Still A Struggling Actor? Follow 10 Steps To Win Roles

Accepting and practicing 10 Life steps for success: The success of  P V Sindhu

Accept 10 Facts that Can Change Your Acting Life

The power of a thought is tremendous. A single destructive thought can ruin somebody’s life, make your day, or change your mood. Fortunately, there are some sentences that can give us the power to go on.

1 “Other actors aren't against you; they are for themselves.”

2 Dreams and Ambition: “Climb mountains, not so the world can see you, but so you can see the world.”

3. "You learn more from failure as an actor than a common person. You build up a diverse and strong sense memory which can help you to create a beautiful character you intend to play"

4. “The most dangerous risk of all – The risk of spending your life not doing what you want and leading a 'Situation Compromised Life'

5 “Go where you’re accepted gladly, not where you’re tolerated.”

6 “The person that you will spend the most time with in your life is yourself, so you better try to make yourself as interesting and enjoyable as possible.”

7 “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does taking a bath every day that’s why we recommend it daily.”

8 “Everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something”

9 “Comfort is the enemy of achievement.”

10 "The inevitable thing in life is 'time changes'. It can never remain the same. So, don't stop, continue the struggle and wait for the opportunity. The luck can not fight with time. It has to follow"

Based on

Wanna Be An Actor? Don't Jump | It's Hard | Not Everyone Can

Why am I failing as an actor? What can I do?

Don't Just Dream To be Actor | You Will Be Foolish And Destroy Life

• Do you have some inborn acting talent?

• Have you as a kid, performed in parties, school plays, with friends? 

• As a child or even now, do you like and enjoy to observe, mimic and copy people?

• As a young aspiring actor, have you taken an extensive acting training preferrably from a personal acting coach or a good school?

Most acting problems stem from 

• We think of acting as the process of copying life of the character as portrayed in a script, narrated by the writer or briefly explained by the director. What does that mean? Simply this: in life we laugh, cry, and say things with a certain amount of emotional investment, so if we duplicate that emotional attributes and say our characters’ words, we will do Great Acting!
• And when that doesn’t work out the way we think, we are baffled: “I thought that if I said it just like I do in real life it would be REAL.”

The Fact No 1.

However, most acting problems stem from

• That we forget our own inborn or learned essence (archetype), our type, style- our physical attributes, physical movements, voice, language, gestures, body language and our emotions and attitudes.
• That as a "life" our glass is full, our slate is all written with no place for anything new
• That when we try hard to live a new and imaginary life of a different character than what we truly are, to the audience it looks labored and fake. People identify easily that the actor is not truthful and is "bad".
•  To dig deeper, the problem with that line of thought is this: we can’t copy the appearance of life, in the same way, that we can’t take a photograph of something and present it as the original and "live" itself. The photograph may be an external representation of the subject photographed, but that’s about it.

So how do we solve this problem, or what are the true underpinnings of great acting? 

Learn 

A. First and foremost, observe yourself keenly, know your type and undertake exercises (Michael Chekov) to learn to get rid of your type and how to be neutral to be able to create a new life of a character.

B. Acting for the camera and for a stage. The different techniques and how to market and promote yourself as a product in a highly competitive market where every aspiring actor is better than the other.

Then what's an acting technique?

• Acting technique is the process by which you create the appearance of life (a character from the story) by creating spontaneity and emotionally truthful behavior as you tell and show the story you were hired to tell.
• Learning acting is understanding and practicing this process by triggering the power of imagination and getting to the NEEDS and ACTIONS underneath the outward appearance of a character's behavior. 

The Fact No 2.

The human behavior we observe around are too diverse, leading to a creation of people of different attitudes with underlying emotions.  To transform yourself into this unique and dynamic character truthfully becomes difficult, may be practically impossible if you don't have at least some inborn power of imagination, and on the top of it, may get compounded with the lack of knowledge and training.

For example.
You’re shooting a scene and your director tells you – “More anger!”. OK, so how do you do that? You decide to be louder and FEEL the way you do in life when you’re angry. The director yells “Cut!, What the f*** are you doing? That’s terrible!”
You’re baffled and also in a panic – if you don’t get this right, you’ll never be hired by this director ever again or his friends.  But if you have been learning acting, and at the right school or with a good personal coach, you will have a way to solve this. You will know that what the director really wants is more intensity, more emotions of action. Meaning that if you fight for whatever you’re fighting for in the scene, anger will happen naturally, if you are feeling the situation in a scene as 'happening really' rather than trying hard to generate an emotion of increased anger.
The result will be believable, your director will be happy, and you will keep your job.

• The point is, you need to understand and learn the process of acting (especially developing the power of imagination and creating a physical and emotions generation center within you. 
• You will be shocked how very few directors understand that process and rely on YOU to understand it and give them the results they need in order to move on to the next shot.

Conclusion

So a word of advice, it’s OK to call yourself an actor before you are one, but also "Know How To Do The Job". 

You may get acting jobs because of your looks and body or with excellent communication skills but how long? Without learning and mastering the fine craft of acting, If you’re just faking it, you will be found out and it won’t be pretty. You may fool them for a bit, but eventually, someone is going to ask you to act and act well.

Don't  Worry!We would love you to join us to be a great actor.

Contact us NOW!

Inspired by

Why Everybody Should Learn Acting to Be A Hit And Be Happy

Feed Shark

Why You Fail And Are Morose In Life?
Why The Art Of Pretending Can Make You Successful And Happy?
Why Everyone Should Learn Acting For Life?
How Everyone Can Learn Acting Free To Feel Achiever and Jubilant?

 Acting For Life By Acting  At Its Best

I’ve had many responses during my career as an acting and a life coach and consequently, I have been nudged into exploring one big, basic question that seems to come up in every response – whether explicit or implied – “What, exactly, is acting and why do I recommend everybody to learn to be successful and happy?”

This seems to be a simple question that should have a simple answer in 2 steps:

1. What, exactly, is acting?

Acting is pretending to be someone or something else.
That’s it, right?
Or, if you want to get a little more specific: Acting is when an individual takes on the role, behavior, attitudes, etc. of another person, perhaps in a scripted environment like a play or film.
Maybe. Or in life(?)

2. Why do I recommend everybody to learn to be successful and happy

But if acting is merely pretending to be someone else, then anyone can do it. As a matter of fact, we all do it – every day.

Just think the purpose of our life

• Success, recognition, love, happiness, a bliss, longevity, good health, acceptance, wealth, material comforts etc.?
• And to achieve this we try hard consciously or unconsciously. Sometimes we succeed sometimes we fail to lead to dissatisfaction, frustrations, anxiety, fear and finally unhappiness

The fact of life and acting

Seriously, can you actually get through a day without a moment of acting – of pretense? Perhaps you are not pretending to be someone else. But, how often in one day do you pretend? How often do you hide your truth? (The dictionary definition of pretending: “to act as if something were true”).
For example, how often do you pretend to be pleased, or disappointed, or interested? How often do you hide your impatience, annoyance, anger or fear? We all do this. It’s a central part of the human condition. Sometimes it’s a matter of survival. Pretending is a technique we use to maneuver the rapids of daily existence. And this makes us all actors – to an extent. And then we could discuss those moments when we are accused of acting, of faking it, pretending or lying. And you know how often you can recognize when someone is not being authentic, honest, or truthful. Acting is a part of our lives, every day.
Sanford Meisner eloquently stated: “Acting is the ability to live truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” For a common man, this means “pretending”
In day to day life, this statement is how wonderfully simple, direct and true. But, what does it really mean? What does ‘living truthfully’ really entail?

Is Learning Acting And Pretending Difficult?

To achieve success and happiness I know, for myself, how difficult it is to live truthfully (or honestly) day-to-day, or moment-to-moment. I know how often I hide, pretend, or manipulate or disguise our own truth. Yet, we have to recognize that that modification of our deeper truth is, indeed, the truth of who we are in “that moment”.

So what do we do to make this truthful pretense simple?

1. Learn acting techniques
2. Know who you are; your emotions, attitudes and what triggers your set reactions, body language, gestures, walk etc.
3. Exercise to make yourself neutral, an empty slate to write and to act instantly to achieve your objective
4. Understand your instrument for success and happiness ie Body and Mind
5. And learn how to change and sharpen this instrument

How? 

• Read and practice 210+ posts from this blog. Search Labels at the top of home page or type keyword like "emotions", "body language", Mental health" and so on, in the search box on the top of right sidebar and get the post
• You will learn acting for sure, and when you apply acting techniques in your day to day life, you will be a successful and happiest soul on the earth!

Start today NOW!
Read this blog regularly
Visit my incredible free acting blog, read all 200+ articles one by one daily and practice
Good Luck For A Successful And Happy Life

The Expert Opinion On An Actor And A Character

Excellence in acting: The actor and Character 

This post has a bit higher level, a psychological platform and is for those who want to achieve a true excellence in the acting craft. If you have any questions, please Email me~Author

1. Unlike a common person, you’re always trying to move yourself to some level—otherwise, why would you choose acting? Why would you choose to spend your days transforming into other lives (playing different characters)? 

2. There must be something about yourself that you’re not quite comfortable with. A weird life goal? Some absurd dream? Lack of money in achieving your goal? Love?

3. You must empty yourself. Turn yourself into a blank, a clean slate. Allowing yourself to escape will connect you with that troubled character you have created from the script. Perhaps, entering into another life gives you some hidden pleasure.

4. Acting is being one step away from an addiction of some kind. Like drug addiction, alcohol, sex or work.

5. As actors, we all battle with our own evil self inside and we all use our own way of whatever it is to numb the pain of not being a normal human being in some way. 

6. What happens is the audience expects a character’s set behavioral pattern (based on their life experiences) as the story moves rather than a "change" to show them who this character is. The question is should an actor show what an audience expects or an opposite and weird? In my opinion, "both" studying the script deeply. Starting from expected turning into unexpected may hold the audience with their jaw dropped and terrified. The question of “what unexpected will I do in such a situation?” probably can be a  creative answer. 

7. Imagine someone is asking you one after another question, and you answer them in the voice of the character.  As you speak, you are creating the scene, a story and also,  connecting with the character, developing and playing with character’s mannerisms, his/her voice, physicality. Over time, the character emerges. 

8. To play the character, you have to fall in love with them. You have to sympathize, have a complete understanding and a deep concern for their personal life-story in the script. 

9. Again all this is a game of your imagination, the power of dreaming. After all, it's you as an actor who is creating the character.

10. The options once created could be discussed with the director.

11.  Final Opinion

To be a good actor, you have to be very smart. But to be a great actor, you also have to have a streak of, 'I'm an idiot, a complete lunatic'.
The journey as an actor is always fractured, never smooth. There are interim periods, experiencing a lull in work. There will be times when you could be “totally broke,” sitting at home, and thinking I’m never, ever going to make it as an actor. But regular training, preparedness, strong determination and a readiness of “come what may” attitude will get you to where you wanted to be. To be in demand with Hollywood or Bollywood’s top filmmakers. 
Inspired by 

Acting Coach

Still Struggling? Kick Out Your 7 Bad Habits Before New Year

Bad habits: New Year resolution of  TV star Sneha Wagh and Gaurav S. Bajaj

Actors! Get Rid Of These 7 Bad Habits Before New Year If You Want Success 

I sympathize with you and myself. It's not a sin to have a bad habit. Everybody has but quietly can start destroying your career and happiness. So, let's kick them out

Do You have These Bad Habits?

1. Dominating a conversation. Everyone wants to be heard but some just go on speaking
2. Overthinking and brooding on any subject. Most of the times it makes you sad, drags you and wastes time.
3. Over-attachment with people. Rule No. 1-Focus on yourself
4. The habit of delaying (procrastination). You will never do it if you don’t do it now
5. Lying and cheating yourself because you dare not face the truth
6. Finding excuses for yourself and other people
7. Spending too much time on social media like FaceBook

4 Steps on How to Break a Bad Habit

1 Be aware. Consciously focusing on everything, even small you do and identify THAT bad habit

2 Write down -This is my bad habit I WILL through it out before the new year

3. Substitute it with a good habit. For example, instead of biting nail or smoking , try chewing gum or some other mouth freshener.

4. Finally, I strongly recommend Meditation, self-hypnotism and auto-suggestion techniques. This definitely helps. Learn from us

A few of our TV Serial actors talk about their habits which they want to get rid off and what does the New Year mean to them.





Sneha Wagh-I wants to give up taking people at face value and sweets. New Year means fresh perspective on your priorities and goals and finding happiness.

Piyush Sahdev-I wants to give up nail biting and also want to learn to forgive easily and also want to try to sleep early. A new year means a new beginning for me, new hopes and aspirations. I also plan on buying assets as the new year begins so the new year is big for me.

Gaurav S. Bajaj- I will not give up but I'll reduce the no. of cups of tea in a day. I drink 5-7 cups of tea in a day usually. Late night eating habit. When I watch films at home. I grab so much unwanted stuff from the fridge and hog like a dog ice creams, Namkeens, and chips etc.

Shivin Narang - I would like to take a control on fattening food and second habit is I would more focus on my fitness.  New Year arrival means new chapter for me

Rishina Kandhari - Life is a book and every year is a new chapter full new challenges and opportunities and I would like to score my 100% in it. Two things I would like to change will be A-under estimating my abilities towards myself andB- spending money like a spendthrift.  I will save as much as I can.

Gunjan Utreja - I want to sleep early. It's been long I have not slept before 4 am. And that's a bad habit  because  I wake up early as well.  I want to give up my fetish for sweets. I cannot resist chocolates and Gulab jamun. Change of date doesn't mean anything to me. It's just another milestone and gives you an opportunity to measure the distance you have come in your life. I believe life is to be lived not measured.

Shashank Vyas -Pray  to God and mom on 1st of January that makes me a better person and asks for good health.
Source of actors comment

7 Solid Basis Why An Actor Must Learn Dancing For Good Acting

Dance... Dance and Just Dance!

To Attain Success As An Actor

What are the benefits of dancing for an actor and in general, the human brain?

Plenty of studies proves that this physical activity is the best “brain enhancers and sharpener” especially for actors which help them to keep ahead in an environment of fierce competition and proofs keep coming.
In fact, a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine proves that dancing is one of the best exercises meant to improve “cognitive abilities” of a human brain, including creativity.
(Cognitive functioning is a term referring to a human's ability to process of thinking (thoughts). It  mainly refers to things like memory, the ability to learn new information, speech, understanding of written material. )

1. What does that mean for you?

• When an actor engages in dancing, it’s mainly with the aim to maintain a good body figure. Once you realize that dancing can help you focus and memorize lines more easily, this activity becomes much more attractive. Does it not?
• It doesn’t matter whether you’re ten or eighty years old; the benefits are the same for every age. Cognitive skills help you remember things, read, think, and learn new things.
• All these brain activities are meant to digest information and transform it into basic knowledge. 
• Basically, without these skills, you’d have a hard time remembering the script.

2. How do body movements make you more focused?

• Dancing improves blood circulation, allowing your brain to receive more oxygen and glucose. These effects automatically boost your brain’s functions and make it healthier. If your brain is healthier, your chances of developing mental problems like tension, forgetfulness, fear, tiredness, breathlessness,  irritability in auditions, during a shoot or in life decrease considerably.
• You won’t have to worry about abandoning acting too early because of memory decaying with age, something that happened to  even top Hollywood stars like Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson.
• Dancing can help you keep it fresh. The same study mentioned earlier shows how a regular dancer has 76% fewer chances of developing dementia. Pretty cool, isn’t it?

3. An Actor Has to Be Smart. Dancing Can Boost Your Intelligence!

• When you dance, you use more brain functions at the same time like emotional, rational, kinesthetic (a learning style in which learning takes place by the students carrying out physical activities, rather than listening to a lecture or watching demonstrations.) , and musical functions are present every time you perform dancing. Remember, especially as an actor, dancing is believed to be one of the most complex sports, and that is because it requires intelligence and cognitive skills.
• Intelligence is more about making quick and smart decisions (an extremely important ability of an actor to transform into different characters, emotions, and situations while improvisating in auditions or in a take, rather than knowing a lot of things). 
• Dancers are known to be “bodily-intelligent”. The quick definition of this term would be the ability to quickly convert thoughts and emotions into action.

4. Daily Shoots Are Tough. Dancing Makes You Relaxed.

• Apart from its intelligence boosting benefit, dancing is also extremely beneficial for actors who deal with a lot of stress in their lives.
• When you dance, your body flushes out many body toxins that build up in time. These toxins are the main causes of stress, and the more you move your body and practice this amazing activity, the more you reduce the stress in your body and mind. 
• Here, dancing is  similar to doing yoga.
• Life isn’t easy for most of us and necessary daily activities and film / TV shoots don’t actually help your brain relax. Dancing is a useful distraction from all that’s happening around you because it doesn’t let you think of anything else except what move you should do next.

5. You’ll Memorize the Scripts Easily!

• Here’s something you didn’t know: dancing is proven to increase your long-term memory by sparking brain cells that are responsible for gaining knowledge. The process is called neurogenesis (growth and development of new brain cells), and their main role is to connect your thoughts.
• Our memory is created and maintained by billions of electric active cells (neurons). Whenever you dance, these connections somehow grow stronger and therefore strengthen the memory muscles found in your cerebellum.
• It makes sense considering the fact that whenever you learn a specific blocking move during a shoot, or a theater move, or a dance move, your brain has to remember the exact movements and steps that you’re about to perform on camera to maintain continuity for subsequent takes.

6. More Happiness + Less Anxiety = Better Acting

• Your mood is mostly influenced by the number of endorphins released in your brain. All that stress you go through on a daily basis doesn’t do you well.
• Film /TV Directors or casting directors are expecting you to give your best during every single scene you perform, and they have certain ideas about the way you should behave on camera or on stage in public. You simply need an activity that helps you relax, and dancing is the perfect choice to make.

7. Just Dance Dance And Dance!

• You don’t have to join a dancing school is a talented dancer in order to get all these amazing benefits. Most people aren’t, and most of the studies mentioned above have dealt with regular people who practiced dancing as a hobby.
• Of course, if you’re a really good dancer, you have more chances of exhibiting these empowering effects causes by this healthy activity. So don’t forget to practice more and get better with time. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the next star of a dance-themed movie?
• If you want to convince yourself of the great benefits you can gain by moving your body to the rhythm of the music, then make dancing a regular habit and adapt it to your lifestyle as soon as possible. The results will appear immediately. After only one session of dancing, you’ll most certainly feel more active, focused, energized, and relaxed. Source

Dance classes in Mumbai:

http://www.terencelewis.com/

Other dancing classes link

How To Kill 2 Major Reasons Of Failure | Criticism and Jealousy

Jealous to criticism? Bollywood's Akshay, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Lisa

Dear actors,
I sympathize with you. Don't worry.
Of all the emotions humans show, jealousy and criticism are 2 of the most common and unsettling. It tends to bring out the worst in us, even though most of us know better. It's an age-old problem, having been recorded since Mahabharat and Biblical times, and no doubt experienced even before that.

Foolproof  Way to Deal With Criticism and Jealousy

Actors are just like anyone else in terms of the number of insecurities they have. The difference is that actors more regularly find themselves in situations where insecurities are likely to surface.
Consider the number of auditions an actor attends and the high ‘rejection rate,’ take into account the emotions actors express in any given class or performance and the potential for judgment and ridicule that entails and keep in mind the overwhelming competition that makes even great actors feel unworthy by comparison. It can be overwhelming.

That’s not to say that members of the general public don’t have their own challenges, but most of them can be kept private. When you perform, yours are on display for everyone to see and potentially critique and analyze. That’s depressing stuff—but never fear. There are ways to overcome and conquer these insecurities.

Criticism

When you face criticism of any kind, you have three options:

1. Ignore it
2. Become insecure, or
3. Learn from it.

I hope we can all agree that the first is foolish, the second is destructive and the third is the most desirable.
To ignore all criticism is a great way to make sure that you miss even the nuggets of gold buried under the rubble of a well-meaning advisor or teacher’s poor delivery. To become insecure about feedback makes it more likely that the next suggestion from someone is going to also be viewed by you as an attack because you’ve conditioned yourself to view criticism as a rebuke. To learn from everything, however, regardless of the sometimes coarse and unmannered conveyance of advice, is your only true and effective way through insecurities.

As a teacher, I can hand-over-heart say that I never judge my students. I used to do this many years ago, maybe for a month or two when I had just started coaching and was insecure about myself.  But as my confidence in my own teaching grew so did my patience and empathy when it comes to actors and their attendant insecurities.
When you react negatively to a note, direction or piece of feedback, the only thing you can be certain of is that your own reaction was negative. You can’t even be sure that the advice-giver was being rude or uncaring—they may have simply failed to communicate in the way you prefer. If you dismiss everything you heard means that you lose an opportunity to learn and grow. That’s the only one true guarantee.

Your future is not dictated by your past, nor is it the result of what your critics say about you or to you. Your future is decided entirely by how you react to the hand (like a card game) of that you are dealt. Though you may have suffered the most humiliating blows in your life and career to date, only you can change your life for the better.

Wouldn’t it be nice to start today?

Jealousy

Are you jealous of others? Their looks, body, acting, respect and attention they get on set? Or notice the others who you feel are jealous of you?

Jealousy might feel like something that comes with the territory of being an actor—as if it’s something you’ll always have to feel. But that doesn’t have to be the case. You can go through your entire career without feeling jealous at all, or move through it quickly whenever it does arise.

While jealousy is usually regarded as a “bad” thing, especially because it feels really bad, it’s a natural human emotion that arises whenever you really want something but, for whatever reason, don’t believe you can have it. It can be incredibly painful when left unchecked, though, and it can become harmful to your acting career, eating away at the creative energy you could be using to advance your career and do great work. But the most important reason to shift out of jealousy is that
it represents a “wall” inside that stands between you and what you want—whether it be a high-profile role, a contract with a power agent, or a relaxed stage presence.

Here are 3 steps to transform jealousy into an advancement tool for your acting career:

1. What you’re jealous of ?

• The good news about jealousy is that it’s a very clear indicator of what you want. Jealousy isn’t a wish feeling—it’s intense, pointed and clear.
• Acknowledging this clarity is the first step toward using it to your own benefit.
• All you have to do is write down exactly what you’re jealous of and be really honest with yourself. If you’re jealous of someone who just got a major role in a film or in top TV episodic  or is it because they’re going to be famous? Or because they’re going to be well paid for doing work they love? Or maybe it’s because they’re going to work with artists you’d love to work with. There’s no right or wrong here, just clarity. Writing your answer down brings even greater clarity, and it also makes the next two steps easier.

2. Why you feel like you can’t have what others have

Whenever jealousy is present, it’s because some part of you feels like you can’t have what the other person has, or, at the very least, you’ll have to overcome huge obstacles to get it. So another gift jealousy gives you is the knowledge that you have a block—a negative fear or belief that you can't have what you want.
Identify and write down the precise reason of this jealous feeling
Now, start thinking about how can I overcome it? What options do I have or can create? Or, should I focus and develop something I have which the other person lacks?

After getting clear about the specific thing you want, ask yourself, what's my action plan? Write down

3. To end my post, here are my final thoughts

• You can be the moon and still be jealous of the stars.
• Part of being a man is learning to take responsibility for your successes and for your failures. You can't go blaming others or being jealous. Seeing somebody else's success as your failure is a cancerous way to live.
• Anyone that hates on you is always below you because they're just jealous of what you have.
• Many of you who have undergone training in acting in a school or with a personal coach, will know what's a 'Method Acting' and animal exercises for actors. Apart from what you learn as an actor from animal exercises and where you can apply in your performances, I found another great aspiration for actors to learn from animals-Animals don't lie. Animals don't criticize or are jealous(except maybe chimpanzee and elephants) . If animals have moods, they handle them better than we actors do. 

My strategy to kill jealousy and criticism:

Personally, I don't get jealous of people or criticize anyone of them. I go on auto-suggesting myself-Jealousy and criticism is such a waste of time because you're jealous or criticize them, and they go about their lives and have a wonderful time, so what's the point? So now, I don't get jealous. At worst,  I get suspicious.
Partly based on
Criticism
Jealously

15-Game Plans of Bollywood Stars to Become Most Desirable

Some of the most desirable Bollywood stars

Top Bollywood Actors Intelligently Develop Game Plans to be Most Likable

Being likable has its benefits - you'll have an easier time making friends in the film / TV industry and achieving your dream to be a great actor  Recently, Some of the Bollywood stars shared some advice on how making yourself more appealing and achieve success.

Here Are Their 15 Strategies:

1. Their striking feature-a permanent smile

Seeing a smile makes other people happy, so if you're smiling when you're interacting with someone, he'll find you easy to like and friendly.

2. They ask questions about the people they are talking to

There's nothing people love more than to talk about themselves. They will find the conversation most memorable and positive if they spend time talking about themselves.

3. They pay attention

Listen more to other people than you speak, and people will feel valued. Even if you're asking questions, people won't warm up to that if it seems you're not listening to what they're saying.

4. They remember names

Names are such a core part of people's identity. Bringing their names up in the conversation will not only make them feel good, but they'll also appreciate the fact that you remember their names. For example- Mukesh Ji, Vandana Ji... and speaking frequently in a conversation.

5. They repeat and reinforce 

Repeating what someone said to you and strengthening it will help people feel recognized and approved. And that's all people want- acceptance!

6. They don't give uninvited advice

Give advice to people when they ask you for it. If you go around telling people your opinion, you can come across as being overbearing and bossy even if you're just trying to help.

7. They don't make everything in life a competition

Trying to compete with everyone and to be one-up on everything people say can quickly make you less likeable in their eyes.

8. They take responsibility

If you make a mistake, take responsibility for it. Acknowledge it, and don't point the blame at someone else.

9. They switch off their cell phones

People appreciate undivided attention, because it makes them feel like you're truly listening to them. It makes them feel that you value their presence and time.

10. They don't keep interrupting

You may get overexcited (For example, hearing: “You are short listed and have a good chance”)  and interrupt people while they are talking, which can annoy them. It makes them feel that what they have to say is not that important to you.

11. They make eye contact

Making the right amount of eye contact with someone can help them feel rapport with you. You'll also be considered as being more confident and trustworthy.

12. They accept that other people will disagree with them

Everyone has different opinions - learn to be OK with that. Your way may not always be the right way for others, so don't try to convince them that they're wrong. Accept your differences.

13. They don't constantly seek sympathy and attention

Likeable people don't need to constantly seek sympathy and attention to feel better about themselves.

14. They don't try too hard

Focus on making yourself happy first, and people will lean toward you. If you try too hard, people can see that and after some time may become disinterested in you.

15. They have good hygiene

Wear clean clothes, brush your teeth, and take baths.
Based on

5 Reasons Why to Learn Improvisation or Kill Acting Career

Bollywood Improvisation in a given scene

As an actor, you are always learning and growing and challenging yourself by trying different types of acting techniques. Today, however, I would like to focus on a very crucial tool for actors – and that is improvisation, or "improv" for short!

Though an "improv" generally is required for a comedy, a reality show, commercial ads and films, it can be expected or demanded in an audition of any genre. While some casting directors may want the talent to strictly follow the script, others will encourage actors to play with the material to make it their own.

"Improv" is where you create and perform a scene without a script! You create and make up a scene as you go along. It teaches you to be quick on your feet and ready to react when called upon. In today’s audition room, "improv" has quickly gone from a useful tool to a requirement, particularly in commercial auditions. At Best Actor Academy when I'm coaching on "one on One' or in a small group of 2 or 3 aspiring actors in Mumbai, I have started strongly emphasizing the importance of solid "mprov" training and have initiated individual structured improvisation exercises.  I become an actor's partner in a scene when a trainee is alone in a session.

Simple 6 rules of improvisation

1. Quickly decide a story on a given subject with a beginning, middle and an end with interesting changes in the story
2. Start and end a scene with purpose (objective)
3. Listen to your co- actor, if present
4. Say "Yes" to what your co-actor says and then add. Keep the discussion open and lively
5. Don't ask closed questions like "what's the time?" After a reply, this could be a dead end to a scene
6. Don't deny or say "No" to a statement
7. 
   

Improvisation Examples

A. If we’re improvising and I say, ‘Freeze, I have a gun,’ and you say, ‘That’s not a gun. It’s your finger. You’re pointing your finger at me,’ our improvised scene has ground to a halt and died. But if I say, ‘Freeze, I have a gun!’ and you say, ‘The gun I gave you for Dewali!…” then we have started a scene because we have agreed that my finger is in fact a Dewali gun

B. An improvising a scene is not only to say yes, but yes, and.. You are supposed to agree and then add something of your own. 

If I start a scene with ‘I can’t believe it’s so hot in here,’ and you just say, ‘Yeah…’ we’re at a stand-still and the scene could become lifeless . 

But if I say, ‘I can’t believe it’s so hot in here, ‘ and you say, ‘What did you expect? We’re in hell.’ Or if I say, ‘I can’t believe it’s so hot in here,’ and you say, ‘Yes, this can’t be good for the wax figures like us.’ Or if I say ‘I can’t believe it’s so hot in here,’ and you say, ‘I told you we shouldn’t have come out into this weather,’ ...now we’re getting somewhere.”

If you are wondering why Improvisation is good for actors, here are 5 great reasons!

1. Improvisation encourages you to take risks

"Improv" is all about taking risks – it’s about diving into the unknown, without a plan, and saying YES to whatever is in front of you — and building further on that by adding more.
What a  fun! Once you practice taking risks in the safe space of an improvisation session, you will find yourself taking more risks in your auditions – and in your life!

Improvisation skills make us stronger, smarter and gives us the trust we need to realize our ideas are good ideas.  Knowing we can use our improvisation skills anytime gives us the freedom to take chances. When we take risks that others are scared to take… that’s when an exciting performance occurs. We shine as actors and as humans when we step past our fears.

2. Improvisation builds terrific confidence

You likely know by now that first impressions are the most important. If you can walk in and out of a room confidently, you’re already on your way to success. By conquering our fears of jumping into the unknown — and literally creating entire stories out of nothing via "mprov" — we are sharpening our communication skills and our ability to connect and relate to other human beings in a variety of environments. We are becoming more confident. We are able to think and speak on our feet. Did you know that one of the number one fear among people is public speaking?  "Improv" training will definitely enhance and expand your communication skills — both as an actor and as a professional in your industry.

3. Improvisation helps you sharpen your thinking, mental faculty fast

To say YES and be open


One of the key rules of "mprov" is the “Yes, and.. (adding)!” rule. Here’s the thing: human beings are genetically set up to say no. It’s a protective instinct. We often default to "at a loss of what to do", avoiding eye contact, and responding to questions with “Let me think about that,” or “maybe,” or “I’ll get back to you.” 
There is no time to hide in improvisation or in an audition.
In order to move quickly on our feet, we must be open and ready to say yes to whatever is being called on us. Your scene partner says “So good to see you, my sister.” You must say YES — and become  the sister in order to move the scene forward. If you said NO, the scene would stop right there. "Improv" will teach you to be both physically and mentally open and accepting to whatever is coming your way. Ask any football coach, and they’ll agree: you can’t catch the ball and score a touchdown if you aren’t open.

4. Improvisation helps you to make strong choices

Now, let’s talk about the “and” element of “Yes, and...!” So many young actors worry about being “right” for the part. So often they (and everyone else) spend most of their time trying to fit into a mold of what they think others want.
The reality is, people (and producers) often don’t know what they want! 
They want you to show them what they want. "Improv" teaches us to quickly make big, strong choices. When you say yes to whatever is presented to you, whether it be a scene partner or a script, and then build upon that with strong choices, you will inspire excitement and ideas in others.

5. Improvisation coaxes you to  learn to relax instantly

Surprised? Yes, it can because you just can't improvise if you are tense, your quick thinking process will be paralyzed. So, you have no option but to learn instant  relaxation techniques. (Contact us to learn)

Have fun!

Lastly, and most importantly, improvisation is a whole lot of fun.  Enjoy auditions, enacting scenes or bonding with your co-actors through "improv" training.
Give yourself permission to be silly and have a blast! After all, improvisation acting is famous for its hilarity, so go for it!
Based on

Remember- It's being increasingly required by auditions for Bollywood films and also demanded by directors while rehearsals and enacting scenes
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How Actors to Beat 12 Physical and Mental Blocks to Success

Bad career destroying habits of actors

This Could be Your Physical and Mental Blocks in Becoming a Good Actor

Correct them before it's too late!

1. Insensitive Face (Poker Face; भावहीन चेहरा)

You have a blank face to reactions to emotional stimuli
This could either be natural due to insensitivity or deliberate. The other person may feel bad if you are not agreeing, sympathizing or appreciating through facial expressions. Meeting another person, nobody likes a blank face. For an actor, a sensitive and expressive face, sending positive vibes are an asset.
Learn to show your feeling to others with an expressive face, but don’t exaggerate deliberately. It may look fake. The first step in improving this is being aware of your type and how your face responds to what you hear. Ask friends, other co-actors, your acting coach.  Develop your power of imagination and feel the world around you.

2. You drum or tap your fingers or shake your legs

Either just a bad habit or a sign of nervousness or lack of confidence.
What it conveys to the other person in front of you? A nervous, insecure or a  hesitant guy. This may put off the other person.
Be aware of what you do while having a discussion with the other person. The moment you become aware of this, just say in your mind “Stop”; count 1 to 10 and continue responding normally

3. You slouch when you walk, stand on one foot or move like a pendulum

Researchers found that when you slouch while walking, sitting or stand awkwardly they experienced worse moods than those who had more pep in their steps. What’s more, participants who walked, sit or stand in the slouchy style remembered more negative things rather than positive things.
Ideally, by adulthood a person will have a normal walking, sitting or standing pose and gesture.
Unfortunately, few of us achieve the ideal gait, and fewer still maintain it. Over time, we may lower our heads and thrust our trunks forward. Instead of swinging, our arms may dangle listlessly at our sides.
Bad habits aren’t the only reason our gaits go awry. A variety of health conditions can throw us off stride, too. Obesity, Arthritis, Asthma or  Orthopedic operations are some of the few reasons.

Here are some tips to correct bad walking and posture habits:

A. Look ahead. Train your sights 10 to 20 feet ahead of you. If you need to check the ground to avoid obstacles, lower your eyes, not your head.
B. Stretch your spine. Your shoulders should be level and square. Tuck your buttocks in.
C. Bend your arms. Flex your elbows at close to 90-degree angles and let your arms swing at waist level.
D. Take measured steps. Too long a stride throws you off balance. Concentrate on taking shorter steps, but more of them.

3. Nose/mouth, picking

This annoying and silly habit of 'digging gold from nose' is one of the worst habits that go un-questioned. This habit is not only bad for common social etiquette, but could be bad for your health. After touching several things and then taking the same finger into your nose, you will land at the doctor's clinic. Hence, stop this awkward habit of pulling sticky substance from your nose, or fetching left over food strands from your mouth.

4. You love alcohol, love to drink quickly and must have every night

Binge drinking (the consumption of an excessive amount of alcohol in a short period of time) in actors, causes many serious problems.
I have seen many actors whose drinking habits leading to addiction, have destroyed their career, love and family life and unfortunately are on Mumbai roads almost begging to live.

There could be health problems like Cirrhosis of the liver, weight gain and consequent hypertension, heart diseases, dizziness, memory loss, puffy eyes and face, bloody or yellow eyes, behavior changes like becoming an angry man or a woman, over sensitiveness with swings in moods like suddenly crying etc.
Tell me which casting director will approve such an actor for a film or TV serial? No way!

To save you from such damage, the key is just STOP! Develop a strong determination and STOP.
If you can’t then the 2nd key is “limitation”! Learn to have "no alcohol days" and just push the bottle or turn the empty glass on the table after a small one or two.

5. An 'Owl' at night

As an actor if every night is a late night, leading to late mornings or in some cases your morning turns into afternoon, you are screwed! You are killing your own acting career, for sure. Though being in the entertainment business, it’s okay once a while, but if this becomes routine, you will damage apart from career, your body as well in the long run.
For your career, “a late night, actor” presents a lethargic man or a woman with poor energy which is so essential in auditions and for a shoot. As the time passes, you look older than what you are and in films or TV, good looks and a high level of energy is your gate pass to stardom.
The solution is simple:
A. At least get a minimum of 7-8 hours of good sleep on most nights of the week. A good night's sleep also helps you stay awake and fresh throughout the day.
B. Irrespective of when you sleep, your waking time in the morning MUST be fixed. The best time for actors is around 5 AM in the morning.

6. Feel 'lonely'

Though occasional  loneliness may inspire creativity and there is nothing wrong being alone for “Observation” and “Imagination” to create your “characters”, developing a guilty feeling of loneliness can be damaging to your mind leading to depressive moods and negativity.
Be friendly with positive people, who inspire you and from whom you learn an acting craft, industry happenings and know about how they succeed. Don’t join a company of people who all the time discusses when and how they have failed.

7. Carrying a heavy backpack

As actors we love to carry our world wherever we go, because we can't afford to miss a single thing. This habit of hauling the world on the back or shoulder causes lots of harm to our health. Carrying heavy bags can cause various long term effects like serious back, neck pain and poor posture.
The solution is to fill your bag only with minimum required

8. Munching snacks and junk food too often a day and even in the nights

The major consequence of this habit is increase in weight and getting deshaped.
If you disrupt your regular eating pattern, this extra eating can flood your body with extra calories and unhealthy ingredients, which can further cause serious chronic health problems like diabetes, heart problems and acidity.
Though you  may carry small healthy snacks in your bag for long hours of auditions and film or TV shoots, the solution to this addictive habit is to have "time fixed" for your 3 to 5 meals a day and NOTHING in between!

9. Lying constantly

In order to get quick success, some develop the habit of lying. The worst consequences of such habit are
A. Exposure of a lie
B. Living in a constant fear and anxiety that  someday they may be exposed.

Now you how detrimental this habit could be?

The solution is: Remember, when we define an actor, he /she is a person who lives truthfully under Imaginary circumstances. Then why not to be truthful in real life?
Acting is a business and an actor in the long term can only be successful with truthfulness and honesty.

10. Skipping breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and especially for actors, who require a lot of energy in running around for auditions and shoot. Your performance in a scene also require a lot of energy. If your entire breakfast comprises one cup of rushed tea or coffee and a toast , then you're setting yourself up for an unhealthy future. This will affect your energy reserves and negatively affect your metabolism. If you skip your breakfast, you are likely to eat more during the other meals and this can lead to weight gain.
The best way is to have sumptuous breakfast comprising of nutritious food to keep on toes with a positive mood

11. Nail biting

A sign of nervousness, which can be easily caught by people you meet. This habit could be responsible for your rejection in auditions as nobody likes to hire a nervous guy. The nervousness depicts a poor confidence and a sign that a person couldn't be depended upon.
So, stop this dirty habit right away!

12. Bad Speaking habits and voice culture

A. Repeatedly using the word “I” (In Hindi “Main”) for example “I like this" and that etc. (Main ja raha hun, Mujhe ye acchha lagta hai, mera ghar etc.)
Instead, learn to speak “We, Us, You” (In Hindi Hum, Aap)
B. Speaking with a heavy accent of a regional language
C. Wrongly pronouncing some words like Shaaa to Sa or Sa to Shaaa
D. Speaking too fast, thus mixing words
E. Speaking in a low volume. The listener has to exert a lot to hear what is being said
F. Speaking with effort or haltingly or with a slight stammer
G. Saying “I think” too often (In Hindi- Mere vichar se or Main sochta haun ki…or Mujhe lagta hai ki…). This shows lack of confidence and that you are unsure
H. Giggling or laughing too often unnecessary.
An actor must be trained in speaking and voice culture.  He/She must have good speaking habits and a good voice. This means quality, clarity, pronunciation, diction, different accents of speaking Hindi like: Punjabi, Haiyanvi, Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, South Indian, Bangali etc, volume, speed, pitch etc.

This training can be provided by your acting coach or a good school which spends sufficient time with individual students.

This Will Pop Up Your Eyes | Secret to Self Confidence

I often work with professional actors who tell me that they've lost their self confidence. Self confidence is how much we believe that we can do something. So essentially, they've lost the belief that they can act.
Isn't that interesting? It's not the ability to do something. It's our belief that we can do something. We don't even need to be able to do it, we just need to believe it.
Developing self confidence, then, is telling ourselves that we can do it, believing it's possible and acting upon that belief.
You can INSTANTLY have your self confidence back if you choose to have faith in yourself.
It isn't about IF you can do it. You will perform better IF you BELIEVE you can do it. You can CHOOSE to have self confidence.
So believe in your ability to do it, walk in with your head held high, believing you can, and you will.
If need be, join us, take our assistance
http://topactingcoach.weebly.com
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Test If You Will be a Bollywood Actor or Will Quit

Do a simple test to find out your chances to be a Successful actor

Answer This Simple Test and Know Whether Can You Be An Actor or Not!

Just tick appropriate against every question

Or

• Copy this questionnaire in Microsoft Word or Note Pad
• Answering all the questions is mandatory. 
• Answer only in 'Yes' or 'No'. Each question carries 2 marks.
• Time: Unlimited
• Maximum: 100 Marks

1. Am I always going all out to compete against my own last performance in rehearsals, auditions and in a shoot?

2. Am I a strong believer in myself as well as others?

3. Have I always helped others without expecting any return?

4. Have I set my long and short term goal, action plan and strategies?

5. Am I prepared to continue to learn and update the acting craft till I die?

6. Am I always taking an action to meet my goals? 

7. Am I absolutely confident while in auditions or in a shoot or in life in general?

8. Am I emotionally strong and thick skinned to take rejections, criticism and rebuke?

9. Am I afraid of making mistakes?

10. Am I reluctant of saying, I was wrong?

11. I  not egoistic and try to boast about myself.

12. Am I disciplined and orderly in managing my life?

13. Am I persistent in getting what I want and don't give up?

14. Am polite and courteous all the times, even in spite of adverse comments?

15. Do I plan in advance to be punctual?

16. Am I well informed?

17. Have I researched on the internet and with other sources to understand cine industry, rules of the game, money required to fulfill my dream to a successful actor?

18. Do I have the patience to wait for years to be a successful actor?

19. Am I willing to take  chances?

20. Do  I always answer the telephone in a polite and professional manner?

21. I don't get carried away by Industry's big names, rumors and promises in undertaking training, roles offered in big films or serials etc.

22. Do I work 10 hours a day on the requirements of "How to be a successful actor in Bollywood' like top body, good looks, excellent voice, proficiency in Hindi and English, excellent acting skills, knowledge of the industry, developing contacts, networking etc. ?

23. Do I forget the failures of the past,  brood and look at each new day through fresh eyes?

24. Do I look for solutions, not problems?

25. Do I look straight at other people in the eyes during conversations?

26. Do I always make a comment 'I like that' or 'That's good,' a big part of my conversation?

27. Do I look for and meet with other successful actors on a regular basis?

28. I never criticize.

29. I never say, 'never' or 'not possible' or 'cannot be done'.

30. Do I reach beyond my 'comfort zone'?

31. Do I recognize and applaud the performance of others?

32. Do I always return telephone calls?

33. Do I reward myself for even little achievements?

34. Do I always maintain a friendly face with a permanent smile?

35. Do I say 'thank you' and 'please' on a consistent basis?

37. Do I share what I have with others?

38. Do I take care with the way I dress?

39. Do I'm always careful of taking a recommended nutritious diet for my body?

40. Do I use a diary to plan for the day, check in the night, whether I have achieved my previous day's plan?

41. Do I walk perfectly like a model normally, and have good posture?

42. Do I pray to my God every day before I start to move out?

43. Am I careful in selecting my friends and have ones from whom I learn and who are always ready to help me?

44. I believe in 'I would rather win a friend than win an argument'?

45. Do I read lots of books to improve my acting craft?

46. I don't chat foolishly on social media like Facebook or post my photographs for receiving favorable comments, thus giving me false hopes.

47. Do I write lots of notes

48. Am I a  good listener?

49. I never indulge in gossips

49. If I have nothing good to say, I keep my mouth shut

50. Am I ready to do another part time job to support me in my pursuit to be a successful actor, in case of a prolonged financial uncertainty?

CHECK OUT THE RESULT YOURSELF.
YES = +2 Marks
NO = -2 Marks
Add up your points:

More than 70 Marks: 

Good Job! You are Gonna Be A Bollywood Star!

Less than 70 Marks: 



  



Either change yourself immediately or Join us to get trained or Forget it!