Claire and I are going live in The Green Room for a session she has wanted to do for some time: The Hero’s Journey. Inspired by the work of Joseph Campbell, particularly The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the Hero’s Journey is usually discussed in relation to storytelling — the call to adventure, resistance, trials, transformation and ultimately returning changed. But look at it through the eyes of an actor and it becomes something else as well. An acting career has its own calls to adventure. Its own rejection, doubt, risk, mentors, setbacks, breakthroughs and moments when you have to decide whether you are actually prepared to cross the threshold and do the work. We’re going to look at how you show up for that journey as an actor — not simply waiting for somebody to give you permission to have a career, but recognising where you are in your own story and what the next step requires from you. And Claire will bring another layer to the conversation: script and story structure. The Hero’s Journey has had an enormous influence on modern screenwriting because it gives us a way of understanding what drives a character through a story, what they are forced to confront and, crucially, how they change. So we’ll be looking at it from both sides: The actor living the journey. And the character travelling through one. I think this is going to be a fascinating session. 📅 Thursday 17 September 🎬 LIVE in The Actors Copilot Green Room More details and the live link coming shortly.

If you're new to acting, here's something worth understanding early. The self-tape is not the alternative to being in the room anymore. It is the room. Self-taping was around long before COVID, but the pandemic sped up a shift that was already coming. It is simply how a lot of this industry works now. And that means the standard has moved. Casting should not have to fight through muddy sound, poor lighting, a busy background or a tape that has drifted from the brief just to find your performance. Your self-tape is part of your professionalism. When casting can see you clearly, hear you properly, and tell that you understood what they asked for, you are doing something quietly powerful. You are building trust. And yes, in the end it is the performance that matters. We will always believe that. Just do not let an avoidable technical obstacle get between casting and the work. We had a lot of DMs and questions about self-taping, so we have rebuilt our Self-Tape Flight Plan in The Actors Copilot Green Room. It now walks you through twelve stages, from opening the brief and breaking the scene down, through lines, choices, setup, tech, framing and rehearsal, all the way to reviewing, editing and sending the finished tape. If self-taping still feels like something you are figuring out on your own, come and have a look. It has just gone up in the Green Room Classroom on Skool. 🎬 Preparation creates confidence. And confidence frees you up to concentrate on the thing that really matters, the acting. Let's go do the real work. Tracey and Claire ❤️

When things go quiet, it is easy to decide the industry has stopped. It has not. UK film production spending reached £1 billion in the first half of this year, local UK films are up 20 percent, and more films went into production than last year. (Screen Daily) The work has not gone. It has shifted. And the smaller roles, the day players, the emergency replacements, often get cast late, sometimes during the shoot itself. Which means the actor who is ready and easy to find has the edge. So here is today's one thing. Open your own profile. Give it thirty seconds, the way a casting director would. Can they tell who you are, where you are based, and which piece of work to watch first? If not, fix one thing today. Just one. Then tell us below: if casting looked at your profile for thirty seconds, what is the one thing you would want them to remember? Let's go do the real work. Tracey and Claire

When you’re working on a scene, stop worrying quite so much about whether you’re doing it “right”. Ask yourself something much simpler. Do I believe myself? Because if you don’t believe what you’re saying, we won’t either. Go back to the character. What do they actually want from the other person? What are they frightened of? What are they not saying? Then stop trying to show us. Just let it happen. Acting isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being truthful. That’s the work. What are you working on today? Tracey and Claire ❤️

October’s Live From The Cockpit guest is Emmy-nominated casting director, writer, director and producer Bonnie Rodini. Bonnie was the South African casting director on Netflix’s global phenomenon One Piece, with further credits including Chronicle, Around the World in 80 Days and Raised by Wolves. But Bonnie’s experience reaches far beyond casting. She directed The Story of an African Farm, starring Richard E. Grant and Armin Mueller-Stahl, and her award-winning feature Good Life collected major recognition at independent film festivals around the world. Now, through her viral vertical sitcom Shambles, Bonnie is helping lead the move into a new form of direct-to-audience storytelling—one that gives creators greater control over their work, their audience and their revenue. This is a rare opportunity to learn from someone who understands the industry from every angle: casting actors, directing performances, creating original work and recognising where the next opportunities are emerging. 📅 22 October ⏰ 7 p.m. BST - and if your'e confused what time that is wherever you are in the world - install your 'Time Zone Converter' Tool available in the Classroom under Actor Resource Apps xxx 📍 Live inside The Actors Copilot Green Room on Skool And mark your calendar for Amit Gupta on September 24th. It's networking that gets you noticed. Please share with your actor friends to join the Green Room free today and become part of a growing international community of serious actors. They’ll also gain access to previous masterclasses with leading industry professionals, practical actor resources, career guidance and a community committed to helping one another move forward. Because actors spend far too much time trying to get into the room. We’ve brought the room to you. Tracey and Claire ❤️