Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode.
Affiliate Disclosure PeekAtThis participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and affiliate programs with B&H, Adorama, Clickbank, and CJ. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The Direct Answer The best online filmmaking courses for 2026 are MasterClass (Martin Scorsese) for storytelling philosophy, Skillshare … Read more
📌 What You’ll Learn in This Guide: Real pay rates for union and non-union background actors ($100-$200+/day) Which myths about extra work are destroying opportunities (and which are true) The exact gear that separates pros from amateurs on set How to find legitimate background acting jobs without getting scammed When to do background work—and when … Read more
The Casting Session That Changed How I See Everything Twelve actors showed up for the lead role in “In The End.” Three of them were in their 50s. The rest were 20-somethings with theater degrees, headshots from expensive photographers, and agents who’d submitted them. The role? A daughter dealing with her mother’s death. Complex emotional … Read more
Self-Tape Audtions: The Introduction I’ll never forget the first time I had to watch self-tape auditions for “In The End.” We needed three actors. I got 47 submissions. By tape number twelve, I wanted to throw my laptop out the window. Not because the acting was bad—some of it was great. But half the tapes … Read more
The Gourd That Changed Everything While co-directing and acting in Married & Isolated, a comedy about the frayed nerves of a couple in lockdown, I faced a challenge from both sides of the camera. In one scene, my character had to be driven to a state of quiet, simmering insanity by his partner’s minor, innocuous … Read more
Introduction After graduating from Vancouver Film School and USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, and spending 15 years directing and producing independent films, I’ve worked with dozens of actors at every level. One thing has become clear: great acting isn’t just natural talent—it’s built through training, consistency, and the right guidance. I’ve stood on both sides … Read more
Acting and Directing: Balancing Both Roles Stepping into both the director’s chair and the actor’s shoes on the same project isn’t just tough — some call it cinematic self-punishment. But for many filmmakers, the chance to take full creative control and shape a film from both sides of the lens is worth it. Directing while … Read more