What’s on a Casting Director’s Mind

What are you looking for?

What is this character’s motivation?

Should I slate?…

Sorry, I couldn’t get the right clothing for this audition.

Is it ok if I sit/stand?

What eyeline should I use?

These are some of the many unnecessary questions/comments that come out of the mouths of even extremely experienced actors before they begin their auditions.

I have sat in on countless professional casting sessions to read and/or operate the camera. I am constantly amazed at what actors say and do seconds before they begin to perform. I am equally amazed at the advice that actors give each other when it seems they have no experience on which to base their opinions other than perhaps something an acting teacher told them who was just trying to sound like he knew what he was talking about.

Based on my experiences, I feel it my duty to dispel certain myths and point out some of the best ways that an actor can improve their chances of booking a job when they get that magical call to audition.

1. Show up! I’m serious…show up at your audition…preferably on time.

Last week I sat in on a session where a full 15% of the actors did not even show up for their time slots. Not only that, they didn’t call or have their agents call to offer a reason or apology. This is simply unacceptable and rude behavior. If you do a no-show for a good reason, then at least call or have your agent call.

If you don’t have a good reason, then show up or quit acting. You’re just making a fool of yourself, claiming to want to act, but not having the self-dignity or respect of all the parties involved in casting to do the work and prioritize your auditions. You are not going to last, so either change your work habits or switch professions. There are too many hungry actors who could have filled your spot to leave it unfilled.

2. Ask as few questions as possible.

There is always a ton of information in the script that should let you make an educated choice and your job is to make choices, not ask the director for some. Some actors may argue with me but I have to push back and say I’m right here. In the 30 or so auditions I read for last week, about half the actors asked some form of, “What are you looking for?” to the producers…and the answer was the same in every case…”Let’s see your interpretation and if we need to make any changes, we’ll let you know”. I have never been in a room where the producers wanted to direct an actor before they had seen the actors preparation first. That’s why they use actors and not robots…you bring your own personality to everything and you might be the person they are looking for, so bring your A game and show them what you’ve got.

There are several other questions people ask like, “Should I sit or stand”…etc that are also unnecessary. While some humor that demonstrates your confidence and amicability can be helpful and won’t hurt (don’t try it unless you are super comfortable), worrying about what they ‘want’ is unnecessary and won’t get you the job. The only thing that will get you the job is being awesome. You should learn all that from an on camera audition class. That is the place to make mistakes. Other unhelpful questions such as, “What is my frame…what is my eye line…will the cameraman follow me?”, etc. are things that only make you worry about what it is that you are doing. Think about it. You have a really great preparation based on your interpretation and then you ask some questions and they tell you that everything you have prepared is wrong…then what? You’re mentally, if not physically, screwed. Better to do your thing and then let them re-direct. The only reason they wouldn’t redirect is if you; a) Nailed it or b) Failed miserably but you will never know which of these is the case. If they do redirect you, they will provide all the information you need to fill in the gaps and they will point out anything you might have done that they didn’t like and likely answer all the questions that you were going to ask in the first place but now you are warmed up and ready to go…

3. Don’t worry about the words.

Too many actors make too much out of the words. Look, you’ve only had the script for a few days and it may have been written the day before without any time for proofing and the writer may not even remember what he wrote or the lines may have already changed since you got the sides so…DON’T GET HUNG UP ON THE WORDS! You’re there to create a character and deliver a performance, not recite words from memory. Actors for some reason think the opposite…maybe because their acting teachers or others have told them they are so important. Yes, on the set the script supervisor may mention it if you get some words wrong, but generally the words are far less important than the story and emotions that you are conveying. In my most recent reading session, several actors stopped themselves in the middle of their performance (that otherwise was going well) because they forgot one word, so rather than making the whole thing seamless and ride it out…they halted the entire performance and either asked me for the line or asked to do the scene again. People…just be the person, not a reciter of words. That is what acting is…filling in someone else’s shoes for a few moments… To prove my point, in a recent session, several times the producer mentioned that one actor or another was ‘respecting the text too much’. She didn’t even know what the lines were…it’s not like she was following along…she was watching the performance and the only way even the writer is going to notice that you blew a line is if you draw attention to it yourself.

4. No apologies please.

Some actors seem to think they are among royalty when in an audition and apologize for everything they do if it’s not perfect. That implies the wrong mindset in the audition. While it’s nice to apologize, in an audition it indicates that you aren’t totally involved in what you are doing…just focus on what you are doing, not how it’s affecting the audience. You don’t know how they feel about you. They might love your energy and everything about you but when you apologize you are pointing out that you think you did something wrong, so unless you fart in their faces or knock over the lights or camera, there’s nothing in an audition to apologize for. I would say the one exception is if you are working on another job and don’t have the time to get your lines down, you might want to apologize for that to manage their expectations a bit…but I’m not even sure that’s a good thing. Prepared or not, apologizing to them is the same as making an excuse for yourself. If you are apologizing to the room before you perform, you are basically saying, “Sorry I suck” before you even speak a word. If you start out thinking you are going to suck…do the math…not much chance for success in that environment.

5. Casting is rooting against you.

Maybe because auditions are so hard to come by and there’s a certain distance maintained between casting and actors, actors often get the idea that casting directors are in some way rooting for them to fail. Nothing could be more false. Casting has made a big decision in allowing you to fill one of the few spots available for each role. They are putting their reputation on the line with their bosses, the producers. They want you to validate that they have made a good choice. If you are great, the producer thinks the casting director knows what she is doing. If you suck, the casting director will feel self-conscious and wonder if her judgement is being re-evaluated.

So let me assure you, everyone in the room is on your side! They want you to rock! The producers are sitting there wondering if they will ever find the right person for the job and the casting director is hoping you’ll make them look good, and along you come kicking butt wherever you go and guess what? You’re the hero of the day. Everyone will be so relieved that they found the right person for the job. So trust me, the whole room has their fingers crossed that you will be the right person for the job.

6. Take Charge of Your Auditions (That’s why they’re called ‘your’ auditions).

If you do find yourself to be completely in your head or for some other reason need to re-start the scene, just do it. Don’t ask, just confidently say “Let’s start over again” or something to that effect and then tell them you need a minute (if you do) or get focused and wait for the camera to start rolling again. As I frequently tell my students, they want you to do well so if you’re not quite there, get into the zone and do it again. It’s a win/win.

In conclusion, I’ll just say that acting is a difficult endeavor and requires the utmost belief and confidence in oneself. Entering a casting room with anything other than complete chutzpah in what you are doing is a casting death-sentence. Treat the people in the room like they are your friends (they are) and relax and have fun with the experience. Then you will do your best and quite possibly book that job!

Hi, My name is David Patrick Green. I’m a working actor who you may have seen on TV and film. I also have an MBA so I’m applying business principles to acting to reduce the time and cost of having the acting career you want in Hollywood or any other ‘wood.

Learn more about yourself and how you can acclerate your acting career success at http://www.hackhollywood.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Patrick_Green