If You Could See What I See...

Don't you agree that sometimes, all it takes is a new perspective on things?
Think of how you approached acting when you first started out. You're a bit better now, right? What if, going into those first roles, you knew everything you know now?
What about how you approach your auditions? If I could download my perspective and my experience into your head, then you would have a very specific reference for tackling the audition from a vantage point of greater clarity.
It's not that I'm any smarter than you. It's that my perspective is different; it's broader. It's as if you are at ground level, and I am on a tower, able to see farther, able to see more because of my perspective. (I'm not trying to say I'm "higher" than you...just trying to find the right analogy to let you know that I can help you see things differently in a way that will heighten the impact of your audition.)
Here are the things I see OVER AND OVER AGAIN at auditions. You don't need any more training to take care of these -- just a greater understanding. It's very simple.
UNDERSTAND THIS...
There are VERY FINE actors out there who simply don't audition well. They just lack SIMPLE UNDERSTANDING that, if applied, can literally MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
Here are...
** 5 Ways to Stand Out at Auditions **
By making the following subtle changes to the way you audition, you DRAMATICALLY increase your chances of being cast.

1. ACT AS IF... Aside from completely knowing your audition pieces, the way to LOOK confident is to BE confident. Plug into your acting capabilities in order to get above the nervousness: You are playing a character who is very much like you who is not at all fearful of the audition; in fact, she loves it! Rehearse as this "character" who is prepping for the audition... then go in as that "character." You'll be surprised at how this approach can result in greater confidence.
2. As you come into the audition area, SIZE UP THE SPACE so you'll know where to stand, where to place the chair, or whether you'll have to put the chair, etc. You should have already made decisions about whether your glasses should be on or off; your hair should be out of your face, etc.
3. SAVE YOUR NAME. Get your music to the accompanist (if necessary), then do whatever you have to do to set up the space (efficiently and without apology,) THEN get in place, STOP, LOOK at the casting personnel while smiling, and speak your intro: "Hi, I'm First Name, Last Name, and I'm going to do Character Name from Name of Play, and Other Character Name from Other Play, and I'll be singing That Song from That Musical." Say your name clearly, especially if your name is even moderately difficult or "different."
4. AVOID THE EXHALE. Many times, actors expel an enormous breath just before they begin in an unconscious attempt to dump some anxiety. Instead, practice INHALING. This sets an air of expectation and compels the casting director to look at you. Make sure it is the CHARACTER inhaling in preparation to speak, not YOU as the actor. (By the way, I'm not talking about a big dramatic intake of breath. In fact, it might be more subliminal rather than visible to the casting folk.)
5. SAVE THE LAST MOMENT. When you finish the last word and/or action of the last piece, PAUSE... Let the moment resonate. If you have 2 monologues and a song, you'll want to do this at the end of every piece. SO DISAPPOINTING when actors finish the last word and/or action, then skip right to the next piece. Failure to take the moment is a way of apologizing for your work. It indicates lack of confidence.

Do these things make sense?
Take care of THESE 5 THINGS and you will improve your odds so much.

Here's to You Empowerment!
--Tom

Copyright (c) 2009, 2014 Tom Brooks. All Rights Reserved.

The Actor's Thanksgiving

As actors, we tend to overlook the best in
ourselves. Too critical of our skills, we often
diminish what is of true value within.

The art of Acting, the very act of the process
in its most pure form, is BEING; existing in a
state of ACTION BASED ON INTENTION.

Remember, you are not acting to be someone
else, or to escape from yourself. You are, or
should be, bringing all of yourself into the roles
you create, whether for the audition or the
production.

It's true that you CAN feel and behave like
another person, and in so doing, you are--or
seem to be--getting away from who you think
of as You. BUT THIS IS ONLY A BY-PRODUCT
of the best acting, of true acting.

Remember, the best acting is when the words,
the intentions, and the resulting action and
emotions all come FROM YOU -- not fabricated
or pretended, but come from YOU REVEALED.

It can be intimidating to be that vulnerable, to be
that emotionally naked on stage or in front of the
camera. This true vulnerability is where the risk
factor, the "edge," comes in; the element of danger
(to ego); the ability to reveal a secret.

It is in this state of vulnerability that you are most
magnetic on stage; it is the glint in your eye in the
close-up.

So this Thanksgiving, remember who you are. In
your life right now, you might feel centered, you
might feel lost, or somewhere in between. Either
way keep up the search.

The search is ongoing. It is the search for truth.
Truth in your relationships, truth in your life,
truth in your acting work.

The only way to move forward in a constructive
manner is to be brave enough -- and humble enough
-- to look within and give thanks for the gifts you have
been given. Know that you can move forward driven
by the strength of the goodness and gifts you have;
you can move forward in spite of the weaknesses
or faults.

The weaknesses within can best be dealt with when
you are brave enough to touch them, hold them, to
see them for what they are: not as insurmountable
obstacles, but as fuel for progress toward being
more of the person you want to become.

Along with your loved ones, celebrate yourSelf over
the holiday. You are unique, you are here for a reason.
It is time to move forward.

Here's to a bright, safe and Happy Thanksgiving,

--Tom

Copyright (c) 2008, 2014 Tom Brooks. All Rights Reserved