I and friends

I and friends

Thursday 8 September 2011

What You Need to Know

Actors know about acting auditions with the help of respective agents or managers. In going for a role, you usually must know what it is that you are auditioning for. You don't just appear for a casting call just because it's open. A real sure way to annoy casting directors is by wasting their time. In addition to that, this means that you should be sure that you fill the role and fill it well.
There are some cases wherein a casting director is going to give you sides for your acting auditions. All of these are going to be certain scenes for the role that you're auditioning for. In case these sides are available, then you should make sure that you familiarize yourself with the scenes. Don't go and stumble around the words or the direction. In case you go into acting auditions and be presented with the sides right away, then you are going to do something that's called "cold reading." The good thing about this is that everyone else is going to be in the same position as you are so you shouldn't worry.
When entering an audition room, you should try to get an impression of the mood of the ones that you are reading for. You could do this by presenting yourself and asking how they are doing. This can open up a bit of conversation as well as help you relax. Before you go on and get into the reading, check with whoever it is that's in charge about what they're searching for or if there are things you about the part that you need to know. In case they want to know if you have any questions, then you should prepare one. This is going to help you ease up as well as leave an impression with those who could hire you for that particular part.
Oftentimes you're going to be given one chance to read for a part in acting auditions. In case you don't do so well, only ask for another chance if the atmosphere inside the audition room's friendly. If the casting director demands that you make certain adjustments to the character, make sure that you take note of it and perform as you're told. Often times, they like to check if you could follow directions easily. Finally, do not think twice about taking risks. However, that doesn't mean that you overdo it and make the casting directors uneasy. What this means is that you should aim to make your acting auditions leave a good impression.

How to Prepare for Modeling Auditions

While it is true that there are hundreds of perks that models enjoy like being able to visit beautiful locations, getting pampered, attending special event, getting to meet celebrities plus earning thousands of dollars, there is also more to it than meets the eye. It is still a job and you would need to follow the tricks of the trade in order to book jobs.
Even the most famous models in the world still have to undergo modelling auditions. The modelling world requires different skills and talent, it is more than just taking beautiful photos, and it is also about commanding respect and charm, as well as learning how to become professional in every way.
Here are some modeling audition tips
1. Be real.
This means having a genuine love for modelling, for acting out the scenes, for producing works of art. Do not get hooked up on commercial reasons for doing the job. Modelling must be done out of love for what you do, the perks just come in second. Be able to model dresses that real people wear, beauty products that real people use, be able to model a dress that can be worn by all shapes and sizes and then find out the best shape and size for you and promote your assets.
2. During the modelling auditions, select the proper dress.
Never under dress but never over dress as well. Learn what the photo shoot is all about. Present your assets. Select a dress where your body figure will come out and choose the perfect shoes. Be sure that you will look glamorous, up to date and colour coordinated, never appear dull. Take careful attention for your hair.
3. Get advice from fashion experts. Check the trends that are already out in order to avoid it. Watch modelling competitions and reality shows in order to get tips on what you can do. Learn as much as you can read magazines and learn the style and form of clothes that will accentuate your body.
4. Before the modelling audition you have to be able to know if the theme is about high fashion, glamour modelling, petite modelling, plus size modelling, teen modelling, mature modelling, body part modelling like hand modelling and real people modelling. You have to know if you fit the criteria to avoid wasting your time and to be able to develop the necessary skills needed for the job.
5. Advance your knowledge with runaway modelling as well, you have to learn how to walk and strut your stuff with confidence. Practice using different kinds of heels. Spend time practicing at home and on stage.

Make Choices and Deliver a More Compelling Performance

Making choices sounds like it should be easy, but for a new actor it can be very difficult. In fact, even experienced actors struggle with this sometimes. Why? Human beings have a tendency to get self-conscious and worry about looking stupid. Because of this, many actors struggle to trust their instinct which dramatically inhibits their ability to make character choices. However, there are ways to get around this nervousness so that you can create a dynamic performance.
One of the most important things to realize is that if you feel silly you are probably on the right track. Additionally, you need to remember that the more fun that you have with your character and your performance the more fun your audience will have. That doesn't necessarily mean that you should be silly all of the time. There can be something very fun about making dramatic choices that allows you to scream and cry.
As you are reading through a scene you will inevitably feel yourself wanting to do something. It may be the desire to speak in a certain way, to look at a specific person, or to move. It is important that you begin to pay attention to these instincts as they are often your guide to making solid character choices. When you feel like you want to do something try it!
However, for some actors this is still rather difficult. Part of this is because when you are paying attention to your instincts you are placing yourself under a spotlight. One of the best ways to get around this is to focus on the person that you are acting with. Rather than thinking about what you should do you need to ask yourself how you want to make the other person feel. Do you want them to feel embarrassed? Angry? Shameful? By focusing on how you are trying to affect the other person you will take the pressure off of yourself, and instead put your energy into making your scene partner feel something.
When you are trying to make someone else feel something you have to try different tactics. You may have to move, speak differently, gesture a certain way. All of these things are known as choices, and you need to make them to adequately tell the story of the script. You can feel it if your current tactic isn't working, and when that happens you need to try something else. Try to manipulate the actor that stands across from you. When you do that your performance can take on a life of its own captivating not only you, but the audience that is watching you

Looking the Part in Your Audition

Some of the greatest acting performances of all time are associated with what the character was wearing. For example, Vivienne Leigh will forever be remembered in the green velvet outfit that she wore as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. Judy Garland will forever be remembered in her ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. And Antonio Band eras is simply not Zorro without the black mask. However, it can be confusing for an actor when it comes to auditioning. If you are going for a particular role should you dress the part in your audition?
The answer to that is really yes... and no. It is a tricky line that you have to walk, but you do want to dress the part. However, you also don't want to look as though you are wearing a costume. There are many actors out there who do not walk this line successfully. They are the ones that you see at auditions that look like they are ready to head out to a Halloween costume party. Unfortunately for them, dressing in a costume simply distracts the casting director rather than helping to enforce your performance.
Instead, you want to incorporate some elements of your potential character into your appearance subtly. The way that you do this is to think about who your character is. What is their background? What are their tastes? Once you have answers to those questions you can begin to put together your audition outfit.
The key to dressing the part is to do so subtly. You want to pay attention to the silhouette of the time period or a characters signature color. For example, if you are auditioning for a woman in a piece that is set in the 1940s, you will want to steer clear of very modern clothes. Rather, you want to choose pieces that would be found in the silhouettes of that time period. A great option would be a simple black pencil skirt, white collard blouse, pearls, and a great set of red pumps. This is an outfit that you could easily wear on the street today so you will not look like you are wearing a costume, but it also lends itself instantly to the 1940s.
Sometimes directors and casting directors have difficulty envisioning what hair and makeup can do. If you can dress in a way that helps them see you in their upcoming project it may increase the likelihood of you ending up as part of the cast. Sometimes dressing the part is as simple as dressing in a suit, wearing your hair in an up-do or wearing the right color of lipstick.
It is not always possible to dress in a way that might suit the character that you are auditioning for. When this happens, it is important that you dress like an actor. You want to look put together, attractive, neutral, but with something to remember you by. For example, maybe you dress in all black, but have a great pair of colored shoes on or a hair accessory that is designed to catch the director's eye. Chances are, the director is going to be seeing a lot of people throughout the day, and your colorful accent may become what you are known as. The important thing is to be remembered, and if a purple tie is what will get you remembered then it is the right way to go.

The Key to Effective Acting Is Embodying the Moment Before

One of the most difficult things that any actor faces is starting a scene or monologue. Part of the reason that it's difficult is that it comes out of nowhere. Suddenly the lights come up or the film starts rolling and you are expected to be in the moment feeling every emotion to its fullest so that you can showcase that for your audience. However, unless you have a solid grip on the moment before your scene starts your chances of being convincing in the spotlight fall from slim to none.
Expert actors have learned to immerse themselves into the moment before their scene so that you are instantly transported into their frame of mind. The reality is that most scenes start in the middle of a situation that has had a lot of back story implied in it. There are relationships that are in place, events that have happened, and feelings that have already been formed. It is understandable that a new actor may find themselves struggling with this, but there are some things that you can do to make it easier for yourself.
In order to truly understand the moment before your scene you need to really explore your characters back story. You need to take the details that you are provided by the script and use those as a springboard to create your characters history. Where did you come from, and how did you get here? Allow your creativity to flow during this process, and focus on the details. You want to be clear on every feeling good or bad that your character has experienced before the lights came up so that you can embody them as you begin your performance.
Additionally, you may want to rely on some techniques to get yourself into the moment of your scene. This can be especially important if you need to dive right into an emotionally charged scene. One thing that may be useful is to use that back story that you had written as something to focus on prior to acting. Perhaps you simply need to re-read it to get yourself in the right place. Or maybe you could do an alternative exercise like writing a letter to the other character that you are interacting with. Doing something like this will help you to get into your characters necessary emotional state.
Another thing that some actors use to get themselves into the moment before is to rely on sense memories. A sense memory is a very vivid memory that you have from your own life where your emotions were very strong. It could be your happiest moment or your saddest. The emotion is not as important as the intensity of that emotion. What you want to do is connect that memory's emotion with the emotion that your character needs to be feeling. Then you try to take yourself back to that moment in your head until you feel that moment just as vividly as you did when the experience first took place. By doing this you can essentially transport yourself to a place of true feeling so that when you start your scene you are instantly emotionally invested.
By doing this you will be able to create a more convincing and interesting character and scene. If you are able to do that you will not only begin nailing your auditions, but you'll soon be getting rave reviews as well!

The Importance of Listening for Beginning Actors

Many people feel that acting is something that people just know how to do. Perhaps you have been told that you should become an actor because you are able to slip in and out of bold and entertaining characters. In fact, those around you may be right. You may have that hidden potential to become very good at the art of acting. However, before you run out to your first audition it is important that you dedicate some time to developing your craft so that you can start to get the roles that you want to audition for. In fact, one of the most important skills for you to hone is the art of listening.
It doesn't sound like listening is something that you should have to work on, but in reality listening while you are acting is vitally important and probably one of the most difficult skills to master. Your ability to really listen while you are acting can take your performance from an amateur level to a truly engaging and inspirational performance.
All too often beginning actors jump into scene work head first immersing themselves in what their character is trying to achieve. You will often hear this referred to as your characters objective. Essentially, that means what does your character want in the scene? What is your character trying to achieve? It is easy to get wrapped up in what your character wants, but that only results in a very one sided performance. Rather than creating an onstage relationship that your audience will find enthralling you will end up looking disconnected an egotistical in your performance.
Why? If you are not able to truly listen to those that you are acting with you will not allow for your natural instincts and reactions to play out. 9 times out of 10 your instincts are right as an actor, but many beginning actors do not trust themselves. Instead, they try to over think and plan out every action and reaction. Rather you want to really pay attention to what is being said to you. Not only should you listen to the words that are being said to you, but you must also pay attention to the way that they are delivered. As actors in a scene you and your partner are trying to affect each other, and by listening to what your partner is saying and how they are saying it you are able to react and respond in a more natural way.
Again, it is important to remember that listening sounds easier than it really is. One of the best ways to tell if you are actively listening in a scene is when you start to lose yourself in the moment and find your performance being affected by those around you. Your reaction to every line should be slightly different because you are letting the words being said to you impact you. You can practice this every time that you get on your feet be it in an acting class, while auditioning, or performing for an audience. In fact, the more that you practice your active listening skills the more quickly you will progress from being a beginner to a dependable actor that others want to work with.

How to Prepare for Your Acting Auditions

The first thing to do is to bask in the understanding that you are talented, that you have something to offer. Congratulate yourself for landing a chance to audition. This is the time to focus on your strengths, to find a way to reduce the stress in your life. Do not over think. Rather, focus on the story, the monologue and picture a successful performance.
After that, take the time to prepare as soon as possible. Remember that acting auditions must be taken seriously. Passion, interest and hard work is what makes a difference.
If there are casting calls, find a way to check out the format, the venue and the other important details that you have to know so that you can prepare well. You have to know what they are expecting to get out of the audition.
Here are some questions that you need to ask:
1. Will you be doing the auditions on your own or as a part of the act? In this way you can start collaborating with other people that you may build rapport as soon as possible. This is one way to fix the errors before starting your acting auditions.
2. How many minutes are you allowed performing? Will you be performing one or two acting monologues? In this way, you can measure the time of performance and be able to provide much needed impact in just a few seconds if you have limited time.
3. Ask if there would be a script provided or if it would be a cold reading, having the script in your hands or having an idea of the concept would be a big help for your character reference. This is one way to be accurate.
4. Who will be observing? You have to know this in order to be able to acknowledge the judges, their talents and to be able to give the necessary respect that each needs.
5. Be prepared to memorize a given script or your own script. Being able to memorize your part gives you more confidence and stability.
6. If you will be asked to create your own monologue, be as creative as possible. Let others do a critic on your monologue. Have friends over to watch and read your monologue. Practice with fellow actors who can provide constructive criticism. Family members are usually not the best judge for talent because they have the tendency to get biased especially with parents. It is better to get harsher but realistic comments from the experts.