Fact Vs Myth: Audition Edition
Having acted professionally for 12 years now- I have heard my fair share of audition myths. It can be hard to depict which is fact and which is fiction sometimes. So, I’m going to do my best to debunk some of the rumors I have heard along my journey. Since, there are two sides to every story, I would love to hear the opinions of all the lovely Ensemble members and readers of this blog.
Fact or Myth #1:
(This one relates more to the ladies-)
You shouldn’t wear nail polish to an audition- it will distract the auditors.
My Ruling:
Up until recently, I used to ALWAYS make sure I removed my nail polish or wore a very light or clear polish for an audition. Then recently I was called into a last-minute audition, and I forgot to remove my nail polish. On my way to the audition, I stopped at a convenience store and picked up some travel nail polish remover pads. I put them in my purse with every intention of removing my nail polish in the bathroom before my audition. Well, to my surprise- when I arrived at the audition, I was informed that the only restroom available was located INSIDE the audition room. I was not about to awkwardly walk through the audition room just to remove my nail polish in the restroom, so I decided to skip. My eyes began wandering the waiting room as I waited for my name to be called. I began to notice that all but one of the women waiting were wearing nail polish- and dark nail polish! After this experience, I’m not sure I’m going to continue auditioning with nail polish, but it has definitely made me question the myth…. Is it fact or myth? You decide.
How Much for Headshots?
“I am NOT paying $500 for pictures,” Mom said flatly, a bit furious at the thought. And to be fair, she has a point. One session could easily pay for ALL the college textbooks I’ve had to buy for the last four years.
My current headshots I got done for $60, from another college student majoring in Photography. I was starting to get cast in shows, was hoping to do more professional work so I decided that it was time to get my picture done. To be fair, she is a fantastic photographer…but a not-so great headshot photographer. She did it for the money, I did it for my career—but I hated my hair, wasn’t a fan of the background, didn’t get any good shots of me with my glasses…in the end, I think I got two decent pictures out of a hundred-something! Before those, I remember my mom taking a photo of me that I could use for an audition and I don’t even remember what I used for my college auditions—it might have been my yearbook picture. So far, I haven’t had a professional headshot but now is the time when I figure out how to justify paying that kind of price.
This is the kind of blog post where I’m hoping to get a response out of: feedback, personal experiences, yes/no answers. For first-timers like me and those just wanting to get your Green Room Blog fix, I’m sharing my research and knowledge so far.
In my quest to get my act together before I graduate, one of the things I need are headshots. But being in college, there are not very many professional headshot photographers that I can meet up with for a chat, see if I like them or jump on a really nice headshot sale. I’m trying to find someone to work with without knowing if I want to work with them and that’s a battle in itself. Secondly, headshots tend to be extremely expensive, I’m coming to realize as I cringe every-time I see them going for $500 – $750 and up.
Part of the reality of living in the regions means that there are auditions I cannot attend, either for theatre or for film. While an in-person audition is always preferable, if the client will accept a video submit, I get one to them – pronto! (And, p.s., I have scored several jobs through video submits.)
Shooting and editing my own audition videos has taught me valuable lessons, and continues to teach me. And, since there are not as many professional development opportunities here, spending time each week watching myself – take after take – is a good way to stay on top of my craft. Watching myself -take after take – can be boring, and painful – Oof! that was a really bad take; Wow, what is my hair doing? – I get sick of watching my own face and listening to my own voice after a while. But that narcissism has proven to be very helpful because it has made me very attuned to what a good take feels like, how to work with the frame of the camera, where I get too theatre-y, or when I tilt the other direction into being too film-y (depending upon the needs of the job at hand).
Likewise, I do a lot of voiceover work, recording my own auditions in my modest home studio. It doesn’t take long to hear some habits that sound awful in a mic, and then you can set yourself about the task of correcting those. One thing I didn’t anticipate voiceover work helping me learn was great breathing technique.
I Has Headshot Rec!
I have an awesome recommendation if you need a headshot photographer!
His name is David Noles.
www.davidnoles.com
Oh and his make up artist – I recommend her too!
Her name is Anna Malskaya.
www.annamalskaya.com
I worked with this dynamic duo last week and had a great time. We talked about weird food combos like …
Bacon and chocolate…
Honey pizza…
Deep fried french toast peanut butter and jelly…
I also learned what a scotch egg was.
Healthy eating aside, they let me listen to The Dirty Heads on Pandora, they spent almost five hours with me, we went through four changes of clothes, and Anna made my hair and make up look so fab, I almost signed up for Match.com’s free trial just so I could parade this slammin’ look around on a date afterwards (I didn’t end up doing that in case you were wondering. But I did feel terrific walking to the subway).
The bottom line: I’ve never felt more confident or comfortable during a photo shoot and I’m thrilled with the shots.
Here are a few:
Just Say No
George Clooney was once asked why he agreed to appear in the 1988 film “Return of the Killer Tomatoes!” He replied, “Because I got offered the part!”
Clooney is one of the smartest, best-looking, most talented actors of his generation, and he had a big family connection to the acting industry via Aunt Rosemary. So it’s easy to forget that he slogged through the lower echelons of acting for more than a decade before his first critically acclaimed film roles in “Out of Sight” and “Three Kings.” (Fun bit o’ trivia: George actually appeared on TWO television series called “ER,” the first being a short-lived Elliot Gould sitcom.)
After their first bits of success — which in this case means getting the part — a lot of actors find themselves where Clooney did in 1988, happy to be getting anything, and taking any role that seems like a step up. As I move from community theater roles to semi-professional Fringe Festival roles to my first professional appearances, I am finding that accepting everything that’s offered is not always possible, let alone a good idea.
Film Auditions in a Small Market
When I get a call from my agent about an audition – well, actually, it’s an email – the place I usually go to do that audition is my agent’s office. I know, those of you in larger markets, that just blew your mind. Let’s take a look at the process we, in “the boonies,” go through to book work for film projects.
The agent gets a call from the client. The client might be a production company, a casting director, an advertising executive, or some combination thereof. The agent gets the information about the shoot, the breakdown, the pay, etc – all those details. Then my agent compiles all this info into a project on the backside of the agency website and selects talent to submit for it. The selected talent are then sent an email. Talent opens the email, reads the details, and decides if the job is one she can do, based upon availability and/or pay rate.
The talent then goes about the task of preparing for the audition:
- choosing the wardrobe (is this a lawyer? business suit! nurse? mom? stripper? vampire? coal miner? country club lady who lunches?),
- learning her lines ( if a script is sent to you, you need to be off book; it’s amazing how many actors haven’t even read the script before coming in to audition).
The audition is usually the day following the email. The talent arrives in the agent’s office and signs in, then sits and waits quietly until the audition coordinator is ready for her. The sign-in sheet is important because the audition coordinator has a blue-jillion things she is juggling behind the scenes, don’t make her remember how to spell your name or for what project you auditioned. Waiting quietly is important because the audition room is not sound proof, ergo the phone conversation you are having at FULL volume is being picked up on camera for the actor preceding you. The audition coordinator may be uploading some auditions off the memory card, or editing an audition that is due earlier in the day, she’ll call you when she’s ready for you.
Don’t grow! – The Biggest Child Actor Dilemma
Speaking as a previous child actor- I think one of the hardest things for child actors to face is growing out of a role. This is usually something that only happens to child actors in theater. When a child actor is cast in a show, their contract specifies that they MUST stay within the height and weight requirements for the show. When I was cast in my first Broadway production at 13, I knew I had to stay within the height and weight requirements specified in the contract. Luckily, since it was a limited engagement, I never had to worry about the effects of growing. However, I know many child actors who did have to face this dilemma. One girl I knew was told that she would be leaving the show due to outgrowing the role, and she was so upset she didn’t even tell her parents! They began to notice mood changes, and soon found out from the creative team that she was being replaced. It was very hard on her. I think the worst part was that she had to watch another girl go on in her place. I watched her interact with the other girl, and though they remained friendly- you could see the hurt in her face when her replacement discussed her experiences during the show.
Another dilemma that can occur as child actors grow is puberty. Girls don’t usually struggle with vocal changes, however this is a big problem for boys. A note that used to be no problem to hit can suddenly become squeaky and crack. When these changes begin, it’s time for the role to be recast. Girls have to worry about another kind of change when puberty rolls around. When a girl begins to develop into a woman- the costumes begin to fit tighter, and the appearance of the actress begins to be a bit of a stretch in the young role she could once portray.
Why my Failure Inevitably Becomes my Success
As I sat watching fireworks this fourth of July, holding my boyfriend’s hand and reveling in the comforts of home my home in America, I had the sudden revelation that for the past three years, I’ve spent my fourth of July solidifying plans to leave the country for an extended period of time. The first year, I was terrified and overwhelmed as I set out to study performing arts at a school in Europe. The second, I was happily accepting a singer/dancer contract in Asia with simultaneous feelings of the sweet contentment and jolting anxiety. And finally, this year, I’ve barely given any thought at all to my upcoming trip abroad to musical direct a show on the other side of the world.
In taking this moment to reflect on my sudden lack of enthusiasm, I realized that the cause might lie in another source. As a 21 year old who’d never gone anywhere alone, never done much theatre of worth, and really had no clue who I was, the me that left to study in Europe two years ago was suffering from a case of blurred and shifting life goals. Before I left, I’d spent years in a classroom, learning about theatre. Jumping out of my skin for a chance to actually make a career out of it. I had nightmares that life was passing me by without my having achieved anything. I’d get cut from an audition and doom myself to negative, inhibiting thoughts for the next month straight. After a year of perspective I found in travelling the world and taking care of myself on my own, I drew closer to understanding what my life goals might look like…but no closer to achieving them.
The 22 year old me who left for Asia to make big bucks performing in a kick ass show was prideful, reckless, and still pretty confused about life in general. A year fully submerged in this professional theatre lifestyle was a big eye opener. Now pair that with major culture shock, experience working with actor’s from all stretches of the planet, and an agonizingly long period of time spent separated from everyone I love. When I left my contract, I came home with an entirely new set of ideals, new immediate and long-term goals, new challenges to overcome, and a whole new set of things to be confused about.
The Green Room 