Developing excellent acting skills, especially in professional level acting classes in nyc, can help build a great foundation. 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. Audition tapes are a big part of the process now. Auditioning via tape does not mean you need to spend lots of money on a professional production. Just borrow or rent a camera, enlist the help of an aspiring director friend and follow these simple rules.
First is lighting, because everyone has seen what a poor lighting job can do to someone's appearance. Shadows look like a ravaged complexion or dark circles under the eyes. Looking completely washed out from lights that are too strong or close doesn't work either. This is distracting and will take attention away from your performance. Nice, bright yet completely unnoticeable lighting is the goal. 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. Ask for help creating a simple diagram that outlines a lighting scheme.
Two or three small lights will do the trick. 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. There are audition tapes that have dark backgrounds which can set a certain mood and this can work. Just be careful that the contrast is not too great between the talent and background which is distracting. Every camera has a White Balance feature that needs to be set.
Light sources, such as lamps, professional lights and daylight all have different temperatures. Daylight, for instance, has more blue in it. 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. Forget to do this and skin tones and all other colors will be "off," which is very distracting.
Another very important thing to consider is sound. Distracting static, muddy tones in your voice, are all ways to kill what might otherwise be a good audition tape. With so many good tapes to watch an audition with poor sound will be quickly rejected. The mic should be as close to the source of the sound as possible to eliminate stray noise. Renting a good quality microphone is a good idea, as the camera mounted variety are usually prone to pick up lots of static and stray noise. You aren't communicating with the audience if you can't be heard clearly. Again, quality acting classes in nyc that include skills on how to be camera ready can help advise you on this.
Of course, content is truly what will set you apart from the other actors. Preparing for an audition tape is the same as preparing for a live audition. A coach trained in the Meisner acting technique should be able to offer a lot of great tips on how to prepare. Using the Meisner acting tools can help create a riveting audition tape that does not seem rehearsed or staged. What you leave "out" of a performance is just as important as what you leave in, according to expert coaches of Meisner acting nyc. Editing the performance, leaving some elements of the character underneath the surface is key. What's underneath, unspoken, is as important as what's said and shown, maybe more so. 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.
Sometimes, the requests are very specific, however a great actor will never be hindered or constrained by those ideas. More often, casting agents and producers ask for monologues not scenes. It makes sense to prepare something that involves your strengths. The greatest actors are well rounded and can include many layers of abilities during a short piece. The best comedians always have an underlying sense of tragedy, and the most dramatic performances are capable of lighter moments. Acting classes in nyc are led by experienced professionals who can help give constructive feedback. As actors we tend to be insecure and it's best to accept direction from the outside about what makes our audition tape stand out.
First is lighting, because everyone has seen what a poor lighting job can do to someone's appearance. Shadows look like a ravaged complexion or dark circles under the eyes. Looking completely washed out from lights that are too strong or close doesn't work either. This is distracting and will take attention away from your performance. Nice, bright yet completely unnoticeable lighting is the goal. 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. Ask for help creating a simple diagram that outlines a lighting scheme.
Two or three small lights will do the trick. 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. There are audition tapes that have dark backgrounds which can set a certain mood and this can work. Just be careful that the contrast is not too great between the talent and background which is distracting. Every camera has a White Balance feature that needs to be set.
Light sources, such as lamps, professional lights and daylight all have different temperatures. Daylight, for instance, has more blue in it. 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. Forget to do this and skin tones and all other colors will be "off," which is very distracting.
Another very important thing to consider is sound. Distracting static, muddy tones in your voice, are all ways to kill what might otherwise be a good audition tape. With so many good tapes to watch an audition with poor sound will be quickly rejected. The mic should be as close to the source of the sound as possible to eliminate stray noise. Renting a good quality microphone is a good idea, as the camera mounted variety are usually prone to pick up lots of static and stray noise. You aren't communicating with the audience if you can't be heard clearly. Again, quality acting classes in nyc that include skills on how to be camera ready can help advise you on this.
Of course, content is truly what will set you apart from the other actors. Preparing for an audition tape is the same as preparing for a live audition. A coach trained in the Meisner acting technique should be able to offer a lot of great tips on how to prepare. Using the Meisner acting tools can help create a riveting audition tape that does not seem rehearsed or staged. What you leave "out" of a performance is just as important as what you leave in, according to expert coaches of Meisner acting nyc. Editing the performance, leaving some elements of the character underneath the surface is key. What's underneath, unspoken, is as important as what's said and shown, maybe more so. 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.
Sometimes, the requests are very specific, however a great actor will never be hindered or constrained by those ideas. More often, casting agents and producers ask for monologues not scenes. It makes sense to prepare something that involves your strengths. The greatest actors are well rounded and can include many layers of abilities during a short piece. The best comedians always have an underlying sense of tragedy, and the most dramatic performances are capable of lighter moments. Acting classes in nyc are led by experienced professionals who can help give constructive feedback. As actors we tend to be insecure and it's best to accept direction from the outside about what makes our audition tape stand out.
About the Author:
The Maggie Flanigan Studio provides acting classes in nyc for serious actors. To learn more about nyc commercial acting classes visit the studio website.
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