Meeting people. Events like Actor's Pro Expo allow companies like ourselves to do full on Open Calls for actors ready and willing to get paid for their work. Open Calls in general give you a much larger array... more
Why Do Companies Run Open Calls?
Category Archives: Industry Expert Advice
Demo Reel Tips
If you’re about to get your first demo reel made, then awesome! You’re on your way to having a hugely important tool in your Actor’s Kit Bag. But if this is your first time putting a reel together, then... more
Surviving Tech Week
Anyone who’s ever worked in theater will know that 'tech week' can be a little difficult. Long hours, having to repeat the same things over and over again and things going wrong can all lead to patience... more
Looking After Your Voice in Winter
Game of Thrones has been predicting it for years, but it’s true - Winter Is Here. We love this season for endless mugs of hot chocolate, snuggling into cosy sweaters and of course all those Christmas feels.... more
How To Use LinkedIn – What Everyone Else Is Doing Wrong
LinkedIn is a must for actors. Not only does it rank high on search engine result pages, but also it is great for letting you and your connections know of activity, ensuring you stay in the know and giving you... more
How To Get Brand New Agent – Nicky Raby
I have had many agents over the years; some have been wonderful and some less than wonderful, let’s just say :) This week, I signed with an additional agent; lovely Kaye is going to look after me for... more
How you can prepare for 2018 as an actor
When I was an agent, I rarely stopped for breath. Lunch was a hurried affair at my desk and often the calls and emails of ‘immediate attention’ continued way beyond office hours. When you are under... more
ACT YOUR WAY TO BETTER HEADSHOTS
Standfirst: Terrified of the stills camera? Finding it hard to relax in your headshot shoots? Not sure how to use your performance skills in a photo session? 'Well, Top Theatre Photographer' (The Stage) and... more
Best Places In London To Rehearse
Finding the ideal place to rehearse is important. You will never be able to practice for a role or perfect your craft if there are constant distractions around or the environment is not suitable. However, if... more
Healthy Fats for Actors – All you need to know
All actors know the importance of eating healthy. If you are going to have the energy to get through long days of shooting or worse, endless rehearsals, you need to treat your body right. Unfortunately, there... more
Why Networking Is So Important…
Acushla-Tara Kupe signed with Q Management and subsequently filmed a new series for CBBC after networking at Surviving Actors 2017… Here is her story! How did you meet Q Management? I attended the... more
Success as an actor starts today…
What have you done today? We are now in the second half of 2017, so if you are not in the position you want to be, you need to take action. I want you to run through your day in your head and have a... more
Why I Left Acting…
I didn’t “give up” on acting. I chose to leave it. This is an important distinction I have been trying to make to friends and family for the last 5 years since I left the industry. I’m sad to say that... more
No Drama School? No Problem!
The Yorkshire Academy of Film and Television Acting (YAFTA) takes a fresh look at training for the film and television industry. With traditional drama schools only just beginning to add screen acting... more
What to Wear to an Audition
Right this is a tricky issue- always has been, always will be. You’ll hear over and over again that casting directors make assumptions and decisions about you based on your first five seconds in the audition... more
Nicky’s Advice For Actors
Christmas suddenly feels a distance memory and 2017 is galloping by at quite a pace. How's it going for you so far? Did you set any resolutions and if so, how are they working out? I am a huge believer in... more
A Gift Guide for Actors!
Deck the halls, pull the crackers and get ready to jingle all the way, it’s officially the most wonderful time of the year! Here at Surviving Actors we’ve pulled together a little gift guide for all those... more
Working as a Freelance Drama Teacher whilst Acting
Not only is teaching rewarding, but also the pay is great: on average £25 an hour. Actors tend to make great freelance drama teachers; charisma, good people skills and an ability to improvise are all... more
Sing Out Louise: Tips for a Career in Musical Theatre by the pros!
You nailed the dance audition, sang the pants off your up-tempo number, and after five recalls and a lot of waiting, you got the part in a West End show! You’re set for life, right? Actually, now the hard... more
Interview with Manchester Actor Lucas Smith
Ahead of our Surviving Actors convention in Manchester on October 22nd, we caught up with Manchester based actor Lucas Smith to give us a bit of an insight what it’s like being a performer up... more
10 Ways To Get Cheap Tickets And See More Theatre.
Looking after the Honest Actors Podcast and Blog is a full-time job for me at the minute, particularly now that series 2 is up and running, but I still do my best to go to as much theatre as possible. It’s... more
Tips for Recording Your First Voicereel
As an actor, one must have a toolkit. Just as a builder has hammers, spanners and nails, an actor has a show reel, head shots and a voice reel. We’ve put together a great guide in the Surviving Actors Manual... more
Banishing Spring Blues
Are you suffering from spring blues? Perhaps you have been knocked back from a few auditions, or maybe you have been feeling a bit under the weather as of late? No matter what applies, we have some top tips to... more
What are the best ‘other’ jobs for actors?
Question: What are the best ‘other’ jobs for actors? "Know what it is you're going to do between acting jobs when you're 50." #ActorSunscreen As part of my ‘other’ job (running the Honest Actors’... more
“Fight your way to the top by being the best you can be” by Dan Styles of Independent Drama
Many look at stage combat as just learning how to safely punch and stab, but that’s really the easy part, adding intention, motivation, status, stakes, etc, while maintaining an awareness of safety (without... more
6 Things for Actors to Explore During the Holidays by Michelle Danner
We know that the holidays are one of the most fruitful, magical, and emotional times of the year because it is about family, rituals, and childhood. You can read many tips about how people can avoid holiday... more
Advice for Actors from Casting Director Jane Anderson CDG
Advice for Actors from Casting Director Jane Anderson CDG My advice to actors is to always research, as best you can, how each Casting Director likes to be contacted. We all have our own way of working. I... more
So what is a co-op agency? by The Actors Group
So what is a 'co-op' agency? An actors’ co-operative agency operates much in the same way as a conventional agency. They submit their actors for jobs; negotiate contracts; invite industry professionals to... more
Running a Career Outside of London (Part 2)
Surviving Actors Manchester is almost here. This year a key area of the event will focus on ‘Running a Career Outisde of London’ which will be incredibly useful for all you North West and further afield... more
Running a Career Outside of London (Part 1)
Surviving Actors Manchester is almost here. This year a key area of the event will focus on ‘Running a Career Outisde of London’ which will be incredibly useful for all you North West and further afield... more
14/48 comes to London by Marcy Rodenborn
Listen up, we have something to tell you that you won’t want to miss. Take 7 Writers, 7 Directors, 25 Actors, a handful of Designers and Musicians and just 48 hours. What do you get? 14 World Premier... more
SEE MY SHOW!!!
This month we caught up with Flavia from ‘Finger in the Pie’ to get some top tips for those of you with shows as we head into festival season! You’ve got the venue, assembled your team and... more
#ActorsAwareness
Surviving Actors caught up with actor Tom Stocks to hear more about a recent campaign he has created facing the struggles of the working class actor forging a career in the arts #ActorsAwareness Tom... more
Auditioning Tips
As the New Year is now in full flow, so too are new film and TV projects and with more projects come more auditions! Many actors view auditions as a necessary evil, an obligation that you need to fulfill in... more
Shooting People: Collaborate, Network, Succeed.
Shooting People: Collaborate, Network, Succeed. Since 1998, Shooting People have been connecting independent filmmakers across the UK. With around 200 films crewed and cast by them every week they remain the... more
Janis Jaffa CDG comes to Surviving Actors 2015!
The New Year is the time we all get back to real life with renewed energy and resolution. The festivities are behind us and work and positivity beckon, so what can you do as actors to capitalise on your... more
Audition at Surviving Actors London
With Surviving Actors London coming up in less than a month the team at StarNow took the opportunity to chat to the producer of the exclusive StarNow Open Casting film A Fistful of Bullets, Paul J... more
Taking the Fear out of Networking for your Career
One of the most important actions to take as an actor is Networking. Yes, I know it seems daunting. As soon as most actors think about it, the common reaction is ‘I don't know where to go’, ‘I hate... more
