The Art of Auditioning: Techniques for Television

by Rob Decina

Overview

A network daytime casting director highlights the difference between the craft of acting and the business of auditioning, and how those two worlds meet in television.  Included are proven-effective preparation techniques, including asking the right questions, making specific acting choices, sitting versus standing, finding beats and beat changes, using spontaneity, and much more. Also included are interviews with top daytime casting directors and actors, advice on headshots and resumes, and an examination of the difference between audition preparation and theatrical preparation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781581159790
Publisher:	Allworth
Publication date:	06/01/2004
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	949 KB

About the Author

Rob Decina is the Emmy-nominated casting director for the daytime drama Guiding Light. His other casting credits include the independent film, A Tale of Two Pizzas, and casting searches in New York for Dawson’s Creek, The Scorpion King, and National Lampoon’s Van Wilder. Before Guiding Light, he was the associate casting director at Warner Bros. Television in New York, where he was involved in the casting for The West Wing, Third Watch, and more than forty other primetime television pilots.

Table of Contents

	Dedication	iii
	Acknowledgments	ix
	Introduction	xi
1	Auditioning and the Craft of Acting	1
	Acting Is a Craft
2	An Audition is Not a Performance	3
	Choose Obtainable Goals
	Auditioning and Performing Are Two Different Things
3	Audition Philosophy	7
	Truth in Numbers
	Free Yourself by Removing Expectations
	Offer Your Gift
4	Chances of Booking the Job	13
	A Casting Director's Process
	The Decision-Makers
	The Human Element
	The Role is Up for Grabs
5	First Audition	21
	Type A: The Audition and Meeting
	Showing Potential is the Key
	Theatrical Preparation versus Audition Preparation
	An Audition is Not Workshop Time
	Memorization
	Type B
6	The Callback	27
	Type 1
	Type 2
	Don't Change Your Choices
	How to Make Progress from Potential
	Your Callback Audition for a New Role
	The Perception of You Changes
	Callback Memorization
7	The Screen Test	33
	The Business Side
	The Screen Test Day
	From Auditioning to Performing
	Screen Test Memorization
8	On the Clock	37
9	General Audition Information and Advice	39
	Make Specific Choices and Fill in All the Blanks
	Asking Questions
	Sit or Stand; It's Your Choice
	No Blocking
	No Props
	No Miming
10	The Audition Technique	49
11	Beats and Beat Changes	51
	Beat Changes Are in the Script
	Write on Your Sides
	Don't Overthink the Beat Changes
12	Major Beat Change	65
	Determining the Major Beat Change
	Indicating the Major Beat Change
	Significance of the Major Beat Change
13	Subject Word	73
	Example Subject Words
	Write the Subject Words Down
	A Reference Point
14	Feeling Word	79
	Determining the Feeling Words
	Justify Your Choices
	Variations to Your Choices
	No Indecisive Feelings
15	Summary (So Far)	93
	Notes to the Test Are on Your Sides
16	Major Objective	95
	Major Objective and Major Beat Change Are Connected
	Take Action
	The Major Objective is about What You Want for You
	Major Objective Creates a Natural Level of Subtext
	Keep It Simple
	Remind Yourself of the Major Objective before You Begin
	Don't Forget to Be an Actor
17	Dictate the Pace	101
	Pick up Your Cues
	Don't Blame the Reader
18	Think and Feel on the Lines	105
	Don't Anticipate
	Use the Beat Changes
19	Avoid Subtext	107
	Negative Use of Subtext
	Literal Sincere-Feeling Lines
20	The Right Approach, the Right Attitude	111
	Three Minutes of Joy
	Be Confident
21	Beginnings and Endings	113
	Opening Line
	Tag Line
22	High Stakes and Urgency	117
	The Audition Scene Is Important
23	Spontaneity and Listening	119
24	Voice and Speech	121
	Natural and Conversational Tone
	Spatial Relationship
	Don't Project
	No Word Is More Important than Any Other Word
25	Charm, Personality, and Passion	123
	Don't Fake It
	Passion
26	The Acting Part	125
27	Don't Forget to Breathe!	127
	How to Remind Yourself
	Use Your Feeling Word
28	The On-Camera Audition	131
	Do I Look at the Camera?
	You Have to Pop off the Screen
	Slating
	What to Wear
29	The Cold Reading Audition	135
	How to Break It Down
30	Under-5 and Background Work in Daytime Television	137
	Take the Work and Get the Experience
	You Never Know What Can Happen
	Under-5 Work
	You Are Protecting a Career You Do Not Have Yet
31	The Under-5 Audition	141
	Technique
32	I Wouldn't Do That If I Were You	145
	Do's
	Don'ts
	Get In and Get Out
	Don't Forget Your Props and Stuff
33	Building a Relationship with the Casting Director	149
	The Follow-Up and Staying in Touch
	How to Begin That Relationship
	No Tricks, Please
34	The Business of Acting and a Career	153
	Learn the Craft
	Talent Is a Guarantee of Nothing
	The Business
35	Getting an Agent or a Manager	157
	Go to School
	Write to the Assistant
	Get a Friend to Help You
36	Headshots and Resumes	159
	Look Like Your Picture
	One Shot Only, Please
37	Daytime Actor Interviews	161
	Aubrey Dollar
	Jordi Vilasuso
	Daniel Cosgrove
38	Agent and Manager Interviews	175
	Michael Bruno
	Jill McGrath
	Rhonda Price
39	Casting Director Interviews	183
	Daytime Casting Director Interviews: Mary Clay Boland, Marnie Saitta
	Primetime Casting Director Interview: Andra Reeve-Rabb
40	The Workbook	193
	Make the Workbook
	Write Down the Questions
	Track Your Progress
	Sample Workbook Submission
41	Final Advice	199
	Your Obligation and Commitment
	Entitled to Make a Living
	The Television Audition Technique
	Look Yourself in the Mirror
	The Core Truth
	My Casting Director Perspective
	Good Luck
	About the Author	203
	Index	205