Here it is, the end of summer. During this slow time, have you successfully driven yourself crazy waiting for an audition or a job? Are you staying home sitting close to your air conditioner, or are you out and about, constantly checking your phone for emails from your agent? It’s all too common to go bonkers while waiting around during the summer, but a better use of your time would be to challenge yourself so that you can bring more to the table when you finally are called. You should constantly be fine-tuning your skills, and this time of year is no exception.
Below, I’ve rounded up some of the things you can be doing to do just that.
1. Watch and study all of the new TV shows this fall.
You should watch at least one or two episodes of everything that’s out there so that you can spend your preparation time effectively when you inevitably get an audition for one of those shows the night before. Rather than having to cram and catch up and watch episodes to learn the plot and tone, you’ll have already watched it and can spend your time solely on memorizing lines and working on your character. If you look online for the shows that have been picked up, there will usually be a clip or a trailer available. Make a list and set up your DVR for the new series so you’ll have them ready to view. I do this every new TV season. With cable and streaming shows, the amount of content can be daunting, but you can significantly narrow down this list by watching shows that you think you’re right for.
2. Watch and study classic movies.
I’ve encouraged you to do this before. You can never over-study while watching older iconic movies. Check out the list on my website of my must-see movies from 1960 to 1990 on the resources page. You will encounter many directors through your career who don’t know “actor-speak” and will reference a scene from a famous movie when trying to help you work through a scene. Become a walking, talking cinephile.
3. Challenge yourself with material that pushes you outside your comfort zone.
You feel like you’re not good with comedy? Stop complaining about it and take a comedy foundations class along with an improvisation class. Are you physically awkward when you come into the audition room and don’t know what to do with your hands? Take a movement class and become aware of your body and learn how to authentically use your body language to convey your emotions.
4. Improve your speech and voice work.
Do you need to brush up on your accent? Make sure you’re studying with your vocal coach once a week. A voice coach can also help you get the most out of your vocal quality. Do you uptalk? Do you have vocal growl? Are you using “filler words” and changing the meaning of the dialogue? Some examples of “filler words” are “you know,” “like,” “so,” and “um.” If you’re doing a scene that Aaron Sorkin wrote, we expect you to do it word-perfect. No variations.
READ: Is How You Speak Keeping You From Getting Hired?
5. Research wherever you can.
Even while on vacation and traveling for the summer, you can study the local culture and use it for character research. That Greek waiter who is so charming—grab what is working for him and put it in your notes. The gruff manager of the boat company is surely someone you can steal some character traits from and use in your next performance. Pablo Picasso said it best: “Good artists borrow, great artists steal.”
Known for her work in film and television, producer and casting director Marci Liroff has worked with some of the most successful directors in the world such as Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Mark Waters, Christopher Nolan, Brad Bird, and Herbert Ross. While working at Fenton-Feinberg Casting, she, along with Mike Fenton, cast such films as “A Christmas Story,” “Poltergeist,” “E.T. – The Extra Terrestrial,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” and “Blade Runner.” After establishing her own casting company in 1983, Liroff cast “Footloose,” “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “Pretty in Pink,” “The Iron Giant,” “The Spitfire Grill,” “Untamed Heart,” “Freaky Friday,” “Mean Girls,” “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” “Vampire Academy,” and the upcoming “The Sublime and Beautiful,” which she produced as well, and the upcoming film “Magic Camp.”
Liroff is also an acting coach, and her three-night Audition Bootcamp has empowered actors to view the audition process in a new light. The class spawned an online course available at Udemy entitled “How To Audition For Film and Television: Audition Bootcamp.” Visit Liroff online at marciliroff.com, follow her on Twitter @marciliroff and Facebook, and watch her advice videos on YouTube. You can also read her blog.
Now put this advice to work! Check out Backstage’s TV audition listings!
