A few weeks ago, I introduced five tips for digging deeper when it comes to TV and film auditions. Here, as promised, are five more ways you can change the audition game and truly connect with the material.
1. Tailor the technical.
A film or television audition is generally framed in a mid-shot. Which is why it’s important that we adjust our performance so it’s effectively captured on camera in this shot size. This means adjusting technical aspects such eye lines, physicality, and energy so they translate powerfully in the frame.
Practice this by getting in front of a camera as often as possible and filming yourself. On playback, take notes about how certain eye lines and movements come across. Camera technique is a skill that can be taught so it becomes organic. Then, when we audition, we effortlessly know where to place our thoughts and how much energy to bring to the frame without overthinking.
2. Have a hook.
For many TV auditions, we’re sent two or three scenes to prepare and are expected to be able to move between them, fully committed to each, no matter how different they may be from one another. So having an anchoring word, phrase, or image—a hook—that allows you to remember your purpose and emotional energy for each scene so you can quickly refocus and plug into the new moment is key.
For example, maybe the word “destroy” is your hook for one scene, while a phrase like, “walking on eggshells” works for another. Anything that creates a strong and specific point of focus and energy is a good hook.
3. Mistakes are magic.
A lot of actors measure the success of their audition experience by how “right” they got it, how well they were able to repeat and replicate a performance perfected in their living room. So when we forget lines or have moments of emotional disconnect, we become judgmental and begin to implode, just hoping to get to the end of the take with our integrity intact.
But there’s something very powerful that can happen when “mistakes” occur in front of the camera if we see them as gifts to do something we otherwise hadn’t expected or planned. It’s like being in the theater and watching a prop fall down. We don’t want the actors to ignore it and pretend it didn’t happen; the audience wants to see how the actor will deal.
Nothing in life goes exactly the way we imagine it to, but we’re flexible and adaptable enough to deal with the unexpected. Forgetting lines, unexpected emotions (or lack of), or anything else we feel are “mistakes” can actually be gifts if you do something with them. These “bumps” awaken us from being on autopilot and propel us into the real moment.
READ: How to Be Present in the Casting Room
4. Pull that parachute.
Very often, the circumstances in the audition room are outside an actor’s control: Is there a reader? Are they running on time? Can I rehearse a take? Will they give me notes to adjust my performance?
These variables can affect an actor’s performance, potentially taking the actor out of the moment while the camera is rolling. It’s the too-familiar feeling of saying lines out loud but feeling like you’re crashing and burning. Even though you’re acting on the outside, inside you’re thinking about how badly the audition is going.
When this happens, we often pretend that we aren’t having an internal meltdown. We tolerate the feeling until the casting director calls cut. But instead of fixating on “this is not going well,” pull the parachute. The parachute is a decision to make a strong choice on your next line, no matter how appropriate or inappropriate it may be. Raise the stakes and make a bold, fierce choice with your next line of text. It may look bizarre and out of context, but it will awaken your instincts and propel you into the moment.
It’s better to have one outrageous moment with a line of text than to tolerate two minutes of a take you know is flatlining. Think of it as a defibrillator to your instincts.
5. Feel familiar.
Auditions can often feel like job interviews. We enter the room our well-mannered and proper self, which can seem like the right choice in terms of professionalism, but it can also set us up for an inauthentic experience.
Instead, get comfortable treating everyone involved in the audition process the way you would treat someone you’re friendly and familiar with. This doesn’t mean talking too much or divulging personal stories, but about maintaining the natural energy and tone you have when you’re with close friends and people you feel very comfortable around. People are drawn to those who are at ease in their own skin—it makes us feel like we know the person and want to spend time with them.
Even in the waiting room, check in to see if you have unconsciously moved from your natural energy state into a more “formal job interview” energy. If so, come back to the natural energy a friend would recognize. The greatest actors make us feel like we know them; they’re familiar.
Put these tips into action and check out our TV audition listings!
The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them,
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.
