Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Available now: Dialect Coaching!

I'm finally doing it!
After many inquiries and a number of private sessions, I am now offering dialect coaching.

For all your British Isles dialect needs, look no further...

Read more at the new, improved The NYC Actor website

A great workshop and a rare opportunity!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

It's not all about New York


I woke up to this email today. It was in the comments field of another post and I felt like I should share it:
Hello Mrs Angela,

I’ve been wanting to be an actress since I was 10 years old. I am 18 years old now, and it has been difficult. I have learned that being financially stable is one important aspect, but I just wish that it wasn’t what seems to stem from all of my problems. I do not have a job, and am currently in school. My mother raises me and my sister, and she works two jobs. Of course there are classes that I want to take, but I can’t take them. Headshots that I want to get done, but I can’t because of money. I try so hard to remain positive, because I never think of anything else....

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Anecdotes on the job: A case for every actor to own a smart-phone and to get to your auditions EARLY!



Ironically, I just mentioned a similar scenario to this yesterday, so I’m being put to the test here! Today, I had an audition for an Australian Progressive Auto Insurance commercial. My agent told me to do an Australian accent. Fine. I can do that. I’ll swat up a bit the night before and get to the casting early so I can practice the lines and I’ll be golden…

Friday, January 7, 2011

Ask Me: How to meet fellow actors?


Anonymous asked
Hey im in NYC, im tryna meet and network with fellow NYC actors, where could I go to do this? I would go to mixers but im not that established as an actor, i only have background credits.





I think the best way to meet fellow actors is... Read more at the new, improved The NYC Actor website

Ask Me: How to keep going?


Anonymous asked
In your career you must have had rough times? What convinced you to keep going? What was your "aha" moment?




My “a-ha” moment came when I was 17. I was playing Mephisto in a production of Goethe’s “Faust.” I was working my a** off day and night memorizing the outrageously complicated text, doing in-depth script analysis, doing physical work on the 4 primary character-representations that I would be playing (if you’ve never read the play, I recommend it - its excellent) and vocal work because the theater we would be performing in was HUGE. And all that on top of my 12th grade finals. I collapsed from exhaustion...

Reblog from Tumblr: Amazing speech accent audio archive


Click to hear a speech sample, read from the same piece of text, anywhere in the world.
I like this website, too. Although it won’t help you nail an accent all on its own. You have to do some serious research by watching documentaries, TV, listening to local radio from your desired accent-region.. But a GREAT resource.
Thanks for the reminder and the link siegel

Ask Me: Moving to the USA?


aldes asked
Hi,

your tumblr is really useful, I saw previously that you're not from the US. Because I'm french and I want to furfill this dream. I have a good acting coach here. Well I wanna know if you made your us citizen paper before coming, or if you just came and tried it out. If I'm not wrong we can stay 3 months without a visa. But us : immigrants, can we work ( as a waiter first )as an actor here ? I mean it may be difficult to get a flat, get a driving licence, damn so many questions..










Hey there,
You are right. I’m a Brit. I got to come here because I have family in the US and then I stayed because I met my husband. It is quite difficult to get work papers here. You can possibly apply as an artist but you have to have placement with an agency first. Also, I’m not an immigration lawyer so I don’t really know all the details!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Ask Me: Links on your resume?


mustanghalle asked
Hey lady! I had a question about resumes you might be able to help me out with. Would you ever put links on your acting resume, say if the gig was a web series or something exclusively on the web? Or is that not really done? Thanks and great Tumblr!



Thanks Halle!
Well, if we’re talking about a printed resume and you have a website (which at this point in time, every actor should.. ) you should put your website at the top of your resume with your name, email address and phone number. And your website should have a clear path to your reel.
If the resume is digital (on the web or a pdf, say) ...

Ask Me: Paying the rent!


Anonymous asked
Angela,

First of all, I just stumbled upon this site and I think it's great! It's awesome that you're giving out answers that I cannot find anywhere else. My question is really more about living in NYC as an actor. I'm curious about apartments--everything on Craigslist is soooo expensive and I don't know how I could afford it! Can waiters really afford to pay $700/month just by waiting tables? How much do you really have to work in order to afford this ludicrously expensive (yet amazing) city? How much do waiters make during the week and is it easy to pay the rent? I know small acting roles won't pay that much... I'm coming from small town Georgia but I'm scared I'll be living on the street within a week that I get there!












It is a very expensive city indeed! It is possible to make a living here, though.
$700 is probably what you’ll pay if you live in an apartment with a roommate and is a very manageable amount of money to raise. You will have utilities and other expenses, too, so I’d plan on raising at least double that if you can.
Depending on where you work...





Ask Me: Where are all the auditions?



Anonymous asked
Hi. I really want to start going to auditions for musicals, mostly to just practice singing in pressure situations. How do I get started? Where are these things listed? Thanks!





Most theater auditions are posted in Backstage (either online at backstage.com or in their weekly newspaper). There are listings of non-union shows AND union shows in a number of places. Here are some links to get you started..

Monday, January 3, 2011

Ask Me: Headshot, resume and my name?



Anonymous asked
Hey Girl!
Question about headshots: I read all the tips and pointers but do you put your name on the headshot too? Does it get framed out with the name at the bottom. I've seen your resume, do you attach it to your headshot? When you go into a blind audtion how many pieces of paper do you need? haha !
Yes! You must put your name on your headshot because most of the time casting directors actually rip off your resume. They’ll need to have a name to put to that great face they decide they like a year from now.
At the moment (Jan 2011) having a plain white border around your picture is the norm - and it’s the perfect place for your name. I suggest printing it on the bottom right corner. We westerners read from left to right and the eye scans the headshot left to right too, so it makes sense that the name should be down there...

Ask Me: Work as a Casting Director?


Anonymous asked
how can you go about working with a casting director? how much would it pay?




Why?
Do you want to be a casting director? Or is it a means to an end as an actor?
I wouldn’t suggest looking to work with a casting director as a means to make money as an actor. It is a thankless job and the hours can be gruesome which will come into direct conflict with your need to be available for auditions, work, etc. I can also guarantee that it is not a means to be discovered as an actor. It’s not common for the director ..

Ask Me: The Most Important Thing an Actor Should know?


Anonymous asked
What is the most important things actors should know?



I’d say that an actor should know beyond all doubt that this is the profession they HAVE to do.
It can be a very hard life with a lot of stress and heartache and it should not be entered into lightly. If you can imagine.. 

Ask Me: Night-jobs?


Anonymous asked
Should actors take night jobs?


Until an actor is making a consistent living at acting they should do whatever they can to support themselves financially. In general, night jobs are helpful because it frees the actor up during the day-times which is when most auditions happen...

Ask Me!

Good morning, and a Happy New Year to you!

Have questions about the industry? Ask me anything about acting HERE!