Category: The Essentials
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How to Prepare for an Audiobook Job
Skills needed to become an audiobook reader and 11 top tips to prepare for an audiobook narration job. I adore working on audiobooks. It offers the opportunity to play a huge range of characters stretching far beyond your usual casting, and allows for plenty of experimentation with your voice. However, in my experience, audiobooks are…
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Tips for Delivering a Natural Read
Founder of the VoiceOver Network, Rachael Naylor shares her advice for voice over artists, including how to deliver a natural read. Sounding natural when you deliver your lines is a vital skill for every aspiring voice over artist. Not only does it showcase your abilities as an artist, but it’s also a desirable skill that…
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3 Exercises to Prepare you for an Audition
Simple exercises you can perform before auditions to keep calm and gain confidence We can all use an extra kick of confidence before something as important as an audition. It can be daunting to enter the room or record a self-tape, armed only with a few pages of a script (if that!) and our own…
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Acting in Soaps
Essential tips for working as an actor in soap opera Soap opera is the musical theatre of television. This is what people often heard me saying to the classes and young actors I mentored during my almost 10-year stint on Neighbours. When it comes to acting – whether it’s in a soap opera, film, television or even…
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Acting Showreel Tips from Casting Directors
The casting directors of ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘Captain America’ reveal common mistakes that actors make in showreels, and what you should include in yours. If done well, a showreel is your key to getting more acting work. It’s the trailer that showcases you – and your talent – and can help make…
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14 Tips for Finding Freedom within Self-Tapes
Leading acting and voice coach, Mel Churcher, guides us through the process of self-taping, and finding the freedom to act more naturally within it As well as running workshops and coaching a wide range of professionals for the past 30 years, Mel Churcher has also worked as an actor and broadcaster. Her session at Spotlight’s Open House drew…
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How to Become a Performer in Manchester
Everything you need to know about working as an actor in Manchester including available training, how to find auditions, and the local cost of living There was a time when training at a London drama school, getting an agent and living in the capital to pursue an acting career was the status quo. Over the…
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The Essential Dos and Don’ts for Voice Work
Voice experts share their top tips for caring for your voice and unlocking its true potential for voice over work. Voice overs are an exciting and potentially lucrative opportunity for actors. However, thanks to the surplus of A-list celebrities being cast in voice roles for their ‘star power’, there’s an untrue expectation that voice work…
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How to Write a Play
Writer and founder of ‘Write Like a Grrrl’ Kerry Ryan shares the essentials for writing a play and taking care of yourself during the process. Have you ever wanted to write a play but felt too scared to begin? When I first started out, fear and self-doubt held me back. My inner critic was relentless. I would…
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Getting Started As A Voice Actor
Advice for voice acting and performers looking to get started in the voice over industry. I’ve always been interested in voice over work. You don’t need to learn the lines, and there’s a huge variety of work out there – from commercials and audiobooks to video games and podcasts. But beyond recording a voice demo and petitioning a list of agents, I didn’t…