Los Angeles Acting blog by David August: Casting Is On Your Side

Friday, May 31, 2013

Casting Is On Your Side

...let your preparation meet the moments.

You being fully present, truthful, personal, and vulnerable is going to give us the ammunition we need to champion you with all our hearts. We all desperately want you to do great work. We're rooting for that every time you walk into the room. You show up and do your fullest, deepest work, and we'll slay dragons for you and follow you anywhere. And man, we'll be so happy doing it. You have the power to make that happen. For you. For us. For the work. Hallelujah!

(from 21 Things That Make Casting Directors Happy in the Audition Room). Casting is on your side. Are you?

Remembering these items may help you be on your own side:

Breathe.
Play the role, don't worry about the lines; it isn't a memorization test.
If not this there'll be another; do your work in the room, let booking or not booking be other people's concern.
Enjoy that during the audition, the role is yours. You are playing it, in that room, for that time. Worrying if you'll be invited to play it again won't change things. Focus that worry at what your character needs, wants and must have in their life.
Don't try to be perfect, truly failing is not possible, provided you don't punch the auditors ;-). Instead, try to have fun.

And that last one is a key. There is no perfect. You don't need to be anyone other than who you are. And there is not single one way a role "should" be played. Play it your way, the way no one else can. That is how you book the roles that are yours, that should be yours. Because they can't be played by anyone else the way you will, and those roles you were born to play will be yours. Fighting it or doubting it won't change it. It'll just make you tired. Break a leg.