The Acting Habit


INNOVATIVE SCREEN ACTING COURSES

The Acting Habit was developed to encourage actors to embrace the art of self-taping by providing them with affordable guidance from the very first steps, up to interacting with leading casting professionals from around the world.

It is hosted on a secure online platform where international groups of actors share their work, receive and give feedback, experiment creatively and learn new technical and performing skills… every single day.

Actors call it “a haven”, “an incredible space”, “fulfilling and rewarding”, “a game changer”.

Your Next Self-Tape Could Be Life-Changing. Be Prepared with The Acting Habit.

There are a limited number of Pay What You Can places available on every Acting Habit workshop. To join, just click on the relevant link to be added to an anonymous pool. This does not guarantee you a place! Prior to the start of each workshop actors will be randomly selected from this pool and allocated a place on the workshop. The process will be strictly confidential – the workshop host or the other participants won’t know who the Pay What You Can participants are.


COURSES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE


The 21-Day Self-Tape Challenge

Our flagship course will take you on a creative journey and along the way you will learn how to perfect your self-taping technique, strengthen your memory muscles and expand your imagination, all in a friendly and supportive group environment.

For more details and testimonials click here.


The next Challenge starts on Saturday, March 30th 2024

To secure your place please click on one of the currency links below:

UK£35 / €42 / US$50 CAN$60 / AUD$69 / NZ$70

To join the Pay What You Can pool for the Challenge please click here.


The Self-Tape Class

A short 5-day course that focuses on teaching you the technical aspects of self-taping and how to handle a variety of common filming scenarios that can come up. It will give you the tools to face any self-tape with confidence and we cover framing, eyelines and the most up-to-date solutions for when you don’t have a reader available. Class sizes are strictly limited and Manuel will be on hand to personally guide you with individual feedback and help each day.

For more details and testimonials click here.


The next Class starts on Saturday, April 20th 2024.

To secure your place please click on one of the currency links below:

UK£49 / €59 / US$69 / CAD$85 /AUD$89 / NZ$95

To join the Pay What You Can pool for the Class please click here.


*** ACTING HABIT PLUS ***


Acting Habit Plus is an annual membership scheme that gives professional actors who are already proficient at self-taping access to courses previously only available to graduates of the 21-Day Self-Tape Challenge or The Self-Tape Class.

These advanced courses are hosted by a growing list of top international casting professionals from the UK, Europe and further afield.

To find out more about Acting Habit Plus and the courses available to members please click here.


 Acting Habit Success Stories 

“I have just been cast in Taika Waititi’s new film (yaaay) for which I had to submit two selftapes. If it wasn’t for your class, I wouldn’t have felt so confident with it. Thank you!!” Judith Georgi

“Just to let you know that the first three self-tapes I submitted after your course were all successful! A feature, a short and a sketch show. Thank you for an amazing course!” Brendan Purcell

“Just got a tv role via a successful self tape – thanks to the Acting Habit I’ve gone from abject terror at the technical challenge to confidence that my self tapes showcase what I can do as an actor.” Maureen Casey

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“I shot my first role on BBC 4 for which I must say MAJOR THANKS goes to the 21-Day Self-Tape Challenge because it was a self tape that got me into the room, and then the job!” Charlotte Chiew

“I’m writing to thank you for your 21-Day Self-tape Challenge and update you on some progress. You may remember that I participated around this time last year. Even before any direct results it was infinitely valuable – the best experience for my personal and professional growth since I graduated from drama school. Since doing your course, having previously never had a successful self-tape (even for a chance at a face-to-face), I booked two jobs on feature films straight from self-tapes. I firmly believe that your course maximised my chances of landing these roles by clearing guesswork and my lack of practice out of the equation. Having a secure framework for when my agent calls with a self-tape has allowed my turnaround to be quicker, my tapes to look slick, polished and professional, and for me to use the time available for focussing on my performance – I turned around one of the successful tapes in less than two hours, from getting the call to completing sending the file, which I could never have done before.” James Rottger

“I’m e-mailing because I just booked my first TV ad, and it is entirely thanks to your 21-Day Self-Tape Challenge that I did!! I had an in-person casting, which went brilliantly, and then I woke up the next morning to a voicemail saying they’d lost the audio for my screen test, and could I get a self-tape over to them by 10.30 am – it was 10 when I heard it. If it hadn’t been for the well-honed method I developed through the 21-Day Challenge, I’d never have got that tape in on time… Thank you so much!!” Fleur de Wit

“I had a call from my agent saying a director would like me to send a selftape over immediately. The role involved being very upset (so that was a challenge in itself) and I can honestly say that if I hadn’t done the 21 Day Self-Tape Challenge I would not have been mentally ready to do that in a couple of takes, nor been able to edit and upload in that short time span. I got the part and the director made a point of saying how he had enjoyed watching my selftape.” Heather Walker

“I had an audition with National Theatre Wales today. I’d not seen any of the sides prior to the audition and I found it sooo much easier to engage and interpret the character – with lightning speed, may I add. I firmly believe I have The Acting Habit to thank for that…. and best of all… I got the job!” Andrew Lennon

“As a direct result of the 21-Day Self-Tape challenge I bagged a job this week – filming abroad from a last minute self tape request. Apart from helping me undoubtedly get the job, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that The Challenge made me feel so much more confident and alive on set than I have ever felt previously. Huge thank you Manuel.” Michele Moran

“I cannot recommend this course highly enough. I am delighted to say too, that since the course virtually every self tape I’ve done has resulted in a recall and the most recent one in a job. Thank you!” Suanne Braun

“A bit of news: I was asked to do a self-tape yesterday for a feature film. I used all the technical tips I learned here – turned it around so quickly. Got a call from the casting director this morning and I booked the job! I felt so confident in my self-tape abilities and it showed. Thank you so much for this course.” Andromeda Godfrey 

“I sent in a self-tape last week for a TV job (with a two hour turnaround, thanks to all the practice I’ve been getting) and found out today I booked the gig. I firmly believe that this class is one of the main reasons I was successful.” John Scougall

“I had to let you know that I just got a role on the back of three of my self tapes from The Acting Habit. So thank you very much for creating it!” Nicola Whelan

“Really sorry I’ve dropped off the radar – but the good news… I’ve landed a screen role! I’m flying to Bulgaria on Friday so sadly will have to sign off the course for now but I wanted to say that I have no doubt whatsoever that The Acting Habit played a very big part in getting me the role – the lines went in a lot quicker than usual so I could do it off book confidently, and just by having seen myself on camera so much more than usual meant that I had a much better sense of how I’d look on screen” Adam D

“The 21-Day Self-tape Challenge allowed me to perfect my self taping set up and technique, but I also gained invaluable insights into my screen acting strengths and weaknesses and I feel I improved a lot over the 3 weeks. It gave me the skills and confidence to tape difficult scenes at very short notice and to think outside the box to make interesting character choices. And I’m thrilled to have booked two jobs direct from tape since taking the course, the first pro work I’ve ever secured without a face to face audition. I’d highly recommend the Acting Habit to all actors, at whatever level.” Seylan Baxter

“I just wanted to drop you a line with a bit of good self taping news. I’ve just been cast, straight from a tape, in The Borrowers at The Watermill Theatre. My agent and the theatre both commented on the quality of the tape, and that is largely down to your course. So, thank you!” Frazer Hadfield

“Just a quick note to say thanks for the training you facilitated over the past few months. I was cast in a short film (winner of the Pears Short Film Fund) and I think the training definitely contributed to my success in the casting, so thank you for all your encouragement and support in the course.” Deli Segal

“During the challenge I also was asked for five different self-taped auditions from casting directors, and so far, have booked two of those jobs!” Tara Gadomski


How does the Acting Habit help actors in the real world?

Preparation is the key to success in any field, and that’s especially true with acting. Casting opportunities can be irregular and when they arrive – usually in the form of a last minute audition or self-tape – you need to be ready to perform at the peak of your abilities. Your next audition could change your life – you need to be fully prepared for it.

Our courses – that you can take from wherever you are in the world – have been designed to keep you audition-ready by:

  • developing your skill to analyse material quickly so you can confidently create interesting characters that stand out.
  • giving you the tools and motivation to strengthen your memory so you can easily learn lines, even at short notice.
  • helping you master the technical skills of self-taping so you can simply focus on the acting when the script arrives.

Why Should You Take A Course With Us?

With over 20 years experience in casting we have been lucky to participate in thousands of face-to-face auditions all around the world, and have watched an even greater number of self-tapes from some amazing actors.

We identified that the vast majority of successful candidates had the following qualities:

  • they were creative, inventive and masters of their craft – the characters they developed were vibrant and felt like real, living beings.
  • they were exceptionally well prepared – almost always off-book.
  • they were confident enough to experiment and take creative risks – even if they didn’t work.
  • they were eager and willing to share ideas and collaborate – so it felt like they would be an asset to any production.
  • they put everything into the audition – afterwards, they had no regrets.

We have striven to combine the latest online teaching methods with our years of real world experience to create courses that develop these same successful traits in a natural, fun and practical environment.


What is the core philosophy behind The Acting Habit?

Quite simply, we want actors to be acting every day, to be exploring new worlds, creating strong characters and honing their skills. When you get an audition that could lead to your dream role, you need to be able to tap into your imagination quickly, effectively and efficiently.

All our courses provide you with a daily schedule of varied roles to perform to keep your acting brain active and your talent sharp.

Learning lines is critical to a successful audition – being off-book is simply the number one prerequisite that we expect from a screen actor. For most people, that means learning lines every day to keep your memory muscles active and strong – but we understand it can still be a struggle to find the time, the self-discipline and the motivation to keep a routine.

By creating a supportive environment we ensure that you receive that extra encouragement to keep at it.

Love them or hate them, self-tapes have become a frequent first step in the audition process. On the plus side, never before have we been able to consider more actors for each role from any country in the world – taking chances on talent we’ve never seen, or enabling actors to demonstrate their range by taking on roles they are not known for. The barriers to ‘getting into the audition room’ have truly fallen – because in many cases the first audition room is now wherever in the world you may be – but only for those who are proficient at self-taping.

By giving you a routine of filming yourself and uploading every day we enable you to achieve stress-free flawless technical results every time – practice makes perfect.


Why Every Day?

Because we want these habits to become ingrained – every day, weekends and holidays – no excuses. Yes, it will be challenging but once you start we don’t want you to break the chain – consecutive daily achievements are proven to lead to lasting success. These are habits you’ll want to become addicted to.


Why Send Material Each Day at 7pm?

We think this will give you the best shot at being able to read the material, come up with an interesting take on the character, learn the lines, think about how you want to film the scene, sleep on it – and then find the time to tape it the next day. We appreciate it is a quick turnaround, but most real-world auditions or self-tape requests follow this kind of schedule. If you can handle this you can handle anything.


Can You Interact With The Other Participants?

Yes, a strong community spirit is at the core of all of our courses.

You’ll be able to view each others self-tapes and offer words of  encouragement, support and constructive criticism in a private and safe environment (all footage is hosted on a secure, password protected site). You’ll see auditions from a casting director’s point of view – you will watch multiple actors’ approaches to the same  role, allowing you to explore what creative choices they made with regards to the character, their delivery, their clothing and use of props. You’ll learn what works in a self-tape.Plus, you will have a chance to see first-hand the technical approach that other actors are taking – their lighting set ups, camera  choices, what software they use to edit. All of this information is  shared and discussed, tips and techniques exchanged.

The courses invite collaboration. You are able to start your own discussions on any  topics you find interesting, or ask any questions of the group – who usually come from all over the world with their own opinions and unique experiences. We want you to be there for each other.

It is easy to share photos, videos and chats safely and securely within the system – you’ll never have to share your  contact details with anyone unless you want to.

What Kind Of Equipment Will You Need?

  • A good, fast internet connection and a device that has recent versions of Safari, Chrome or Firefox browsers.
  • A reasonably modern phone or tablet, or a DSLR camera or camcorder with a computer.
  • A basic ability to film footage and locate the file on your device. We give detailed instructions on how to compress and export your footage to get the best experience out of the each course.

Should You Wait Until You Have A Clear Schedule To Take One Of Our Courses?

Opportunities rarely occur exactly when you want them to. The chances are that you will get the audition you have longed for on the day you go on holiday, move house, have committed to some other work, or any other complication that life regularly throws in your way. If you can overcome these obstacles during one of our courses then you will be fully prepared to overcome them when the stakes are higher.

We feel you should start your Acting Habit without delay so that you are completely ready to take advantage of your opportunity when it comes along.


We hope that you’ll be inspired to get the Acting Habit and look forward to seeing you on one of our courses – thank you for reading!

Manuel and the Puro Casting Team, 2024


COURSES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE:


The 21-Day Self-Tape Challenge

Our flagship course will take you on a creative journey and along the way you will learn how to perfect your self-taping technique, strengthen your memory muscles and expand your imagination, all in a friendly and supportive group environment.

For more details and testimonials click here.


The next Challenge starts on Saturday, March 30th 2024

To secure your place please click on one of the currency links below:

UK£35 / €42 / US$50 CAN$60 / AUD$69 / NZ$70

To join the Pay What You Can pool for the Challenge please click here.


The Self-Tape Class

A new short 5-day course that focuses on teaching you the technical aspects of self-taping and how to handle a variety of common filming scenarios that can come up. It will give you the tools to face any self-tape with confidence and we cover framing, eyelines and the most up-to-date solutions for when you don’t have a reader available. Class sizes are strictly limited and Manuel will be on hand to personally guide you with individual feedback and help each day.

For more details and testimonials click here.


The next Class starts on Saturday, April 20th 2024.

To secure your place please click on one of the currency links below:

UK£49 / €59 / US$69 / CAD$85 /AUD$89 / NZ$95

To join the Pay What You Can pool for the Class please click here.


*** ACTING HABIT PLUS ***


Acting Habit Plus is an annual membership scheme that gives professional actors who are already proficient at self-taping access to courses previously only available to graduates of the 21-Day Self-Tape Challenge or The Self-Tape Class.

These advance courses are hosted by a growing list of top international casting professionals from the UK, Europe and further afield.

To find out more about Acting Habit Plus and the courses available to members please click here.


We follow Casting Society of America workshop guidelines:

 “These workshops are a learning experience. They are not an audition or employment opportunity. When the workshops are over, the casting director/associates hosting the workshops will not be given access to your headshot, resume or any other of your promotional materials”


TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE NEXT COURSE DATES SUBSCRIBE HERE: