quote:

Originally posted by TRUTHTELLER59:

quote:

Originally posted by MattyB:
Once he's learned the lines, if he's the type of actor who doesn't use "choices", but mearely
lives and reacts in the moment, then he's ready to go.

Yeah... I have yet to meet a casting director/reader who actually gives you shit to react off of at an audition.

If they TRY to, then it's normally bad acting so you'll have to rely on strong choices that will make you look good on the camera.

Auditions are DIFFERENT from being on set.

Yeah, Auditions are different from being on set, that's for sure.

You're right, readers usually aren't "good", but there's always something there to work with. What might be throwing you is that they aren't giving you what you expected or what you thought they might when you prepared your audition. Sorta like real life. You have to listen to them. Why aren't their words matching their emotions? That's weird. Are they hiding something? Maybe they're just shy. How does that make you feel? Feel what you feel and say the lines and listen at the same time. There's no preparation that can come up with the real shit that happens spontaneously in the room. That BAD reader is the best thing that happened today.

quote:

Originally posted by MattyB:

quote:

Originally posted by TRUTHTELLER59:

quote:

Originally posted by MattyB:
Once he's learned the lines, if he's the type of actor who doesn't use "choices", but mearely
lives and reacts in the moment, then he's ready to go.

Yeah... I have yet to meet a casting director/reader who actually gives you shit to react off of at an audition.

If they TRY to, then it's normally bad acting so you'll have to rely on strong choices that will make you look good on the camera.

Auditions are DIFFERENT from being on set.

Yeah, Auditions are different from being on set, that's for sure.

You're right, readers usually aren't "good", but there's always something there to work with. What might be throwing you is that they aren't giving you what you expected or what you thought they might when you prepared your audition. Sorta like real life. You have to listen to them. Why aren't their words matching their emotions? That's weird. Are they hiding something? Maybe they're just shy. How does that make you feel? Feel what you feel and say the lines and listen at the same time. There's no preparation that can come up with the real shit that happens spontaneously in the room. That BAD reader is the best thing that happened today.

To go into an audition with your lines memorized with NO choices and hoping that some person who has his or her head down and reading monotonously is going to give you something is too big of an uncalculated risk.

Yeah, it sucks that most readers don't give you anything, but I like to look at it this way. They're my FUCKING VOODOO DOLL! I can imagine them as the other person and saying the lines how I want them to and do my choices. If they want to see something different, I'll do that. If the reader actually does look up and give me something, yes, I'll be willing to drop my initial choices and adapt to a RARE occurrence but I'm not betting on that.

Even the Meisner dudes know it's dumb to go into an audition without choices.

quote:

Originally posted by Secret Agent Man:
This week's illustration is me pouring a cup of coffee on the head of an actor who's preparing for an audition at Starbucks. I love it!

http://www.backstage.com/advic...k-job-audition-room/

How about just represent conscientious talented actors. There are plenty of those who dont have representation. It boggles me to hear so many irresposible ones do have great representation and both sides are unhappy. What is that from? And why do agents turn away conscientious actors who are willing to put in the work?

Just a few points to follow up:
1. Different actors, different theories: From preparation (both time it takes, and style), to being off book, or 'mostly' off book, as well as preparing in silence, or in a crowd. Whatever works for people is fine.
2. Book the room, not the job: Fishgurl mentioned it earlier in this thread, and SAM in the original article and it's the most important thing to take away from the entire piece. The CD, nor the agent truly care about HOW I get to the place I get to as an actor, but simply that I go in the room, do a great job, and blow people away. I may not book THAT job, which is fine, my goal is to BOOK THE ROOM. From that point forward, I have a CD who is a fan and knows that I come in prepared, making strong choices, but still flexible enough to take direction and adjust the read, and I have producers/directors who will remember me the next time they see for for that show or a subsequent project.
3. The waiting room: This is the undoing of even prepared actors. They see a friend, they walk around, they psych themselves up, they play Words With Friends. People, get to the audition as early as you need to, mentally prepare in the car, the bathroom, whatever...throw on your headphones and listen to whatever music you like, or heck, just sit in silence, but the headphones will help you zone out of the 'white noise' and will reduce the people who want to say hi and chat. Go in, kick ass, and then come out and connect with your friends.