Mastering the Hollywood Audition (without crapping your pants)

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Mastering the Hollywood Audition (without crapping your pants) from david green on Vimeo.

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Hi, I know that auditioning is really the make or break part of the acting game and that it is also one of the biggest mysteries for people, either trying to get them or what to do when they do get them.
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I’ve been auditioning for close to 10 years now, and frankly I wish i could go back and look at my old ones to see how far I’ve come…who knows, maybe I’m worse!

Either way, there are some basic things every actor should know before even thinking about setting foot in an audition room. It’s important that you go in with their guns loaded because if you suck, you are unlikely to ever be seen again by that casting director.

First off, ‘own’ the room. That means walking in with ease, like you invited them there and you are having a little party in your living room…these are you friend and they are happy to see you and are not there to judge you, but really want to like you. That is not a joke either. They do want to like you, actually love you. They want to find an actor that brings their material to life in a way that they could have never imagined.

Second, try to turn off your conscious mind…I know sounds tough, and it is, but you want to release the artist in you, the part of you that simply knows how to react to every situation and isn’t thinking about the words. Along those lines, the story is far more important than the words. Really know the story and what it is about, and what significance your character and all characters have in the story.

Third, try to make the least of things…that is my own personal tip. In life, we don’t go out of our way to get excited about things…we are usually busy with someone else when someone is talking to us, so let the other characters suck you in…make them work for it…only when they have your real attention, can you allow yourself to get wrapped up in what is going on. Of course if you are in the middle of something that directly concerns what is being discussed, don’t pretend you’re not, but it’s great to have a distracting activity, even if it’s in your mind.

Fourth, view the situation from the audience’s perspective. TV/Movies, etc is usually written about high drama but most people have no experience in highly dramatic situations so regardless of how you think you would deal with a situation, try to play it out a little to the audience so they are clear on what is happening. For instance, if you watch how a detective on the A&E; show The First 48 deals with a murder, it is pretty casual to the point of callous, but that is how they remain sane. They can’t get personally involved to do their jobs properly. You might want to reveal a little more humanity in everything you do because the audience won’t understand any detachedness from in certain professions/situations because putting themselves in a similar situation, they think they would be far more affected…so you should be a little more affected to match their sensibilities.

There are many more lessons I could give, but these are some tips you can use in any audition to be more relaxed and deliver a more realistic performance.