Auditions..how much to give

seconded. and beyond the lunacy of ramping up the competitive nature of auditions, I don't see group auditions as very valuable right off the bat. i prefer to "interview" actors the first time through. then I pair the standouts with other actors i'm considering during callbacks to find the people that elevate each others' game.
 
Last edited:
Capt Quirk said:
Zahra, Location: Orlando and London

Man, you have some commute there! When you're in Orlando, you do many of the Full Sail projects?
Click to expand...

Full what? Tell me more. Only had the house in O. for a year, and on my visits there I still tend to do nothing but hole up and write ( and drink ruinous amounts of gin). This time (in 23 days' time, hurray!) I will try and get a job so I can stay out there. But Full Sail, Full Sail. Tellmetellmetellme!
 
alveraz said:
Just noticed this. I would revisit this method. Forcing an actor into a "pressured situation" with other actors is not beneficial to anyone. Maybe I'm missing your intention here? Ask yourself what you gain with a stressed out actor with his back against the wall? You certainly don't get an actor comfortable with you, or the character.

And "weeding out the good from bad" is not based on "reactionary moves and methods". First off, good & bad is subjective and I never use these words in filmmaking, ever. It's a shortcut to analysis, regardless of the subject. There are several factors you could observe when deciding if this is the right actor for this character. Some of those qualities are mentioned in my previous post. I would start a new thread on the subject of "actor qualities" if you need more insight on that subject.

Take care, and again, good luck!
Click to expand...

excuse the confusion. My thoughts are to have the actors work off each others energy during the auditons, not pressure (bad word). Sometimes it's good to have more than just one actor in fron t of you, having a few to play out the scene helps calm and at times excel that actor to be at his/her best.
 
Definitely it's good to see how actors play with others, mostly because once you're free of the pressure of performing your own part of the scene, you have that much more mental capacity available to analyze what they're doing, what changes you might want to see, what you think they're capable of.

But this is definitely never something I'd throw at an actor from the start. It's a technique I like for callbacks, when you need to see a chemistry between actors, an antipathy, whatever. But for a first-round audition, I like to be as personal as possible.

All that said, every project is different. Maybe the two characters you're casting are supposed to be strangers. Maybe they're supposed to react awkwardly to each other. In that case you might decide it's best not to work with those actors together until the last minute, to maintain that sense of unease. I know that on United 93 they kept the terrorists and the passengers sequestered as entirely separate groups for the entire production, precisely to build up that sort of antipathy and suspicion on set. But that's a personal choice. It could work for you, if that's your technique, or it could backfire horribly.
 
Capt Quirk said:
Acting as your agent, remember that I get 15% of your defferred payments ;)
Click to expand...

Well, now we know one thing: you've never had an agent :)

By law, no agent or anybody acting as an agent for a client may take more than 10%... they may take less however. A manager may take 15%, but a manager is explicitely NOT allowed to act as an agent. I know you were joking, but I'm just posting this, because there are many scammers out there who con vulnerable young people who want to be actors: also if anybody approaches you offering to be your agent for an upfront fee, run in the opposite direction. Just sayin'.
 
Great thread all - amazes me how these things develop from a simple question to a wealth of insight borne of experience. Thanks !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top