By focusing on developing a deep skill set, in acting classes in nyc or other qualified institutions are of the utmost importance. However, there is one skill you may have to develop on your own if your acting classes in nyc do not include it, and that is auditioning technique. Casting directors and producers will often ask for audition tapes, and of course you must be able to create a stand-out at a moment's notice. Auditioning via tape does not mean you need to spend lots of money on a professional production. Enlist the help of a director friend, rent a simple camera and follow these rules.
Everyone knows what a bad lighting job can do to someone's appearance. Strong shadows falling in the wrong places can eliminate your chances of producers watching the tape all the way through. Lighting can also go overboard, and cause a washed out appearance that seems "lifeless." Anything that takes away from your performance is lethal and bad lighting is one of those things. Lighting needs to be clean, and completely unnoticeable. If you are studying in a professional acting program, or taking acting classes in nyc, there should be someone who is teaching an "Acting for the Camera" class or something similar. A diagram of a simple lighting plan is something they can help you with.
Two or three small lights will do the trick. A light should be placed in front of the talent (you) one on either side, and far enough away to not cause shadows or hot spots. Then a third light can be used to fill in the background. Audition tapes online sometimes leave the background in the dark. Just be sure the overall tape is not too dark, or the contrast too great between your face and the background. A white balance feature on cameras is used to correct the color.
Light sources, such as lamps, professional lights and daylight all have different temperatures. Incandescent lights are yellow, daylight is very blue. If you set up lights near a window the camera must correct for that. If you use both of these light sources the color will be off unless you "correct" it in the camera. By hitting the White Balance button you can adjust the camera to "balance" the color between those two light sources. Just place something white in the approximate place where you will be standing and hit White Balance. If you do not use this feature the color will be completely off, especially your skin tones. It will be evident if you forget to do this, because the skin tones and colors will all be incorrect.
Another very important thing to consider is sound. If you cannot be heard clearly, or if there is distracting static or white noise, you have wasted your time. No one wants to sit through a tape that they can't hear. The closer the mic is to the sound source (you) the cleaner the sound will be. Camera mounted microphones are not very close to the subject, so looking into the rental of a good quality Lavalier microphone might be worthwhile. You aren't communicating with the audience if you can't be heard clearly. Acting classes in nyc sometimes have ways to help with this.
With these basics in place now is the time to think about content. An audition prepared for taping has some slight differences. Coaches trained in Meisner acting techniques can help you prepare for those differences. The discipline of Meisner acting is one that helps create riveting, unpredictable performances, which is what you strive for. 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. The key to great acting is what you don't present, but leave simmering underneath. If you can get the casting agents, directors, producers to begin to infer things about your character that are being left out then you are doing your job as an actor.
If asked to present something specific, of course you must. More frequently actors are asked to turn in monologue audition tapes, just to give viewers an idea of their range and abilities. Prepare something that plays to your strengths, of course, be it comedy, drama or character driven. However, keep in mind that the best actors have developed strong skills in all of these genres and use it all. Audiences identify easily with a comic figure's dark moments, and like to laugh briefly to endure intense drama. 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.
Everyone knows what a bad lighting job can do to someone's appearance. Strong shadows falling in the wrong places can eliminate your chances of producers watching the tape all the way through. Lighting can also go overboard, and cause a washed out appearance that seems "lifeless." Anything that takes away from your performance is lethal and bad lighting is one of those things. Lighting needs to be clean, and completely unnoticeable. If you are studying in a professional acting program, or taking acting classes in nyc, there should be someone who is teaching an "Acting for the Camera" class or something similar. A diagram of a simple lighting plan is something they can help you with.
Two or three small lights will do the trick. A light should be placed in front of the talent (you) one on either side, and far enough away to not cause shadows or hot spots. Then a third light can be used to fill in the background. Audition tapes online sometimes leave the background in the dark. Just be sure the overall tape is not too dark, or the contrast too great between your face and the background. A white balance feature on cameras is used to correct the color.
Light sources, such as lamps, professional lights and daylight all have different temperatures. Incandescent lights are yellow, daylight is very blue. If you set up lights near a window the camera must correct for that. If you use both of these light sources the color will be off unless you "correct" it in the camera. By hitting the White Balance button you can adjust the camera to "balance" the color between those two light sources. Just place something white in the approximate place where you will be standing and hit White Balance. If you do not use this feature the color will be completely off, especially your skin tones. It will be evident if you forget to do this, because the skin tones and colors will all be incorrect.
Another very important thing to consider is sound. If you cannot be heard clearly, or if there is distracting static or white noise, you have wasted your time. No one wants to sit through a tape that they can't hear. The closer the mic is to the sound source (you) the cleaner the sound will be. Camera mounted microphones are not very close to the subject, so looking into the rental of a good quality Lavalier microphone might be worthwhile. You aren't communicating with the audience if you can't be heard clearly. Acting classes in nyc sometimes have ways to help with this.
With these basics in place now is the time to think about content. An audition prepared for taping has some slight differences. Coaches trained in Meisner acting techniques can help you prepare for those differences. The discipline of Meisner acting is one that helps create riveting, unpredictable performances, which is what you strive for. 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. The key to great acting is what you don't present, but leave simmering underneath. If you can get the casting agents, directors, producers to begin to infer things about your character that are being left out then you are doing your job as an actor.
If asked to present something specific, of course you must. More frequently actors are asked to turn in monologue audition tapes, just to give viewers an idea of their range and abilities. Prepare something that plays to your strengths, of course, be it comedy, drama or character driven. However, keep in mind that the best actors have developed strong skills in all of these genres and use it all. Audiences identify easily with a comic figure's dark moments, and like to laugh briefly to endure intense drama. 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment