TYPECASTING AND SCREEN AUDITION TECHNIQUE
ONE-DAY WORKSHOP
1. TYPECASTING
In order to successfully market yourself to the 250 or so casting directors who work on screen productions in the UK, it is essential to know your ‘type’, upon which most successful screen castings are based. An actor’s type is based on his/her camera persona, which in turn is determined not only by how he/she physically looks and sounds but, more importantly, on the emotional impact they generate in the audience. Some actors come over on screen as naturally warm and/or vulnerable characters, others as cold and/or slightly intimidating. Yet others seem to elicit no strong response either way. However, each reaction is very positive from the actor’s point of view as there are screen roles written for all of these character ‘types’. The key to getting screen work, is knowing what ‘type’ you are, then selling yourself as that ‘type’ to the casting directors. And, when called in to read for the role, you need to make sure your audition technique is the very best it can be.
2. AUDITION TECHNIQUE
The fact is that most actors do not do themselves justice in screen auditions due to nerves and inexperience. This is frustrating from the director’s point of view, who wants to find the very best actor for the role on offer and hasn’t much time to do it. The director often has to choose between a number of potentially good actors - all clearly intimated by the process and therefore playing safe, waiting to be told what to do - in the hope that the actor who is cast will rise to the occasion on set. With TV schedules getting ever faster and preproduction time being continually eroded, directors have little or no time to direct a performance from a standing start and need actors (who have read the scenes prior to the audition meeting) to come in prepared to offer something believable, entertaining and surprising!
3. ONE-DAY WORKSHOP
This new one-day workshop offers a unique opportunity to learn exactly how you are coming across on camera, both in terms of your emotional impact on an audience and (therefore) which roles casting directors will feel you are ‘right’ for. It also offers techniques to bolster self-confidence both on camera and in auditions. It will be an intensive training day, split into three parts:
PART 1: 9.30-11 am Typecasting Exercise on Camera
Each participant will deliver a very short piece piece to camera, which will then be analysed on screen to elicit exactly how each is coming across in terms of emotional impact, status, lifestyle, career-potential and playing age-range. Whilst not claiming to be an exhaustive or final analysis, it will give each participant a pretty good idea of how you are currently coming across to directors and casting directors, and to which roles they are most naturally fitted. Advice will also be provided about how to transcend ‘typecasting’ and how to show your full acting potential.
PART 2: 11.30 am-1 pm Audition Technique Explained
As the requirements of screen acting are so specific, an actor (especially without broadcast screen credits) will need to work hard to reassure directors that they are not only fully aware of the differences but also can work with them under time pressure to produce an effective screen performance, if given the job. Therefore, three complementary techniques are taught which are designed to enable participants to demonstrate that they not only know what they are doing on camera but also to do themselves full justice in terms of the role on offer. Successful use of the “triple whammy” technique will inspire directors to want to work with you. It will be fully explained and demonstrated.
PART 3: 2-6 pm Practice of Audition Technique on Camera
Each participant will then be given a scene to study over the lunch break. The afternoon session will then consist of mock screen auditions where each participant will be able to practice the “triple whammy’ technique, and where read-throughs will be recorded on camera. The recordings will then be played back and each participant given individual feedback and advice on how to sell themselves type-wise and improve their screen audition technique.
Post Workshop: Within 48 hours of the end of the workshop, Quicktime.mov files of the typecasting pieces to camera, and the audition read throughs, will be put up on line with a private link sent to each participant for downloading and future reference.
4. WORKSHOP DETAILS:
The venue will be very close (2 minutes) to Westferry DLR Station (London, E14).
Timings: 9.30 am to 6 pm (with a lunch break of one hour).
Dates:
TASAT Workshop 5: Tuesday 24 January 2012
Capacity: Strictly only 8 places available per workshop.
5. BOOKING
The workshop fee is £100 (inc. 20% VAT). Enrol by sending your Spotlight link (or acting CV) to the workshop director, Andrew Higgs, at: andrew@macheath.u-net.com and stating which workshop date you would like to attend.
REFUND POLICY: If you are unable to attend your booked workshop, then we operate a flexible policy whereby, with at least one full working week's notice, you can either reschedule on to another workshop or get a full refund.
6. WORKSHOP DIRECTOR
Andrew Higgs trained at the London International Film School, graduating with distinction, having won the Fuji Scholarship Award for ‘Macheath’ starring John Hurt. Subsequent directing credits include ‘Brookside’, ‘The Bill’, ‘Jupiter Moon’ and the German police series ‘Die Wache’. He is currently developing a number of independent feature film projects concerning spiritual/environmental issues.
