The Vagabond Actor's Podcast

Interview with filmmaker Ben Steel: Mental Health in the Creative Industry (The Show Must Go On)

This week we invite actor and filmmaker Ben Steel on to talk about the state of mental health in the creative industry. Ben has spent the last 4 years working on a documentary called The Show Must Go On about how people working in the creative industry (Film/Theatre, Dance. Music) deal with mental health issues. Ben talks about the lessons that he learned about his own struggles with depression, how he worked through it and how he is now helping others with programs and raising awareness.

While the episode is not just a serious discussion, if in listening to it you are finding you might need to talk to someone, please reach out to friends or family or a health professional. Look up crisis helplines in your area or use one of the numbers below:

London/UK
In an emergency: 999
NHS helpline: 111
Use the 'Shout' crisis text line - text SHOUT to 85258
https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/helplines-and-crisis-contacts

America
Los Angeles: (800) 854-7771
New York: 1-888-692-9355
https://actorsfund.org/services-and-programs/mental-health

Australia
Support Act wellbeing helpline 1800 959 500, free 24/7, confidential service for the arts & entertainment industry, with counsellors specifically trained in the industry specific challenges many people face - so they really understand us.

Czech Republic
222 580 697 - nonstop telefonická krizová pomoc

One Year of Being a Vagabond Actor

This week (well, technically last week) marks the first anniversary of Vagabond Actors. So Brian, Gary and Andrea talk about year we just had, what we learned doing the podcast, what our favorite part of doing it is, what surprised us and what we're looking forward to in the coming months.

 

On the Job: What If You're Being Taken Advantage Of?

Actors, aside from the leads and stars on a production, typically have very little power in dealing with unscrupulous producers. This week we talk about what to do when you find yourself in a situation on a job that you don't think is fair or when you feel like you're being taken advantage of. 

Let us know your thoughts on this? Have you had experiences like this? How did you solve it?

Interview with Writer/Showrunner Sean Crouch (Numb3rs, The Exorcist, Lore, The 100)

This week we talk with showrunner Sean Crouch about his career writing stories for television, his experiences and thoughts on working with actors, auditions and much more!

Be sure to like, subscribe, share and leave us questions!

How Does The Style Of A Piece Affect Your Acting Choices?

Actress Emily Jackman wrote in to ask about how the writing or directing style of a piece will affect how we go about working on a role and the choices we make. Acting teachers Gary Condes, Andrea Helene and Brian Caspe tackle the question.

Let us know what you think! Be sure to like, subscribe to the podcast and rate us!

  

Selftapes: Lights, Camera, Framing (re-release)

We're re-releasing our discussion on doing self-tapes this week. As the business starts to pick up, actors are getting more and more self tapes to do and it's more important than ever to be prepared. We'll be back with a new episode next week!

Let us know about your self-tape rituals. @vagabondactors on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to make sure you don't miss an episode!

 

Listener Questions: Backstory, Boredom, and Lies

This week we dig into listener Petra Bučková's three really interesting questions about how to deal with a character's backstory (especially when you don't have a lot of time in the scene), how to deal with a character being "bored" and what to do if your character needs to lie about something.

It was great getting some real live questions, so if you have questions about the process or craft, definitely get in touch with us @vagabondactors on twitter, instagram and facebook!

 

Acting and Auditioning for Small Roles: Functional Characters, Bit Parts, Day Players

This week we delve into acting and auditioning for small roles. We spend so much time in acting class working on the big characters but, especially at the start, when so many actors get a "real" audition, they only have a few lines or a scene. What to do then?

Join in the discussion! Like the podcast, subscribe and comment on Facebook, twitter or instagram!

Interview with Actor Stacy Martin (Nymphomaniac, Vox Lux, Archive)

This week it's our pleasure to welcome actor Stacy Martin to the podcast. She talks about her career, starting as the lead in Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac, her thoughts on the craft of acting and working in multiple markets and languages!

 

Actor's Communication: How To Talk To Your Agent

This week we follow up on our first episode on agents (How to get one) with a conversation on how to communicate with your representatives. Basically: don't stalk them!

Let us know about your communication with your agent! @vagabondactors on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!