Q: “How do I know if my daughter is right for the business? And do instructors give you their opinions on such or is it more protocol to let the parents find out for themselves?”

A:

If your question is “Does my daughter have potential to be a good actor” then of course an instructor will give you an honest opinion. If they’re a good instructor, they’ll give you that opinion in a way that’s kind, balanced, and highlights her strengths. If your question is “Does my daughter have potential to work professionally” then an instructor will give their opinion, but the person you should really ask is her talent agent. And even then, only time will tell. There are so many factors involved, including her age, her look, what projects are available and what they’re looking for, of course her experience and skill as an actor, etc. etc. “The Business” is always changing, and nobody can say for sure who will work professionally and who won’t, we can just give our best guess. I’ve been surprised before, and I hope to be surprised again. The best measure of whether your daughter is “right” for the business is if she’s enjoying herself, if she wants to be there, and if you as a parent are seeing the benefits for her. Then it doesn’t really matter whether she books work or not.

(The video is in Flash, so if it’s not playing you may need to download the Free Flash Player.)

Audition Mistakes | w. Biz Studio Owner+Head Coach Michael Bean

Biz Studio head coach Michael Bean on what to do when you make a mistake in an audition, and why the ‘feel’ of the character is more important than ‘getting it right’.

Q: “When should I get professional headshots? What should I expect? How much does it cost? Who do you recommend?”

A:

Hold off on paying for professional headshots until after you’ve signed with an agent. When you’re looking for a talent agent, just use a recent 4”x6” colour photograph that looks like you on a good day. In both cases, make sure that your full head and shoulders is visible in the shot, no weird angles, no hats, minimal makeup, no weird hairstyles, no big jewelry, a smile is probably best but you be the judge. You need to be able to walk in the door looking like the picture you send so the agent or casting director knows who to expect. Young actors should be especially careful to pick shots that make you look your age, not too much younger, and especially not any older.

When you’re ready to get professional headshots, go to the best photographer you can afford, and expect to pay $300-600. Keep your wardrobe simple and wear the outfits you have that you look best in. Newer clothes generally look crisper and have a better shape, and it’s a good idea to wear something close fitting so agents and other industry folk can get an idea of your body type. Your headshot should look like you on a really good day. The photographer will give you a CD of digital images or an envelope of small 4”x6” prints from the photo shoot. You’ll have to choose one of these to be printed into 8”x10” photos. Expect to pay about $100 for your first 50 photos.

Ask your agent to recommend a photographer, or check the gallery at www.rocketrepro.com and look for someone who’s style suits the look you want. Rocket Repro is where many actors have their headshots printed so it’s a good site to see a range of work by local photographers.

(The video is in Flash, so if it’s not playing you may need to download the Free Flash Player.)

Sight Reading | w. Biz Studio Owner+Head Coach Michael Bean

Biz Studio head coach Michael Bean on how to do a pro sight read, a key skill for giving a confident audition on short notice. In LA it’s even more common in Vancouver, but it’s a good skill for all actors to practice.

The July Summer Intensive class visited with Casting Director Stuart Aikens today, and here’s what he had to say about how directors choose actors for their projects

“Directors make three decisions when you come in the room. First they want to know if you can act. Next they look to see if you can be molded, if you can take direction. Then third it’s are you right for the part?”

Stuart is in a position to know what he’s talking about. He’s a veteran casting director in Vancouver, who primarily casts film and television. You can get a sense of the projects he usually works on by checking out his profile on IMDB.com, the Internet Movie Database.

In talking more about first question “can you act,” Stuart went into some detail about how a director makes that decision. He feels that it all comes down to choices, and whether you tell a story with your acting. Even if it’s not quite the story that the director had in mind, communicating feeling and story to the camera shows an experienced director that you can act, and that they’ll be able to work with you to develop your character further. He said that “the director is discovering the scene as you act it out,” picking and choosing elements of a scene as he sees them played out in the room. An actor’s interpretation of a script can have a significant impact on the interpretation that the director chooses to use in the final performance. Stuart is very clear about not wanting a finished product in the audition room. “I want something in between a first read and a performance, I want actors to come prepared but I don’t care as much about whether they’ve memorized their lines, it’s an audition, the camera wants to see inside them, deep inside them with no self-consciousness.”

He went on to add that there’s often confusion about the word “choices” and that an actor can make clear choices about circumstances and situation, but should never make choices about specific effect (i.e. “I’ll yell this line” or “when I say this I’ll slam my hand on the table”) because it comes across on camera as artificial. In class I’ll often talk about the importance of making choices that are emotionally invested and important (bold), individual to your personality and experience (personal), and that fit the script and character (appropriate). Stuart’s language is different, but I believe the intent is the same. When you’re performing, we want to see that you’ve put yourself inside the story of the scene and are bringing it to life in a way that’s both truthful and engaging. Or in his words “we want to see deep inside you.”

He didn’t spend much time elaborating on the necessity for actors to be “moldable” and take direction in the room, but it’s a useful addition to the discussion that your choices should never be fixed. When preparing a scene, make sure that you work it several different ways to build your flexibility and prepare you to take unexpected direction in the audition room.

And I would say that as an actor you have very little control over whether you are “right” for the part. That has a lot to do with your physicality, your look and the basic way that your personality comes across on camera. I find it encouraging that Stuart listed it last in his list of three questions, because I think that actors too often become preoccupied with trying to figure out whether they are “right” for a part. I say forget whether you’re right for the part, and focus on being the most capable, interesting, engaged and flexible actor that you can possibly be.

Michael Bean
Owner+Head Coach
Biz Studio

During an audition, the act of starting and then stopping–and asking if you can restart–is about the worst idea ever. Why? Well, because once you’ve stopped, you’ve already stopped. And the answer to, “May I start again” is almost always going to be, “No, thanks. We’ve seen everything we need to see.”

Sure, there will be moments during which an actor can ask to restart and be given that opportunity, but the far more likely experience–and beginning actors need to be braced for this–is the reply of, “No, thanks. That was plenty. Well done. NEXT!”

But that’s not necessarily bad news! You have to remember that about a zillion things are going on during your audition. And perhaps there have been many new developments happening even before you showed up. There’s been a rewrite. Maybe you’re no longer the right type for this role, but there has been no time to cancel the day’s sessions… and maybe you’re right for something else but only if you have a certain special skill. And no one is going to bother briefing you on all of that ’til they’re sure you’re actually talented and that comes from watching your audition–for any role. That’s not because they don’t respect you or your time. It’s because there’s really just no time to get you–and every other auditioning actor–up to speed on everything and still “make the day,” so you’ll audition and the casting crew will note your “rightness” for this or any other role on any other project. It’s not a waste of energy. I promise!

And because you may not know all of that “stuff” that went on prior to your arrival, which makes you no longer the right fit for the role or whatever, you’ll leave there thinking you were asked to leave not because you aren’t he right actor for this role now, but instead because you asked to start again. You’ll kick yourself for having gone off-track. Don’t do that. Everyone goes off-track. It’s all about how we handle it that makes us long-term success stories. Or not.
So, on set, or in an audition, remember that everyone wants to see your best work. We’re hoping to see you nail the read. And even if you’re off-kilter somehow, we’re hoping to see you committed and passionate and talented. That’s enough to show us that you’re right for some other role if not this one. And if you’re on the set already, it’s enough to let you keep the job.

Part of being committed and passionate and talented includes sticking with it when it goes a little wrong. So, you forget the lines! You’re in the moment and you’re connected to the character. That means you can come up with something that works. At least somewhat. And if you’re sodangclose, you’ll be asked to start again and be given a chance to look at the sides again first, so you’re clear on the exact lines. But seriously, only some producers (mostly episodic TV folks) are so dang married to you doing the words exactly as written that you should worry too much about that.

Trust that the CD will ask you to read again if you’re just barely off the mark. Trust that if they don’t want to see more, it’s due to the fact that you’re just not right for this role at this time and that it has nothing to do with your stop-and-start experience. Barrel through. It’s like sports. We like seeing people go for it. Take a risk. And, yes, if you really feel you must, start again. Just know that confidence is way more castable than being exactly right.

—

Excerpted from LA Casting Director Bonnie Gillespie’s excellent weekly online column “The Actors Voice”. Read the original column here.

A video tutorial on how (and why) to make a taped audition by Biz Studio head coach Michael Bean. A taped audition is any audition that you record and submit to the casting director, instead of auditioning live and in person. Instead of renting a professional studio, you can tape these auditions yourself. All you need is access to a computer, a camera and some very basic software. You can even use the video function on your cellphone if you need to!

Benefits of taped auditions:

• You’re in control
• You can do multiple takes and choose the best one
• Allows you to read for larger roles
• You can use them to convince your agents or casting directors to bring you in for larger roles

What you need for your taped audition:

• Clean background (uncluttered room or wall)
• Basic lighting, and especially an “eye light,” a light that reflects in your eyes (a desk lamp will do)
• Digital camera with video function, webcam or video camera
• Computer
• Blank DVD; you can purchase these at any drugstore or computer store

Step by step:

1. Set up the camera, lighting and background
2. Connect the camera to your computer
3. Open a simple video recording/editing program like iMovie (Mac) or Windows MovieMaker (PC)
4. Capture the video onto your computer
5. Choose the best takes and delete the rest
6. Burn a DVD with a program like iDVD (Mac) or WindowsMediaPlayer (PC) OR
7. Use your video program’s “export” function to create a file you can upload to YouTube
8. FedEx DVD to casting as per your agent’s instructions OR
9. Email your agent a link to the YouTube video

“I like to see theatre credits on an actors resume.” -Sue Brouse, Vancouver Casting Director

Most of us get better at something we do often. One of the reasons that casting directors like to see theatre on a resume is that theatre actors get practice, practice, practice at their craft. All those rehearsals and performances, all of the work that goes into preparing a script and analyzing an entire theatre piece, all of that is practice at your craft. Theatre is an opportunity to do roles that stretch your limits waaaaaaaaaaay beyond the two or five or twelve pages that you might have for a film and television audition. It gives the actor the opportunity to go beyond a first read and really step into a characters shoes. Do all those hours spent in rehearsal and on stage make you a better actor? You better believe it.

Doing theatre develops a whole separate set of muscles, which only enhance your work in TV and movies.–Richard Hicks, LA Casting Director*

When I first started doing film I was very negative about theatre. I felt that the acting style was “too big” to be useful in film and television. Maybe you’ve had that same thought yourself. Not so! The problem isn’t with theatre, the problem is with actors who lack the self-awareness to make the adjustments required to audition for film and television. Every actor has to adjust their performance to fit the audience. In a large professional theatre like the Vancouver Playhouse the audience may be up to fifty feet away, so of course the actors have to be louder and the actions have to be bigger for the audience to hear and understand the action of the play. In a medium-sized venue like the Waterfront or the Firehall Theatre, the audience is maybe twenty feet away and so the acting has to carry to the back of the house, but it’s only slightly larger than life. In a small venue like the Havana or the Shop, the audience is ten feet away and the actors play the scene very close to life.

It’s very important for actors to always keep working. I give preference to theatre actors at commercial auditions. If you think about it, commercial auditions are really just face scans. We have to go to theatre to see who’s improvisational and who can work on their feet. –Danny Goldman, LA Casting Director*

How close would you have to stand to someone to see the same level of detail that you see when you’re watching television? The answer for 90% of television and 99% of auditions is arms length away. That’s how far away your audience is. Even though the camera is across the room, you can bet that it’s zoomed in to show just your head and shoulders. And the microphone catches every whisper of sound perfectly, with no need to project. So the trick with film and television, especially auditions, is to adjust your performance for an audience that’s right at your fingertips. Any professional actor can learn to make that adjustment with a little practice. So no excuses about theatre actors being “too big” or film actors being “too small”! Let’s start talking instead about actors who haven’t learned to make the adjustment that would allow them to do both.

Actors should do theatre because it is the ultimate workout in their craft. It is good to have strong theatre on a resumé. It shows tenacity and is also a good way to possibly be seen. An actor should not do theatre for the sole purpose of being seen. They should do it because they enjoy digging their chops into a piece. –Terry Berland, LA Casting Director*

The divide between film and theatre actors comes more from incompatible schedules than incompatible skills. A professional theatre production will take 10hrs a day for at least six weeks, making it very hard to audition or act on screen in that time. Many of the very best film actors come from theatre backgrounds, and many of the very best film actors continue to take time off to do theatre on Broadway or elsewhere. Professional actors see every acting opportunity as a way to increase their skill and emotional range and add to the diversity of characters they can play convincingly.

Michael Bean, Owner & Head Coach, Biz Studio

*Quotes from LA Casting Directors excerpted from Bonnie Gillespie’s excellent book “Casting Q’s: A Collection of Casting Director Interviews”

I’ve just added two postings to the Audition Blog that are a perfect lesson in how to read an independent film breakdown. The ideas seem similar, two independent films looking for four teen boys to act in a story about teens and drugs. The lesson is in the details. Here are the links, and the storyline summaries from the original postings:

Mountain Spirit
“This is a story about young teens that work in the drug business and what happens to them.”

Intoxication
“A group of teenagers become ensnared in a twisted underworld of crime and drug abuse, and inadvertently end up as the devil’s right hand.”

Take a look at both postings and you’ll see some similarities and some stark differences:

Director, Producer, Casting Director
Both of these are solo projects. Anytime you see an audition posting that lists the same person as director, producer and casting director, you can be pretty sure that it’s a solo project. All that means is that there’s one person behind it and driving it, instead of a team of professionals. And who knows, every once in a while that person is a budding David Lynch (who put together his first film that way).

Language
Mountain Spirit doesn’t say in the posting whether it’s a full-length film (feature) or a short film (short). It also contains some terrible grammar and spelling, like the description for the character named only “Role 1″ that reads “Male, age 15-16. A rich kid that get in drug business because he things is is cool.” Intoxication labels itself correctly, and in addition lists the audition days and includes characters with names and indicates the size of each role (lead, supporting, etc.). Anytime an aspiring filmmaker doesn’t seem to know the language of film, I’d say that’s a warning sign.

What To Look For
The important thing to figure out is whether the director/producer/casting director/writer/etc. has the technical skills to pull off their dream film. You can get a sense of that from:

1. Solo project, group project, or production company? You can use this information to find out more about the filmmaker or the production company with a web search or by looking up each person listed on the Internet Movie Database a massive searchable list of actors and filmmakers. If they’ve ever worked on a professional production, it will be on IMDB.
2. How well written is the posting? How well written is the script? Look over the posting in detail and decide for yourself if it sounds like they know what they’re talking about. Then if you get an audition read the sides and ask to read the script. How does it compare to the professional scripts that you’ve read?
3. Watch other films by the same director or the same production company if you can. Look up their names on YouTube or GoogleVideo, or use the results of your IMDB search to find the last titles they’ve worked on and watch them.

Every independent audition is a gamble, but if you take the time to look over each posting carefully at least you’ll be able to make an informed choice about whether to gamble on a project or not. Remember that a couple of days experience on set and 30 seconds of good footage for your reel is sometimes all you need to call an experience a success. And sometimes those little projects explode, and a good film fest tour for an indie that you’ve acted in can be a huge boost for your career.

Michael Bean
Owner & Head Coach
Biz Studio