and discuss what you can do to generate more jobs.

Alexandra Warner has been a successful Talent Scout for 8 years, and regularly advises hopeful models and actors on the pros and cons of the business. Look for more information on the industry at http://www.new-faces.biz

How Meditation can Help Acting

2007-10-17T02:01:00.000-07:00

One of my main passions in life is acting. There is something very magical about it, which is probably why it has such a wide appeal on many people. A lot of the magic in acting comes from the fact that acting allows you to create your own reality. For a few moments, minutes or hours this reality becomes alive and tangible. It is like playing God, isn?t it? On stage we become the creators of our own miniature world. A world as real as lighting, stage props, costumes, sound, the skill of the actor and the imagination of the spectator allow it to be. We can be a prince, a king, a saint or ? sometimes even more desirable ? a villain of the deepest dye.

In the three years I spent studying acting at the national acting academy in Amsterdam I learnt a great deal about this wonderful art, whose purpose, as Shakespeare put it, consists of ?holding a mirror up to nature? ? a mirror through which we may see life from a different perspective and maybe arrive at a deeper understanding of it. Here I would like to talk about what it is that creates good acting and how meditation can help in developing our acting skills.

For acting can be learned. Although some inborn tendency, knack or talent for drama is helpful, it is not indispensable. Acting is a skill or let us say a capacity that can be developed.

The key to good acting is believability. In other words, the audience has to believe in what it sees. Not only that, it has to be convinced of the reality that we try to create. Because only if the audience is convinced is our performance most successful and enjoyable. Now how does the audience become convinced? Here we touch upon one of the fundamental laws, nay the very secret of acting. The audience becomes convinced only if the actor himself is convinced. We ourselves have to believe in the role or the character we create. We have to believe in every word that he or she utters. If we doubt our performance even for a fleeting second, if we allow a rift or division to arise between ourselves and the character we play and lose our sense of identification with it, the audience will immediately notice it and the performance will lose its power. Therefore to become good actors we have to develop the power of concentration and identification and at the same time overcome our self-doubt and insecurity.

And that is where meditation steps in to help. Through the regular practice of meditation we acquire the power of concentration. Our mind becomes clearer and more able to focus. As an actor this helps us to stay in character at all times. A clear and focused mind also helps us to memorize our lines better, an often overlooked but essential aspect of acting.

Aside from that that meditation also brings to the fore the qualities of sincerity and self-confidence in us. These qualities help our acting tremendously by giving our performance more depth and power. If we can pour our own sincerity into the words our character speaks and suffuse our acting with self-confidence, we can add much more life and colour to our performance. Here self-confidence does not mean overconfidence or haughtiness, but a deep rooted and healthy faith in ourselves. The more self-confidence we have, the less insecurity there will be. And the less insecure we are about our acting, the more convincing we will become as actors.

Sincerity and self-confidence are qualities which belong to our inner life. In other words they already exist inside us, we only have to become conscious of them and bring them to the fore. This can be done through the practice of meditation. My own spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy has commented many times that meditation can enhance our talents and capacities and that there is no limit to the progress we can make.

And last but not least, as in anything we wish to learn, we need to practise. Practise makes perfect, as they say, and that certainly holds true for acting. If you are genuinely interested in leaning how to act I would suggest you join a local amateur acting group. Or organize an evening of funny, improvisational skits with friends and family. You will be amazed by the hidden acting skills that will undoubtedly come to the fore.

Abhinabha lives in Amsterdam, Holland. He is a meditation student of Sri Chinmoy and enjoys acting and running.

How Do You Start An Acting Career?

2007-10-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

Becoming an actor is something that a lot of people are interested in, but you few actually pursue. The fact of the matter is that if you want to break into this industry you are going to have to put in a lot of time and effort. But with that being said, hard work can do a lot for your acting career. When you combine hard work with a few of the proper steps you may be able to realize your career as an actor or actress sooner than you ever thought possible.

So how do you go about starting an acting career? The first step that you must take is moving to the right area of the world. The fact of the matter is that if you want to be an actor you need to live in the areas that are famous for this. For instance, Los Angeles and New York are what you want to be if you live in the United States. This is where the majority of jobs are, and if you live in one of these two areas you will be putting yourself in good position from the start.

Next, you will want to get together your portfolio. This will include information on yourself such as past experience, as well as some photos that you can send out if need be. You may even want to look into getting an agent who can help you out along the way. He or she knows when jobs open up, and can in turn give you the inside scoop. No, you do not necessarily need an agent to break into the acting business, but it can definitely help.

Finally, go on as many casting calls as you can. Getting into acting is nothing more than a numbers games. If you go to enough casting calls you will eventually get a job. And when you get one job it will likely lead to another and so on.

Breaking into acting is not easy, but at the same time it is not impossible.

Francois Botha is the author of career descriptions. He has compiled a list of careers with all the information you need to make career choices.

The Greatest Actors Attended Acting School

2007-10-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

Almost every actor needs to be literate and able to understand language from a variety of eras. A good actor can become anything he or she wants to be. If you want to really stand out as an actor, you will have to make your resume stand out for you.

When you look at all the famous actors out there they all have one things in common they all were passionate about becoming an actor, you need to be passionate about acting to become and actor. Plan to study your craft and become good at it; create your talent and persevere even if you are not getting parts and then share your knowledge and learn from others who share the same passion.

When working with agents to get work you should conduct yourself professionally in a setting. Actors need to promote themselves anyway they can, they need to hone their craft, try creating your own projects or joining a community theatre, co-op productions or doing anything that will help you get your name out there in the public and will help find an agent or someone who will notice your talents. Include a small thumbnail headshot of yourself on your resume.

What does the term acting mean, the definition is a person who portrays someone else or a character either on screen or on stage. When choosing an acting school you will need to notice that they offer many different programs that allows for flexibility when choosing the time to take the class this allows the student the ability to meet the requirements. The perfect forum is acting school it embraces the actors/actresses with the ability to enhance their talents to become the best they can be. When taking classes in a Universities they teach the finer points of how act and improve students craft of acting, they sharpen your skills but they do not spend the time showing actors how to get work on a consistent basis, or how to make a living as an actor.

The range of skills that an actor must have to be effective is very wide. To prepare for the skills to act you will need the following: you will need to connect to directors, producers and other actors and to listen to all of them.

When people talk about a hidden acting agenda they are referring to a term that describes a phenomenon where actors hide a condition or some trait or a quality of theirs because one of these things was the source they use that occurred earlier in their lives.

When actors perform in theater halls they were designed to have incredible acoustics, the reason for this was to help actors and performers so the audience are able to hear them and to give the performers and actors natural reflections when performing. People watch TV, go to movies or theater to be entertained. You need to start some place when becoming an actor, you should look into short films or independent theater and you should take a few simple classes, this will help you on your way, it is just the beginning.

Although, there are some exceptions, normally agencies will not work with actors that have no experience, it is very rare that they will consult inexperienced actors or take them in as clients.

David Marc Fishman is the owner of Bornasuperstar site. The online auditions for dancers. Learn the secret of success.

Watch For Scams in Acting

2007-10-09T21:52:00.000-07:00

Is This What Acting Scams Are About?

The first of two stories about acting scams is about a commercial print agent I encountered and had met from a mailing I did. He called me one day and said he had seen my head shot and asked me to come in and meet with him. Of course I said yes, although I started to detect a bit of sarcasm and surliness in his voice. When I arrived in his office, he was very hurried and not very polite. He asked me for my headshots. I was ready but wondered why he didn?t have the one I sent him. He looked at them and told me point blank that ?they look like shit? and that he wouldn?t be able to get me work with those pictures. He told me what kind of photos he wanted and then said something that made an alarm go off in my head. On a small piece of paper, he wrote the name and telephone number of a photographer he wanted me to use to get new head shots. Hmmm. He also told me to bring the contact sheets (the pages with all the pictures taken at the shoot, or at least the best ones) so that he could help me choose the best ones to market myself. Could this be the making of an acting scam? Let's see.

Well, I went to get new headshots, but I didn?t go to the photographer he suggested. I had one already chosen. When I called him back, he didn?t seem to remember me at first. I explained that I had gotten new head shots like he suggested, and he immediately asked me who took them. I told him the photographer?s name and he blurted out, ?Why didn?t you go to the photographer I told you to go to?? I told him, ?Because I already had my photographer, and I preferred to go to him. The pictures are good.? He snapped back, ?Let me be the judge of that!? I had no intention of going to his photographer out of principle. I?m not here to feed his business; I?m looking for an agent who is really interested in working with me. As long as the pictures are good, what does it matter where I get them?

I just imagined him telling me that the pictures were no good and that he wanted me to go get the others. But here?s the funny thing. I must have talked to seven different people about this particular agent, usually starting out with the question of whether or not they ever heard of him. I swear I got five identical answers: ?Oh God, stay away from him.? I met two young women, both in their late twenties, who told me they first had to get the pictures from the recommended photographer, and then they had to pay to get into his ?book? that he presumably uses to sell his clients to his casting contacts. One girl told me about an agent she works with for print and told me all the things I just told you. I thought to myself how familiar that sounded; then I asked her who the agent was. It was the same person! Wow! I?m telling you this to let you know that things like that can happen. I don?t think that requiring a client to use a specific photographer or having clients pay to be inserted in a book are normal practices. I might be wrong, but I don?t think so. On the other hand, one could argue that paying to meet casting directors is along the same lines. I?d rather pay to meet a casting director face-to-face, especially when 95 percent of agents don?t ask for their clients to pay to be inserted in a book.

Just watch out for acting scams. They could be lurking just around the corner.

Anthony Smith left a successful corporate career as a senior manager in Nike and Levi's after 15 years to follow his dream of becoming an entrepreneur, writer, motivational speaker and actor. While enjoying success in his "new" life, Anthony shares his business insight and acting experience with young actors. Aside from acting work, he has created http://www.actingcareerstartup.com and his first book, Acting Career Start-Up: Four Key Factors For Success will hit the U.S. market in March 2007.

What An Actor Need To Know Before Pursuing The Career Of Acting

2007-10-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

When you look at all the famous actors out there they all have one things in common they all were passionate about becoming an actor, you need to be passionate about acting to become and actor. Plan to study your craft and become good at it; create your talent and persevere even if you are not getting parts and then share your knowledge and learn from others who share the same passion.

When working with agents to get work you should conduct yourself professionally in a setting. Actors need to promote themselves anyway they can, they need to hone their craft, try creating your own projects or joining a community theatre, co-op productions or doing anything that will help you get your name out there in the public and will help find an agent or someone who will notice your talents. Include a small thumbnail headshot of yourself on your resume.

What does the term acting mean, the definition is a person who portrays someone else or a character either on screen or on stage. When choosing an acting school you will need to notice that they offer many different programs that allows for flexibility when choosing the time to take the class this allows the student the ability to meet the requirements. The perfect forum is acting school it embraces the actors/actresses with the ability to enhance their talents to become the best they can be. When taking classes in a Universities they teach the finer points of how act and improve students craft of acting, they sharpen your skills but they do not spend the time showing actors how to get work on a consistent basis, or how to make a living as an actor.

The range of skills that an actor must have to be effective is very wide. To prepare for the skills to act you will need the following: you will need to connect to directors, producers and other actors and to listen to all of them.

When people talk about a hidden acting agenda they are referring to a term that describes a phenomenon where actors hide a condition or some trait or a quality of theirs because one of these things was the source they use that occurred earlier in their lives.

When actors perform in theater halls they were designed to have incredible acoustics, the reason for this was to help actors and performers so the audience are able to hear them and to give the performers and actors natural reflections when performing. People watch TV, go to movies or theater to be entertained. You need to start some place when becoming an actor, you should look into short films or independent theater and you should take a few simple classes, this will help you on your way, it is just the beginning.

Although, there are some exceptions, normally agencies will not work with actors that have no experience, it is very rare that they will consult inexperienced actors or take them in as clients.

David Marc Fishman is the owner of Bornasuperstar site. The online talent show for singers. The law of attraction works for everyone.

Acting And Stage Fright

2007-10-07T22:28:00.000-07:00

One of the most common questions that gets posed before someone embarks on an acting career is how one can overcome stage fright. The shortest answer is simply to keep getting on stage. Now, that may not sound like much, but as you will see, the power of repetition is not to be missed here.

The first thing you have to understand about stage fright, especially when it comes to acting, is the root source of that fear. Very early on in the Meisner school I went to, the acting teacher presented us an acronym for F.E.A.R. that I've hung on to ever since...

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

Now, fear is a normal part of our operating mechanism...like a steering wheel, it comes with the car, so to speak. It was further pointed out in my acting school that as babies, we have ONE ingrained fear when we show up in the world. That being the fear of loud noises. Everything else is learned behaviour, as in, we pick it up as we go. Some of those fears are legitimate and serve to protect us from harm. The problem only starts manifesting itself when those fears come from irrational places and that's exactly where stage fright comes into play.

Everyone can see the benefit of being fearful of a wild bear. There is a very rational reason to be scared if there's a big ol' bear rearing up in front of you. That bear represents an immediate threat to your physical well being, and you being scared of it is a good thing! However, let's reflect on what 'danger' you will be facing while acting.

Hmm...

Not much going on, is there? The audience isn't very likely to attack you are they? So, what's it all about? The usual worry is embarrassment...'I'm going to look stupid' or 'people won't like me' or some variation on those themes. Or, worse yet, 'I will be wrong.' Our need for acceptance to the group at large has been ingrained in us since we were children. It gets fostered by just about everyone in our lives, and socially speaking, it usually does more good than harm...but, for your acting, it's absolutely terrible! By the way, it's those same fears that con-men and crooks prey on to part you from your money. Who knows, maybe getting over your fear of embarrassment will help you avoid a con someday!

Anway, the first step to overcoming that societal 'barrier' is acceptance. You've probably already accepted that when you are acting you have stage fright, right? That part's easy...now you have to accept that it's irrational. That part's pretty easy too, because you're just admitting the truth. Now the tough part...keep getting on stage and acting. Because you know that your fear is irrational, you now need to take action to overcome it and you need to do this because it is so ingrained in all of us. This is one of the ways that psychologists help people with obsessive-compulsive disorder to overcome their irrational fears. Fear of germs? They'll make you eat out of a clean garbage bag. Fear of flying, they'll put you on a plane, over and over and over again. It becomes increasingly difficult to be afraid of something you do all the time, I assure you.

The biggest thing here is to direct your focus away from the negative feeling of FEAR and instead, focus it on the positive thing, your ACTING. Your acting class is there for precisely that reason! To give you a safe environment to work on your craft. It takes the exact same amount of energy to say to yourself 'I will sit in my seat and not get on stage because I'm scared' as it does to say 'I will get on that stage and act'. You may have to force yourself in the beginning, but sooner or later, you will come to realize that your acting has gotten better and your stage fright has gone away. And, it will, I promise you.

If you're on the fence about even going to an acting school, then I would recommend Toastmasters International. They have clubs all over the world that are highly supportive and a great way to introduce yourself to 'perfoming' in a public medium. Even if you are in acting school, this is an excellent way to build confidence and overcome stage fright, because you have the luxury of taking your 'acting' out of the picture!

Toastmasters even offer a free .pdf booklet with ten tips to effective public speaking, just look for the link on their homepage. It's funny, their 10 tips are very similar to what one should be doing before they go out to perform in a play or show and you'll find the advice is quite relevant (for the most part.)

Just remember that acting is your passion and your dream! Don't let False Evidence Appearing Real derail you from that dream. You can and WILL overcome your stage fright, and it might be a little uncomfortable while you do. Have faith and persevere, EVERYONE that acts professionally has had to overcome this malady! Keep getting up there and it will happen for you too!

D.L. White is a film and television professional with 14 years of experience. He is also the author of "Acting in the Real World" which is available for free at http://www.actingreality.com

Best Acting Technique

2007-10-04T22:12:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, one of the biggest challenges in acting is how to approach 'emotional preparation', and as such, I feel that is the area that varies the most between techniques. Truth be told, this is pretty much what all acting coaches are going for...a reliable, repeatable method of achieving appropriate, realistic emotions to fit the scene.

Now, I'm quite biased here, but I have seen quite a few of these techniques put into play and I'm still convinced that Sanford Meisner's is the most effective. It is for me the most grounded, and more importantly, the most repeatable method that I've seen used.

I feel many techniques fail mostly due to two factors:

1- They are too external.

2- They are too internal.

Allow me to elaborate...in the first example, I've seen many acting schools preach the benefits of 'emotionalizing' through external means. That is, your emotional preparation is to come from 'infusing' some object, such as a scarf, or a painting, or even a room with associative memories. Now, this can work, but much like hearing a favorite song over and over, it eventually loses it's 'punch'. Not to mention the fact that if it's not working like you had hoped, you're then spent focusing your very valuable attention on an object. And, as we all know, an object is not an emotional thing.

In the second example, being too internal can work as well...just look at all the 'method' folk out there. The difference here is that instead of finding emotional preparation by infusing something external, the actor is asked to recall personal emotional memories from which to draw from. The big problem here is that, often things that really troubled us say, fifteen years ago, may not be such a big deal now. Plus, you are now placing your very valuable attention on yourself. Remember the last time you talked to someone that only thought of themselves? I think we call those people 'self-absorbed' to be nice...boring usually comes to mind for me though.

This is where the Meisner technique fills the gap. Instead of external measures, or pounding your emotional past into the dirt, Mr. Meisner suggested that you use your imagination to find your emotional preparation. Here the actor is always able to adapt, because our imagination is limitless. Plus, once imagined, we are now free to place all of our very valuable attention on our scene partner! And, if you doubt the power of your imagination, just start imagining your spouse, lover (or whatever) cheating on you.

Get specific.

Really picture it happening and with whom.

Now tell me you don't feel something! And that's just one example! The beauty here is that you know what it makes you feel, it's honest and you don't have to think about it. That gives you all the time in the world to focus on what's really important...what you need to do, why you need to do it and with whom you are dealing with.

D.L. White is a film and television professional with 14 years of experience in post production, working on hundreds of films from Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros. and Buena Vista, as well as dozens of network shows including Frasier, Seinfeld and Reba.

As a Director, D.L. White has shot and directed several commercials and music videos for clients from around the world and is proud to shoot on Kodak Film exclusively.

Mr. White's new book "Acting in the Real World: The Film Professional's Guidebook to the Job of Acting" is available as a free download at Film and Television Acting Book at ActingReality.com

Acting For The Disney Channel

2007-10-02T23:13:00.000-07:00

Many young actors and actresses (and their parents) often wonder what it takes to begin acting for shows on the Disney Channel. Unfortunately, the Disney Channel and their associated programs basically follow the same routines as any other commercial film or television endeavor. Disney does have auditions for their live shows, but they probably won't be much help for your film and television dreams.

Don't fret though, all is not lost! One thing that I think is important to realize as a young actor starting out in the business is that if you are a solid actor (or actress) that is mature, focused and professional, you stand an excellent chance of succeeding. In truth it can be quite difficult to find the right combination of traits in younger actors that will translate into a smooth working situation for the crew.

The first thing to understand before you embark on an acting career in your youth is that your parents must be heavily involved. The amount of time that is required to drive you to auditions, take you to acting classes and basically become a 'manager' to your career is tremendous. If your parents aren't just as motivated as you are, you're probably going to have a tough time of it.

Most importantly, there are a lot of people that will prey on your youth and lack of experience. Do not ever contact anyone regarding your acting career without letting your parents know exactly what you are doing and with whom. Getting scammed would be terrible, but putting yourself in danger is the more worrisome thing here, so be careful and let your parents know! Trust me, you're not going to 'make it' without Mom and Dad by your side...please don't try.

Now, assuming your parents are willing and able to provide that level of support, the next step is up to you. The second thing you will have to realize about acting professionally is that, as a general rule, the work is long, boring and tedious. As a young professional, there are rules regarding how much and how often you can work, but during the time that you are working, it can be really arduous...even on the Disney Channel.

There are a lot of responsibilities that are placed on you when you act professionally and a ton of money is riding on what you do on set. You must be willing to set aside a lot of time to learning lines, rehearsing and shooting. Once you get a job, you are contractually obligated to continue that job and as such, you are going to miss out on a lot of experiences that you may take for granted right now. Hanging out with your friends on a Friday night or going to school functions like dances and plays or participating in sports is going to become a rarity, if not non-existant in your life.

You also must be professional. When you are on a film or television soundstage, whether on a Disney Channel show or any other, you will be expected to act as professionally as any other adult on set. When it's time to roll the cameras, you have to work. Even if you're sick, bored, tired, restless...whatever, you will be expected to do your job. If you cost the production time and money by throwing tantrums or not cooperating, you will quickly gain a bad reputation and you won't get hired anymore.

And lastly, you must be able to deal with rejection constantly. Now, your chances of success are, in my opinion, much greater when you start out at a young age, but the competition is still quite fierce. You will be turned down for most of the jobs you go out for. And, by most, I mean nearly all of them. If you are booking one job out of a hundred auditions, you would be doing fantastic. Keep that in mind, becuase to continue on month after month like that takes a lot of diligence and patience from you and your parents.

To sum up, acting for the Disney Channel is going to require the same path that any other acting job would require, but if you are smart, dedicated and professional you will have an excellent chance of succeeding. Get your parents involved and let them know what you want to do. Take the time to talk with them and together you may find yourself on your favorite show!

As a Director, D.L. White has shot and directed several commercials and music videos for clients from around the world and is proud to shoot on Kodak Film exclusively.

Mr. White's new book "Acting in the Real World: The Film Professional's Guidebook to the Job of Acting" is available as a free download at Film and Television Acting Book at ActingReality.com

Why Method Acting Is The Most Successful Acting Technique

2007-10-02T23:10:00.000-07:00

The Method approach to acting became famous when Marlon Brando and James Dean started to appear on the silver screen, changing the perception of what the acting profession was capable of. Their acting seemed so real you forgot they were acting. Since then, there has been a list of outstanding acting talent that has been enabled by the Method. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Paul Newman, Daniel Day Lewis, Meryl Streep and this year ?Best Actor' Academy Award winner, Forest Whitaker, all use the Method.

But why has it been so successful?

The Method creates a reality beyond the conventional reality. This means that instead of the actor adhering merely to the conventional thought of the character and situation, they are able to stimulate themselves, and indeed the audience, on a much deeper level.

Christopher Walken was asked what he was thinking about when he shot the scene at the end of the film, ?Deer Hunter', where he plays Russian roulette and kills himself. He said that when he was younger, he went to summer camp and his parents made him go - he hated going, and the experience filled him with a sense of abandonment, loss and anger. He said that he felt his character was experiencing similar feelings, so he thought about that event during the scene. He understood that events from his own experience could expose the experiences of the character on a much deeper level.

He was using an important tool within the Method called ?affective memory'. This is when an actor recalls an event from his own life using his senses. The rationale behind this is that we all experience the world through our senses - we see, we hear, we touch, we smell and we taste. If the actor trains and uses these senses in conjunction with their own memories, they can have a powerful effect on the actors' instrument - the human body.

The Method also allows the actor to create a completely different physicality and psychology from their own, using the animal exercise. Marlon Brando famously used the animal exercise in the ?Godfather' when he played a bulldog. He stuffed his cheeks full of tissue paper in his audition to recreate the jowls of the dog; he started to move around slower and heavier with the underlying menace of a bulldog. In ?A Streetcar Named Desire' he played an ape, scratching his chest and moving objects around with his knuckles and eating like an animal. The animal exercises allowed him to create the life of another human being in a deeper more complete fashion.

Using the Method, actors can go beyond the conventional and effective way to act, and make the work more human, more alive, more exciting, more amused and entertained - not on a light level, but on the utmost level which acting is capable of.

http://www.themethodcentre.co.uk

email:info@themethodcentre.co.uk

Brian is an experienced actor, director and teacher of the Method. He established The Method Centre in London, an actors studio in the UK focused on the Method.

Background Acting For Children

2007-09-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

Parents who have children who are interested in becoming background actors can take some steps to make this happen. The first thing to remember as a parent, however, is that as much fun as you think it might be to see your child in movies or on television, you have to make sure that it is something that your child really wants. Although background acting can be fun and exciting for children, it does take some work, and can wreak havoc with school and sports schedules. If you and your child have agreed that you?d like to give it a try, however, then the first thing that you might want to do is find a manager. The manager will require that you start off with head shots of your child. These can be taken by a professional but aren't required for background work. Children under 16 will also need a work permit which can be obtained for free. Once they've completed their first job, a Coogan's bank account is also necessary.

There are several reputable websites with which you can sign, usually for a minimal fee, to be able see what production companies need, and to be able to submit your child for background work when you think he or she may fit the role. A search on the Internet should bring up some results of these types of websites, or your child?s manager should also be able to tell you about some of the best ones. One mother of a successful child background actor uses a few different websites to keep an eye on possible work for her son. You need to remember, however, that if you get a background job for your child directly through a production company that advertises online and he or she has a manager, the manager should still get a percentage of what the child is paid.

Child background actors, depending on when and how long they work on an acting job, will receive tutoring on set to keep them up on their schoolwork. If you home school your child, the tutoring will still be necessary in order to keep within the law, so it is a good idea to check with your state to find out what is required. Most background actors are non-union and earn $126 a day or more.

The most important thing is for you to make sure that your child is having fun doing background acting. Keep an open line of communication with your child to make sure that he or she is enjoying the work. More than likely, he or she will find it an exciting and rewarding experience! You can read about my son's current background jobs in my blog at EntourageWorld to get an idea of what it's like to work in this industry.

Debbi is a work at home Mom to four. She's busy taking her youngest son to acting jobs while running her own online business, http://www.KeywordCafe.com

Actors Need To Get The Acting Jobs

2007-09-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

Acting has found its origins in the religious rituals of the primitive times and the persons first to perform were the religious leaders of the tribes. The development of theater is largely attributed to the Greeks.

Start you child out early with acting, giving them an early peak while they are young will increase the odds of them catching on to it and becoming immersed in the art, this will increase the chances of success. Many people think that acting is all about glamour and living the good life. Everywhere you look today you see actors from TV, radio, theatre and even in street performances you see them. Yet acting is not easy in fact, like playing music, it is almost impossible to master.

There are acting schools and lessons and training. Sheer determination and natural skill are prerequisites that a wannabe actor cannot be without. Acting is one of the most brutal and challenging careers to pursue, but also one of the most rewarding.

When an actor finally reaches their potential they can convey the emotions needed to produce the acting needed in his/her performance. To many people acting is an exciting and rewarding career. A good actor can become anything he or she wants to be. Becoming a successful actor is one of the most difficult things that anyone could want to do but it is also one of the most rewarding. The actor needs to concentrate and get inspired if they are going to emulate and believe they are the character they need to portray. The Main tool besides their body of an actor is their voice.

To define acting it is a person who can portray someone else either on the big screen or on stage. When actors play characters they can be fictional, or they can be people who are alive or a person who once lived. The goal of acting is what the character is going after.

The acting business is very similar to any other that provides a service. The problem is that a lot of actors will just sit at home waiting to be discovered. Actors are constantly subjected to auditions as part of any job interview. This is where your breakdown of the work performed and the associated prices can help you determine this. Multi talented actors are skilled in dancing, singing, improvisation, accents and mime.

If you think you are going to nail each part think again, just go out there and give it your all, this is best train of thought. Listen everyone would like to nail the audition, but let's be realistic you will receive more rejections in the beginning then call backs, but don't be discouraged keep at it.

By definition an agent is someone who finds work for an actor at a fee of about 10 to 15% of whatever he earns for that job. But an agent is much more than that in reality. Love 'em or hate 'em, agents are impossible to live without. It's vital that you put your thoughts to the side for a moment and simply listen and be present with what the casting agent.

David Marc Fishman helps performers get discovered at for dancers. Show your talent singers and audition at Bornasuperstar.

11 Jobs That Can Help You Stay Focused On Your Acting Career

2007-09-26T22:20:00.000-07:00

1. Try to get work in a casting director or an agent?s office. Sometimes in the industry trade papers agents and casting directors advertise for assistants and people to work a few hours a week opening mail and doing office chores. It?s a great way to learn what goes on in their offices. You get to see the kinds of mail other actors send in, overhear telephone conversations, and just basically see what it?s like first hand.

2. The Actors Connection is an organization in New York that provides a great service to actors by giving them the opportunity to meet and audition for agents, casting directors and other industry professionals who are not always the easiest people to be able to meet. They do this in the form of seminars every evening and often even on Saturdays. During the seminars there are what I call ?gate keepers? who keep the time and ensure that all the participants get an equal share of the industry professional?s time who is conducting the individual session.

At times AC is looking for people to work, usually flexible hours as one of the ?gate keepers?. That is also a great way to meet first hand casting directors and agents, listen in on the question and answer sessions before the individual, one on one sessions take place. A great way to learn!

3. In addition, there are other acting schools around the city that look for assistants.

4. Theater companies looking for stage personel and production assistants often with no experience necessary. Prerequisite is to be responsible and a fast learner.

5. There are also a host of casting websites and organizations, such as Actors Access, Breakdown Services, NYCastings as well. If you do a Google search, you will find a slew of others. Why not see if they need help or could use your services?

6. There are also showcases and industry events that are organized to help actors promote their careers. It's a great way to meet casting directors and agents. The organization of those events is a big to do and they need hosts and hostesses to help the event go smoothly. You can find information about such events by simply keeping abreast of what?s going on in the industry. Read the trade papers regularly and check the top acting/casting websites.

7. Why not see if the local union offices of SAG, AFTRA and EQUITY could use some help? Find out where their offices are. See if you can find out what they might be looking for. Find out who the person is you need to contact and if your approach is to send a cover letter, then address the person by his name as opposed to ?To whom it may concern.?

8. Do you have skills that one of the trade papers could be interested in, maybe to work in one of their offices? Could be an idea to contact Backstage, Ross Reports, probably the most read of the industry papers. Have a look on the internet or in the Drama Book Shop in New York to see some of the other possibilities that exist.

9. There are many production companies who are looking for good people with skills.

10. Do you have the skills to form a production company? I know someone, a fellow actor, who has done just that. It?s a great way to make industry contacts with people who could also help you further your career as an actor.

11. Do you have the skills to start and run your own small business, form your own company? What do you love to do? Could you turn your hobby into a business? If so, do you know other responsible and reliable people who share your same passion and who have good business skills? If so, maybe you could form your own company together with those people. Why not? As time goes on, you could gradually distance yourself from the daily business of running your small company and dedicate more and more time to acting and promote your acting career.

The whole point of this article is to help you think. If you don't have a steady stream of residual income that will permit you to focus 100% of your time on your acting career and you have to work in the traditional sense to make ends meet, then at least do something that will keep you connected to the industry and at the same time help you grow in some way as an actor.

Acting in the Real World

2007-09-24T23:27:00.000-07:00

Every year thousands of hopefuls move to Los Angeles with stars in their eyes, hoping for a shot at the ?big time.?

And, to a man (or woman) they usually don?t have the foggiest idea of what it means to be an actor. Most will quit acting or move on to something else within the first year or so. However, many will keep plugging away, spending their time, money and effort chasing after their ?dream? of becoming an actor.

And, most of them won?t make it either.

That is the reality of acting in Hollywood. Make no mistake when you embark on this journey that you are entering the toughest business on the planet. Seriously. But, in that lies the beauty of it, because the rewards of success in this industry are incredible and they go far beyond the fame and fortune, I assure you.

Acting as a profession is not for the faint of heart, it?s going to take work and lots of it. Make no mistake here, if you are serious about acting, you are going to do that work no matter what?there is no way around it. But, at least work in the right direction with the right information at your disposal.

Like I said, this is the toughest industry on the planet, and the rewards are commensurate for success, but that success doesn?t just happen. There is no shortage of people that book acting work in this town?but there is a huge shortage of people that know how to continue booking it. The difference is in the practical experience that comes from working knowledge and that experience and knowledge takes years to come by.

If you truly want to make acting a career, you will have to learn a lot more than you might think. Acting classes are just the beginning. You then must learn the marketing skills, the navigation of the industry and THEN you actually need to learn how to do the job. Make no mistake; there is a VERY big difference between knowing how to act EMOTIONALLY and how to perform the JOB of a professional actor. That's where most of the books and classes are going to leave you high and dry. The problem is that you need to BE experienced to GET experience, and without it you won't keep working, I promise you! The question is, are you willing to spend the next ten years to get it, because that's most likely what it will take.

If you would like to learn more about the realities of working as an actor in the entertainment industry, please feel free to drop by my website at http://www.actorsconcentration.com

You may also see my blog at http://www.actorsconcentration.blogspot.com

The Pros and Cons of 'Method Acting'

2007-09-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

Method Acting is based loosely on Stanislavsky's method, but utilizes 'Sense Memory' for emotional preparation. Stanislavsky himself experimented with 'sense memory' for the better part of his career and abandoned it for being unreliable.

'Sense Memory' in a nut-shell being the use of personal memories to affect and achieve appropriate emotional preparedness before engaging in a scene. Stanislavsky (as well as Adler and Meisner) eventually realized that personal memories and experiences alter greatly with the passage of time, as in, what mattered to you a great deal when you were four may present very little 'emotional' impact at the age of 45.

As it is based on personal experience, the preponderance of modern adherants tend to subject themselves to all manner of potentially dangerous situations to achieve a truly realistic experience to draw from. This has manifested in such things as experimental drug use (which actually lead to addiction and death in the case of River Phoenix) and placing themselves into actual, immediate physical stresses or harm.

A famous story regarding Dustin Hoffman (a purported 'method' actor) during the filming of 'The Marathon Man' tells of Mr. Hoffman running all around Manhatten during filming to force himself into a true state of exhaustion (which would be true for the character as well.) Sir Laurence Olivier on seeing this behaviour is quoted as saying "Good Lord man, just act."

While I think 'Method Acting' can be a valuable tool, and many excellent actors are staunch supporters. Me personally, I find it too dangerous and limiting to achieve a safe and more importantly, sane acting career. The pros are very realistic performances based on actual, lived experiences. The cons are potential mental and physical harm from engaging in dangerous behaviour and unreliable performances.

Whatever you decide to do as an actor, it is worth mentioning that there are many safer methods in existance to achieve wonderful results. Many of the finest actors of the last 100 years (like Gregory Peck and Rober Duvall, to name a couple) were trained by Sanford Meisner who employs an actor's most wonderful asset to achieve emotional preparation.

That asset being your Imagination

D.L. White is an entertainment professional with nearly 14 years of experience in the industry. He has worked on literally dozens of top network shows including Frasier, Seinfeld, Reba as well as hundreds of feature films from such studios as Paramount, MGM and Warner Bros.

He is also the author of the new book "Acting in the Real World: The Film Professional's Guidebook to the Job of Acting" which is available online at http://www.actorsconcentration.com

Professional Acting and the Reality of Casting

2007-09-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

So, the million dollar question in every actors mind is usually "how do I get a part?" Well, let me tell you all about it...

The basic path goes something like this. Someone needs an actor, so they hire a casting director to find one. The casting director puts out a notice on 'Breakdown Services' (a company that specializes in providing 'legitimate' talent agents listings of what roles are being cast currently) that will list the physical attributes requested, a brief description of the role and whether or not 'sides' (a small portion of a script containing the audition material) are available and where.

Those talent agents then scour through their rosters and try to match suitable talent to the job description and submit that talent to the casting director by sending them a head shot and resume. In days past, the head shot would arrive by messenger service. Today, more often than not, the head shots, resumes and sides are all digitally delivered through services such as showfax.com, gobetween.com (and sister company screenplayonline.com) and actorsaccess.com. Newer services such as LA Casting and Now Casting are also providing those digital delivery systems as well.

It is very important to understand that casting directors receive thousands of submissions per part that they are casting for! Your head shot will literally receive a glance that will last about 1.5 seconds, if that. To give you an idea of the sheer volume and how hard it is to stand out, I recently cast a project where a friend told me in advance that they were submitting and I overlooked them five times before I even saw that they were there! Even if you think you are perfect for a part, don't be discouraged if you don't get picked...your face is literally swimming in a sea of humanity. Anyway, the casting director will strive to narrow those thousands down to a manageable number to audition (usually about a tenth of the submissions) and they will call them in to 'read'.

Now, recognize that the term 'read' is very misleading. If you are given sides in advance, you are expected to memorize the lines and deliver a full, emotionally realized performance. This is called a prepared reading and most actors out there fail to realize the importance of this. The casting director is looking for a few things during the audition, the most important being your PROFESSIONALISM. Their reputation is at stake and they will only choose actors that they can confidently get behind. Showing up to a 'prepared' reading unprepared will put you in the 'no' pile faster than you can say 'doh'. The next most important thing is how well you ACT, followed by how you LOOK. Most actors get that all backwards and wonder why they have trouble booking work.

If you were fortunate enough to have your head shot picked, the audition is the time to demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt your ability to do the job. Knowing your lines is the bare minimum effort you have to take! After you have them down, spend the time to interpret the material and understand what you are acting. When you come in, don't hold back! Bring the material to life and show off your chops. Remember that everyone in the room wants you to be good! A vibrant, professional, expressive performance really stands out, even if you're not right for that particular part. Don't worry about getting the job, focus on showing that you are a competent professional and you will become one of the actors that the casting director will actively think of when a new part comes up. This is affectionately referred to as the 'A' pile and that's where you want to be, because once you land there, the work can't help but follow.

D.L. White is a film and television professional with nearly 14 years of experience in the industry. He recently completed his second book "Acting in the Real World: The Film Professionals Guidebook to the Job of Acting", which is available as a free download at http://www.actingreality.com

Key to Building a Successful Acting Career

2007-09-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

When you hop in the car to drive from one destination to another you know that the drive will take a certain amount of time and that you don?t go from one place to the other instantaneously.

You don?t stop the car half way through the journey and decide ?that?s it, I?m over this driving I?m going back?, no you know where you are and you know where you want to go and you drive to get there and it will take a certain amount of time with different obstacles and experiences along the way.

Well it?s no different with your acting career.

All too often actors expect that if they haven?t made it over night it?s not going to happen or they expect to make it over night and can?t understand why it hasn?t happened.

Ok here?s the deal the key to building a successful acting career is to understand that it is a career, just like any other. If you can view your acting career like any other business you allow your self to take some of the pressure off yourself and stair step your career. To build a successful acting career it takes time. A career spans over your entire lifetime. It?s about climbing up the ladder of success one rung at a time, just like in any other field. You don?t become the CEO of a mega corporation straight out of university; you work your way up. Even for those actors that it appears that it happened over night for them they still have to work at it like you do.

Take actions, wherever you are at act!

If you need to polish up your technique, study!

If your not getting hired, make your own!

Do what ever you can do wherever you are at, NOW, don?t put off what can be done today till tomorrow.

The key to building a successful acting career is Do What You Have To Do.

Do you need a new agent? Well then change?do you have your headshots? Showreel?

Do what you have to do, and don?t worry if it?s not perfect do it, then learn from it then do it and do it and do it till it?s exactly how you would love but if you don?t start you are guaranteed than nothing much will happen in your acting career.

Get into theatre, do short films, make a film, just start somewhere and the next step on your journey will be revealed to you guaranteed!

So right now think about one thing you have been putting off that you know will advance your acting career and make a date in your diary for it and commitment to yourself for you to do it.

To your acting career success!

Leanne Mauro http://www.successtipsforactors.com is a professional actress working in theater, film and TV. One of her favorite success moments was working with the legendary Peter Bogdanovich.

Top Secret for Nailing Your Acting Auditions

2007-09-20T22:21:00.001-07:00

Why is Grey?s Anatomy the most watched show in the US? What does George Clooney, Jack Nicholson, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have barrels of that makes you want to watch them?

They ooze of sexual energy!!

I learnt this great technique in an Ivanna Chubbuck Workshop.

The exercise consisted of sitting across from your scene partner and allowing yourself to go off into a sexual fantasy with that person without any limits.

Scary!? YES, but isn?t that what acting?s all about?going to those places that others dare not go?!

Here?s how you apply it in your acting auditions: It completely breaks down barriers between yourself and your readers in acting auditions or casting agents in your acting auditions. Acting auditions can be confronting but if you do this simple exercise you create a sexual energy or chemistry with your reader and guess what?the camera picks up that extra spark behind your eye and THAT makes you watchable!

Don?t limit yourself in your acting auditions by thinking that ?the person in the scene opposite me is my mother or my father or my killer there is no way in the world I would have a sexual chemistry with them?.

It?s not about whether or not you would get sexual with them; it?s about that extra spark that makes you watchable, and makes them not want to take their eyes off you.

The minute you walk into your acting auditions start doing the exercise in your own mind, no one will know you are doing it, it will only take a minute and then you let it go and go on to do your acting auditions, the difference now is that you will have this residue coloring you from your little secret exercise.

By the way, this is one of the exercises Ivanna Chubbuck got Elizabeth Shue to do for her Leaving Las Vegas role which landed her an Oscar nomination.

To nailing your acting auditionsLeanne Mauro http://www.successtipsforactors.com actress working in theater, film and TV. One of her favorite success moments was working with the legendary Peter Bogdanovich.

Do You Know How To Build A Successful Acting Career?

2007-09-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

Are you just getting started in your acting career? Have you been acting for some time now and aren?t satisfied with the amount of work you?ve been able to get? Are you getting work consistently, but only making enough money to make ends meet? Do you want to kick start your acting career? If after reading those questions, you feel compelled to read on, think about the following:

Difficulties Many Of Us Actors Sometimes Face

?New to show business and just seem to be wallowing around to find out what you should be doing to get started in the right way!

?Not being sent out on many auditions.

?Rarely getting called back.

?No agent and not sure how to get one.

?Not many industry contacts and can?t seem to meet that industry professional I would really like to meet.

Difficult to balance work and the demands of an acting career.

?Able to book jobs, but not always able to keep them.

?Sending out materials?audition tapes, headshots, and r?sum?s?but not getting the types of responses you would like or none at all!

?Don?t have the money to take classes, so just taking a workshop every now and again instead of going to a school or regular classes. It?s been the situation for months. Maybe even years.

?Having difficulty getting off work for auditions, because the boss doesn?t support employees' acting careers!

?Difficult to prepare well for auditions, because of work. Either too tired or just not enough time in the day to work on your acting career!

?Have to work at a club or restaurant until the wee hours of the morning and end up going into auditions looking and feeling like a zombie.

?Don't have the cash to make a show-reel or audition tape, get headshots.

?Not sure how to choose a headshot photographer!

?Don't know how on earth it's possible to make a r?sum?, if I don?t have anything to put on it! How on earth can I start an acting career!

Here's The Problem

The problem is, where will you be if you continue to do what you are doing? Where will you be if you continue to operate as you are, treading water instead of moving your acting career forward in a strong and decisive way?

If any of those things are true for you, would you agree that you have two choices? You can either continue doing what you have been doing and hope that something will change, or you can change your approach by aggressively and systematically going after what it is you desire?the acting career you really want.

actingcareerstartup.com is a website that was created to be the ?best friend? of new and aspiring actors and to those who are looking to jump-start their careers. It is meant to be a guide and to provide you stimulus to achieving even better results than you are currently getting in your acting career. It is a resource center a place to come for ideas, to learn, to figure out what to do next, to see what you need to watch out for. This site is the friend you can listen to, who always has the new actor?s best interests at heart. But it is delivered to you from a unique point of view.

In the next article, I will talk more about my personal experience as a relatively new actor myself of three years, about a party I'm having for you and 15 questions that many aspiring actors wish they had the answers to.

In the meantime, good luck!

Anthony Smith matured of 15 years of corporate management experience in Nike and Levi's, before drastically changing his life to follow his dream of becoming an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, actor and author.

Acting Career Start-Up: Four Key Factors For Success will hit the U.S. market. It is a resource for new actors, parents of child actors and veteran actors who want to kick start their careers. For more information, Anthony's interesting, first-hand stories and acting advice go to http://www.actingcareerstartup.com

How To Get A Disney Channel Acting Audition

2007-09-19T22:27:00.000-07:00

Kids all over the country dream of making it big in show business. While acting jobs can be hard to land, it is possible to break into this difficult field by answering a call for a Disney Channel acting audition. Many of today's hottest young entertainers got their start from a Disney Channel acting audition. Though there are sometimes hundreds, or even thousands of people competing for just a few spots, this has been the big break that boosted the career of many performers.

The easiest way to land a Disney Channel acting audition is through an agent. They are made aware of current calls and will have the specifics of the open roles available. It is much easier for inexperienced actors and actresses to get themselves noticed by using an agent than attempting to land these highly sought after roles on their own. While there are ways of getting a Disney Channel acting audition on your own, this is the simplest route.

A great resource that will allow you an inside look at a Disney Channel acting audition listing is the Disney website at http://home.disney.go.com. Their corporate section has a special page that will let the public know about any open auditions, casting calls, or extras opportunities. While this may not get you the scoop on every Disney Channel acting audition, it can be a foot in the door if you do not have an agent. Check this page regularly to see what auditions are being offered nearest you.

Though winning a part through a Disney Channel acting audition can be difficult, with hard work it is possible. Just take a look at all of the big name celebrities who have become hugely successful after a start on the Disney Channel. Who knows, maybe you could be the next huge success!

Rian Avanau is an avid Disney fan. He happily maintains a website with reviews of disney games and the games based on the latest disney channel shows

Becoming a Working Actor: How to Get Acting Jobs

2007-09-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

Lots of people think that those who ?make it? are lucky. That luck plays a part in their success in landing acting jobs.

I don?t believe in luck I believe in being ready for when opportunity knocks.

If those that have made it didn?t have the skill or the ability, or they weren?t ready or more importantly if they didn?t resonate at the right vibration they wouldn?t have got the acting jobs.

An important component in success and landing acting jobs is belief in your self. If you believe in yourself you attract experiences to reflect that belief, like landing more acting jobs!

There?s a powerful force in the universe called the Law of Attraction. If you believe in yourself, you believe in your ability, and you affirm your success daily without any conflicting thoughts of self-doubt or insecurity you will resonate with the work that you are destined to do and you will get acting jobs. The world including us is a set of vibrations and when we vibrate at the same frequency as success, wealth and Well-Being we attract that into our lives.

So in order to increase your vibrations to attract acting jobs into your life, start feeling what it would be like to be working as an actor all the time, start feeling what its like to have your greatest dreams fulfilled. The universe doesn?t know the difference between reality and make believe, so start pretending that you have it all now. Feel those feelings daily, spend time each morning feeling that, tap into it each day, allow yourself to experience you dreams through your feeling of what it would like if they were already achieved and watch how your outside reality will start mirroring your internal reality. Remember focus on what you would love and don?t negate this. Don?t worry that the outside isn?t reflecting your internal reality yet. It will! When you change your internal dialogue amazing things happen.

Start acknowledging that you?re a great actor and watch what happens to your work. Start affirming that the industry supports you and watch what happens.

Feel it NOW! Do this daily, it works!

Remember: affirmation without action equals frustration. So feel it then go and take an action in the direction of your dream.

To more acting jobs

Leanne Mauro http://www.successtipsforactors.com is a professional actress working in theater, film and TV. One of her favorite success moments was working with the legendary Peter Bogdanovich.

Acting - My Future Stage Career

2007-09-18T22:59:00.001-07:00

What is an actor?
An actor plays a role in an artistic production, most commonly in movies, television and theatre. As well as performing roles, an actor may be called upon to dance, sing perform acrobatics and for radio and animated productions be a voice artist.

?Actor? is a gender neutral term, however, some female actors prefer to be known as ?actresses? (2005, Wikipedia)

School Subjects

If you wish to become an actor, the main subject that you should endeavour to participate in is Drama. Studying Drama will teach you to perform, achieve focus and understand the different types and styles of dramatic acting.

Another almost essential subject to study is English. Almost every actor needs to be literate and able to understand language from a variety of eras. A language other than English [LOTE] subject can also be beneficial as acting is an international occupation.

Other subjects to consider include ancient history, modern history and geography.

Training Required

Formally, becoming an actor requires no qualifications or training. However, to make you seem more qualified and skilled, receiving a qualification from an external Performing Arts school will be beneficial. (2005, Art-Search)

Extra curricular activities such as dance and singing lessons, as well as volunteer participation in community events and performances are a great addition to a portfolio/resume.

In short
Becoming an actor is a long and difficult chore. Sheer determination and natural skill are prerequisites that a ?wannabe? actor cannot be without. Acting is one of the most brutal and challenging careers to pursue, but also one of the most rewarding.

An actor will always have a job in society as humans have a desire to be entertained.

This article was written by Kit Allen, the chief contributor to Nintendo Blog, the premier Nintendo Wii, DS and Gaming resource.

For all the latest Nintendo news, updates, screenshots and reviews of the Wii video game console, check out nintendocommunity.com

The Future of Video Search, Getting Paid For Acting Like A Jackass

2007-09-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

Found an interesting article on SEOChat regarding Google?s plans for video (both regarding Google Video and their newly acquired youTube properties). Here was one of the most interesting quotes from the article:

Google and YouTube made another announcement about the same time that attracted some serious attention from those in the search community. Over the next few months, the two companies are going to introduce a system whereby those who upload videos to YouTube?s site will get to share advertising revenues. The details have not been worked out yet, but only those who actually own the copyright to the videos they upload will be eligible.

Beautiful, now all of those kids with videos of fireworks going off in their hands and exploding soda bottles will be able to make money from their dangerous acts.

Seriously though, this is a phenomenal idea. A few weeks ago I was having a discussion with a commenter on another blog about Digg. There has been a lot of controversy about Digg?s rating system and the ability for top users to get any article they choose to the first page.

The first page of digg means thousands and thousands of visitors to your site. Advertisers and marketers have been contacting the top users of digg, in some cases offering cash to get their particular article or website to the front page. But, the most interesting thing about digg, and one of the biggest reasons the top diggers are taking compensation is that digging takes work, time, skill, but digg is free. There is absolutely no way to monetize your efforts (as a user) through digg. Digg itself is only supported by advertising.

Some might say this is what makes digg so great, but I wonder if the complete lack of monetary compensation for diggers might lead to its eventual collapse. I personally don?t have time to spend hours searching the web digging sites and articles.

Google?s announcement may also shed light into how they plan to index videos. By allowing users to post their own videos, and get a portion of advertising revenue from any ads shown before, during, or after the video it gives people incentive to add the proper search and meta data to their videos (the most time consuming portion of video search). Video search is complicated in that content spans time (changes over time) and it is completely visual. Unlike text on a blog or a website, it is not as easy for a search engine to scan through a video. I am sure some kind of automatic detection process is being worked on, but even if it is flawless it will probably take a lot of processing power to detect any content.

For now, humans are probably the best tools for adding meta data to videos.

For more information on the future of search and search marketing you can contact the author of this article, Zach Katkin via his company web site at http://www.webdesignid.com.

Zach also authors a blog at Naples, Fort Myers and Estero Based Web Design Firm, Unique ID Web design with his business partner and fellow technologically savvy employees.

My Computer is Acting Wierd - Slowing Down

2007-09-16T22:17:00.000-07:00

When your computer slows down and behaves strangely, chances are you have adware installed. You didn't ask for it, but neither did you ask for new toolbars, websites you don't recognize, continuous popups! Read on to know just how annoying and dangerous adware can be.

Adware doesn't let your computer react hastily to your orders. When you click to go to a website, it takes you away and you surprise why. Adware bestows you with toolbars you never asked for and keeps adding queer new websites to your preferred folder so that it looks like you gave it permission to be there. Here's the nastiest part - it steals your special information, spies on you and sells this information to advertisers who can then sting you with a flood of advertisements that they think you are interested in.

upstart Is secure From Adware

Practically every computer that connects to the Internet has many of spyware and adware receiving into it, saveing confidential information from the abuser. This can be in the form of information about browsing routine, or more sober threats like spying on your esteem license number, and other specially identifiable information so that it can squander it and put you in menace.

Adware can be chiefly acquit as software that tracks your activities on the Internet so that it can trigger off pop-up ads and other marketing-allied actions. It mounts components in your technique lacking your being alert of it so that it can save special facts like surfing routine and other demographics. axiom no when adware asks you has nothing to do with what it does. It just goes right forward and mounts itself in your technique.

In latest time, adware and spyware have been evolving so sudden that it is more than adware ejection tool manufacturers can do to keep up with them. Adware poses a chief wellbeing venture to any computer and every abuser must make it a thrust to guarantee that he or she runs a skim to acquit their techniques from adware and spyware. The Internet has many open adware ejection tools, which can help you do this. But you've got to be alert in selecting a steadfast vendor. There's every attempt that a vendor who promises to subtract all the adware from your computer will do just the converse - that is, mount more spyware and adware. steadfast adware ejection tools can keep you against useless intruders like adware in your technique.

Look around and associate the skin of countless rewarded adware ejection tools existing. While some open adware ejection software will only skim your computer and bestow you with the outcome, they won't actually sterile it from your computer awaiting you buy it. Beware of this hoax.

Spybot There are hundreds of Adware deletion programs on the push. Your best bet is to go to a place like Spybot Download It lists the best Adware Removers presently on the push. Or just google the speak "adware remover". Like I said, you'll find hundreds. Some are good, some aren't. Free Spybot is a great situate for you to see which ones work, but I know some of you just like to google, and that's approval too ;). Just get one, I feel bad having to current so wholly for something so nominal.

Get Your Independent Guide To Spyware Downloads

Quit Acting Like A Sack Of Potatoes And Start Eating Them

2007-09-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

I was asked the other day (as well as the last 1479 days) if potatoes were allowed to be eaten. Of course the sarcastic answer was the last time I checked it wasn?t against the law so yes, I?m quite certain your allowed to eat them. Only rule of thumb is be sure they?re not in the twice baked form if you goal is to be fit and lean.

Unfortunately potatoes have earned a bad rap ever since the Atkins and low carb craze became mainstream. This is for no other reason than the white potatoes ranking on the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a ranking system for carbohydrates based on their effect on blood glucose levels in the first two hours. It compares carbohydrates gram for gram in individual food, providing a numerical, evidence-based index of post-meal blood glucose levels.

Carbohydrates that break down rapidly during digestion have the highest glycemic indices. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have a low glycemic index. A lower glycemic index suggests slower rates of digestion and absorption of the sugars and starches in the foods and may also indicate greater extraction from the liver and periphery of the products of carbohydrate digestion. A lower glycemic response is often thought to equate to a lower insulin demand, better long-term blood glucose control and a reduction in blood lipids. But in fact, some foods having a low glycemic index or having very little carbohydrate cause a high insulin response, or raise blood lipids. That last sentence is where this whole GI thing gets a little confusing so I will save that discussion for another time so lets get back to our potato.

The truth about potatoes is that they will make an excellent addition to any nutritional plan aimed at building muscle and burning fat. Examine the nutritional value of a potato and you will find it meets every criteria of a perfect carbohydrate. They?re an all natural complex carb low in calories but very filling and also contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

In order to burn calories at our bodies optimum level we should try and consume carbohydrates proteins and fats from whole food sources with each meal over our entire day. We all know from the low carb lifers that there are good and bad carbs (glycemic index). A baked potato by itself with little to no toppings is a phenomenal carb source. Now take that same simple potato and smother it with margarine, sour cream and bacon bits and you?ve got yourself an 800 calorie giant, with as much fat as a Big Mac. Compare that to a baked potato with just a touch of real butter, or your favorite low calorie topping and you?ll find a big difference.

The next time you walk into the grocery store head for the fresh produce section and load up on sweet potatoes, red potatoes, white potatoes and yams. These should be staples in your nutritional plan along with a variety of other whole foods. Try to eliminate processed foods as much as possible and get the majority of your calories from whole foods like the good ole potato. Remember to keep your portions in control and don?t get carried away with high calorie high fat toppings and you will be well on your way to mastering your metabolism and building long lasting fat burning muscle.

Geoff Kalmbach is a Fitness Expert, columnist, speaker, and Certified Fitness Professional. Geoff has incorporated health and fitness into thousands of lives all over the world. Sign up for his FREE monthly newsletter at http://www.getfunctionallyfit.com

Acting Camps ... Creating Drama The Professional Way

2007-09-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

Parenting absorbs another irony as teens and pre-teens move off to the range of summer acting camps, in order to learn the arts of creating real-life character dramatizations. Script analysis, language and diction, the relationship of actor to camera, lighting, sound, stage design, TV versus 16mm film versus video, and much more in the latest generation of performing arts summer camp programs.

What Goes Into A Summer Drama Camp? From a high-impact high-intensity weekend workshop summer theater camp to 2-week long arts programs, your budding teen stage or screen artist gains small group highly personalized instruction in the creation and delivery of believable performances projecting entirely new characters. Truthful characterization, the immersion process that results in a young actress totally absorbing a learned role, means overcoming shyness through instruction, while adopting the physical and psychological attributes of a newly acquired character...just like witnessing an acting session by an emerging Tom Cruise, Marlon Brando or Robert Duvall or Kate Blanchard.

Acting Camp - Writing Development. In any multi-faceted performing arts summer camp, the "total artistic" composition includes the dynamics of creative writing...establishing a plot...developing artistic tension through events and dialogue...creating characters with depth and nuance...weaving the various characters into a plot...ensuring that the film score or stage play conforms to the timing limits of the performance. All this and more adds to the creative writing immersion experience for young actresses and film makers.

Summer Theater Camp - Learning About Directing. Making Star Wars or producing weekly Comedy Central programming combines the best of creativity, scripting analysis from the writers pool, selection of actors and actresses best suited for each role, understanding and manipulation of the various staging, lighting and sound technologies, as well as creating budgets and producing to a due date time table. Teen actors looking to enter the entertainment and creative arts industries use summer acting camp as an exposure experience to learn the skills and responsibilities of directing. Rule? Know what a director knows and you'll become the very best actor you can be!

Summer Acting Camps - Technologies Unwrapped. What's the difference between a 16mm camera, a pocket held digital camera or a video camera? How does daytime lighting...mixing artificial with natural sunlight ...compare with night time stage sets? How do you create the ideal camera crew? How many people are required? How many cameras? What sort of post-shooting editing is necessary to finish an "in-the-can" theater or film project? What sorts of sound equipment, microphones and placements are available, and from how many separate input channels? The top theater camps set the foundation for future actors jobs. Just ask any Oscar winning actress, writer or director.

Scheduling, Enrollment Tips And Costs. Pure acting camps or musical theater summer camp programs more heavily focused on song, dance and dramatic theme vary on curriculum format...expect enrollments to be small-group oriented unlike a summer sports camp...enrollments typically fill out quickly pre-summer, yet for older actors and actresses can lead to all-year theater jobs. Costs vary from New York to California and spots between...estimate up to $200/day or more depending upon the location and whether leading stage and film actors and actresses provide workshops...add your travel costs...remember to throw in "spending money" for incidentals. Check to see that the summer acting camp maintains current wide coverage indemnity insurance to protect your child against unforeseen risks.

The Acting Bottom Line. Imagine the gain in knowledge, self-expression and confidence as your daughter or son completes a total immersion performing arts summer camp, returning home to star in a local production, or prepare themselves for a college acting degree program or launches their film or production career!

Learn More About Acting Camps.
Please go to the following links for additional details on teen summer acting camps for your family?s needs.

Info on Acting Camps: http://www.wise4living.com/kidcamp/acting.htm

Info on Teen Summer Camps: http://www.wise4living.com/kidcamp/

Robin Derry is publisher for http://www.wise4living.com/ a specialty knowledge site that gives insights and solutions into specialty summer acting camps programs, auto tire and wheels technology trends, medical spas, home and gardening projects such as decks and deer fencing, technology trends, unique gift designs, HDTV and home entertainment systems, technology gifts, tips for families committed to youth summer camps, body health, household, sport, travel, footwear, education, spendthrift trusts and family law legal needs, and much more.

Prison and a Whipping for Acting Impudent in Saudi Arabia

2007-09-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

At times news stories from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia seem more like tales with Alice in Wonderland themes than believable news coverage.

Some of the laws are so bizarre you come to expect freakish reports. A lashing sentence for the "Girl of Qatif" who was a victim of rape ... or poor guys like Haidi Al-Mutaif, a young Saudi whose jest about the prophet Muhammad earned him years in jail.

However a recent news report had me gawking.

Judge Saud al-Boushi sentenced 20 foreigners to prison terms of three to four months plus lashings for the crime of "impudent partying" in Jiddah.

What exactly is "impudent partying"? Revelers all waving their middle fingers in the direction of Mecca to the beats of Notorious B.I.G.? Group moonings directed toward the limousines of passing Saudi royalty?

No nothing quite so outrageous. These folks were dancing - dancing with members of the opposite sex in the usual time honored manner.

They weren't naked and gyrating in provocative ways. No table dancers or flashers. Just basic no-frills dancing. How outrageous! Ignore the rumors that sheiks in the kingdom have reportedly been helping to keep sex traffickers well heeled and get up to all manner of hanky panky in their palatial romper rooms ... focus instead on foreign infidels who have the impudence to dance!

It gets worse. The impudent ones weren't merely dancing - they videotaped themselves while dancing. This amounts to a charge of "aggravated impudence" since narcissistic voyeurism comes into it also. The evil doers weren't merely being impudent, but impudently videotaped their disco moves with the intention of impudently watching themselves afterwards.

No wonder judge Saud al-Boushi was deeply shocked. Some of them were even wearing tight fitting jeans and a few of the women impudently revealed tummy flesh when they raised their arms a few inches too high during We Will Rock You. How impudently out-of-control can things get?

To add fuel to the fire, drinks were served! I don't mean coke, I mean alcoholic beverages.The evil brew - which presumably raised the impudence aggregate to dangerous seismic levels.

Even though 20 of the impudence doers were sentenced to prison and lashings, the Saudi religious police actually arrested a total of 433 foreigners, 240 of them women. That's a lot of impudent infidels to cram into a cop shop.

Okay the kingdom enforces Islamic law. But why don't they focus on Muslims. Foreigners working in the kingdom who aren't Muslim and who don't abide by Sharia law shouldn't be harassed for socializing in the manner they see fit.

This type of cultural and religious tyranny makes it hard to watch Dick Cheney and other Bush people grinning and smiling (but not too impudently), as they stroll arm-in-arm with Saudi potentates. On one hand Bush harps about the sacred mission of exporting democracy, and on the other hand he's in bed with robed oligarchs who deep down, despise everything democracy stands for. A little bit of a paradox?

The last time King Abdullah was at the Crawford ranch there was a picture of him leading Bush around by the arm as though the President was a small boy who needed to be told a thing or two. Which is true ... just preferably not while sitting on the knee of Abdullah-of-the-Dunes.

What about the rights of foreign workers in Saudi Arabia? Shouldn't our embassies and even the likes of Condoleezza Rice have something to say when foreigners in the kingdom are threatened with lashing and imprisonment for "impudent partying"? A term that remains ambiguous at best.

Without Mecca and oil, Saudi Arabia wouldn't have a fraction of the influence it has today. Those two factors were fortuitous gifts that descended upon the Saudi generations and generated both wealth and power.

I wonder if there is any penalty for "impudent illusions-of-grandeur"?

Aidan Maconachy is a freelance writer and artist based in Ontario. You can visit his blog at http://aidanmaconachyblog.blogspot.com/

5 Ways to Avoid Acting on Stupid Advice

2007-09-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

You?ve heard that the path to the netherworld is paved with good intentions, haven't you?

Right next to that observation should be a kindred one:

Before people experience major life and business reversals or they fail to step-up to the next level of success there is often a flawed tip, a bad piece of advice, or an incomplete or incompetent instruction that was whispered to the falling or stalling that they acted upon to their detriment.

One of the worst bits of advice I ever got was from an attorney who didn?t like a liability clause in the contract offered by a major production company, a division of an entertainment Goliath, interested in putting my seminar on video.

His concern, I later learned, was a non-risk really, something that fairly common insurance policies found in TV and film projects will protect a client against. But my lawyer didn?t know about it.

Between my attorney being clueless and the studio attorney being insistent, the deal went down in flames.

It?s hard to assess exactly how much that snafu cost me, though I know the contract price, even in today?s dollars, is respectable and attractive, surpassing any book advance I?ve received.

The royalties, prestige, and client generating power as well as the first-to-the-market, competitor-beating component of doing this project would put the overall value at, conservatively, a half-million to three million bucks, though the specific loss is incalculable.

I learned to be more proactive in protecting myself from inept advisers.

One way I did it was by putting myself through law school and through an MBA program, after I had already earned a Ph.D. in my regular field.

You don?t have to take such drastic measures.

Here are five ways to avoid similar, unfortunate and damaging outcomes when you?re getting advice from anyone: a lawyer, doctor, consultant, coach, teacher, trainer, or accountant or well-meaning relative:

(1) Remember credibility and capabilities are SUBJECT SPECIFIC. The attorney I mentioned was first-rate in copyrights and trademarks, but he was the new guy on the set in an entertainment law context. No attorney or professional is up to date and savvy in every nook and cranny of their fields. Only work with them in their area of strength.

(2) Don?t be a doctor?s first surgery. There is a reason med students practice on cadavers, dead people, because they?re dead, and no harm can be done. Still, if you can avoid it, you don?t want to be someone?s FIRST CASE, in medicine, law, accounting, or anything else.

(3) Don?t be a professional?s LAST CASE, either. People at the end of careers are more interested in wheeling their grandkids to parks than preparing for your project. Another lawyer inadvertently confessed to me ?I?ve come into the office less than half-time during this past summer.? Believe me, it delayed our progress on a time-sensitive matter.

(4) Seek and get second and third opinions. Joel Edelman, author of THE TAO OF NEGOTIATION, and my Mediation professor in law school, notes that 95% of professionals are so incapable that he would not trust them with handling his personal or professional matters. His purpose isn?t to bash them, and neither is mine. Most are hard working, but anyone can be wrong on any given day, or too lazy to do his homework, to your detriment. Moreover, one attorney, upon hearing your story might detect only two issues in it, and the attorney in the next office would detect six, all of which require exploration. Second opinions are time consuming to get, and potentially costly, but they?re worth it.

(5) Don?t let the ?props? commonly associated with success daze you and make you suspend your healthy skepticism. Offices in the ritziest building in town are a sound investment because they symbolize success, but don?t let them lull you into thinking you hired ?the best.? The first thing con men do is adorn themselves with the Rolexes and expensive suits and fancy leased cars. At the same time, low-overhead outfits aren?t always the most efficient or effective. The difference in actual costs may be higher to you if you resort to a bargain basement advisor.

The best of us can make mistakes in choosing consultants, coaches, and professionals and in evaluating their advice.

Follow these five tips and you'll be more likely to act only on suggestions that will lead you to success.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the best-selling author of 12 books and more than a thousand articles. His seminars and training programs are sponsored internationally and he is a top-rated faculty member at more than 40 universities. Dynamic, experienced, and lots of fun, Gary brings more than two decades of solid management and consulting experience to the table, along with the best academic preparation and credentials in the speaking and training industry. Holder of five degrees, including a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School For Communication at USC, an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management, and a law degree from Loyola, his clients include several Fortune 1000 companies along with successful family owned and operated firms across America. Much more than a ?talking head,? Gary is a top mind that youʼll enjoy working with and putting to use. He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

Creativity: Acting Like God

2007-09-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

I have begun, what seems to be a mission, of encouraging everyone to write. I don?t mean like suggesting that they write down an idea or two. I have been harassing friends to write down all the thoughts in their heads. It has becomes something of a crusade for me. It all started with Scott, The Guy With The Name Tag.

I have a friend named Scott Ginsberg who has been wearing a name tag everyday for nearly 3, 000 days. He is a marketing guru. A few months ago, Scott encouraged me to two of his most sacred success practices. Both strategies are questions which he considers daily.

The first question is boldly displayed at the entrance of is office. ?Is everything in your head written down somewhere?? This question leads us to consider the value and the mortally of our thoughts. Our unique experiences shape our view of the world. I would venture to say that our perspective of the world is our only unique contribution to the world. Unless we write down our thoughts, there is no guarantee of the perpetuation of our highest self, which is our thought. As of yet, there is no way to download the content of our brain in the event of our untimely death. So, the best that we can do is get all of our thoughts down on paper.

The second question is symmetrically displayed on the opposing wall. ?What Have You Written Today?? Consequently, this question is the logical expression of the first. If you answer negatively to the first, then you must commit to writing down your thoughts. To get every thought of your massive brain down on paper requires a true commitment. Scott encouraged me to make a commitment to writing everyday. He has made a commitment to writing at least 30 minutes everyday.

After discussing writing topics and strategies, Scott gave me these inspirational words: ?Writing is basis of wealth.? The statement needed no explanation. But he continued, ?Think modular. A modular is a small chunk of information that can be distributed in different venues.? Your writing, once written, can become many different products like; workshops, pod casts, chapters of a book, lectures etc. I understood the value immediately and went to work writing.

It has been these two questions and Scott?s encouragement that has reignited my passion for writing. It has resulted in several published articles and these very words that I write at this moment. As I have embarked on this new mission to get all of my thoughts down on paper, I have come to realized that writing is not only the basis of wealth. It is also the first step of the creative process.

Exploring and developing my creativity is the most rewarding experience of my life. I often call it acting like God. Most Christians believe that God spoke the world into existence. I would imagine that God had this idea about what should be and then spoke it into existence. Humanity has not evolved entirely to this level yet. Our ability to transform an intangible thought into a physical reality has not been perfected. Therefore, an intermediate step is still required for us; writing. However, I have found that once I writing my thoughts down, I can easily convert that writing into tangible products. My writings have become articles. Those articles have become discussion groups. Those discussion groups are becoming television shows and those shows will become a series of workshops and seminars. I get so excited to see my thoughts evolving into real stuff. It?s great. I?m acting like God. It be quite a trip for him to look at the world and see the stuff that was once only a thought.

So is the process of writing, publishing and bringing to others the thoughts of your mind. I have spent most of my casual moments encouraging my friends, family and associates to embrace the two questions posed to me by Scott. The act of using my thoughts to bring me the experiences I desire, wealth, and recognition, is probably in-line with God?s intentions. I believe that we were created in the likeness of God. Therefore, it is only natural that we would fine peace, excitement and motivation in the creative process. I encourage you to make a record of your thoughts, ideas and reflection on a daily basis. Maybe, you might find that this process will lead to a long and prosperous life.

Harlan B. Hodge is a writer and social worker in St. Louis Missouri. He is the creator and publisher of Teach and Learn Magazine, a DVD-Based publication. He conducts workshops and seminars on effectively using technology to enhance classroom learning and leadership. To reserve Harlan for lectures or workshops, please send an email to harlan@harlanbhodge.com

Being a Bully and Acting Assertive

2007-09-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

There is a difference between being a bully and acting assertive and there is indeed a problem when one crosses that line. There is also a very interesting thing that I have witnessed in my career with bullies in business. You see I ran a Franchising Company and I often noticed an interesting and yet alarming thing with some of my franchisees.

They would complain about their boss and unfairness to me prior to buying a franchise. Then after they started their business they turned into little Hilters and treated their new employees even worse than they were once treated. It makes me wish I had never spent all the time to help them get into a business of their own and give them the American Dream, it is rather unfortunate really.

It is a real common human psychological problem. It is so common, I am very careful with people who complain too much and study their words, body language and such and motivation too. You need to watch out when people complain too much, sometimes it is an outlet, other times it should be a warning. Of course if one is pushed too hard inevitably they will push back, thus this is something that should be known too.

What is amazing is when I talked to these franchisees about this I was fascinated at how they said that they had have considered this? There is a notion of humans who get tired of being pushed around and played, often they will take a stand, which can be perceived as bullying.

When you are talking to friends in person or on the phone think about this and think of your online communication and how it might be misinterpreted by some to be that way? The question is do you really care? Think about it, preventing bullying starts with you.L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entreprenuer. Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

An Alternative to Acting School

2007-09-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

Do you have the money and 4 years to dedicate to an acting school? If not, read on, I might have what you need.

If you want to learn about the history and different styles of acting, acting schools are the way to go. There are lots of different acting schools and it?s hard to choose. But what they have all in common is that most are very expensive. If you want to get a very rounded perspective on acting, then go to an acting school. There are so many styles of acting.

Here is what you can do. Get a list of all the acting schools in your area. If you live in New York City or L.A. you should find a bunch. Some of the schools are not 4 years and don't cost a lot of money. Gather this list. Find teachers teaching private classes and workshops. Work independently with these teachers. It's cheaper and the personal attention that you will receive is definitely worth it.

Getting a graduate degree in an acting school is overrated. What is important is talent. Are you good? Are you a quality actor? Can you play the role with your unique ability?

Unlike what you get when you join an acting school, you will be able to study whatever style of acting that suits you. Choose your own schedule. And this will cost you only about a third of the price. This is what I chose and I have never regretted it.

Now I am not saying that an acting school/university is not for anyone. If you need some structure, and like the traditional study standards, then maybe you should opt for a school. But before you go that way, do your research. There are a lot of other possibilities out there. Lots of schools and styles. A lot of workshops where you will receive personal attention. There are a lot of opportunities and everywhere there is something to grasp or let go.

Sebastien is an accomplished actor and film maker. He now teaches acting in a well known University. He also teaches multiple workshops with a dozen students at a time.

Sebastien also writes articles for a film making and acting website. Check it out!

Ever Think About Taking Intensive Summer Acting Classes?

2007-09-10T22:06:00.000-07:00

Total immersion in summer acting classes: A great experience!

I now know the difference between taking classes one at a time and totally immersing myself into the craft that I love for six full weeks of eating, sleeping and breathing acting.

Well, I kinda knew what it was like shortly after I had begun studying acting a few years ago. I first started studying in a theatre company in Milan, Italy. At the time I was working more than a full-time job and could only go to class in the evenings. Class hours were from 9 ? 11pm, three days a week. It was better than nothing, but often I arrived at class and I was tired. I probably could have gotten more out of it if I had had more energy. Nevertheless, I?m glad I had that experience.

Then, I took a ten-day workshop in Italy with an American acting coach and teacher. That was a mini-immersion for the ten-day period. The workshop was five hours a day of instruction for then straight days and then rehearsals. At the time, I had already saved enough money and quit my full-time job to pursue acting full-time.

And then?

I went to New York for a three month period and had put together my own program of all the different classes I needed so that I could totally immerse myself and have a full experience of concentrating on my craft. I put together a schedule of classes, a mix from different schools. I took acting classes in technique, sensory work, scene study, improvisation, audition technique. In addition I took mini workshops in different areas such as corporate videos, soaps, prime-time television as well as yoga classes, and I went to the gym regularly. That was my first sort of real immersion.

My Experience With Intensive Summer Acting Classes

I continued to study and then took the best set of summer acting classes to date. I had met Wendy Ward at the Ward Studio in New York back in 2003 when I was investigating schools to attend. At the time I couldn?t attend her school, because of time constraints on my part. It wasn?t until eighteen months later, that I would be able to take her summer intensive.

It?s sooooo different taking classes in this way. It was a six-week long set of summer acting classes that began in July and went through to mid-August. There were about ten of us in the class that summer of 2005 at the Ward Studio and we became a tightly knit group. Our schedule was as follows:

M/W/F
Meisner acting technique: 3 hrs
Voice: 2 hrs
Movement: 2 hrs

T/Th
Career Mentoring workshop: 2 hrs (This was great too, because we concentrated on what we need to do to get work, something that many programs don't focus on at all!)
Shakespeare: 2 hrs
Text & audition technique: 3 hrs

Talk about intense! There was always something to do for one of the classes. We had scenes to rehearse for, so we had to meet outside of class. There were monologues to memorize and prepare for. Props to acquire for scenes, monologues and class exercises. Homework to do for the career mentoring class, texts to memorize for the audition class. It was non-stop! Taking those intensive summer classes helped me grow as an actor more in those six weeks than I did in the whole year before that. It?s true.

There?s nothing like being totally immersed in your acting craft for a time. Nothing like it! Have a look at an example of a real program at a real school. Shop around for summer acting classes, know what you're looking for, consider pricing. But whatever you do, set some money aside and do it! It could be one of the best investments you ever make in your acting career.Anthony Smith left a successful corporate career as a senior manager in Nike and Levi's after 15 years to follow his dream of becoming an entrepreneur, writer, motivational speaker and actor. While enjoying success in his "new" life, Anthony shares his business insight and acting experience with young actors. Aside from acting work, he has created http://www.actingcareerstartup.com and his first book, Acting Career Start-Up: Four Key Factors For Success will hit the U.S. market in April 2007.

Acting Or Non-Acting Schools

2007-09-09T23:47:00.000-07:00

How to choose an Acting School: There are so many schools for acting out there in the world. So many styles and form of acting to be aware of. So what does one do in order choose the ultimate acting education.

Well there are two basic forms of studying acting: Formally- with literature and the history thereof. Doing It: observing people and mimicking our own versions of it. Observing our emotions.

So get a list of Schools for acting that pertains to your desire. And decide where you want to go. Location is key.

Different tips on how to choose an Acting School: There is also the world of acting Class. This class workshop is basically the same as school but quicker and no diploma. Same info attained though. So in this field it's not really important to have a diploma. And choosing a class workshop will give you more flexibility and management of time.

If you are one for the 4 year acting school. I recommend one with high prestige or either wacky outlook. You can make it either way! Trust the situation at hand.

Actors explore and Acting teaches actors to explore their insufficiencies. In a university you do this for 4 years with a same group of people. You will get very close to them. But with a workshop you will get close to these people and it'll be much quicker.

I have had some random extraordinary adventures with the acting classes. I studied in a few schools for acting. I recommend doing what suits you best . Indulge in the 4 year commitment. Find an alternative. Study from the world. Find Classes. Either one will lead you the right way.

How Do You Choose The Right Acting Classes For You?

2007-09-07T23:48:00.000-07:00

If you haven?t shopped around for acting classes, how do you know there isn?t another method of acting that is more conducive to your learning style?

I, used to choose my acting classes in the past, because I knew other people who were studying with them. While I must admit that I learned a lot from their acting classes, I didn?t always feel that I was making progress as quickly as I could have or I didn?t feel comfortable with the method they used or how they were teaching me. I also believed that in some respects I wasn?t ready for their acting classes. In addition, I didn?t always feel that they really cared much whether I learned or not. While I have thick skin and can take criticism, I also wanted to feel that my teacher was interested in my learning. I didn?t always feel that way, so I changed teachers until I was satisfied.

The school where I have chosen to study has met my criteria. While doing research some three years ago to look for the right place to take acting classes, I interviewed different teachers and there was one in particular who stood out from the rest. She specializes in the Meisner technique, which I have found personally to give me the greatest results in making me a better actor, the quickest. While I haven't written this article to sell the school and the teacher, my point is, that to arrive at the decision to study with her, I had my own personal list of criteria for choosing where to study.

My Criteria

Let me share with you my criteria for the choice of an acting school or place just to take acting classes(these are not in order):

? Teachers have experience acting

? Provides ongoing training (ongoing classes)

? Has a base technique

? Has a technique that is conducive to my style of learning

? Has a technique that gets me results as quickly as possible and that is easy to use

? Faculty that is serious and professional

? Teachers who care about my learning, who push me and challenge me, and who will kick me in the butt if necessary

? Teachers who don?t treat me like a number

? Teachers who take pride in the development of their students and who really care

? Cost of classes within my budget

? Class times suitable for my schedule

? Offers a variety of classes that are complementary to each other so that I can stay at the same school and practice the technique in all the classes I take there. (It helps to stay focused instead of taking a technique class at one school, audition technique at another, scene study at another, and so on. However, it might not be possible to do everything at one school. This is what I preferred a few years ago, when I was just starting out. Most schools usually specialize in one thing or do one thing really well. If you can find a school that does more than one thing well, that?s a plus. Just a thought.)

? Doesn?t play favorites

. Everyone is treated equally and fairly

These are my criteria for choosing acting classes. When you are choosing a school, I would suggest for you to have some criteria of your own. If you don?t know what you are looking for and why, then any school and any teacher (and maybe even at any price) will do. Know what it is you are looking for instead of just going to a school because one of your friends or someone you know is going there. Know what it is that will make you stay there. Have clear objectives for what it is you want to accomplish. I know it?s not always easy, especially now that you are maybe just beginning this new way of thinking, but the more you do it, the more comfortable you will feel and the easier it will become. In the beginning when you don?t know anything, it is difficult, but as you continue in your profession, things will become clearer to you.

The Greatest Actors Attended Acting School

2007-09-06T22:57:00.000-07:00

Acting Schools Teach Performing Arts

2007-09-06T22:53:00.000-07:00

Stage performance in Acting Schools may begin in the first semester of many Acting School programs. Master studies often include writing and directing.

If you are interested in learning more about Acting Schools and other types of schools, please search our site for more information and resources.

Please feel free to use this article in your Ezine or on your Website; however, ALL links must remain intact and active.

Why Acting Class is Crucial in your Development as an Actor!

2007-09-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

?Do I really need to go to acting class; my friends think I?m a
natural performer? Isn?t acting all about knowing lines anyway??

If only acting where all about knowing lines. If it where that
simple everyone would be an actor. Acting requires skill and
discipline on many levels and to start to learn about these
skills and disciplines acting class is the PERFECT place.

An acting class is not like any other class, history or English
or pottery. There is no formula or textbook regurgitation to
passing an acting class.

Acting class is very different; really it is the study of YOU! Of the Self!

Great acting comes from a place of knowing. Knowing your truth,
knowing how to relate, knowing how to connect and communicate.

Acting class is the place where you go to KNOW more about YOU!

The way to learn more about your Self is to put yourself out
there. Try a love scene. How do you feel? What happens when I
allow myself to be funny or sad? How does it feel? Are my
instincts tuned? How do people react? What can I do to go
deeper?

An acting class should be a safe environment where you can learn
to express yourself. All of you. And even if your efforts flop
this is the perfect environment because it hasn?t cost you
anything in terms of losing a job or making the wrong impression
with the people that count.

Find an acting class or acting teacher that is supportive and
encouraging, one that is constructive and objective not critical.

Acting class, first and foremost should be FUN but also
challenging! You want it to be a place where you are
continuously discovering, going deeper, and pushing your comfort
zone.

Use your acting class to try everything. Don?t shy away from
your impulses, urges, and ideas, embrace them. This is how you
will grow as an actor.

This is the place where you can really screw up, fall flat on
your face, and it doesn?t matter. This is the place to learn to
push the boundaries, to discover who you are and how you work as
an actor.

Also I find that when you are continuously working on your craft
in such an environment you?re in a state ready to work, you have
greater confidence in your ability. You?re prepared to nail that
role!

So go out there, take an acting class and:
Express yourself
Learn the craft, Gather the tools
Find your Technique
Make mistakes
Learn the Lingo
Work with other like-minded people
Meet people and start a theatre group
See if your have what it takes
Practice, Practice, Practice
Add to your resume
Free yourself up
And most importantly;
Have fun!
To Your acting
Leanne Mauro

Acting Classes and where to begin

2007-09-06T22:05:00.000-07:00

Acting Classes and where to begin. If you have completed a full year of improvisation training program somewhere and you have completed, as a minimum one acting course then you are qualified to audition for a Conservatory Program. If you have completed a bachelors degree in theatre then you can enroll in a Improvisational Techniques for Actors program. If you can not meet any of those criteria, then you should enroll in a Beginning Improv Program. By starting out with a Beginning Program you gain a much more complete picture of what it is to be an actor, and it will increase your chances of a more successful career.

What does Acting Classes cost. It really depends upon the program. Take a look at the program description for the exact tuition you are looking at. On average the tuition is $260 per eight week. Most classes meet once a week for 2.5 to 3.0 hours per class meeting. Normally the full tuition is due upon registering for a class, because the schools do not like hold a spot for you unless you pay the full tuition fee. And futher more the tuition fee is usually non-refundable.

Acting Classes and Improv training. A full years worth of improv training is one year of training at a recognized school of improvisation. The Playground, ImprovOlympic or ComedySportz are all examples of these schools.

The mainstage comes after Acting Classes. The mainstage resident company is cast for invitation only. But the Second City does hold auditions for its National Touring Company approximately once every year. To be considered for an audition, you must have completed a program of study at an institution like the Second City Training Center.

Much more information on attending an Acting Class on this website. See for your self.

Acting

2007-08-31T23:44:00.000-07:00

Acting...

The universe and all of history is your classroom

It takes a very strong and dedicated person to pursue a career
in acting. After all, you are doing it because you love it. You
couldn't imagine doing anything else. And of course, not many
people will understand this.

Some people cannot understand why anyone would want to do
something with such an unpredictable future. But you know it is
you future, it must be.

No one can quiet explain that feeling that you get when you
perform. One of the most exciting things about acting is that
you can be or do anything that you want. All the worries and
sorrows disappear. The stage is a very relaxing place. It's your
home. You learn, grow, and develop there, as an actor and as a
person.

The members of the audience come to be entertained and/or
educated. They are living out their fantasies through your
character. Therefore, your portrayal of the character must real
and truthful.

In order to act, you must be an observer of life. You must watch
people closely: how they talk, the gestures they make, and so
forth. You must observe and then be able to duplicate what you
see. This is real.

This is true life. You also must experience all that you can.
This gives you more knowledge and a broad area to work with for
understanding your character.

Try new things, experience life. Don't be the spectator, that's
not your job. The definition of to act is to do. As Miss Stella
Adler said, "You cannot afford to confine you studies to the
classroom. The universe and all of history is your classroom."

Addicted to acting? Me too! Tap into an ever-growing source of Free articles, resources, and insider career tips, visit my site at