Category Archives: tip tuesday

tip tuesday

Toronto acting Agency – Toronto Talent Agency – Tip Tuesday – How to Practice Acting By Yourself At Home

Practicing acting by yourself may seem like it is not worthwhile, but actually, it can be the perfect opportunity to do acting exercises. Below are a few of our favourites.

1. Practice Your Lines While Doing Everyday Tasks

You have to do your chores anyway, so why not practice your lines while doing them? If you know your lines well when multi-tasking, you will know them and it will sound effortless when all your focus is on performing. Start with something easier like folding your laundry and then level up to more complex tasks such as cooking.

2. Record your scene partners lines

If the scene involves more than one person speaking, record yourself doing their lines and then use that recording to practice.

3. Do everyday tasks in character with or without lines

Body language is a big part of good acting. How would Jack Sparrow doing the dishes differ from James Bond doing the same? Practice the posture, gait, facial expressions, pace, and hand movements of different characters while doing your chores.

Toronto Acting Agency – Toronto Talent Agency – Tip Tuesday – Practice acting at home

4. Physically Acting Out Your Moment Before

This is an acting exercise that you may heard of to add depth to your performance. Think of the backstory of your scene, and act out what your character was doing right before. For example, if in a scene, your character is at home telling their partner that they had a long day- act out the moment before where your partner came home and sat down with relief from the tiring day. 

Try different scenarios. There are many possibilities for what might have happened before your first line, and they can really affect your character’s thoughts, feelings, and actions in your scene. Physically acting out those “moments before” can help you notice those effects more clearly. 

MAX Agency is a successful Toronto modeling agency representing men, women and children. MAX provides talent for the film, television, fashion and advertising industries as well as appearance in trade shows, promotions and special events.

For weekly MAX Agency news, updates, and Industry tips, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Never miss a moment with MAX Agency!

If you want to join our roster, apply here.

To see our awesome talent check out our roster.

Company Profile

Have any questions? Read our FAQ or contact us at info@maxagency.com

tip tuesday

Toronto talent Agency – Tip Tuesday – 5 Ways To Empower the Women Around You

Happy International Womens Day! As a woman, take some extra time today to empower yourself and take care of yourself. Take it further and be mindful of other women in  your surrounding as well. We are sharing five ways that you can empower the amazing women in your life!

1. Share Your Story

Weve all had ups and downs. Share your achievements with the women around you, as well as the challenges and failures that you learned from, along the way.

You  may not realize it, but there are other women and girls who look up to you. So be relatable and share your journey to achieve your wins. When they see how you have done it, they will believe that they can reach their goals too.

This is great to empower yourself too! Appreciate your journey and be proud of it.

2. Stand Up for Women

Call out discrimination or inequality when you see it. Go further than only pointing it out. Explain why it is wrong and maybe even suggest a better alternative.

Do not worry about developing a reputation for bringing up these issues. It is something to be proud of. Sometimes it just takes someone to open their eyes before others can see the unconscious bias taking place. Most individuals nowadays want to be fair, so you’ll be doing them a favour.

Toronto Talent Agency – Tip Tuesday – 5 ways to empower other women

3. Share Opportunities

Help others to find opportunities. Especially if you are in an executive role, search for women who would benefit from opportunities that you know of and recommend them.

Even if you are not in an executive role, when you see opportunities and you know a woman who would be interested, let them know. 

4. Encourage Other Women

We question ourselves and we doubt ourselves, but we see the potential in others. Be the person who encourage others to see the power that they hold. Encourage other women to apply for that job, to achieve that promotion, to start that business,..sometimes all we need is a push and words of encouragement to believe in ourselves.

5. Build Your Network

Find other women like you who are positive, strong, encouraging, and ambitious. You can support each other to overcome challenges and also help other women succeed together. 

A strong and supportive network at work and also in your personal life is a game changer.

Toronto Talent Agency – Tip Tuesday – 5 ways to empower the women around you

MAX Agency is a successful Toronto modeling agency representing men, women and children. MAX provides talent for the film, television, fashion and advertising industries as well as appearance in trade shows, promotions and special events.

For weekly MAX Agency news, updates, and Industry tips, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Never miss a moment with MAX Agency!

If you want to join our roster, apply here.

To see our awesome talent check out our roster.

Company Profile

Have any questions? Read our FAQ or contact us at info@maxagency.com

tip tuesday

Toronto Acting Audition – Toronto Talent Agency – Tip Tuesday – Slate/Self-Introduction for Acting Auditions

For Tip Tuesday, we are sharing how to introduce yourself in an audition. The industry term for this portion of the audition is slating.

1. Pay Attention to the Slate Instructions

For most auditions, you will be given slate instrusctions. In the case of  an in-person audition, the casting director will talk to you before the audition begins to tell you what information to slate with. Follow their lead. 

If you are doing a self-tape audition (recording yourself at home), instructions for your slate will be in the email about the audition. 

2. Provide All the Information That You Are Asked For

Once you know the instructions, say the required information in your slate. Typically, casting directors ask for your name and height, in which case you would say, for example- Hi, my name is John Doe, I am 6 foot 3).

Casting for independent or student films tend to ask for your name and representation. For example, Hi, my name is John Doe and I am with MAX agency. or, if you do not have an agent, Hi, my name is John Doe and I am self-represented.

In some cases, you may be asked more specific questions such as speak a different language, where do you live, and so on. 


Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Toronto Acting Agency – Toronto Talent Agency – Slate tips for auditions

3. What To Do If They Do Not Ask For Anything

Typically, you will given instructions. In rare occasions, however, you may not be told what to say in your slate. In this case, there is no rule. 

Go for what you prefer. You may say your name and the role that you are auditioning for, for example, Hi, my name is John Doe and I am reading for the role of Alex. Other options are your name and representation, or your name, height, role and representation. Hi, my name is John Doe, I am 6 foot 3, Im reading for the role of Alex, and Im represented by MAX Agency.

4. Film the Required Camera Shots 

Especially when doing a self-tape audition, your slate instructions may include “full body shot”, or “profile shot”. If none of that is mentioned, you do not have to worry about filming different shots. 

“Profile” means that you need to turn to the right and left so they can see shots of what you look like from both sides. 

“Full body” means that they want to have a shot where they can see you from head to toe. Shoot the full body shot only for the slate, once you are doing the acting performance, you need to be close to the camera so that your facial expressions can be seen properly.

Ideally, have someone film  you, initially zoomed out to get your full body, and then zooming in so that you can be seen down to about 6-7 inches below your shoulders. This is when you will give your slate, pause, and start your peformance. 

Extra Tips

  • If you are asked to do a tail slate for your self-tape audition, the casting director wants you to do your slate at the end of the video instead. Start your audition tape with the performance, and then give the information that they asked ofr at the end.
  • Keep small talk to a minimum. Follow the lead of the casting director- if they are chatty, you can chat with them but if they are very formal, be very formal. Usually, less small talk is better as castings are probably in a hurry, small talk may make you seem nervous, and small talk may throw you off and make you lose your character. 

The best way to make casting directors like you is to follow their instructions and their lead. Say a quick hello, do a  good job, and leave. 

MAX Agency is a successful Toronto modeling agency representing men, women and children. MAX provides talent for the film, television, fashion and advertising industries as well as appearance in trade shows, promotions and special events.

For weekly MAX Agency news, updates, and Industry tips, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Never miss a moment with MAX Agency!

If you want to join our roster, apply here.

To see our awesome talent check out our roster.

Company Profile

Have any questions? Read our FAQ or contact us at info@maxagency.com