Out of the many emotions you could be asked to portray, one of the more difficult ones is crying. Personally I think laughing genuinely is more difficult than crying but I’m not sure what the consensus is. Crying is a skill I worked very hard to master and there are some tricks that can be used to get tears to stream down your face. There are a few different methods you can try, and you’ll probably find that you need to use a combination of a bunch of them to get results. To cry genuinely, for...

Recently I came across a very amazing opportunity to do some temporary stand-in work for a television show pilot in Vancouver, which gave me a wonderful view into the other side of being on set in film making. The former side being acting, of which I am all too familiar with. First off, what does is mean to be a stand-in? When the film crew is setting up a shot, they need to make sure the lighting, camera angles, props, etc. are all perfect so they end up with the look they want. This can be a tedious...

Many people seem to have a disdain for extra work that I just don’t understand. I realize that as an extra, you are not in any sort of spot light and are generally required to blend in with the background, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Being an extra offers you the chance to be on set that you might not otherwise have, and any chance to be on set means the chance to network and make connections. There isn’t a person out there who can”t benefit from networking. Being...

This is a question that many actors face at some point in their career, and it’s not always an easy one to answer. I eventually chose to take the plunge into becoming a full ACTRA member (Canada’s Union). Here I will explain what influenced my decision, and what can help you to make yours, whether its to join ACTRA or SAG, etc. The main difference between being union and non-union is the work you can get. Non-union members are able to do non-union work, which means there is no affiliation with...

You understand to be diligent and avoid scams, but they seem to be everywhere and you’re losing hope, where else is there to turn? In reality, you’re acting career is not going to just fall into your lap. You need to know where to look! The very first thing you should be looking for is a legitimate agent. A real agent will find you real auditions, won’t charge an up front cost, and will help you get the start to your career that you need. Even if you’ve started your career, an agent will...