Learn Acting your way with a TakeLessons expert

A lot goes on behind the scenes before commercials, TV shows, and movies make it to the air. Here, New York, NY acting teacher Stephanie B. shares a few of the acting industry secrets that you should know as an aspiring actor...   Being on a film, TV, or commercial set for the first time is exciting and wonderful and VERY confusing. And, worse, everyone will assume you know what to do and when to do it. Here are five acting industry tips to help you look and feel like a pro! 1. T

Good monologues are hard to find. They are even harder to find when we are talking about film. Film is a very fast moving medium. We, as an audience, have been trained to expect to see something new every few seconds. Live theatre, however, has enjoyed a long and enriching relationship with the sustained attention of the monologue. Here, we are just going to focus on movie monologues for men, and how they help the actor hone their skills. First, we need to define the thing we are looking

There’s a classic saying in theater, “acting is reacting”, meaning it’s not about reciting lines, it’s about listening to your fellow performers, and making your lines a response to the other characters. Which is all great advice – but what if you’re doing a monologue and you have no one to react to? Does that mean monologues aren’t really ‘acting’?  Fortunately, there are a few warmups and tips you can utilize to make your monologues just as believable, character-driven,

Most people are familiar with the storylines of famous Shakespeare plays like Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet - but when you're actually looking at the scripts, sometimes it can feel like you're reading another language! To combat this, here are some tips from Baltimore acting teacher Larry P...   Finally got that audition or that part? The one in the Shakespeare play? Suddenly overrun by the worry that the language will be too much? Confidence that has never left you before suddenly n

Betsie Van der Meer / Stone / Getty Images You’ve studied Stanislavski, Meisner, Adler, and Suzuki. You’ve learned the Circle of Fifths and mastered your second turns. But are you ready for the real world? Here are a few golden tidbits to help any recent grad transition from the acting school environment into the working world, written by actor and teacher Jasmine B.: Acting school can provide aspiring actors with a wealth of knowledge and experience, but there are some things tha

John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, and Catherine Zeta-Jones are just a few of the Hollywood celebrities known for being "triple threats"--skilled in singing, dancing, and acting. Here, Corona, CA teacher Milton J. shares his tips for reaching their superstar status...   So you've decided to take vocal lessons to learn how to sing better, but the buck doesn't just stop there for your own ambitions. You have your eyes set on the stage and the screen, and you won’t stop until you're there

Ready to try your hand at writing a screenplay? Check out these helpful tips from New York, NY tutor Lauren P...   Whether you have too many ideas or you don’t know where to begin, these storytelling tips will help you outline the framework for an unforgettable screenplay. Don’t Remake the Wheel While all stories include some level of conflict, the arguably best stories all seem to include components of what Joseph Campbell calls the Hero’s Journey. If you are not familiar wit

We are all here for the same reason, to tell dynamic stories through our performances. “The Method” is a way to get there. Keep in mind, it is not the only way, just a way. For a sneak peak at Method Acting I highly recommend checking out Emily Meredith’s article on the subject. I am not going to discuss the history or evolution of The Method. This article is going to focus on how to make it work for you, in theory. This article is meant to be an overview of the basic Method Acting techniq

Does your son or daughter have stars in their eyes and big Hollywood dreams? Find out how to tell if your child is ready for their acting debut–and the right things to work on–in this guest post on how to become a child actor by Glendale, CA teacher Nicole E... Looking for a way to keep your kids busy and engaged? Acting classes for kids may be the perfect solution! Acting classes offer kids a chance to explore their creativity, learn new skills, and have fun.  Plus, they can help

In the world of entertainment there are two ways actors get jobs. They either know someone or attend an audition. Each of these avenues are highly sought after. The reality is that acting jobs are hard to find. I have always been told that is hyperbolically, there is one job per 500 actors. When you find that job, it can be very hard to get it because there is so much competition. All is not lost. There are ways to be a working actor that does not require winning an audition. It would be nice to