The time has come for any self-respecting actress/blogger/writer to address the dreaded C-word that is to actors what Voldemort is to Harry Potter and what MacBeth is to... err, actors.
Castings.
Hands up, who likes 'em?
Rather than write a list of reason why we all hate castings and how to beat the nerve (you can't, by the way, and don't imagine the casting directors naked, that's just super weird), I'm writing from this article from the perspective of being on the other side. The other side, that is: sitting alongside the big bad evil decision makers, behind the invisible line you have created in your over anxious mind that separates those with and those devoid of feelings; sitting beside the ones who lure you into the room, rouse you into giving them a 'performance' (dance monkey dance), only to throw you out into the cold and banish your name and 8"x10" image from their hard drive and retinas ever again.
Is that what you think happens when you leave the casting room?
I was privileged and honoured to be asked along by a top class casting director to assist him with his next project, along with the director. We ain't talking low budget indie movie here, the director is so good at what he is doing, he has a little golden statuette of a bald man holding a sword on his mantlepiece. So now I've bigged up this scenario, I'd better come up with some interesting lyrical nuggets right?
Together with the director and the CD, I was to be meeting high end British actors; Prada, not Primark. Aston Martin, not Ford. One was so A-List, his agent insisted that he was to meet with just the director; the CD and I were to leave the room during his meeting. Wow. Interestingly enough, he never showed up. (Probably too busy loading all his Prada gear into his Aston Martin.) Men came and went, read and discussed, shook hands and flicked their handsome manes (OK, I had to insert the last bit for compositional flow and lexical drama).
You might be shocked at my next statement, but it's true, it really is. Take a deep breath and believe that the director and casting director, and pretty much everyone in that room:
ARE ON YOUR SIDE.
They want you to get the job. Think about it, why would they not?
Castings.
Hands up, who likes 'em?
Rather than write a list of reason why we all hate castings and how to beat the nerve (you can't, by the way, and don't imagine the casting directors naked, that's just super weird), I'm writing from this article from the perspective of being on the other side. The other side, that is: sitting alongside the big bad evil decision makers, behind the invisible line you have created in your over anxious mind that separates those with and those devoid of feelings; sitting beside the ones who lure you into the room, rouse you into giving them a 'performance' (dance monkey dance), only to throw you out into the cold and banish your name and 8"x10" image from their hard drive and retinas ever again.
Is that what you think happens when you leave the casting room?
I was privileged and honoured to be asked along by a top class casting director to assist him with his next project, along with the director. We ain't talking low budget indie movie here, the director is so good at what he is doing, he has a little golden statuette of a bald man holding a sword on his mantlepiece. So now I've bigged up this scenario, I'd better come up with some interesting lyrical nuggets right?
Together with the director and the CD, I was to be meeting high end British actors; Prada, not Primark. Aston Martin, not Ford. One was so A-List, his agent insisted that he was to meet with just the director; the CD and I were to leave the room during his meeting. Wow. Interestingly enough, he never showed up. (Probably too busy loading all his Prada gear into his Aston Martin.) Men came and went, read and discussed, shook hands and flicked their handsome manes (OK, I had to insert the last bit for compositional flow and lexical drama).
You might be shocked at my next statement, but it's true, it really is. Take a deep breath and believe that the director and casting director, and pretty much everyone in that room:
ARE ON YOUR SIDE.
They want you to get the job. Think about it, why would they not?
You should have seen the director, he was pretty much leaning on the edge of his seat willing the actor to do his best and to nail that audition and offer him the role. It was so obvious that is what he wanted. There was no malevolence of sadistic torture that we actors so often feel is the real intent behind that 10 minute coming together of the powers that be, and little old us.
There were actors who forgot their lines and had to reach out in the middle of the reading for his lines. That was fine. There were actors who had questions about the script, didn't understand parts, and wanted to discuss aspects with the director. That was fine. There were actors who swore and used profanities. All absolutely fine.
Some actors did great readings, but didn't get the job because they were too tall, too short, too old, pretty much along the lines of the article 26 Reasons Why You Didn't Get The Part. These things are fact and cannot be reasoned nor argued with. You can be great and still not get the job. Boo fucking hoo. Next.
There is however, a cautionary tale amongst this. The director's quest to find his leading man extended outside the CD's office and at one time, he devoted a whole morning to a young man whom he had met at a place of worship. Divine intervention perhaps? On top of this, the young man just so happened to be an actor, currently training at a prestigious drama school in the middle of rehearsals for a showcase. So on this sunny Sunday the young man arrived for the meeting, and the CD and I were all very excited to meet him.
Oh dear.
Flustered and overwhelmed at the gravity of this opportunity, yet torn between where he should focus his limited resources; showcase preparation or casting that could be your big break, the poor young and (now apparently) naive man, chose the former. And boy, did that cost him.
In no way this gentle, humourous and supportive director angry or negative towards the young and naive actor, but I could see he was disappointed. The actor whom he had devoted a whole morning to, pinned his hopes on, afforded such an opportunity and rallied his comrades into attending a weekend meeting to... The actor repaid him not knowing his lines, fumbling around constantly for the pages, and whether it was down to his poor preparation, his nerves, or his inadaquency at that point in his career to smash an audition on a cold read, he was, how can I say this... just not good.
You're never going to get judged or blacklisted (if this actually exists) if you're just not right for the part. I have been rejected for parts before, then months or years later, called in for something completely different based on the previous audition. However, if you are ill prepared, do not know what you're doing, and openly admit you have been putting your efforts into another project, fully aware of what sacrifices the director and others have made for you to attend this meeting, then you damn well show some respect. Professionalism is all this is about. You cannot get the part, but you can damn well know your lines, show up on time, and understand what is expected from you in casting room. If you don't fully understand what is expected of you, there are literally hundreds of classes, workshops and one-to-ones you can attend to find out, practice, and learn. There are no excuses, and in a sea of hopeful actors who are diligent and professional, there really aren't that many opportunities for mistakes which are so within your control to prevent.
There were actors who forgot their lines and had to reach out in the middle of the reading for his lines. That was fine. There were actors who had questions about the script, didn't understand parts, and wanted to discuss aspects with the director. That was fine. There were actors who swore and used profanities. All absolutely fine.
Some actors did great readings, but didn't get the job because they were too tall, too short, too old, pretty much along the lines of the article 26 Reasons Why You Didn't Get The Part. These things are fact and cannot be reasoned nor argued with. You can be great and still not get the job. Boo fucking hoo. Next.
There is however, a cautionary tale amongst this. The director's quest to find his leading man extended outside the CD's office and at one time, he devoted a whole morning to a young man whom he had met at a place of worship. Divine intervention perhaps? On top of this, the young man just so happened to be an actor, currently training at a prestigious drama school in the middle of rehearsals for a showcase. So on this sunny Sunday the young man arrived for the meeting, and the CD and I were all very excited to meet him.
Oh dear.
Flustered and overwhelmed at the gravity of this opportunity, yet torn between where he should focus his limited resources; showcase preparation or casting that could be your big break, the poor young and (now apparently) naive man, chose the former. And boy, did that cost him.
In no way this gentle, humourous and supportive director angry or negative towards the young and naive actor, but I could see he was disappointed. The actor whom he had devoted a whole morning to, pinned his hopes on, afforded such an opportunity and rallied his comrades into attending a weekend meeting to... The actor repaid him not knowing his lines, fumbling around constantly for the pages, and whether it was down to his poor preparation, his nerves, or his inadaquency at that point in his career to smash an audition on a cold read, he was, how can I say this... just not good.
You're never going to get judged or blacklisted (if this actually exists) if you're just not right for the part. I have been rejected for parts before, then months or years later, called in for something completely different based on the previous audition. However, if you are ill prepared, do not know what you're doing, and openly admit you have been putting your efforts into another project, fully aware of what sacrifices the director and others have made for you to attend this meeting, then you damn well show some respect. Professionalism is all this is about. You cannot get the part, but you can damn well know your lines, show up on time, and understand what is expected from you in casting room. If you don't fully understand what is expected of you, there are literally hundreds of classes, workshops and one-to-ones you can attend to find out, practice, and learn. There are no excuses, and in a sea of hopeful actors who are diligent and professional, there really aren't that many opportunities for mistakes which are so within your control to prevent.