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UPCOMING AUDITIONS
Auditions for CACTUS FLOWER will be Sunday, November 21, at Gallery 202, Partners in Art, Inc. in Uptown Westerville. Registration is set for 6:30PM with tryouts beginning promptly at 7 o'clock. Actors will read cuttings from the script. Gallery 202 is located at 38 North State Street Harlem Road
Auditions for A NEW BRAIN will be held in the Roth-Resler Theater at the JCC on the following dates, Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 5-6 from 7 to 9 p.m. A NEW BRAIN is a musical with casting for three male and four female roles. Please prepare 16 bars of a song; an accompanist will be provided. All are welcome to audition. For more information, or to review a script, contact JCC Cultural Arts Director Jared Saltman at (614) 559-6248. The JCC is located at 1125 College Ave. , Columbus
A DELICATE BALANCE is a 1966 play by Edward Albee about an upper-middle-class family which attempts to maintain a balance of kinship, marriage, and friendship. The play contains six characters: Agnes, 50's, the bedeviled matron who maintains the delicate balance Tobias, 50's, Agnes' indecisive, passive husband Claire, Agnes' younger wisecracking sister Edna, 50's, Agnes' best friend and social pal Harry, 50's, Tobias' best friend and golf buddy Julia, 30's, Agnes and Tobias' daughter, escaping from her fourth marriage.
Auditioners can present a prepared monologue, should be familiar with the script, and be prepared to read from the script. Auditions will be held on November 19th and 26th: 2:30 to 4:30 at: The Columbus Civic Theater 3837 Indianola Ave Columbus, OH 43214 Some reading/analysis rehearsals will be held in December and working rehearsals will begin January 15th. Performances run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from February 16th thru March 10th. Questions may be addressed to the director, Bo Rabby, at rlrabby@juno.com or to Artistic Director Richard Albert, at richard@columbuscivic.org
WINTER CLASS SCHEDULE
CLASSES FOR ADULTS:
Acting for Film for Beginners - Wednesdays, beginning January 25 - March 14, 2012 7:00pm-9:30pm. $200
Advanced Acting for Film - Shooting a Film/Demo Reel - Mondays, beginning January 23 - March 12, 2012 7:00pm-9:30pm. $250
Master Class: Audition, Monologue and Scene Study - Thursdays, beginning January 26 - March 15, 2012 7:00pm-9:30pm. $200
CLASSES FOR TEENS (ages 11-17):
ACTING FOR TV, FILM and COMMERCIALS - Saturdays, beginning January 21 - March 10, 2012 10:00am-12:00pm $175ACTING IN A "DISNEY STYLE" TV SHOW! - Sundays, beginning January 22 - March 11, 2011 2:00pm-4:00pm $250
Virtual Auditions: Future or Fad? By Sarah Kuhn
In this era of pocket-sized video cameras and "Star Trek"-esque PDAs, it's easier than ever for actors to be proactive about their careers. But does this brave new world extend to never leaving your house for an audition? After all, today's technology enables you to tape yourself in the comfort of your own home, then email or upload the result for a casting director's viewing pleasure.
Feelings in the industry are decidedly mixed—but "virtual auditions" seem to be popping up more and more.
"It's not like it's a formal part of the process as of yet; it's just sneaking in," said casting director Michael Testa ("Cold Case," "Make It or Break It"). "When I release a breakdown, people call sometimes and say, 'Do you mind if so-and-so puts himself on tape?' and I don't mind at all. I've been getting more and more of that as time progresses."
Added casting director Dorian Frankel ("Parks and Recreation," "Curb Your Enthusiasm"), "I definitely use them: If it's a good audition, it's a good audition. I think it makes a lot of sense. I assume as the technology gets better, the more it will happen. It seems like something that's time has come."
For now, the situation seems to come up most often when an actor is out of town or can't make the regular audition session. "We just hired somebody for an episode of 'The Whole Truth' who was in Panama
OLD SCHOOL
For the most part, casting directors still prefer to eventually see you in person, even if a tape is what gets you that initial meeting. "I think you want to see a three-dimensional person and see how they behave," said casting director Mark Saks ("The Good Wife," "Medium"). On tape "the image is very small, and to me it's very flat and never well-lit, and the sound is never great. But people love being able to see that as a reference point."
For the actors, the experience of putting oneself on tape can lead to just as much stress as an in-the-room audition. Actor Henry Dittman, whose credits include "Brothers and Sisters" and "Two and a Half Men," said submitting taped auditions feels a bit like "putting messages in a bottle and throwing them out to sea."
"On one hand, I do blogs and vlogs and I've cut tons of video together, so for me it's fun to get hands-on and produce something and get excited about it and send in the audition," he explained. "But when it's all said and done and you send the thing off and you have no way of knowing if they're actually going to watch it, it can be tremendously frustrating."
Dittman also noted that there's a key component missing from a home audition: the direction and feedback of a casting director. "Good casting directors can really get to the place where you need to be," he said. "They understand where a role is supposed to fit in, the tone of what you're supposed to do. For those of us that cross genres and do commercials and voiceover and movies and TV, there's a time where you really need someone there who will really gauge your size and your style. They know exactly what it is you need to do and can help you."
Testa agreed: "The disadvantage is the actor doesn't have the advantage of what the casting director knows about the role in the room. And we don't get to see them in a room to see if they're physically right."
That said, Testa can also see the upsides to virtual auditions. "It's convenient and time-saving for me," he said, "and the actor gets to maybe explore and do the additional [work] until he feels comfortable with it."
VIRTUAL AUDITIONS: How to put yourself on tape
By auditioning via digital tape, you will save time and the expense of having to travel for the first round of auditions. Depending on the project you might be hired directly from your audition, but you must be prepared to travel for a director and/or producer callback. There are positive and negative sides of Virtual Auditions. Getting hired is difficult in this competitive business. The opportunity to audition for any role you are right for provides the opportunity to work on your craft and establish contacts in the business. Virtual Auditions are like playing the lottery. If you don’t play, you don’t win. It is always better to go to the Casting Director’s or your Agent’s office for an audition.
DO’S AND DON’TS FOR SELF- TAPED AUDITIONS
Use a good digital video camera or the HD Flip camera. Don’t use a web cam.
If you are using Quicktime (.mov) the following settings should be used; Video Capture: Better quality (H.264), Video Compression: Medium-High quality (640 x 480 VGA).
If you are using Windows Movie Maker (.wmv) the following settings should be used; Export presets Video for LAN (768 kbps), or Video for Broadband (340 kbps).
You must have great lighting where you can see your skin tone and eye color.
You must have great sound. Make sure the reader isn’t louder than the actor who is auditioning.
Use a solid color background. A light to medium blue or periwinkle color works best. Do not have pictures, blinds, windows, or any other clutter in the background. Make sure you don’t wear a color that blends into the color of your backdrop.
The reader is very important. If you are not comfortable having the camera operator read then ask another actor to read opposite you to ensure a great audition. The reader should stand beside and behind the camera. The actor and the reader should be the same distance from the camera for equal voice level. The reader should never be seen on camera.
Bring an extra copy of your sides for the reader along with any special taping instructions, including email addresses for the recipients.
The beginning slate should be a tight frame, mid-chest (between breast and shoulders) to the top of your head, and should consist of your name, role and agent. Your end slate should be a quick full body shot (not moving up and down, but a solid full body shot) with your name and role you’re reading for. The slate is a way of introducing who you are and is the first impression the viewer will see. Keep it short and to the point.
Tape your audition close up, mid-chest (between breast and shoulders) to the top of your head.
Send your best take only unless casting has specifically requested otherwise.
You will not do yourself any favors by sending an audition that is not your best.
Files should be sent in QuickTime or WMV format. Files smaller than 13 mb can be e-mailed directly to your agent. Anything larger you can send thru www.yousendit.com. Very large files might not be watched so compress the file as small as you can without losing quality. Do not post auditions on YouTube.
If you are reading for more than one role send each in a separate file.
Label your file with your FirstNameLastName.Role.Project. unless specified otherwise.
Deadlines to accept auditions exist for a reason. The sooner you get your audition to the agent the better chance you have of being seen first.
PROFESSIONAL TAPING SERVICES VS. TAPING AT HOME
Your agent is busy and most likely will not have time to tape you, but they can recommend professional taping services in your area. Professionals invest in high quality equipment. For a nominal fee they tape, read with you, edit and send your audition to your agent. The advantage is you can concentrate on your audition and let the service take care of the technical aspects. Taping at home will require that you invest in a good camera, lighting and backdrop, and that you have a wall space that is clear of windows, pictures or furniture, etc. It does offer more flexibility in your schedule allowing you to tape at your own convenience; however the quality must be good enough for studio or network approval. If you tape at home do not use overhead fluorescent lights as they tend to make your skin tone look yellowish-orange. Ideally, use two incandescent lights. One as a key light, set off the side of the camera and pointed at your face and one as a fill light, set to the opposite side of the camera a little farther away and pointed at your side. If your space is small, you may be able to get by with one light. The choice is yours to make as to whether you use a professional service or self-tape.
ACTING IN COLUMBUS
YOUR PERFORMANCE
You must have your script memorized. Looking down at your script tells the person watching that you were not prepared. It is by far the worst thing you can do that you have control over. If you can’t put the time and effort into memorizing the script you will never be able to concentrate on the character and deliver a great performance.
If you do not receive the full script, read the sides that were sent for all of the characters. This will give you more information on the project as well as more insight into your character. Trust your gut instinct on how you would play the character. You will rarely receive instructions from casting on what the director is looking for prior to taping. Treat your taped audition the same as you would if you were physically in the room with the casting director.
WEEKEND ACTING BOOT CAMP
WEEKEND ACTING BOOT CAMP
Friday/Saturday/Sunday November 18-20, 2011 $350
Weekend Acting Boot Camp is designed for the beginner who want intensive training over a short period of time or the rusty actor who needs to get back on top of their game. Boot Camp will give you a strong foundation in acting techniques as well as a firm grasp of the nuts and bolts of scene work and audition skills.
Your Boot Camp will consist of no more than eight students who will discover together that acting is probably the most challenging and thrilling thing they have ever done. You will learn that if indeed this is for you and you stick with it, you will not only acquire a skill, but you will do something quite extraordinary with your life.
FRIDAY 7-9:30pm: Orientation Students will learn how to actively pursue objectives, creating character, and making choices based on the Super-Objective of the character.
SATURDAY 10am-6pm: Acting for Film/Scene Study
Begin work on subtext and objectives, gaining an understanding of the basic mechanics of playing a scene truthfully.
Audition/Cold Reading Techniques - Learn audition techniques that will help you get the part. Understand the audition process and learn what a casting director is looking for in an audition.
Getting a scene "cold", making powerful acting choices, listening and answering in the moment as you fully commit to your acting partner and your objective in the scene. Your auditions will be filmed and you'll receive feedback from the instructor.
SUNDAY 12-8pm: Acting for TV Commercials - Learn how to audition for and break into the local commercial and industrial industry. Experience with the actual audition process: You'll work on-camera all day doing both prepared and cold readings, and receive plenty of feedback from your instructor.
Your Boot Camp will consist of no more than eight students who will discover together that acting is probably the most challenging and thrilling thing they have ever done. You will learn that if indeed this is for you and you stick with it, you will not only acquire a skill, but you will do something quite extraordinary with your life.
FRIDAY 7-9:30pm: Orientation Students will learn how to actively pursue objectives, creating character, and making choices based on the Super-Objective of the character.
SATURDAY 10am-6pm: Acting for Film/Scene Study
Begin work on subtext and objectives, gaining an understanding of the basic mechanics of playing a scene truthfully.
Audition/Cold Reading Techniques - Learn audition techniques that will help you get the part. Understand the audition process and learn what a casting director is looking for in an audition.
Getting a scene "cold", making powerful acting choices, listening and answering in the moment as you fully commit to your acting partner and your objective in the scene. Your auditions will be filmed and you'll receive feedback from the instructor.
SUNDAY 12-8pm: Acting for TV Commercials - Learn how to audition for and break into the local commercial and industrial industry. Experience with the actual audition process: You'll work on-camera all day doing both prepared and cold readings, and receive plenty of feedback from your instructor.
Boot Camp is limited to eight (8) students.
CRAFT NOTES by Ed Hooks
ACTING TIP: THE VALUE OF LIES
Hopefully, this won’t sound too simplistic, but it occurred to me after one of my recent
It is not just bad people who lie. I’ll bet even the Pope doesn’t get through a day without telling at least a couple of little white ones. “How do I feel? Fine, just fine, thanks for asking”, for instance, when the truth is that he has a toothache. Or how about, after a goodnight kiss (not the Pope, I hope), “Thanks for a great date, Marie. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Some people don’t even realize they are lying. They tell the same life stories over and over, embellishing a little more each time and, before you know it, the story is mostly a lie. The truth may be that a man watched from the shore as a dog was rescued from broken ice in a lake; but over the years, he becomes the rescuer. It is a harmless fabrication, he figures, and it makes people look up to him.
It is not an oxymoron for an actor to truthfully tell a lie while in character. Shakespeare instructed that an actor should hold the mirror up to nature, and part of our nature as humans is that we lie from time to time. No, actually, we lie quite a lot. Often our motive is simply not to hurt somebody’s feelings. “Wow! That’s a beautiful color dress on you!” or “That was mighty fine raccoon stew, Bob. Just about the best I ever had.”
But there is something even more to this. There is something about the written word on the page of a script that sort of suggests that what the character is saying is the truth. I am convinced that the first impulse of most actors is to presume that the character is telling the truth, not that she is lying.
I don’t know, maybe it comes from doing too many repetition exercises and having such a high premium put on honesty when acting. Maybe it rubs the cat’s fur the wrong direction to look for a character’s lie rather than looking for the truth. All I know for certain is that actors work best when they make acting choices that invite the most conflict – choices that get them into the most trouble. And you’re generally going to get into more trouble by lying than from telling the truth.
All I am suggesting here is that you factor this in the next time you start to work on a character. Ask yourself how a scene would play if the character you are playing were to be lying. Might she be covering up something? What is her secret? The fact that there may not be anything in the script to answer that question doesn’t mean that you can’t make that acting choice. Your only obligation is to say the words the way the playwright wrote them. The interpretation of them is up to you – with a bit of input from the director.
In Tennessee Williams’s “The Glass Menagerie”, Tom never does tell his mother, Amanda, that he is gay. He lets her believe that he is a straight man who just doesn’t happen to have a girlfriend at the moment. It is a lie. He may even be lying to himself. It would be an entirely different play if Tom always spoke the truth.
BOOK OF THE MONTH
A master actor who's appeared in an enormous number of films, starring with everyone from Nicholson to Kermit the Frog, Michael Caine is uniquely qualified to provide his view of making movies. This new revised and expanded edition features great photos throughout, with chapters on: Preparation, In Front of the Camera - Before You Shoot, The Take, Characters, Directors, On Being a Star, and much more."Remarkable material ... A treasure ... I'm not going to be looking at performances quite the same way ... FASCINATING!"- Gene Siskel
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