What just happened?
If you’ve read my other posts you’ll get the sense of an upbeat, positive attitude with a sprinkling of gung-ho bravado and a bit of self-help-book-ism stirred in for good measure. Today I am more reflective.
I signed an NDA before the audition so let’s just say that it was a prestigious one, a step up for me to a role with a well-known casting agent for a well-known director. I got my agent’s message on the day after filming for another job. I was on a roll having landed two jobs that month, both of which had unexpectedly brought invitations to more work; and then this exciting audition. Not so much the icing on the cake as the opportunity to take the cake home and have another delivered soon with extra goodies.
There were a couple of lines to learn overnight – no problem. I had them by bedtime, had them when I woke up and just checked on the train on my way. As always, I arrived early and found the audition location. I was called early and, you know where this is going, I dried… and then I dried again. I stumbled twice over the same word. Let’s say the word was ‘Organisation’, it wasn’t but this gives the idea: I said ‘Company’ and knew it was wrong – twice but I couldn’t find the right word at the right time so instead of saying either, I stumbled. The casting director kindly let me have two more goes in which I didn’t dry but I’m pretty sure I didn’t shine either.
At the time of writing I don’t think that job one will be coming my way.
1. Dealing with the aftermath
I’ll start with reflections on this and then go on to my in-the-room tips, some of which I did follow.
I don’t feel depressed about it, just reflective. I own the audition as my failure, and I think it was basically down to over-confidence. I believed my own publicity, that I was on a roll and therefore believed I was on the role. It wasn’t that I felt I had the part, just that I would do well. I had it down, I knew what was going to happen. Big mistake, because of course we never know what is going to happen. I was called half an hour early and I think this threw me. I was ready but not at that precise moment.
You know all that stuff you read about using failure to change? All that stuff that you think ‘Yeah, yeah but its not really like that. That’s just self-help sunny positivism.’ In this case it seems to be true for me. I feel bad about letting myself and my agent down, but the overriding feeling is about changing my procedures, building in even more prep for line learning and finding ways to handle the unexpected.
Next, those in-the-room tips mentioned earlier.
2. Own the space
This is a commonly used phrase but what does it mean for you in an audition? You can’t own the space because possession is nine tenths of the law and the people who own the audition space are the people running the show. They have set up the room and they will tell you where to stand for the camera (assuming there is one). They may have marked the floor, especially if moving from A to B is part of the audition. What you can own is your space. That is the space around your body but more importantly, the space of your body. How you stand and move, both in and out of character. This is yours and how you use it is a key part of the audition. You can prepare for this in advance. You often don’t know if you will be asked to stand, sit, move or even lie down. I’ve been asked to roll around, start with my back to the camera, or sit perfectly still. So, you think it all through beforehand and be ready to own the space - whatever it is. This is part of your gift to the production, your interpretation of the character in space, moving or still.
3. I am…
Start confidently by being ready with your intro. As you walk into the room have your introductions prepared. I use the plural because you don’t know what information will be required – both verbal and visual. In my experience, the introduction to camera can consist of,
Name and agent (always)
Show hands
Show teeth
Show profile (one or both)
Tell us what you’ve been doing recently
Any conflicts (especially for Commercials)
Having the various combos of this ready to go will help with your confidence for the whole audition. It’ll get your voice out of your head and into the room, allowing you to judge and feel comfortable with the acoustics and it’ll give you ownership of your space.
4. Listen
I know this is basic but we can be so focussed on what we have to do, so centred on our performance that we miss vital cues and clues from what is said to us. So allow yourself to process what is said and don’t be afraid to ask questions. You only get one or two goes at selling your suitability for the role so be sure to squeeze as much information out of the process as you can.
5. Don’t over-interpret
What does that look mean? I’m I being boring? Did she just smirk? I’ve been on the other side of the casting table many times and I know that those I am auditioning are keen to please whereas I, polite and helpful as I try to be, am keen to get on. So we have a mismatch in the room and the danger is that the actor will pick up and misinterpret signals from me. I’ve cast a lot of radio and audio and when I do I deliberately look away from the actor. I don’t want to be swayed by what she looks like or pick up his facial expression. I’m only interested in the voice. That can be terribly off-putting and there’s a corollary in film and TV casting where the telling moment will not be in the room but later, on replay.
When you’re being fed lines, this will often be in a low monotone, not a performance. This is to be expected as it is your performance that matters. The same applies when attempting to read the situation – don’t expect to pick up how well you’re doing from the casting director’s attitude. It might give you something, or nothing or lead to a false interpretation.
Acting is such a strange business; you must be both inner and outer at the same time. Focussed on character and performance (inner) yet aware of the room and what’s required of you (outer). The audition process is a performance. Just like when you’re on stage or set there’s a delivery and an audience (even if distanced by the lens and/or mic); there is character and practicality (hit your marks, watch out for that reflection, remember those stage directions). I’ve said many times that this is why I love auditions – a chance to do my stuff and why I’m determined to learn from a particular audition that I loved, not so much.
Today’s take-aways:
·
Learn from your mistakes – there’s no value in
doling otherwise
·
Enter confidently and own your space
·
Prepare your introductions
·
Don’t assume that you can read how well it’s
going
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