"Expect the Unexpected"

As someone in the early stages of their acting career, auditions occur less often than I would like. The silver lining is the abundance of practice I get with the craft. However, if you spend too much time in the welcoming workshop environment, you might freeze up when it comes time for a face-to-face meeting with a casting director. It can be easy to get comfortable with the routine and structure of an acting class, but anything can happen during an audition. This week, Barry presented us with a unique challenge at the end of class that was extremely helpful for the potential audition room (you'll have to read to the end to find out).

The week's class was quite intimate, as only three students were able to attend, including myself. To compensate for the sparse attendance, Barry provided extra scripts. This new material would be a breath of fresh air as it required a paired reading instead of our regular solo performances.

The first half of class proved to be a significant turning point as everyone was able to make strides with the areas that were holding them back in previous weeks. It was incredibly motivating to see everyone improve, knowing how we were when we first began. I don't want to pat myself on the back too much, but you are reading the words of a man who can now control their head bobble.

The real meat and potatoes of the week came from the second half of class with the material Barry gave us due to how fast we got through our solo scripts. He informed us that we could loosen up our performances with commercial scripts involving more than one actor. With the solo scripts, you can get away with a performance that does not feel 100% natural, as you are likely reading directly into the camera. With ensemble scripts, the camera will feel more like a fly on the wall as the conversation occurs naturally (The exception would be a tagline read straight to the camera at the end).

These scripts will typically try and replicate real conversations and interactions as much as possible. I'm sure this sounds easy, but when you try your best to be natural, it can easily result in the opposite happening. Take your everyday conversations, for example. When you and a friend are talking passionately about something, it is normal for you to cut one another off mid-sentence. You likely don't think twice about it. Now, imagine you and your friend are having the same conversation, but this time both of you know the exact moment when you're going to cut them off. Your friend may end their sentence early in anticipation. Everything about that version of the conversation feels uncomfortable and unnatural. Even though it seems minor, that tiny moment of dead space could kill all the momentum when you are filming the commercial.

All three of us struggled to get a natural flow going at first. The pauses were too long, the tones didn't match, and it all felt robotic. That's when Barry hit us with another golden nugget of advice. To avoid stopping too early when you know your scene partner must cut you off, keep going. Improv a word or two until your scene partner jumps in with their line. I think the idea Barry was getting at with this advice is the worst thing you can do in an audition is to stop and let the room fill up with nothingness. Always keep the scene moving forward.

This leads perfectly into the exercise Barry put in front of us at the tail end of class (I'm sure you've been holding your breath and waiting patiently). Rather than send us a new script, he wanted us to fully improvise a commercial. At face value, the task was simple. Barry would give us a product, and we had to deliver a 20-30 second commercial. As it turns out, 20 seconds can feel like two hours when you are put on the spot. After a few rounds, I noticed how loose and in the moment we all were despite the heightened difficulty.

I've mentioned a few exercises you can try at home, but this one outshines the rest. Take five minutes and try this exercise on your own and see how difficult it is not to stop or draw a blank as you speak. Not only will this improve your natural ability to read commercial scripts, but it is a superb way to prepare for the unpredictable audition environment.