Lucas Van Engen is an NYC-based acting coach who helps actors master on-camera auditions and self-tape techniques with clarity and confidence. Through personalized coaching and supportive community-building, he empowers actors to book more roles and grow their careers from anywhere.
Bookings, avails, callbacks — and two ways to get sharper
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Hi Reader, I started a series earlier this summer about what we can actually do for ourselves as actors. Then I got a little quiet. Fortunately, the reason was a good one: the end of the summer got very busy. In just the last several weeks, actors I’ve been working with:
There were auditions, callbacks, holds, bookings, and actors making their own opportunities. It’s been exciting to watch. And now we’re heading into fall, which feels like a good time to get back in the room and keep working. 🎥 Scene Lab — NYCMondays at 6 PM, beginning September 14 Scene Lab is a truly on-camera scene study class focused on what makes each actor pop in the frame. We work across the full range of on-camera acting — emotional life, behavior, technique, framing, movement, and the realities of working on set — and ultimately shoot the work in wide, medium, and close-up. Sides are going out now. For the first class, actors come in with both roles memorized, so if you’re thinking about joining, sign up as soon as you can so I can get the material into your hands and give you time to really learn it. 💻 Audition Lab — ZoomFridays, 1–3 PM ET, beginning September 11 One spot left. Audition Lab is built around one central question: What does this particular audition need from this particular actor? We look at structure, music, tone, urgency, and voice, and work specifically on what will help your audition land more clearly and powerfully on camera. Bring a current audition, callback, availability check, or something else you want to work on. If you don’t have something current, I’ll give you material chosen specifically for you. I’m excited about what I’m seeing from the actors around me right now. Let’s keep it going. Lucas Open Studio Acting, NYC |
Open Studio Acting
Lucas Van Engen is an NYC-based acting coach who helps actors master on-camera auditions and self-tape techniques with clarity and confidence. Through personalized coaching and supportive community-building, he empowers actors to book more roles and grow their careers from anywhere.
Hi Reader, It’s been a minute since I sent one of these. I started this series a while back asking: What can I actually do for myself as an actor? Then the end of the summer got busy with auditions and work, and the series went dormant for a bit. So, let's get back to it. People occasionally come to me for help casting their projects. And when I think an actor might be right, I've noticed I have a pretty consistent way of presenting them. Usually, I start with their Instagram. If there's a...
I've heard Dax Shepard say some version of this for years: "I compare myself to me six months ago." Every time I hear him say it, I think the same thing. I wish I had that kind of confidence. It's such a simple idea. And yet, my brain doesn't naturally work that way. Like a lot of actors, I compare myself to the person who just booked the role. Or the actor whose IMDb suddenly exploded. Or the friend who's having a great year. It's almost automatic. Comparing myself to me six months ago? That...
Oh man, and then there's "networking." Networking can feel transactional. Like every conversation is secretly about getting something. The relationships that have mattered most in my career didn't start that way. And they definitely didn't come from going to mixers where I was shoulder to shoulder with casting directors who knew exactly why I was there. Years ago, one of my acting coaches used to say the same thing on repeat. "Look around. All of your connections are in this room." Every time...