By focusing on developing a deep skill set, in acting classes in nyc or other qualified institutions are of the utmost importance. No matter how high quality the class, there is one thing acting classes in nyc are not responsible for and that is your auditioning technique. A big part of the audition process are audition tapes. Audition tapes need not be expensive, professionally shot videos. There are some simple rules to follow that can help you produce a great tape, with a borrowed or rented camera and a few friends.
Everyone knows what a bad lighting job can do to someone's appearance. A poor lighting job will cast shadows and can make you look completely different. Lighting can also go overboard, and cause a washed out appearance that seems "lifeless." If the lighting serves as a distraction to your performance you've wasted your time. A well lit subject is one in which the lighting just "disappears." A professional acting program, especially acting classes in nyc, should have someone on staff that has experience producing tapes. Ask for help creating a simple diagram that outlines a lighting scheme.
Two or three small lights will do the trick. Lights can be placed on either side of the talent to help illuminate the face. The background can lit using a third light. Audition tapes online sometimes leave the background in the dark. Just be sure the overall tape is not too dark, or the contrast too great between your face and the background. Correcting the color with a white balance feature is the important next step.
Light sources, such as lamps, professional lights and daylight all have different temperatures. They range from being very yellow to very blue. If you set up lights near a window the camera must correct for that. The white balance feature is used to make this correction quickly and automatically. Just place something white in the approximate place where you will be standing and hit White Balance. If you do not use this feature the color will be completely off, especially your skin tones. Forget to do this and skin tones and all other colors will be "off," which is very distracting.
Another very important thing to consider is sound. If you cannot be heard clearly, or if there is distracting static or white noise, you have wasted your time. No producer or casting agent has the time to sit through an audition tape with poor sound. Keep the mic as close to the talent as possible. Camera mounted mics might be convenient, are not the best choice, renting a Lavalier would be better. You aren't communicating with the audience if you can't be heard clearly. There are plenty of good acting classes in nyc that will help guide you through this process.
On to content, the all important piece of the puzzle, the character you are portraying, or a sense of who you are as an actor. An audition prepared for taping has some slight differences. A coach trained in the Meisner acting technique should be able to offer a lot of great tips on how to prepare. An audition tape that is engaging, riveting, and fascinating is easier for actors that have studied Meisner acting. What you leave "out" of a performance is just as important as what you leave in, according to expert coaches of Meisner acting nyc. Editing the performance, leaving some elements of the character underneath the surface is key. The key to great acting is what you don't present, but leave simmering underneath. Audiences like to work, think, and look for clues which is a way to engage them in your performance.
At times, actors are asked to include something very specific, but it should still have your own ideas incorporated. Casting agents and at times producers, will ask for more general monologue audition tapes. Whether you have the gift of comedy, or a talent for dramatic roles, a great audition includes both. Legendary actors can present mesmerizing layers of emotion in a short time. Tragedy and comedy always work together, for instance and its good to include a sense of both. Videotape your chosen material several times and enlist friends and teachers from your acting classes in nyc to review it and make constructive comments. As actors we tend to be insecure and it's best to accept direction from the outside about what makes our audition tape stand out.
Everyone knows what a bad lighting job can do to someone's appearance. A poor lighting job will cast shadows and can make you look completely different. Lighting can also go overboard, and cause a washed out appearance that seems "lifeless." If the lighting serves as a distraction to your performance you've wasted your time. A well lit subject is one in which the lighting just "disappears." A professional acting program, especially acting classes in nyc, should have someone on staff that has experience producing tapes. Ask for help creating a simple diagram that outlines a lighting scheme.
Two or three small lights will do the trick. Lights can be placed on either side of the talent to help illuminate the face. The background can lit using a third light. Audition tapes online sometimes leave the background in the dark. Just be sure the overall tape is not too dark, or the contrast too great between your face and the background. Correcting the color with a white balance feature is the important next step.
Light sources, such as lamps, professional lights and daylight all have different temperatures. They range from being very yellow to very blue. If you set up lights near a window the camera must correct for that. The white balance feature is used to make this correction quickly and automatically. Just place something white in the approximate place where you will be standing and hit White Balance. If you do not use this feature the color will be completely off, especially your skin tones. Forget to do this and skin tones and all other colors will be "off," which is very distracting.
Another very important thing to consider is sound. If you cannot be heard clearly, or if there is distracting static or white noise, you have wasted your time. No producer or casting agent has the time to sit through an audition tape with poor sound. Keep the mic as close to the talent as possible. Camera mounted mics might be convenient, are not the best choice, renting a Lavalier would be better. You aren't communicating with the audience if you can't be heard clearly. There are plenty of good acting classes in nyc that will help guide you through this process.
On to content, the all important piece of the puzzle, the character you are portraying, or a sense of who you are as an actor. An audition prepared for taping has some slight differences. A coach trained in the Meisner acting technique should be able to offer a lot of great tips on how to prepare. An audition tape that is engaging, riveting, and fascinating is easier for actors that have studied Meisner acting. What you leave "out" of a performance is just as important as what you leave in, according to expert coaches of Meisner acting nyc. Editing the performance, leaving some elements of the character underneath the surface is key. The key to great acting is what you don't present, but leave simmering underneath. Audiences like to work, think, and look for clues which is a way to engage them in your performance.
At times, actors are asked to include something very specific, but it should still have your own ideas incorporated. Casting agents and at times producers, will ask for more general monologue audition tapes. Whether you have the gift of comedy, or a talent for dramatic roles, a great audition includes both. Legendary actors can present mesmerizing layers of emotion in a short time. Tragedy and comedy always work together, for instance and its good to include a sense of both. Videotape your chosen material several times and enlist friends and teachers from your acting classes in nyc to review it and make constructive comments. As actors we tend to be insecure and it's best to accept direction from the outside about what makes our audition tape stand out.
About the Author:
The Maggie Flanigan Studio provides acting classes for serious actors. To learn more about commercial acting class visit the studio website.
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