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Articles

The Actors’ Guild commissions articles written by key industry professionals as well as reviews and polls. They offer the latest advice, insight and guidance.

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The following articles may not be copied, reproduced or re-published in any medium and are protected by copyright law.

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Headshot Advice

Casting Director and Headshot Photographer, Carl Proctor CDG, offers his own thoughts on getting the right headshot…

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Sight-reading and Dyslexia

Sight-reading can be a real concern for actors who are dyslexic. Deborah is a dyslexia and acting coach. Her practice-based PhD research ‘Enabling Performance: Dyslexia and Acting Practice’ explored dyslexia and inclusion in the context of actor training institutions and the wider industry. Here she offers some tips…

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National Insurance for Actors

Theataccounts summarise the changes to National Insurance for actors, due to come into place on 6th April 2014…

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Voiceovers – The Technique Shift

Round Island’s Guy Michaels takes you through the key technique shifts for those who want to move into this sphere of work…

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Spotlight at 85

Founded in 1927, Spotlight celebrates it’s 85th birthday this year. Here they talk about how, whilst their services have evolved over the years, their guiding principles remain the same…

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Casting Services Review

Actors’ Guild member Isabelle Rose spent a month reviewing eleven casting services for us… in this article she shares her experiences, as well as offering Pros and Cons for each service…

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Do Your Headshots Shine Online

Use the wrong version of your headshot online and it can appear, blurred, faded and lose vital ‘impact factor’. Michael Wharley takes your through steps to ensure your portfolio shines online…

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Community Challenges

Actor Paul Butterworth collates all the replies from a recent forum post which asked TAG members what they thought were the biggest challenges facing our community.

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The Edinburgh Festival – Made Easy

Actress and comedian Alison Thea-Skot took her first show to Edinburgh this year and was hailed by BBC Comedy as ‘an absolute tour-de-force’. Here she offers top tips and advice to those members who are thinking about taking their own show.

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The Future of Casting

Michael Wharley speaks with casting directors working in film (Jeremy Zimmerman), television (Liz Stoll, BBC) and theatre (Alastair Coomer, Deputy Head of Casting at the National Theatre) and discusses the future of casting.

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Head of Casting for the Ambassador Theatre Group

Head of Casting for the Ambassador Theatre Group, Neil Rutherford, answers your questions on the profession, your career and the casting process for theatre.

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Agent Q&A

Andrea Todd (Mahoney Bannon Associates), Fiona Keddie (Keddie Scott Associates), Mia Thomson (Mia Thomson Associates), and Jackie Williamson (Williamson & Holmes) answer your questions.

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Cooperative Agencies

Almost all actors’ co-operative agencies belong to the Co-operative Personal Management Association (CPMA), which was created in 2002 to promote co-op agencies in the profession, encourage the highest professional standards, and represent the interests of co-op agencies to outside bodies, such as Equity and Government departments. This article goes into more detail about what a co-op is and whether it’s right for you.

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Voicereels & Showreels

Round Island produce showreels and voicereels for actors of every level. They work with leading agents, the ‘A’ list, jobbing actors and graduates and work with each individual to get the reel that is right for them. Here they discuss the pitfalls actors must guard against and offer advice on what makes a good reel.

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Film & TV Acting

Paul Butterworth’s acting career has spanned a period of over thirty years during which time he has appeared in many film and television productions: The Full Monty, Ready When You Are Mr McGill, The Only Boy For Me, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard, My Family, Line of Beauty, Dalziel and Pascoe, The Monocled Mutineer and G.B.H., to name but a few. Here he offers advice to those actors who are just starting out.

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Self-Employment

Breckman & Company, Chartered Certified Accountants, have been dubbed “leading showbusiness accountants” by The Stage. Here, Graham Berry offers some useful tips and advice for performers and others who are self-employed in the arts/entertainment industry.

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Comparing Headshot Photographers

Headshots can cost anywhere from £50 to over £500, but how much should you pay, and what’s the difference anyway? Michael Wharley takes a good hard look. Plus: Casting Call Pro headshot survey and the most expensive shoot in London…

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Casting The Net Online

Michael Wharley assesses casting in the online age, and observes an accelerating pace of change and suggests actors – and agents – need to do more to keep up.

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Secrets From The Casting Couch

‘Archetype as Branding’ by Nancy Bishop. Nancy Bishop, C.S.A., is an Emmy-nominated casting director, author, acting coach, and head of the Film Acting Department at the Prague Film School. With more than 60 major feature film and television projects among her credits, Nancy has cast and instructed literally hundreds of actors throughout Europe, the United Kingdom and the U.S.

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Advertising Yourself Online

Nick Swann from CastLink, the online casting service for entertainment professionals, discusses and gives advice on best practice when advertising yourself online.

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Choosing A Photographer

Nick Gregan is an actors’ headshot photographer in London, and has photographed actors, children and performers for over 18 years. Here, he offers advice and insight on how to choose the right photographer for you.

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The Essentials Guide

Introduced by Kate Ashcroft, Executive Director of the Oxford School of Drama, the guide takes potential drama school students through the myriad of training choices available.

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Your Face, Your Future

John Ayton is the director of Visualeyes PhotoRepro Services in London. Since the turn of the century, the advance of digital technology into the commercial photographic arena has been signified by fantastic improvements in image quality, but with a marked and continuing decline in the demand for images to be reproduced as photographic prints.

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