Lisa Kay Jennings
UPDATED: Now The 15 Best Apps For Actors
As actors, we often juggle many titles and responsibilities to stay afloat. We regularly act as our own PR department, assistant, researcher, secretary, personal trainer, and self-help guru. Because we need to be all of these things and more we could use a little help now and then. I asked around and here are some favorite tech tools amongst the acting community.
1. Coach.me
Being an actor is all about determination and since we don’t have a boss to tell us what to do and when to do it- we have to be self-starters. One way to stay on top of your career and stay productive is to download Coach.me. It’s like having a Life Coach in your pocket. You can set goals for yourself in any category such as lose weight, quit a bad habit, be productive, personally grow, eat healthy, etc. Once you pick a category there are a ton of suggestions for reaching that goal. Coach.me will even check in with you to make sure you’re not slacking.
2. Actor Genie
This cool app keeps track of what’s casting and who’s casting it (NY and LA only) for Film, TV, and Commercials. Plus it keeps track of details like the storyline, casting info, and who the CDs (casting directors) and assistants are for each project. There’s also a contact bank for CDs, Agents and Managers.
3. TwistedWave
Out of town and need to record a voice over audition on the fly? This audio editor and recorder app is a go-to for pros. If you upgrade to premium you can even edit out those breaths! *Bonus tip: Record in your car for maximum sound quality if there’s no VO booth available.
4. Grammarly
Whether you’re gearing up to send a ton of email submissions, or you just don’t want to embarrass yourself when you’re corresponding back and forth with your agent, you need Grammarly. Download it into your browser and this handy dandy app grammar proofs everything you write on the web- whether you’re updating your website, posting your latest on-set moments to Facebook, or composing an email, Grammarly will check your grammar and spelling. It’s positively the best way to maintain that polished professional edge.
5. Waze
Debating taking the 101 vs. side streets to get to that audition? Waze will let you know the moment-to-moment most effective way to get there. Not to mention you’ll end up seeing parts of the city you never knew existed- the shortcuts are entertaining at best and the ETA is scarily accurate.
6. MileBug
Driving to auditions, classes, workshops and rehearsals can really rack up your mileage. Luckily, you can deduct some of it at tax time. Keep track of those miles with MileBug. This app makes record keeping simple and central for all your vehicles and travel expenses. Next year tax time will be a piece of cake.
7. Duolingo
Because you never know when you walk into a job if they’re gonna ask, “Do you speak French?” (True story) Duolingo is a great way to learn some basics of any language or go all out and hunker down on that one language you’ve been dying to be fluent in.
8. Pause
Try Pause to Zen-out backstage or to stave off audition room jitters. This handy Tai Chi app brings mindfulness right to your fingertips. Calming music plays as you slowly glide your fingertip across the screen creating mesmerizing images that help you center and focus.
9. IDEA (International Dialects of English Archive)
This website has been around forever but just in case you’ve been living under a rock- you’ll be glad you know about it now. This site holds recordings of people all over the world so you can study their dialect. Bust out that phonetic alphabet, listen, and you’ll be ready to knock out that Turkish accent in no time.
10. Evernote
Keep forgetting to follow up with that casting director? Use Evernote to remind yourself of important things like rehearsals with your scene partner and picking up that fat suit for Saturday night’s sketch show. Evernote not only lets you write notes, it sets reminders, and allows you to save articles you come across on the web to read later. (Like this one!)
11. Shakespeare
Brush up on your Shakespeare with this app. You’ll have all of Shakespeare’s plays, sonnets, and poems in the palm of your hand. Add a daily dose of Shakespearean wisdom to your life with the Shakespeare quote of the day.
12. Soliloquy
Need a monologue fast? Nevermind flipping through stacks of plays searching for lengthy paragraphs that can be carefully crafted into a one-minute performance piece- Now you can use the Soliloquy app. Easily browse over a thousand monologues and quickly take note of factors such as length, comedy vs. drama, male vs. female, young adult or mature. That spot on the floor by the ‘Theatre Section’ at the library is finally free for someone to walk by now.
13. LineLearner
Learning our lines is not an option, and sometimes we need a little help (motivation). Cue LineLearner. This app allows you to record scenes so you can listen and learn your part. Perhaps the best feature is a prompt button that reminds you of your line if you forget. LineLearner also allows other users to record lines and send them back, essentially making it possible to rehearse with your scene buddy while you are miles apart.
14. The Amazing Improv Generator
This innovative app allows you to store all your creative ideas for future dramatics. Moreover you can put your spontaneous ideas immediately to the test. This app provides you with a random character, setting, and event all at the push of a button. Not happy with your scene, push the button again. Now that’s my kind of app!
Visit The Amazing Improv Generator
15. AuditionCal
After learning about AuditionCal, we HAD to add it to the list. This app helps you organize the crazy amount of auditions, callbacks, and networking events aspiring actors have. You can add events to a calendar and set custom notifications. AuditionCal also integrates with Apple Maps so you don’t have to switch back and forth between apps to plug in directions. Another noteworthy feature is easy social sharing to let your friends and fans know what you’re up to.
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