So, we’ve all been there. Auditions can come at inopportune times. We have a full day planned with our significant other, we are supposed to go into our food serving shift, or we wake up feeling bloated and unattractive. Without fail, it is this day that we get a call from our agent-“you have an audition today at 3:30pm”. This happened to me last week and the experience brought a lot to light.
Wednesday, I woke up early after having a wonderful meal of Japanese food the night before. Unfortunately, the salt from the soy left me feeling a little bloated and my face a bit puffy. I commented to my boyfriend, “Thank God I don’t have an audition today!” Well, that must have been the trigger. I went to my cell phone and sure enough my agent had called 20 minutes prior with a message that I had an audition later that day. Not only was it an audition, but a really important one, the kind you pray your agent calls you for.
The audition required a lot of preparation. They wanted a cooking demonstration, a fully developed introduction and told me to come prepared for interview questions from the producers.
All sorts of voices filled my head. “There is no way you can prepare in time”, “Surely my agent can reschedule”, “Oh, my face, I’m so puffy!”, “Do I really want to drive to the valley in traffic hours?”; “I probably won’t book it anyway”. Here I was trying to talk myself out of an amazing opportunity! I got my agent on the phone and my stronger self came out. “Yes, can’t wait, I’ll be there at 3:30pm.
I raced home and because I only had 3 hours to prepare, I didn’t have time to second guess myself. I trusted my instincts on what to cook, what to wear and even decided to use my puffy face as good comedic material in the audition.
I got to the audition early and entered the room with a “nothing to lose” attitude. The audition couldn’t have gone better! I was in the flow. After my audition, the Casting Director said she thought I’d be perfect for the job and would be touch. Who knows what will happen, but whatever the outcome, I left feeling fantastic and invigorated.
I knew that the spontaneity of the audition combined with my powerful action of going when I didn’t really want to, were the key ingredients to my success.
Always trust the process and remember; if you are always in a state of “preparation” with your craft, when you meet opportunity, you will find “LUCK!”
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
The power of knowing about resources and putting them to their fullest use…
In October, Strategy for Actors had a workshop called “Tools for Actors” where Blair Hickey and Brian Wald, the founders, came to speak about their stellar company CastingAbout.com. CastingAbout has recently partnered with Breakdown Services/Actors Access as the premier data base of daily updated information about every scripted feature and television show being cast in Los Angles. I quickly became a member and couldn’t wait to use my new resource!
Sure enough, two weeks later I was called for an audition to be a Vulkan host for a Star Trek DVD special features release. Knowing very little about this subculture, I went out and rented a Star Trek movie to make a true Trekie transformation. I then went to CastingAbout to research the casting director I was to meet. I was able to see everything that she had cast in the past including a great comedic series that had been on IFC. Although the show was on hiatus due to the writers strike last year, I was able to go to shows website and watched a few clips. It was hilarious!
Then came the audition… I was confident because I knew I would have something to say to the casting director if the opportunity presented itself. Now, instead of being a needy, ignorant actor going in blind to an audition, I was an educated colleague of the CD who could intelligently speak about the business.
As I introduced myself in the audition, I asked her if there were any rumors that the show on IFC would come back. This opened up an entire conversation, where I got to show more of myself in the audition and create relationship between us. While I was waiting for my audition, there were 5 people ahead of me who came out pretty quickly, about 5-8 minutes apart. The CD kept me in there for 20 minutes, had me do an extra take, and even had her assistant go next door to get a hair tie to get me more Vulkan-like.
Although I didn’t book the role, I had a great audition with a working CD. I feel confident that when I follow-up and cross paths with her in the future, she will remember our exchange. Even more importantly, all my preparation made for a pleasurable, relaxed audition where I was able to be myself and show my best work. Isn’t that what we strive for as actors?
This whole experience made me look for more resources I’ve under-utilized. I challenge you to look at the times in your life when you have utilized the resources around you to their fullest, and the results that showed up. Everything we need to succeed is right in front of us and it is our responsibility to grab it and run!
Sure enough, two weeks later I was called for an audition to be a Vulkan host for a Star Trek DVD special features release. Knowing very little about this subculture, I went out and rented a Star Trek movie to make a true Trekie transformation. I then went to CastingAbout to research the casting director I was to meet. I was able to see everything that she had cast in the past including a great comedic series that had been on IFC. Although the show was on hiatus due to the writers strike last year, I was able to go to shows website and watched a few clips. It was hilarious!
Then came the audition… I was confident because I knew I would have something to say to the casting director if the opportunity presented itself. Now, instead of being a needy, ignorant actor going in blind to an audition, I was an educated colleague of the CD who could intelligently speak about the business.
As I introduced myself in the audition, I asked her if there were any rumors that the show on IFC would come back. This opened up an entire conversation, where I got to show more of myself in the audition and create relationship between us. While I was waiting for my audition, there were 5 people ahead of me who came out pretty quickly, about 5-8 minutes apart. The CD kept me in there for 20 minutes, had me do an extra take, and even had her assistant go next door to get a hair tie to get me more Vulkan-like.
Although I didn’t book the role, I had a great audition with a working CD. I feel confident that when I follow-up and cross paths with her in the future, she will remember our exchange. Even more importantly, all my preparation made for a pleasurable, relaxed audition where I was able to be myself and show my best work. Isn’t that what we strive for as actors?
This whole experience made me look for more resources I’ve under-utilized. I challenge you to look at the times in your life when you have utilized the resources around you to their fullest, and the results that showed up. Everything we need to succeed is right in front of us and it is our responsibility to grab it and run!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
