Woo! Happy Birthday to Straight From School, which is 3 years old this July! 3 years already? I can’t believe it.

To be nostalgic, check out our History page to find out more about how the site started (plus some really bad old layouts!). I started the site in July 2006 as a multi-fansite to my favourite actresses, but now, I intend to transform the site into more of a guide to wannabe teen actors and actresses. Watch the site for new revamped sections over the summer - a new acting guide section and perhaps some videos … wait and see!

For now, thank you to you guys, you lovely visitors for coming back over the past 3 years! I wonder if anyone remembers how the site used to be, from 3 years ago? If you do, you’re my favourite visitor! Don’t forget, we love suggestions and comments to help this site grow, so don’t be shy!

Thanks for being our visitors!

Olivia and Addison x

Skins Series 4 is on a roll! Due to a Star Now post here, Mad Dog Casting are looking after background for the TV series filming this summer. If you’re based in Bristol where the series is being filmed, and have an ethnic look and are over the age of 16, read on.

Black & mixed race artists wanted for new series of Channel 4 ‘SKINS’
Mad Dog Casting are looking for up to 30 black and mixed race faces to work in a Christian church scene in the new series of ‘Skins’.
Filming in Bristol
Dates TBC but over the next month
Paid work: approx £75 a day (Mad Dog Casting Ltd deduct 15% from the total)
No travel paid so it is essential that you’re local or can get yourself to Bristol for 7am start.
Possibly only 1 or 2 days work; 12 hour day
Must be over 16
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom
Payment details: Approx £75 per day (- 15% commission)

Do check out what I’ve said in my Be An Extra posts aswell. Note: These aren’t auditions this is a call for extras. To automatically apply, subscribe to Star Now (yes there is a charge!) OR as I said in my previous post;

Members already on the books or a background agency will already be considered for the job, but if the shoot requires a lot of particular extras for one particular scene, an agency will recruit more extras, for example via Star Now. Take a look around the site of the agency booking for the shoot you’re interested in and see if you can apply for this particular job (you must be over the age of 16) by getting their address and sending a CV and photo.

See how easy it is to avoid having to pay a subscription site sometimes? You just need to find how to look in the right places. If you’re already a member of the agency you will be considered immediately, so find a background agency that’s right for you, and go for it!

Thank you to E4 Skins for the heads up!

“I don’t come, like Dan (Radcliffe), from a very actorly family, so I was Bambi in the headlights – I never had anyone to guide me,” explains Watson. “I hadn’t been to Lamda or Rada, and I had a chip on my shoulder about it. But Helena (Harry Potter co-star) said I don’t need to get trained: she taught herself, read Chekhov, books, theories, and she prepares herself so deeply for every role – the more you know about a person, the more you move intuitively.”

Emma Watson talks about training for acting in an interview for The Times. I completely agree - one needs to train and learn as much as they can about performing. It is essential to study acting!

I know that actress Bonnie Wright hasn’t got a profile as one of our featured actresses, but this interview was so fascinating I needed to post about it!

Bonnie Wright, is a classic straight from school girl - after her brother suggested she was similar to her Harry Potter character, Ginny Weasley, she sought the casting director and sent in a couple of pictures. She was then called in to audition and ….

Then they heard there were castings for the first Potter film all over the country. On a whim, Bonnie asked her mother if she could have a go. “I didn’t think she’d follow it up. But she got the casting director’s number from the publishers and sent in some pictures of me.”

Check out the interivew from This Is London for a great read.

Many fans will know of the series by George R. R. Martin; ‘A Song of Ice and Fire‘ books currently being turned into a television series by HBO titled ‘Game of Thrones‘.

You know, I should really be keeping up with this, but I honestly know little about the series! However casting is very much underway for this project and if you’re interested in finding out more go to Winter Is Coming’s blog for great updates on casting. You may also take a look at Screen Terrier’s post as they consider who would be a good choice for certain roles.

Who is a fan of the series? And I’m all for Lucy or Rachel to be a part of it!

Oh and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!

Remember my Be an Extra post? To get general on-set experience and add credits to your CV a great suggestion is to be a background artiste, otherwise known as an extra.

Anyone following Star Now, an international actors’ subscription site for casting news, will see that for Brits there are always calls for extras. A quick and easy way to submit yourself to be an extra is the job is right for you is to see who is the casting agency behind the job, go directly to them and submit your headshot and CV. If you have the right look, you could be considered and booked, and you didn’t even have to subscribe to the site!

For example; Extras wanted for feature film shooting in the Dagenham & Croyden Areas of London

Men and Women aged 16 years and above wanted for a forth coming feature film set in the 1960’s shooting on location in and around Dagenham and Croyden during the months of July and August 2009.

Location: London, United Kingdom  Source

This is a call for local extras around London for a new British feature by the makers of Calender Girls. The film’s working title is Dagenham Girls, and follows the women workers striking for sexual equality. The film has got a few great names attached to the project, and period films are always great to work on!

You may notice on that Star Now post that Mad Dog Casting, a fantastic British Extra’s Agency is the agency booking extras for this film. If you go directly to their website you will see under their ‘casting now’ section that they are looking for;

We are always looking for people who are suitable for period-based films. If you are female with long, un-dyed hair or male with hair longer than 3 inches please send your CV and photo to us.

You see, members already on their books will already be considered for the job, but if the film requires a lot of extras for one particular scene, an agency will recruit more extras, for example via Star Now. Take a look around the site and see if you can apply for this particular job (you must be over the age of 16) by getting their address and sending a CV and photo.

See how easy it is to avoid having to pay a subscription site sometimes? You just need to find how to look in the right places. If you’re already a member of the agency you will be considered immediately, so find a background agency that’s right for you, and go for it!

The online auditions for Hollyoaks new character India are now not accepting any more applications! Do go and check out all the video auditions over at the website!

Spot the good and the bad, or perhaps the next star .. ?

If you auditioned, let us know if you’re video is online and if you are down to the final 25!