"One liners..." can I officially state how much I don't like the idea of them??? Not only can I not for the life of me, not seem to mess up the damn line, but usually there is nothing there to do but throw it away which means it's more about the look they're going for instead of any acting ability. I get it, it needs to be said and someone needs to say it and hell, why not me? However, it's one of the hardest auditions to do for some deranged reason to the most of our chagrin. If just given to us, we'd be able to knock it out on set...however, with this audition process to come in and say a single, small line, it can be a bit frustrating. Now I'm absolutely thankful to get in the room with whatever the number of lines may be, it's just a weird place as an actor who did plenty of scene study to see themselves - basically no place to build and the end result usually being the same - throwing the line away...but we all know as artists not to do that. That line is important, the moment is needed because it was written...why are we throwin' it away? Timing, movement of story, an introduction...we know this but for us arties, we know there's a reason for this so we dig a bit deeper than necessary coming up with back story and the mood or feeling we should be in whilst delivering this line. They've seen 15-20 people before you and it's literally a line... You've gotta make your peace with these, they're our bread and butter for the most part if you're the one that books them. So, as much as I fumble on them, I keep at it hoping the pain will go away...it hasn't...in all my years in this business but I've learned to understand the mood of the room and deliver it to as close as I can be involved in it and walk out letting those go asap regardless...because whether you felt like you messed up or not, most likely you didn't really and it doesn't matter anyway because they also know you'll get the line on set for the most part. Don't hang on to these, no matter how you're feelin', it is what it is and it is...a line! Gettin' to do another one for a network show which kept me in town a bit longer than I wanted before heading to the Bay but how wonderful it is, to pack, head to the audition at UDK and then hit the road for some time with fam bam, the most important things of all!
Then of course the usual out of town so now I get a notification happens for a bigger role at another wonderful casting office so the decision to cut the vacay short is upon us once again. Lucky we drove and are in agreement of heading out a day early to give myself the opportunity to be back on the lot with the casting I booked "Arch Angel - VR," but this time for a network show. I'm gonna go in depth with this one because when the role is for you, there is nothing that can stand in the way of that and understanding that as an artist is a beautiful, thing. This role wasn't for me...it was someone else's and everything lead to her booking as well as me learning to stick to my guns on my choices regardless of what casting may have to say because being your unique self is the only truth in the room. I arrived a bit early to get settled in and I could feel I was slowly making it into the bigger rooms and am grateful I'm kinda in that category because these types of roles usually aren't in my playhouse - I know I look/viewed younger than some of my counterparts and it's always been the bane in my backside because there's nothing I can do about it nor is there anything I want to do about it. I am who I am and once I get to my place, I'll be able to share even more about my regimen but for now, I'll plow through this difficult space of being viewed as too young for some roles and too old for others but just by a smidgen. Go into casting and really dig into my choices...I was told not to go so far, that there was this level of professionalism that being a doctor has...so, I listened and adjusted. I could see her nodding and I knew even if I didn't get the call back, that I had given her what she wanted. I waited in the area by finding a small, vegetarian friendly spot, had lunch and received the notification to be back at the studio around 3p for the meeting with the director, writer and producers in the room as well. Happy-happy, joy-joy as I made it through the 1st round gauntlet. Although I was into my choices, because it was my first time being in this particular room in such a long time with new casting, I decided to work their insight into my read. During this process I saw the beautiful, booking machine Nicola and the gorgeous Crystal which brought happiness into my heart. Grateful to be in the same room, auditioning for the same role as my acting tribe I aspire to be more in tune with because as one comes up...we all do! Was told there was a constant beeping noise happening in the room when I entered all that warmth. This session was filled with people that understood actors and was actually truly routing for each one of us to do well...I could feel it and although at ease, some of the words seem to slip from my grasp as I tried to be this "other individual" as told to me earlier. I pushed through instead of stopping and going back to my original choice because that was my individual goal for this casting. I felt okay, but not great because I for the first time in ages, did what they requested but not what I knew to be true of me. They seemed to have gotten my take and even said great job with no redirects, so I exited the room thankful I had done what I did but knew that wasn't going to happen again. I came out to the smiling face of Crystal and her friend Noel whom had also read for the role. We discussed what went right and what went wrong which was a nice release of the art we all had experienced and I left hoping that if not me, please one of them...just someone that I knew. It turned out to be a friend of Crystal, whom was part of the straight to producers group - she hadn't really been in the acting world but she just happened to be off her job, the shooting schedule working with her time off and knew this was basically her. She went in with no pre-read out looks and did her warmth version which got her the role...my first choice. I get it, we have to believe casting knows what they want but also keep in mind of what you want as well, I'm glad I tried it their way in order for them to see that I was able to make the shift but if you also feel strongly about a character's definition, then do that mostly without fail. Your truth, your role, your way until it's absolutely necessary to change that. I did it when I booked "Hello..." with Sally Field & Tyne Daly directed with Michael Showalter, when I flipped them off, that wasn't in the script and I was told to do it another way which I complied however, when the callbacks happened, I went in with my original, gut feeling of what the scene was and he laughed so hard he didn't want to see the other version of that choice. Stick to your guns, whether you book or not, you'll feel better as an artist in the end...and they will get you, eventually someone will! This role was for her, everything lined up as the universe will and you as an artist have got to believe that. What is yours, can't be taken so celebrate your small victories in all ways that it comes because it is about the journey! Let go, celebrate and cheer each other on!!!
As I've been diving into the voice over auditions, I've been practicing characters along the way...they will get better, more fluid but I'm enjoying my process of building and growing in an area I just never thought I'd be involved in. So much fear is now leading to so much confidence that I am capable...I am an artist, I can do it and so can you. Never in my wildest dreams could I have thought I could manipulate my voice into being a 5 year old, 12 year old, 16 year old or whimsical or with different dialects etc but these auditions are teaching me something. I had set limitations on this side of my art because I believed that most are just gifted with this type of craft and I in fact was not one of them, so cheers to facing that fear and doing it anyway! Slowly but surely we create...
No comments:
Post a Comment