Jörg Vicent Malotki spent 30 years navigating the German film industry — first from behind the camera, then in front of it. In this Mriia Mentors session, he shares everything Ukrainian actors need to know about self-tapes, casting platforms, showreels, and the mindset that keeps you working.
"You are probably the only person who can never truly judge what you do. Develop a thick skin — and stay completely open and vulnerable. On some days, both are possible."
Jörg Vicent Malotki didn't start as an actor — he started obsessively watching films. By his teens, he was running a video club at school and shooting stop-motion clay films on a Super 8 camera. In one year alone, before he could even drive, he watched 170 films in cinemas, traveling to neighboring towns to get there.
After school he trained at a small production company in Cologne, working in the camera department. It was there, crouching beside the camera during every take, invisible to the cast but close enough to feel the scene, that something shifted.
"I decided — I don't want to end up where the director is. I want to go to the other side."
— Jörg Vicent MalotkiAt 24 or 25, he decided to study acting. German state schools had an age cutoff — he was already too old. So he packed up and moved to New York. His first acting role came through his teacher at HB Studio, whose boyfriend was directing a thesis film at Columbia University. He auditioned, made it to the second round, and got the part — an SS officer in an anti-war film. Professionally shot, rigorously produced. A genuine first break.
Jörg studied at HB Studio (Herbert Berghof Studio) — one of New York's most established acting schools, founded by Uta Hagen, with roots going back over 60 years. He stayed for roughly two and a half years, bartending on the side to pay his way.
The core of the Uta Hagen technique, as Jörg describes it: first, be a human being. The character must not seem aware they are being watched. Real behaviour. Real reactions. No "walking backwards out of the room" because you've done the take 15 times and forgot that in real life you would fall over.
Much of what's taught in New York acting schools is rooted in Chekhov, who came to the US and influenced an entire generation of teachers.
A Challenge for the Actor by Uta Hagen — the book Jörg read and still recommends, especially for film and TV acting.
Germany is a decentralized country with four historically important cities for actors: Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, and Munich. Moving to one city can effectively cut you off from work in others — each city has its own networks and productions.
Germany is also, by tradition, not a casting country. Historically, actors sent physical tapes, photos, and CVs by post — costing thousands of euros a year. That culture is changing, partly because of self-tapes.
One of the most practical pieces of advice from this session: stop treating every self-tape as a momentous audition, and start treating it as a muscle you build through daily repetition.
"You shouldn't overthink it. You just make a decision, you go for it. Maybe they like it, maybe they don't. Let it go."
— Jörg Vicent MalotkiHe recommended the work of Manuel Puro, a casting director who runs intensive self-tape workshops — including a 7-day and month-long version — where participants submit a self-tape every single day. The forced frequency removes the anxiety of each individual tape. Peer feedback and Zoom review sessions are part of the process.
Don't move furniture every time you need to tape. Have a dedicated corner. The goal is zero friction between "I need to submit" and actually filming.
Lighting, backdrop, audio — solve these once. When you're under time pressure, your mind should be entirely on the performance.
Make short videos of every skill you have: languages, sports, instruments, anything. Jörg almost got a TV part because he could stand-up paddle — they needed it and didn't want to teach it.
Jörg was direct about one of the most common showreel mistakes: keeping scenes you're not good in just because they're from something prestigious.
"If you're not good in it, don't use it. I'd rather you shoot something yourself — maybe not technically great — but where you act well."
— Jörg Vicent MalotkiHis advice: your reel should contain scenes you can connect back to your resume. Platforms like Filmmakers.eu let you link individual scene clips directly to the production credit they came from.
Even scenes you love have to go if they don't serve you. Ask a trusted friend who will be honest — then listen to them.
A short clip of you speaking another language to camera is evidence — not just a line on a CV.
An unknown production where you shine beats a famous one where your part is tiny and poorly shot.
On Filmmakers.eu, link your reel clips directly to the production they came from. This is now possible and expected.
Jörg was specific about which platforms matter. Importantly, the German actors union pushed through a rule change that means paid and unpaid profiles are treated equally in search results — previously, paying got you ranked higher, which has since been banned.
One of the Ukrainian participants asked: how do you handle not being able to measure the quality of your own work? Unlike baking bread, where you can taste and evaluate, acting leaves you with nothing concrete — just a feeling, which is often wrong.
"You need to develop a thick skin — and at the same time, stay completely open and vulnerable. On some days that works."
— Jörg Vicent MalotkiJörg's response was not reassuring in the comfortable sense — it was honest. After 30 years, he still has self-doubt every few weeks. The difference is he now knows it will pass, and he can even laugh at it.
Jörg is part of two actor networks in Germany: the Actors Home (international online community), and a regional WhatsApp-based network for North Rhine-Westphalia. He also emphasises film festivals as a networking tool — not just for showing work, but for practicing the meta-skill of professional visibility.
"Being there sometimes is enough. Being there and having a good time sometimes is enough."
— Jörg Vicent Malotki, on film festivalsHis final point: you may be a great actor but feel awkward at parties. That's fine — acting involves playing characters with lines written for them. But in the real industry, networking is how you find work. Treat it as a skill to develop, not a personality trait you either have or don't.
Free live Q&A sessions with working actors, directors, and casting professionals from Germany, Spain, the UK, and the US. Open to Ukrainian actors and theatre artists at any stage of their career.
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