October 24, 2004
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AUDITION PET PEEVES
The way I view auditions is that I get to put up a mini-play that lasts 3-5 minutes for a bunch of people. However, I’ve been going out on a lot of them in the past few weeks and have noticed a few things that ALWAYS bug me and just undermines professionalism.
1) Let’s say you’ve got 5 scenes with 9 pages of dialogue to prepare. You diligently do your homework and make your choices via the process I posted in the “Acting Skool” entry. Then at the audition, if the casting director happens to be in a rush, he/she will say something like, “We’ll be only doing the first two scenes”. And usually they’re not even the best scenes. And all that work, your choices, etc for the other scenes – goes out the window. If you don’t have time for all the scenes, then don’t hand ‘em out for me and the other actors to slave over!
2) Now, even if you get past Pet Peeve #1 and get to perform all your scenes, you’re still not in the clear. There are casting directors who have a tendancy to jump around sections of the scene just to save time – reciting only the line before yours. So that it’s not a scene at all but… “Cue” and then “Your Line”. “Cue” and then “Your Line”. As a result the scene makes no sense whatsoever and have on a constant look of bewilderment just trying to keep up. However you just wind up looking unprepared in the eyes of the casting director.
I’d almost prefer if the casting director was a horrible actor and gave me a monotone performance because at least then he/she would be reading all the dialogue in a logical manner instead of playing “Guess What Line I’m Gonna Read Next?”
3) When the waiting room is filled with other actors wanting to hob-nob or make small talk. The youth oriented shows like “The OC’s” and the “Everwood’s” are the worst. Between all the flirting, “whatcha been up to” questions and/or self-inflated dialogue to psyche all the other actors out – I want to yell, “Hey kids, it’s a job interview — let’s stay focused!”
Or maybe I’m just becoming a grumpy old actor.
Comments (15)
maybe…….
^^
the fact that you notice these things is the reason why you are going to have a long and successful acting career, and a lot of those people causing the pet peeves will not… you have been blessed with a lot more perception than the average person…
Yea, those things suck !!! Number 1 is like in high school when your teacher giving you all these notes to study and when the test comes there is only one question off those notes !! DAMN !
Number 2 is worst ! I could never remember all those lines and then to have ’em thrown you off like that ! OMG !!
This is why I will let you rock the acting thing and I shall keep supportin’
Acting. It’s not for amateurs ! =)
it’s Parry’s time of the month… no one mess with him… haha! well, i hope things get better… and us young people are just weird… just worry about yourself…
I consider myself a decent actor and have no prob acting in front of people, but my schols musical is coming up and I have a terrible fear/insecurity with singing in front of people, especially ones I don’t know. I mean I have a pretty good voice, but its actually doing it infront of people. Any tips to overcome this?
_jarrod
i’d hardly say you’re old… maybe just grumpy… jp
My personal pet peeve during the whole audition process are those self-aggrandizing “drama queens” who feel the need to brag about their accomplishments in “the industry” – you know, the ones who like to talk down to the people surrounding them because they had a role in a musical with their community theatre. There’s no love with those people.
Quick question regarding BLT: My boyfriend and I, both being movie buffs and always willing to support a greater Asian presence in mainstream cinema, saw BLT in the theater and both have invested in the DVD. Even though we’ve watched it numerous times, we’re still in debate about what happened to Virgil. He thinks that since the last scene with Virgil has him still alive, but comatose, it means that Virgil didn’t die, but perhaps he’s still in the hospital at the movie’s end. I, on the other hand, think that Virgil did in fact die, due to the fact that every other character was shown taking a yearbook picture with the exception of Steve (because he was dead) and Virgil (who I am assuming is dead). Any clues?
Best wishes!
- S
jack lemmon was great at all ages. you ll be too.
your my guide to be a well around actor !
1. man, that sucks.
2. man, that sucks.
3. man, that sucks.
pet peeves are only good when you have no time to pay attention to them. otherwise, they’re just everywhere. distractions are useful in these times, huh?
i really do wish all actors as well as the entire crew take auditions & the projects they embark on as seriously as you do, because i’m sure it would lead to much higher quality work. i commend you on your efforts.
or how about when the casting director just stares at you blank faced registering NO emotion at all. that distracts me so much.
yeah man, getting old, you & i both
I just had a reply typed out and then it didn’t work. =(. I know how you feel sweetie. I just had an audition for TV on Sat and the auditions were so rubbish we didn’t even get to act. I just don’t understand how they can determine whether or not you’ll be a good actor depending on where your home town is, your name and your age (ok maybe different on the last one but I’m 17!! Crikey is that too old already?!)
Auditions suck when you don’t get through.
You know, a nice big bowl of ice cream would be good for you right now.
Dood… Chill but yes it is a job interview. Perry it might help if you looked your age. But you still look like your 18.