Imagine you submitted your headshot for an audition you saw on a casting site. The next day you receive an email, inviting you to submit a self tape. For those of you who would like to accept this challenge, treat this as a real audition. Follow the directions carefully. Unlike real auditions, I will give you feedback. You will then either be invited to submit a callback, or not. It will be good practice for the “real deal”. The speed of my response will depend on my schedule, but remember, you rarely get any response after most auditions. It could take months to hear about it, but most often not at all. I promise I will be better than that.

AUDITION INVITE Thank you for submitting to our project! We loved your headshots and feel you have a great look for this commercial.

For your self tape audition, please use a medium frame of yourself from mid chest to just above your head limiting as much dead space as possible. Please tape yourself in front of a backdrop or blank wall with as little distraction as possible. You may sit or stand. Make sure you are front lit so that we can see your face. We are looking for a real and conversational performance, showcasing your unique personality. Your character is fun and a bit gossipy.

To proceed your performance, please slate your name and height. Edit this before your performance of the copy below.

Please upload your self tape to YouTube as an unlisted link and title the video with your “Your Reddit name_Mustang Audition.”

You will then need to put the Youtube link in the comments, below. I will review them and give you feedback. Here is the copy:

————— Mustang Commercial

I have this friend, Tom.  He’s great but he has this habit of telling you everything about anything he buys.  So when he bought the new Ford Mustang, I was ready to hear about the powerful engine, the ultimate driving machine!  But you know what? When I asked him about his new Mustang…All he did was smile

——-

Have fun! I will give this same copy to my Audition Class students and then share some video from our live class. I may even decide to do a free pop up class for the call backs. Check back to see about that!

Should you decide to accept this mission…In the comments below, I listed some lessons that will help you with this audition. Let’s see who’s serious about improving their skills!

A couple years ago I woke up in the middle of the night and shared this extremely vivid dream on r/actingclass. I’m glad I did, or I would have forgotten all about it. I think it’s time to share it again and remind some of you who might have seen it. Here it is. It’s a wild one!

I was working in the Amazon forest with people who were born, first, as tiny little flies, but quickly turned into human beings. But their life cycle was extremely short, and they were aging at an incredibly accelerated speed. And I was there because many of them wanted to learn acting before they died. So I was trying to teach them. Some at their bed side as they turned into very old people. But they still wanted to learn, working until they took their last breath.

One gray old man was about to die and I could see his spirit start to leave his body. I felt so bad that he hadn’t achieved what he hoped. But just as I thought he was gone for good, his spirit returned to him and he opened his eyes and ask me to tell him more.

I don’t know why these people wanted to act. They wouldn’t live long enough to have careers. But it was what they wanted, even on their deathbed, so I was there with them until they couldn’t hang on any longer.

It’s not so hard to interpret this dream. It’s kind of the way I feel now, knowing there are so many of you out there, ignoring what your heart has been telling you for years. If you are 20 years old, 70 seems a long ways away. But I am looking back from 69, and it seems like yesterday I was 20. We do all have a limited time on this earth. If we were more aware of it, we wouldn’t waste the precious time we have. And I think we are all born with our dreams and inclinations planted within us that need to be fulfilled. It may not make sense, but that desire is there and it will never go away. You already know—it hasn’t gone away yet.

If acting is your deepest desire, I do want to help you achieve it in your lifetime. I don’t want you to run out of time. You are blessed with a long life so you CAN achieve so much. But it is only a blink of an eye in reality. You can’t take it for granted. It will be over before you know it. At 69 years old, my desire is to help everyone to be able to fulfill their dreams. That is my passion. I know I don’t have forever to do it. So take advantage of this opportunity while you can—me wanting to help you. In fact, treasure every moment of your life and use your time to do what brings you joy and fulfillment.

What do you really mean when you say “I don’t have time? Plain and simple it’s that you haven’t made acting one of your priorities. If something is important to you, you will find a way to fit it into your schedule. You know, even as busy as you are, you waste time on things that don’t help you to move forward. Think about it! And try some of these alternatives:

1. Wake up Earlier! Set your alarm 15-30 minutes earlier. Read one of my WRITTEN LESSONS. Read them in order. Or watch one of my VIDEO LESSONS and work your way up from the bottom to the top. Leave comments on both so you can go back and remember what you learned. I will respond to you and keep track of what you are learning and give you pointers.

2. Go to bed later. If you’re not a morning person, maybe devoting some time to learning about acting would be better right before bed. It’s the commitment that counts. Do what I described above. I will be there to help.

3. Commit to One of my Weekly classes Check out YESTERDAY’S POST. It describes a step be step plan to become a professional actor. When you become a committed member of my student body you will be in the loop for whatever you should do next. But making yourself answerable to going to class and rehearsing with scene partners is a way to make sure you don’t let time slip away. It will change your life and help you to become “Acting Focused”. When you “don’t have time”, you sometimes need to commit to something in a definite way—like getting a trainer at the gym. I did that so I had to show up at appointment times. It made me find time. It got me in shape. My acting classes are like going to the “Acting Gym”. They will get you in shape for what you need to become a professional actor. A new session of “Intro to Acting” starts tomorrow.

4. Visit r/actingclass at least once a day! I want to encourage everyone to visit r/actingclass, every day. It’s almost impossible to take in all the information that is available here, but do a little at a time and get started. Just reading the student’s comments below the hundreds of posts and lessons is awe inspiring.

5. Get One on One Help And if you want to start putting all those concepts and techniques into practice and you really have no time to join any of my scheduled classes, try taking a couple private lessons. Together we can take you to a whole new level of understanding. HERE is the post that describes all the possibilities and costs of working with me on Zoom.

I know you are busy. But are you too busy to do what your heart desires? Make time. Make a commitment. I’m here to help you every step of the way

Lately I’ve had several posts on r/actingclass of people looking for monologues for an audition. They explain that they have “no previous acting training”. If you are in this position or hope to be, read on! Here are the cold hard facts and what you can do about them.

First of all, it depends on how important this audition is. Is it a professional production…a school or community production? Is it for an agent? How important is it to YOU? Whatever it is, you want to do well. The people who will see your audition will be forming an opinion of you as they watch.

Picking a random monologue, memorizing it and reciting it for someone, isn’t going to do anything good for you. Acting is so much more than that. What you choose and how you do it is crucial. They want to be able to believe you are your character. They want to see interaction and you responding to the person you are speaking to. They want to see you using your words to change the other person.

You only have one chance to make a first impression and that can last a very long time in the minds of the people you want to impress. Even school and community theater can be competitive. And in the professional world of acting in theater, film or tv, it’s like trying out for the Olympics. You are up against the best of the best.

People fantasize about being completely unknown and inexperienced and suddenly being discovered by a big tv or movie producer and cast as the lead. This NEVER happens. There is only one way to get signed for that kind of work. You need to be the best actor they see. In fact, that is true for any audition you do. No one chooses the fifth best actor (unless it’s a close family member). They don’t choose the second best actor. They only want THE BEST.

So how do you impress them if you’ve never acted before? Very simply…you can’t! Chances are, if it’s something worth doing there are going to be lots of actors there with tons of training and experience. So you need that too. Even if you did a small part in a middle school play and have always dreamed of doing more—It’s not enough. Acting is a skill that takes practice and guidance. You can’t “wing it”.

So what about this audition you have? If you think this a a huge opportunity and there is limited time to prepare, you need private coaching with an experienced and insightful teacher. I do this for new (as well as very experienced) actors all the time. I help them to find the right monologue—one to show they are right for and can handle the role in question. Or I coach them on audition material they have been given. All my lessons are recorded so you can rewatch them or even edit them to submit for self-tape auditions. This is the fastest way to prepare for an opportunity you don’t want to waste.

Auditions are nothing to take lightly. Each one is a precious gift that you should never take for granted. Each one is a building block, constructing your reputation as an actor. Your audition (or anything anyone sees you do), must be compelling as well as show a variety of emotions as you connect to another character. It needs to be at a professional level, prepared and skilled with purpose and relationship in every word. No one wants less than that for their project. No one takes on a beginner in a major production. Movies, tv shows and even theater productions cost too much to risk their success on beginners. Actors need to be assets, not a gamble. If you want to be hired, you need the skills.

Now…if you have time and that big “opportunity of a lifetime” is still in your imagination, you are in luck! Still there is no time to lose. There are some simple (but not so easy) steps you must follow. When you do all that I describe below, you WILL BE A SKILLED ACTOR. You just need to get started.

I am Winnie Hiller, a professional acting coach in Hollywood who has been on set of a TV show everyday with a celebrity actor for 14 years. Before that I taught for decades in NYC and LA. Here is a video of some of my STUDENTS TALKING ABOUT ME AS A TEACHER. The students in my Zoom classes are warm, welcoming and come from all over the world. For many this class has changed their lives. Here are the steps you must take to get you on that journey.

STEP NO. 1 - GET INVOLVED IN R/ACTING CLASS!

This sub is a GOLDMINE of information about acting and the business of show business. There are over 60 free WRITTEN LESSONS that will Introduce you to insightful concepts about the craft. They will open your eyes whether you are new to acting or have been studying all your life. There are over 100 free VIDEO LESSONS that will illustrate and demonstrate the concepts in the written lessons. Watch them from the bottom up. Read and watch and you will understand acting in a new profound way. It’s a great first step!

#STEP NO. 2 - INTRO TO ACTING ZOOM CLASS

INTRO TO ACTING CLASS - WEDNESDAY EVENING at 4:30 PM PACIFIC. CLASS BEGINS MAY 15

Step 1 will help you so much, but to really become an actor, you need regular hands on training with a professional who knows what is required to have a real career and can guide and direct you. If you are new to my technique or you are just getting started in your acting career, this is the class where I can personally help you start applying my techniques to your own work. Being in class every week, working on a monologue, learning to use every word to its fullest will become part of who you are as an actor. All the basics will be covered and I will work intensely with you to make sure you can apply them. The sessions are five weeks long with a Showcase Broadcast on week five. All classes are recorded and sent to students to review afterwards. This way you can see your progress for yourself, and take notes on all the guidance I have given you. You can sign up HERE

#STEP NO. 3 - SCENE STUDY CLASS

Think of THE SCENE STUDY CLASSES as an escalator step that you can ride all the way to the top. Besides learning to apply your new knowledge to working with other actors, developing characters, and creating compelling performances, it’s like an “acting gym” where you can exercise your acting brain and keep all your skills tuned up and ready to go. It’s where students who have learned the concepts explained in the written and video lessons get to put them to use by doing scenes from tv, film and theater with my intensive feedback and guidance in real time. Working with a scene partner each week is priceless experience that will serve you the rest of your career as you learn what will make your performances unique, specific and professional level “WOW”. These are the skills you need to acquire for a professional career, giving performances that agents and CDs can’t say no to. Sessions are 5 weeks long and are ongoing. Videos of every class are provided and there is a Performance Showcase broadcast on week 5.

#STEP NO. 4 - ADVANCED AUDITION TECHNIQUE

ADVANCED AUDITION TECHNIQUE is another one of those “escalator steps” that will help you throughout your career. If you are not getting enough auditions (and who is?) or you haven’t started auditioning yet, this is the way to make sure that when opportunities arise you will be able to “knock their socks off”. Get thrown a weekly challenge to create a self-tape from new audition sides. Work on film and TV scripts, commercial copy and the all important “Slate”…in real time, with the high pressure demands of a real, professional audition. Students receive their audition sides a day or two before class. They must create a professional quality self tape with their slate. The tape is played in class for my critique and coaching, then they give their callback performance, attempting to implement my direction. All in one class day!

If you have an important audition coming up—message me. If hope that opportunity will come, get acquainted with this sub. Scroll down the r/actingclass page and see all that there is here…lessons, videos, questions and answers. Don’t wait any longer. If you’ve always wanted a chance to be “discovered”, get ready for it! I’ll help!

Hey, I'm new to acting and fortunately I got my first ever audition! I'm super excited and extremely nervous, especially when the terms of the audition is to bring in your own monologue. I have no idea how to even look for one, I've heard of some, read some, and watched a few, but nothing comes up in my mind that speaks about the roles that I'm trying to audition for. If anyone knows any dark, mysterious, edgar allan poe type of monologues, that would be super appreciated.

Bridgerton monologue help

Hello,

I have a filmed monologue reel coming up soon! I have truly fallen in love with a monologue from Bridgerton - “do you love me” - by young Queen Charlotte.

I wondered if anyone could advise as to whether her race is an integral part of the character and story, or if the role just simply happens to be played by a black actor?

I don’t want to disrespect, appropriate, whitewash’ or perform a monologue if it would be inappropriate to do so. I’m only asking as my reel is in a few days and so I don’t have time to watch the entire series to determine if her race is key to the character or this monologue.

Please any help or guidance would be really appreciated!

SIGN UP POST NEW INTRO BEFORE & AFTERS SCENE STUDY SHOWCASE VIDEO FREE WRITTEN LESSONS YOUTUBE ACTING LESSONS PLAYLIST

Hi all of you, I was thinking about becoming an actor (I thought of it a lot of times actually) but firstly I want to study like acting class but in my city they only have acting classes for theatre and I've searched for TV show and movies but I found none. Will it be the same thing if I take theatre class or not. Thank you.

I know there are not a lot out there but I'm just curious if anyone has found a good, reputable one?

I recently auditioned and got a callback from the National Performance Academy. Is this a scam? They are asking for $800 upfront and I'm not so sure if it's worth it. I know they have some success stories but it seems like a few. Has anyone ever done the training and actually received roles?

Where you guys find most of your auditions?

Hey, my name is Monika :) I'm an actress who recently moved to NYC. I remember my first auditions were very stressful, and I didn't know where to start, so I think it's nice to share our thoughts with people who are new to the field and just share our experiences and help each other. I found that most auditions are on Playbill, Actors Access, and Broadway World. Is there any other platform where you can find all the info?

Hey, just put together an acting reel. Would love any feedback from fresh eyes.

https://vimeo.com/941423671?share=copy

What are your suggestions for a guy that is going to play Hamlet for the very first time in amateur theatre.

How can one act better with zero experience?

I, by no means, want to be an actor but I need to learn how to act. Where can I look for finding a class for me.

#ACT BEFORE YOU THINK? NOOOO!

This morning I saw a post on another sub, asking for help finding a source for a Sanford Meisner quote. They were writing their thesis and had a quote in their brain but couldn’t find the actual source. “Act before you think-Your instincts are more honest than your thoughts.” was the quote in question.

According to my Google search, he did say it but I didn’t see a source. Whether he said it or not, I completely disagree. Years ago I took some classes with Meisner but didn’t stay long. I took in the parts that made sense to me and later worked for my own students. Much of it I left behind.

This particular quote means that Meisner wanted to get actors “out of their heads” to act based on instinct, rather than a hyper-focus on the words their character speaks. But I believe this only creates mindless performances. You need to think to exist and this applies to your character as well as real human beings.

All actions are driven by thoughts. We can’t ever stop thinking. Even when we are taking action instinctually, there is a type of subconscious thought behind it. The trick is to come from your character’s point of view, not your own (actor’s) POV. You need to think as your character, not yourself. There are too many actors out there trying to mindlessly respond. There needs to be conscious purpose in your actions…AS your character. What you think is what determines who you are.

When you know your character well enough to think as them, then you become them. But this cannot be done instinctually. Your instincts are your own. Your character’s instincts would be different. So as your character, you must consciously choose to think as they think, see as they see, respond as they respond. This needs to be a conscious choice.

And focusing on the words your character is choosing to say and using them to pursue his/her goal is the secret to understanding them in a deeper way. Every word is meant to affect the other character in a very specific fashion. This takes thought as you say each word. It’s all about thinking/speaking as your character, descriptively in the way they most think will make a positive affect on the other person.

Instinctually, actors might be frightened when they are acting. They may want to run off stage or break into tears. They may instinctually worry about forgetting their lines or getting the job. That is natural. But your character doesn’t have these concerns. They are committed to achieving something with the person they are speaking to. Their history, relationship, and circumstances are what govern the way they do everything. You need to think about what THEY would do instinctually, not let your own instincts control you.

I choose thinking (as your character) every time.

I’m not saying he’s all wrong. Here are some Sanford Meisner quotes I do agree with:

• “Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” ...

(I believe in being fully immersed in the fantasy of the scene, living truthfully from your character’s point of view. You are not behaving as yourself. You must know your character well enough to take on their behavior through using their mind instead of your own.)

• “That which hinders your task is your task.” ...

(There is no scene without opposition from the other person. Reacting to their resistance is what makes you speak, think and do.)

• “Acting is not talking, it's living off the other fellow!!!” ...

(I say over and over: The scene is not about you! It’s alway about the other person. Everything is in reaction to what they do in order to change them in some way. What they do makes you do. What they say makes you speak and think. It’s all about them.)

• “The foundation of acting is the reality of doing

(If you aren’t doing, you aren’t acting. You must be taking action—always to get something your character wants.)

—————

Have you watched the two new videos I shared yesterday and today? Have you read my other lessons and watched my videos. Read the lessons in order and watch the videos from the bottom up. My techniques may be new to you but I promise—they work.

Hi everyone :) I'm looking for some help in a scene' analysis.

I'm playing a guest character, who's a high school student, and is telling a classmate in private about the emotional weight he's dealing with, because of his grandfather's passing.

The classmate is sort of the psychologist of the show, and I wonder what could my scene's objective (goal)?

What do we want to achieve when we open ourselves to others?

Thank you very much

PS: I would love some tips on how do you analyse scenes better

I am getting in to acting but I live in Rochester MN and I need it to be less then 150 miles away but I want to know what I’m auditioning for and I can’t fine anything does anyone know a website I could check?

Is next star auditions real or is it a scam where some creep wiredo watches me audition

My name is Ryan and l've just been stuck wondering how I can get things going in my life. I've been working at a business center for 7 years but l've always wanted to become an Actor. l've had an awesome opportunity with workshops in Toronto and have spoken with a lot of people but never really forged myself into the field of Acting. I've always dreamed about winning an Oscar and I truly want to be the best there can be. To even make my own film one day would be amazing cause I have ambitions to be great. Anyone have any true advice to help me out cause I swear I would owe it back to whoever can help me. I know it seems weird asking reddit for help but I mean I got no clue how to even start. Thanks!

Hi! I've read a lot of the posts here and find them really helpful. I have a question about a difference I'm noticing between my performance/experience on set vs. in auditions.

I get a lot of positive feedback on my work and really enjoy doing it — generally I'm able to be in the moment, think the character's thoughts, feel the feelings etc. When I'm auditioning.

However, lately on set, it's different. For bigger/more intense emotional scenes on set I'll just feel so... zen. Totally calm. But like, emotions inaccessible, nothing there, usually I'm a pretty high-energy busy-minded feeling person, and of all moments this is the one where I go completely silent.

It's kinda nice, but wrong time!!! Any thoughts on what's happening or what to do about it?

Hey all! So I need advice on this. I have gotten zero in person/online training but have some decent experience since I started acting 2 years ago and have looked into many videos and readings of acting advice/classes. So Im not a complete newbie. I cant speak too much on this project but it’s my first time playing this kind of character so if anyone has played a real life criminal/psycho before or a fictional one even, what advice do you have to get into character? The producer told me I will have to do some violent scenes that are going to have another actress in it (you get the idea)

i hâve to lead warmups for my acting class in a couple days and i need some good ideas for warmups to do. we are all college students if that makes a difference

Hi!

I am a 19 year old girl(about to be 20) and I decided to go to LA this summer incase I find a really good Summer Acting Program that isn’t for under 18 years olds.

Does anyone recommend one? If yes why and did you go there by yourself?

I’d love to hear the experiences and see if it’s worth it!