Of course, your primary concern needs to be the development of good acting skills, which you can accomplish in acting classes in nyc that have experienced teachers and coaches. A solid auditioning technique is also paramount however and acting classes in nyc do not always include this in their curriculum. A big part of the audition process are audition tapes. There is no need for a professionally produced, expensive audition tape. All you need to do is rent or borrow a camera and ask some fellow actors or a director friend to help.
How you appear is key, and lighting is a big part of this. Strong shadows falling in the wrong places can eliminate your chances of producers watching the tape all the way through. Looking completely washed out from lights that are too strong or close doesn't work either. Anything that takes away from your performance is lethal and bad lighting is one of those things. A well lit subject is one in which the lighting just "disappears." If you are enrolled in acting classes in nyc or elsewhere, there is likely a teacher or professional who can assist you. A diagram of a simple lighting plan is something they can help you with.
Two to three smaller lights are all you really need. Two soft lights can be placed on either side of the camera, about 10' feet or so away, focused on where you will be sitting. Then a third light can be used to fill in the background. Some audition tapes have chosen to leave the background dark. Just be sure the overall tape is not too dark, or the contrast too great between your face and the background. Every camera has a White Balance feature that needs to be set.
Different lights sources are different "temperatures" which means they have a different color. Daylight has a lot of blue in it and is very "cool." If you set up lights near a window the camera must correct for that. The White balance button on the camera makes this possible. A pure white card or sheet of paper needs to be placed in the middle of the lighting sources. If you do not use this feature the color will be completely off, especially your skin tones. You want good clean skin tones, eye color and hair color, so you must not forget this step.
Sound is another very important feature. A good audition tape is only as good as the sound, because your voice is your main instrument. No producer or casting agent has the time to sit through an audition tape with poor sound. Keep the mic as close to the talent as possible. Camera mounted microphones are not very close to the subject, so looking into the rental of a good quality Lavalier microphone might be worthwhile. Communicating character, and a sense of who you are as an actor depends on what you sound like so make it great. There are plenty of good acting classes in nyc that will help guide you through this process.
With these basics in place now is the time to think about content. Preparing for a live audition is slightly different than preparing for a taped one, of course. Coaches trained in Meisner acting techniques can help you prepare for those differences. If nothing else, you need to be interesting, unique, and studying the Meisner acting technique can help. Keeping important elements under the surface, is something coaches of Meisner acting nyc can teach you how to develop. Of course, you can't cram every possible emotion that a character "has" into a few moments. Edit, put only a few ideas in at a time and let the rest emerge in the imagination of the audience. An audience (which in this case is the auditors) will automatically begin to infer and look for clues they can infer about your character which engages them in your performance.
At times, actors are asked to include something very specific, but it should still have your own ideas incorporated. In a more general circumstance, it's good to have a recent audition tape with a monologue, ready to send out on a moment's notice. Let your strengths dictate your choices but you can also use your weaknesses. Legendary actors can present mesmerizing layers of emotion in a short time. The best comedians always have an underlying sense of tragedy, and the most dramatic performances are capable of lighter moments. Enlist the teachers of acting classes in nyc, or wherever you study, to review your practice tapes and incorporate their suggestions. We are not always the best judge of of our own work and being open to direction is a part of being a professional actor.
How you appear is key, and lighting is a big part of this. Strong shadows falling in the wrong places can eliminate your chances of producers watching the tape all the way through. Looking completely washed out from lights that are too strong or close doesn't work either. Anything that takes away from your performance is lethal and bad lighting is one of those things. A well lit subject is one in which the lighting just "disappears." If you are enrolled in acting classes in nyc or elsewhere, there is likely a teacher or professional who can assist you. A diagram of a simple lighting plan is something they can help you with.
Two to three smaller lights are all you really need. Two soft lights can be placed on either side of the camera, about 10' feet or so away, focused on where you will be sitting. Then a third light can be used to fill in the background. Some audition tapes have chosen to leave the background dark. Just be sure the overall tape is not too dark, or the contrast too great between your face and the background. Every camera has a White Balance feature that needs to be set.
Different lights sources are different "temperatures" which means they have a different color. Daylight has a lot of blue in it and is very "cool." If you set up lights near a window the camera must correct for that. The White balance button on the camera makes this possible. A pure white card or sheet of paper needs to be placed in the middle of the lighting sources. If you do not use this feature the color will be completely off, especially your skin tones. You want good clean skin tones, eye color and hair color, so you must not forget this step.
Sound is another very important feature. A good audition tape is only as good as the sound, because your voice is your main instrument. No producer or casting agent has the time to sit through an audition tape with poor sound. Keep the mic as close to the talent as possible. Camera mounted microphones are not very close to the subject, so looking into the rental of a good quality Lavalier microphone might be worthwhile. Communicating character, and a sense of who you are as an actor depends on what you sound like so make it great. There are plenty of good acting classes in nyc that will help guide you through this process.
With these basics in place now is the time to think about content. Preparing for a live audition is slightly different than preparing for a taped one, of course. Coaches trained in Meisner acting techniques can help you prepare for those differences. If nothing else, you need to be interesting, unique, and studying the Meisner acting technique can help. Keeping important elements under the surface, is something coaches of Meisner acting nyc can teach you how to develop. Of course, you can't cram every possible emotion that a character "has" into a few moments. Edit, put only a few ideas in at a time and let the rest emerge in the imagination of the audience. An audience (which in this case is the auditors) will automatically begin to infer and look for clues they can infer about your character which engages them in your performance.
At times, actors are asked to include something very specific, but it should still have your own ideas incorporated. In a more general circumstance, it's good to have a recent audition tape with a monologue, ready to send out on a moment's notice. Let your strengths dictate your choices but you can also use your weaknesses. Legendary actors can present mesmerizing layers of emotion in a short time. The best comedians always have an underlying sense of tragedy, and the most dramatic performances are capable of lighter moments. Enlist the teachers of acting classes in nyc, or wherever you study, to review your practice tapes and incorporate their suggestions. We are not always the best judge of of our own work and being open to direction is a part of being a professional actor.
About the Author:
The Maggie Flanigan Studio provides nyc acting classes for serious actors. To learn more about commercial acting class visit the studio website.
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