About the Bilingual Actor Role at Speak

Speak's mission is to reinvent the way people learn, starting with language, and this contract role sits inside the Learning & Curriculum team in Los Angeles. As a Bilingual Actor, you will appear on camera in app-based video lessons as a friendly, approachable teacher. You will sit behind a table facing a camera and read pre-written scripts from a teleprompter in both Italian and English to teach Italian to English speakers. These lessons are not live but they are interactive: your recorded teaching plays back for learners along with prompts, questions, and different responses tied to how the user performs.

Speak is looking for actors with native proficiency in both Italian and English, a neutral Italian accent, and the ability to bring bright, positive, helpful energy to the screen (think an excited friend who happens to be a professional in another industry, not a strict teacher). Strong preference goes to native or heritage Italian speakers, and those who only learned Italian in high school or college will not qualify. Reliability, professionalism, comfort with a teleprompter, and the ability to take direction on an in-person LA studio set all matter here.

Quick Stats

* Typical process: 2 to 4 steps (application with self-tapes, review, optional Zoom rehearsal/chat, then studio booking), roughly 2 to 5 weeks

* Format: Asynchronous self-tape audition first, then likely a Zoom conversation/rehearsal, then in-person studio work in LA

* Core focus: Italian and English fluency, neutral Italian accent, teleprompter delivery, on-camera warmth, taking direction, reliability

* Difficulty: Moderate. The bar is native-level bilingual delivery plus natural on-camera acting, and the self-tape is a hard gate you cannot fake

What Speak Looks For

* Native proficiency in both Italian and English with a neutral Italian accent (native or heritage speakers strongly preferred)

* Ability to read and act out scripts that teach Italian to English speakers with bright, positive, friendly energy

* Strong sense of responsibility, professionalism, and the ability to coordinate and take direction on set

* Based in Los Angeles with access to transportation, plus bonus points for teleprompter, teaching, or acting experience

Round 1: Application + Self-Tape Audition (~1 to 2 hours to prepare and film)

What to Expect

This is the real first gate, and it is asynchronous. You will submit a resume, a portfolio of related teaching or acting work, and two horizontal self-tapes reading the provided sample scripts (one Italian/English audition script and one "over the counter" unit script). Each tape must open with an English slate stating your name, location, eligibility to work in the States, and any related acting or teaching experience. Files must be titled "firstname lastname - title of the script" and uploaded to the provided Dropbox folder. Demo reels are explicitly not accepted, so your submission stands or falls on how well you perform the actual Speak scripts.

Example Questions

* "Can you slate in English with your name, location, work eligibility, and related experience?"

* "Read this Italian/English audition script with a neutral Italian accent and natural energy."

* "Perform the 'over the counter' lesson script as if teaching an English speaker a new Italian phrase."

* "Do you have native or heritage-level Italian, or did you learn it in school?"

Tips

* Film horizontally in a quiet, well-lit space, dressed and framed like the example videos (seated, facing camera, warm and clear). Watch both example shorts before you film.

* Nail the vibe the posting asks for: a helpful, excited friend rather than a strict teacher. Keep your Italian accent neutral and your energy bright and genuine.

* Practice reading cold scripts out loud so your delivery sounds natural, not read. Nora's Standard Mode is great for rehearsing your English slate and warming up your on-camera speaking rhythm before you hit record.

Round 2: Recruiter / Coordinator Conversation (~20 to 30 min)

What to Expect

If your self-tapes land, expect a short call or Zoom with someone from the Learning & Curriculum team or a coordinator. This is a logistics and fit conversation: confirming your Italian and English background, your LA availability and transportation, your comfort with the contract and per-project structure, and your understanding of what a studio day involves. Because studio sessions run 3 to 5 hours and projects span about 2 to 3 studio days plus Zoom rehearsals, they want to know you are reliable, professional, and genuinely available.

Example Questions

* "Walk me through where you learned Italian and how you would describe your accent."

* "Are you based in Los Angeles with reliable transportation to our studio?"

* "Are you comfortable with contract, project-based work paid per project at an hourly rate?"

* "What draws you to teaching language or working on a product like Speak?"

Tips

* Have a crisp two-sentence version of your bilingual story and your acting/teaching background ready.

* Show reliability: mention scheduling flexibility, punctuality, and comfort with multi-hour studio days.

* Use Nora's Standard Mode to rehearse this quick availability-plus-motivation chat so your answers on background, logistics, and "why Speak" come out smoothly.

Round 3: Zoom Rehearsal / Direction Check (~30 to 60 min)

What to Expect

The posting mentions Zoom rehearsals as part of every project, and these often double as a final read before a studio booking. Expect to run through sample lesson material live, take adjustments in real time, and show that you can shift your delivery when directed. They are testing exactly what the posting calls out: the ability to coordinate, take direction, and keep bright, positive energy while switching between Italian and English on demand. This is where on-camera actors are separated from people who can only read.

Example Questions

* "Can you run this line again but with more warmth, like you're talking to a friend?"

* "Slow down the Italian phrase here and add a natural pause so learners can repeat it."

* "How would you deliver the same correction two different ways for different learner responses?"

* "Try that section again with less 'teacher' energy and more excitement."

Tips

* Treat every note as a gift. Show you can take a direction, apply it immediately, and hold the change through the next take.

* Keep your energy consistent across takes and languages. Practice smooth transitions between Italian and English so neither sounds stiff.

* This round is performance under direction, so drill it with Nora's Behavioral Mode to rehearse staying warm, coachable, and composed while adapting your delivery on the fly.

Round 4: Booking + Rate Confirmation (~15 to 30 min)

What to Expect

Once selected, you will confirm the contract details: the per-project structure, the $65 to $75 per hour rate depending on related experience (the posting range), studio day counts, and rehearsal expectations. This is a straightforward logistics and rate conversation, but experience matters here because the rate scales with it, so make sure your teleprompter, teaching, and acting background is clearly represented.

Example Questions

* "Based on your experience, here is the rate we are offering. Does that work for you?"

* "Can you commit to 2 to 3 studio days for this project plus Zoom rehearsals?"

* "How does your prior teleprompter or on-camera experience factor into your rate expectations?"

* "Are you available for the proposed studio dates and able to sign the contract?"

Tips

* Know the posting range ($65 to $75/hr) and where your teleprompter, teaching, and acting experience places you within it.

* Be clear and professional about availability and any scheduling constraints up front.

* Use Nora's Salary Negotiation Mode to practice anchoring on your relevant experience so you land at the top of the range without overselling or sounding rigid.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1) How many rounds are there?

Expect roughly 2 to 4 steps: the self-tape application (the main gate), a short recruiter or coordinator conversation, a Zoom rehearsal or direction check, and a final booking and rate confirmation. Since there are no published candidate reports for this role, this reflects the typical flow for on-camera contract talent at a company like Speak rather than a confirmed exact process.

2) What topics are most common?

* Native-level Italian and English delivery with a neutral Italian accent, read from a teleprompter or cold script

* On-camera warmth, taking direction, LA availability and transportation, and understanding the contract and studio-day structure

3) How long does the process take?

Usually about 2 to 5 weeks from submission to booking, depending on how quickly the Learning & Curriculum team reviews tapes and schedules rehearsals and studio dates. Project-based contract timelines can move faster once you are selected.

4) How should I prepare?

* Watch both example videos closely and match the seated, camera-facing, bright-and-friendly style; film your self-tapes horizontally with a clean English slate.

* Rehearse the actual sample scripts out loud until your Italian and English both sound natural, not read, and practice taking and applying direction quickly.

* Confirm the logistics: LA-based, reliable transportation, comfortable with 3 to 5 hour studio days across 2 to 3 days per project plus Zoom rehearsals.

* Use Nora AI to drill each stage: Standard Mode for your slate and the recruiter chat, Behavioral Mode for the direction-taking rehearsal, and Salary Negotiation Mode to land within the $65 to $75/hr range based on your experience.