Acting coach to the stars Joseph Pearlman wants to show actors why receiving a note from a director shouldn’t feel like a death sentence. It should instead be seen as a great affirmation of your work! Pearlman, a regular on Backstage’s on-camera series, The Slate, sat down for another YouTube Live to advise actors on the best ways to receive and process notes, whether they’re received on set of a major production or in a tiny audition room.
READ: How to Turn Any Acting Note Into an Audition Win
Getting a note is a good thing!
“It's an awesome thing in any context to get a note. It means your coach, a director, a casting director is paying close attention to your work and wants to refocus it in some manner. Tinkering is a part of any craft and it's how you reach a level of excellence….You wouldn't get a note if somebody didn't love you! Getting a note is an awesome thing! You want to get notes; people want to see what you're gonna be like on set and how adaptable you are…Getting a note means that you have their attention. You did intrigue them and they want to see more. Don't let getting a note rattle you in any way. Use it as a springboard to solidify a spectacular audition.”
Be yourself in an audition, not who you think casting directors want.
“Don't guess what you think they are looking for. Assume you are who they're looking for, bring yourself to the piece with a really brave, fun choice. Why do we not want to guess what they're looking for, why would we never want to ever try to please? Great casting directors never want you to please them, they want great work. Why do we not want to guess what people want? They don't know what they want, they're doing this process to discover something they hadn't imagined yet and it's your job to show them.”
Don’t rush into a note, make the note your own performance.
“Take a minute to think about what the note means to you, how it impacts your perspective of the character or the script. Taking a note is easy and fun as long as you do your version of the note, not what you think they want. Take a minute to think about what it means to you, how it impacts your perspective, your point of view, your attitude. Take a second to get a sense of what you're gonna do and never feel like you have to hurry up and act, especially if that might cause you to do something that's motivated by a sense of panic. Never take a note that's motivated by a sense of panic. It's your audition, it's your on-set performance—gather a few seconds to digest the note.”
For more from Pearlman, watch his full YouTube Live session below, and keep tabs on who’s coming up on The Slate with our list of programming right here!
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