Resources
We are not affiliated with any of the listings on our resource section. We list them only as a service to you.
- Classes and Private Coaching
- Indie Student Films
- Monologues
- Must Read List for Actors
- Great Websites for Actors
- Requirements for Headshots
- Photographers for Headshots
- Mass Production of Headshots
- Requirements for Taped Auditions
- Videographers for Taped Auditions
- Demo Reels
- Resume & Website Service
- Sample Resume
Classes and Private Coaching
A note about training. We believe in training. A violinist practices every day, not just the day before a performance. We expect you to work your acting muscle every day in class, rehearsals, on set, practicing monologues, etc. On that note, here’s a list of companies that teach in our industry.
Florida Area Classes
Lori Wyman Casting (Miami Beach) • Website: www.loriwymancasting.com
The A.C.T.I.N.G. Coach (Jacksonville) • Website: www.the-actingcoach.com
Georgia Area Classes
Celebrity Actors Studio (Atlanta) • Website: www.celebrityactorsstudio.com
Nick Conti's Professional Actor's Studio (Atlanta) • Website: www.proactorsstudio.com
Your Act On camera classes (Atlanta) • Website: www.youract.tv
North Carolina Area Classes
C&J Audition Workshops (Charlotte) • Website: www.cjcasting.com
Film Actors Studio (Charlotte) • Website: www.filmactorsstudio.net
South Carolina Area Classes
PURE Theater (Charleston) • Website: www.puretheatre.org
South of Broadway Theatre Company (Charleston) • Website: www.southofbroadway.com
Theatre 99 Improv classes (Charleston) • Website: www.theatre99.com
L.A. & NYC Coaches who also teach in the Southeast
Anthony Vincent Bova “Eric Morris System” (New York) • Website: www.bovaactorsworkshop.com
Deja Dee (Los Angeles) • Website: www.dejadee.com
Eric Dente (New York) • Website: www.dramagarden.com
John Rosenfeld Studios (Los Angeles) • Website: www.johnrosenfeld.com
Kirk Baltz (Los Angeles) • Website: www.actorsintensive.com
Indie Student Films
"Indies" usually offer no pay, but are good for camera practice and resume building.
Atlanta Performs (Atlanta) • Website: www.atlantaperforms.com
Casting Carolina (NC & SC) • Website: www.castingcarolina.com
City of Savannah Film Office (Savannah) • Website: www.savannahfilm.org/news.cfm
Monologues
The Movie Monologue Page Website for Film & TV monologues • Website: www.whysanity.net
Must Read List for Actors
Two good books to read before or after you start acting:
- The Street Kids Guide to Having It All, by John Assaraf
- Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway, by Susan Jeffers
Acting books:
- How Not to Audition: Avoiding the Common Mistakes Most Actors Make, by Ellie Kanner & Martin Flynn
- Audition: Everything An Actor Needs to Know to Get The Part, by Michael Shurtleff
- How To Get The Part, Without Falling Apart, by Margie Haber
- Acting the First Six Lessons, by Boleslavsky
- No Acting Please – “Beyond the Method”, by Eric Morris & Joan Hotchkis
- Irreverent Acting, by Eric Morris
- A Challenge For The Actor, by Uta Hagen
- How to Audition, by Gordon Hunt
- The Casting Directors and the Casting Process, by Keith Wolfe
- Breaking into Commercials, by Terry Berland
- The Art of Acting, by Stella Adler
- A Dream of Passion, by Lee Strasberg
- The Great Acting Teachers and Their Methods, by Richard Brestoff
- The Open Door, by Peter Brook
- The Empty Space, by Peter Brook
- Threads of Time, by Peter Brook
- Respect For Acting, by Uta Hagen (and anything else by her)
- The Actor's Eye, by Morris Carnovsky / Peter Sander
- My Life In Art, by Stanislavsky
- Strasberg Method, by Laurie Hull
- The Way of the Actor, by Brian Bates
- Method Actors, by Steve Vineberg
Also the DVDs:
- Acting for Film, by Michael Caine
- Looking for Richard, by Al Pacino
Great Websites for Actors
The Actor's Checklist • Website: http://www.actorschecklist.com
Atlanta Performs • Website: http://www.atlantaperforms.com
Backstage • Website: http://www.backstage.com
Mandy.com • Website: http://www.mandy.com
Variety • Website: http://www.variety.com
Requirements for Headshots
Commercial shot: a happy conservative look is used for commercials, print and industrials.
Theatrical shot: an interesting, often sly look is used for film and television.
* If only going with one look, use a "middle of the road" look.
- Headshots must be in color
- Portrait (vertical) orientation is preferred over landscape (horizontal) orientation
- Females over age 13 should use a make-up artist
- No jewelry, except small stud earrings
- Wear a solid shirt or sweater; no turtlenecks, logos, stripes, or prints
- Females must show length of hair; do not hide hair down your back
- Do not cut off top of head; we must see your whole head
- Pick interesting background lighting, not just a solid wall
- Background should be slightly out of focus; can be outside or inside shot
- No shadows on the face at all
- No gums showing; practice in mirror if this is a habit for you
- Take some headshots with teeth showing and some without
- If you wear glasses and do not have contacts, you must wear your glasses in headshot
Photographers for Headshots
California Area Photographers
Kenneth Dolin Photography (Los Angeles) • Website: www.kennethdolin.com
Marta Elena Fotografia (Los Angeles) • Website: www.martaelena.com
Paul Smith Photography (Los Angeles) • Website: www.paulsmithphotography.com
The Really Great Headshot Guy (Los Angeles) • Website: www.thereallygreat headshotguy.com
Georgia Area Photographers
APhotograhy (Savannah) • Website: www.a-photography.biz
First City Films (Savannah) • Website: www.firstcityfilms.com
Jackie Goldston Photography (North Atlanta) • Website: www.jackiegoldstonphotography.com
Jillian Walzer Photography (Atlanta) • Website: www.jillianwalzerphotography.com
Kelsey Edwards Photography (Atlanta) Also in L.A. • Website: www.kelseyedwardsphoto.com
North Carolina Area Photographers
Benjamin Segal (Charlotte) • Website: www.benjaminsegal.com
Flaming Chicken Studio (Charlotte) • Website: www.flamingchickenstudio.com
Patricia Roseman Photography (Wilmington) Also in L.A. • Website: www.patriciaroseman.com
South Carolina Area Photographers
David Despeaux Photography (Charleston) • Website: www.daviddespeaux.com
Kristin Burke Photography (Charleston) • Website: www.kristinburkephotography.com
Robbin Knight Photography (Charleston) • Website: www.rkdp.com
Mass Production of Headshots
You will only need to get your primary theatrical headshot reproduced. We can submit your other headshots electronically. You should order at least 100 copies and send 10 to the office with your resume neatly stapled to the back. Keep the remainder with you when you go on auditions.
Headshots can be reproduced on photograph or lithograph paper. The choice is yours, although lithograph is often less expensive. We recommend you order your headshots in a matte finish. Why matte? Because most casting studios are indoors and use tungsten light, which makes it harder to look at glossy pictures. We also recommend portrait (vertical) orientation of your headshots. Most Casting Directors prefer portrait over landscape orientation as well. Headshots with borders are most common. However headshots without borders (called "full bleed") are acceptable.
The On Line Photo Shop (Los Angeles) • Website: www.theonlinephotoshop.com
The Pixel Pusher (Atlanta) • Website: www.the-pixel-pusher.com
Photoscan (Orlando) • Website: www.photoscanonline.com
Reproductions (NY & LA) • Website: www.reproductions.com (use rough border style #1 or #5)
Isgo Photo (Los Angeles) • Website: www.isgophoto.com
Requirements for Taped Auditions
Whenever possible, we save you the time and expense of traveling to first round auditions by submitting a taped audition. Many roles are cast directly off of tape so it is important for talent to submit high quality taped auditions. Casting Directors (CDs) need to SEE and HEAR the actor well in order to FEEL the truth in their performance. We will personally put you on tape for any project at our office. Actors unable to come to our office for taping, need to be able to tape them selves. Please follow the instructions below when taping your auditions.
1. WARDROBE & PROPS: Avoid wearing logos or busy patterns on clothing. Bright solid colors work best. Generally, costumes should not be used, but some CDs find a doctor's lab coat or soldier's military uniform acceptable. A period piece may dictate conservative dress. When in doubt choose simple neutral clothing that shows your body type. Some CDs find it acceptable to use props like a cell phone during the audition. However, make sure that your audition does not become a scene about the prop(s).
2. LIGHTING: The lighting must be good enough to see the color of the actor's eyes. Do not rely on overhead fluorescent lights. If that's all you have, you can make it work with overhead lights; but be aware that overhead lights create deep shadows on your face which can make you look older or change your appearance completely. Also, fluorescent lights tend to make things look more yellowish-orange. Ideally, use two incandescent lights (bulbs with filaments). One as a key light, set off the side of the camera and pointed at your face, and one as a fill light, set to the opposite side of the camera a little farther away and pointed at your side. Just be careful to not over-light as you could become washed-out. If your room is small you may be able to get by with just one light.
3. BACKGROUND: Film your audition in front of a well-lit, neutral background. Do not film outdoors. Ideally, you should perform in front of a solid colored curtain or backdrop because the waves in the fabric provide depth. Use a heavy muslin fabric or light weight canvas in blue, green or tan for your backdrop. A good second option is to find a blank wall. Too much clutter in the background can distract from your performance. Also, make sure that you wear a color that neither blends into, nor contrasts with the color of your backdrop.
4. SOUND: Turn off phones, radios, fans, AC units and loud appliances. Close windows to reduce unwanted noise like traffic, neighbors, or pets. We do not want anything to take attention away from your audition.
5. READER: Choose a quality reader; an actor is best. The reader should read opposite from the actor and stand behind the camera or at least directly next to it to ensure that the actor is performing towards the camera. Never, unless the CD specifically requests it, should the reader appear on camera with the actor. The reader should read in a low tone so as to not overpower the actor. Have the reader stand further back from the camera if they read too loud. This is not the reader’s audition and we do not want anyone to take attention away from the actor.
6. CAMERA & MODE: Any camera will work, as long as it is able to transfer data to a computer. Make sure your camera has a "non-HD" or "non-widescreen" mode. HD or widescreen files are very large and take a long time to upload. Film your audition in a "standard" or "fullscreen" mode. Do not use a web cam. As easy as it is to just sit in front of your computer and read the sides, it looks terrible. Ideally, get a camera that fits your budget and have a friend operate it for you.
7. FRAMING: The best framing is from the shoulders up. CDs really want to see the actor's eyes –where the truth of the role lies. For most taped auditions, you should stand to keep your energy up. There are some exceptions...for example, if your character is driving in the scene, or if the scene specifically instructs the actor to sit. At the end of the audition scene, the actor must slate with their name, agency, role and height; then pull the camera back for a full body shot and pan from top to bottom.
8. CAMERA DIRECTION: When recording the audition, the actor should look at the reader, rather than directly into the camera lens. There are exceptions: for instance, if the audition is for a "News Reporter" it would be appropriate for the actor to look directly into the camera. However, as a general rule, eye contact with the reader works best. If the actor is talking to more than one person in the scene, the actor should make sure that their eyes appear to move from person to person.
9. SLATE: Actors should slate at the END of their audition, unless otherwise instructed. The actor must slate with their name, agency, role and height; then pull the camera back for a full body shot and pan from top to bottom. Also if the actor goes from their performance straight into the slate, they should pause for a few seconds between each to allow some separation. Let the audition play out in its entirety. It helps if the camera stays on the actor for a few seconds after the audition to make sure the CDs see reactions or something else that an actor may be doing near the end of the audition, particularly if the reader has additional lines after the actor’s last line. Do not cut the video as soon as the last line is out of the actor’s mouth.
10. IMPORTING YOUR AUDITION:
11. NAMING YOUR AUDITION: Correctly naming your audition file is very important. Doing so allows CDs to efficiently organize, archive and LOCATE your audition if they need to send it to a director, producer or a network executive who wants to hire you. Unless otherwise specified, the name of the audition file should read: ActorsFirstName.ActorsLastName.CharacterName.AgencyAbbreviation.extension
Extension can be .MOV, .MP4 or .WMV...see examples below:
12. SENDING YOUR AUDITION:
PC users click here for help using Windows Movie Maker. A full version of Windows Movie Maker comes installed on most new Windows based computers. To use Movie Maker, your PC has to be operating Windows XP or newer. If you are operating XP and do not currently have Movie Maker installed on your computer, you can get it FREE by downloading the service pack for the operating system from Microsoft's website.
Mac users click here for help using Apple's iMovie. iMovie '11 (version 9.0) is bundled with all new Macs. To use iMovie, your Mac has to be operating Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6.3 and later). iMovie '11 and the rest of the iLife suite are available for purchase in the Mac App Store.
Videographers for Taped Auditions
California Area Videographers
Audition Tape Inc. (West Hollywood) • Website: www.audition-tape.com
Breaking Legs (Los Angeles) • Website: www.breaking-legs.com
E-Auditions (Studio City) • Email: eauditions@yahoo.com
Joseph Kell Video Services (Los Angeles) • Website: www.kellfilmandvideo.com
Mirage Taping (Los Angeles) • Website: www.miragetaping.com
Quick Nickel (North Hollywood) • Website: www.quicknickel.com
The Actor Connection (Burbank) • Website: www.theactorconnection.com
Georgia Area Videographers
APhotograhy (Savannah) • Website: www.a-photography.biz
Celebrity Actors Studio (Atlanta) • Website: www.celebrityactorsstudio.com
Creative Studios of Atlanta (Atlanta) • Website: www.creativestudiosofatlanta.com
First City Films (Savannah) • Website: www.firstcityfilms.com
Jackie Goldston Photography (North Atlanta) • Website: www.jackiegoldstonphotography.com
Kelly Casting (Atlanta) • Email: kellycasting@gmail.com
Anthony Nixon (Atlanta) • Email: antnixus@yahoo.com
New York Area Videographers
Actor Intro (New York City) • Website: www.actorintro.com
Reel Services (New York City) • Website: www.reelservicesny.com
SkyTown Entertainment Video (SoHo) • Website: www.skytownentertainment.com
North Carolina Area Videographers
Auditions-R-Us (Wilmington) • Email: micheleseidman@aol.com
C&J Casting (Charlotte) • Website: www.cjcasting.com
Shelby Video (Shelby) • Website: www.shelbyvideo.com
Tim Ross (Charlotte) • Email: timrossactor@gmail.com
South Carolina Area Videographers
Coastal Talent (Charleston) • Website: www.coastaltalent.com
Cynthia Pulsifer (Charleston) • Email: cynthiapulsifer@gmail.com
Pam Hays (Charleston) • Email: pam.hays@gphconsulting.com
Trevor Erickson (Charleston) • Email: trevorderickson@gmail.com
Isaac Betancourt-Sabillon (Charleston) • Email: isaacbetancourt80@gmail.com
Demo Reels
Audition Tape Inc. • Website: www.audition-tape.com
Quick Nickel • Website: www.quicknickel.com
Reel Services • Website: www.reelservices.wordpress.com
Reynolds Media Group • Website: www.reynoldsmediaonline.com
SkyTown Entertainment Video • Website: www.skytownentertainment.com
The Actor Connection • Website: www.theactorconnection.com
Trevor Erickson • Email: trevorderickson@gmail.com
Resume & Website Service
Teresa Smith Creates and updates resumes for actors • Email: tssmitht@aol.com
Fish Net Creations Custom websites for actors • Website: www.fishnetcreations.com
Sample Resume
Creative interpretations of billing are common on actors' resumés. Certainly, there are variations from market to market, but the standard for actors' resumés is pretty clear. Follow our company format. List the project name, the type of role, and the director or production company. Do not include extra work. If you do not have room to list all your film, TV and theatre credits, it is fine to include a parenthetical notation of "partial list." Be sure to bring the full list with you to an audition, and be prepared to show it to the Casting Director if asked. Use the sample resume at the bottom of this page as a guide.
Film Billing
- Lead: principal role in the film, in most scenes, on-screen credit is often in the credits that start the film (as well as in the complete end credits)
- Supporting: principal role in the film, in one or more scenes but not a lead character although important to the storyline.
- Featured: principal role in the film with one or more lines but easily cut from the final version of the film. Unfortunately, many extras use the term "featured" to describe their extra work and that means Casting Directors are less convinced that a job listed as "featured" actually was a featured principal role.
- Extra: non-speaking role in the film with no on-screen credit. Do not list extra work on an acting resumé.
Television Billing
- Series Regular: contract role with exclusivity to the series, network, and production company for a term of a year or more; paid for a predetermined number of episodes produced, on contract for all episodes, even those in which the character doesn't appear.
- Recurring: character returns over multiple episodes, either on standing contract or contracted periodically, based on negotiations and number of appearances.
- Guest Star: one-episode guest whose character's storyline is central to that episode, works at a weekly rate and is typically under contract for the week, even if only shooting a day or two.
- Co-star: one-episode guest whose character's storyline may or may not be central to that episode (co-star billing actually depends more on negotiation than size of role), anywhere from one line to multiple scenes.
- Contract Role: a soap opera AFTRA contract term for a daytime series regular or recurring character.
- Under 5: an AFTRA-only contract term for a character with between one and five lines.
- Extra: non-speaking role with no on-screen credit. Do not list extra work on an acting resumé.
Theatre Billing
Billing is pretty much non-existent for theatre credits on a resumé. Most theatre credits include the character name, as role size is generally known. If, however, the production is of an original work or relatively new play, it is fine to include a parenthetical notation of "lead" or "supporting" after the character name.
Commercial Billing
Principal: principal role in the film, in one or more scenes. Can be speaking or non-speaking. If you have a separate commercial resume, you are not required to list all your commercial credits. Make the parenthetical notation "full list available on request" and be prepared to show a CD your commercial resume if they ask.
Industrial Video Billing
Principal: principal role in the film, in one or more scenes. Can be speaking or non-speaking.
Training
List the name of the school or studio, the type of class, the instructor's name and city.
Skills
List things you can actually do and be prepared to demonstrate your skill to a CD during an audition or callback. You can make a distinction between athletic, performance and language skills.
