Of course, your primary concern needs to be the development of good acting skills, which you can accomplish in acting classes in nyc that have experienced teachers and coaches. A solid auditioning technique is also paramount however and acting classes in nyc do not always include this in their curriculum. Casting directors and producers will often ask for audition tapes, and of course you must be able to create a stand-out at a moment's notice. An expensive, professional video is okay for an audition tape but, certainly not necessary. Just borrow or rent a camera, enlist the help of an aspiring director friend and follow these simple rules.
How you appear is key, and lighting is a big part of this. Strong shadows falling in the wrong places can eliminate your chances of producers watching the tape all the way through. Looking completely washed out from lights that are too strong or close doesn't work either. If the lighting serves as a distraction to your performance you've wasted your time. Lighting needs to be clean, and completely unnoticeable. 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.
There should be two or three light sources. Lights can be placed on either side of the talent to help illuminate the face. Then a third light can be used to fill in the background. Some audition tapes have chosen to leave the background dark. While this can work you must be careful to that the overall feel of the tape is appropriate and not distracting. The all important next step is the white balance on the camera.
This reads the color temperatures of the combined light sources. They range from being very yellow to very blue. Let's say you set up the lighting, and you are also near a window. A mix of light sources is possible but, the camera must be "balanced" to correct for these color differences. The white balance feature is used to make this correction quickly and automatically. A pure white card or sheet of paper needs to be placed in the middle of the lighting sources. If you do not use this feature the color will be completely off, especially your skin tones. You want good clean skin tones, eye color and hair color, so you must not forget this step.
Perfect, clear sound is also critical. A good audition tape is only as good as the sound, because your voice is your main instrument. A good way to get quickly dismissed is to have poor sound quality. 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. Let's face it, acting is a form of communication and you cannot communicate clearly if you can't be heard. Acting classes in nyc sometimes have ways to help with this.
Of course, content is truly what will set you apart from the other actors. Preparing for an audition tape is the same as preparing for a live audition. Meisner acting techniques can be helpful when preparing, especially for a specific character or role. If nothing else, you need to be interesting, unique, and studying the Meisner acting technique can help. Anyone who has studied Meisner acting nyc will understand that acting is as much about what you leave out as what you put in. Trying to cram every emotion into a few minutes of an audition will seem false. What's underneath, unspoken, is as important as what's said and shown, maybe more so. If you can get the casting agents, directors, producers to begin to infer things about your character that are being left out then you are doing your job as an actor.
At times, actors are asked to include something very specific, but it should still have your own ideas incorporated. In a more general circumstance, it's good to have a recent audition tape with a monologue, ready to send out on a moment's notice. Whether you have the gift of comedy, or a talent for dramatic roles, a great audition includes both. However, keep in mind that the best actors have developed strong skills in all of these genres and use it all. The best comedians always have an underlying sense of tragedy, and the most dramatic performances are capable of lighter moments. Acting classes in nyc are led by experienced professionals who can help give constructive feedback. Professional actors are always open to direction, certainly as an up and coming actor it's smart to remain open to input regarding your audition tape.
How you appear is key, and lighting is a big part of this. Strong shadows falling in the wrong places can eliminate your chances of producers watching the tape all the way through. Looking completely washed out from lights that are too strong or close doesn't work either. If the lighting serves as a distraction to your performance you've wasted your time. Lighting needs to be clean, and completely unnoticeable. 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.
There should be two or three light sources. Lights can be placed on either side of the talent to help illuminate the face. Then a third light can be used to fill in the background. Some audition tapes have chosen to leave the background dark. While this can work you must be careful to that the overall feel of the tape is appropriate and not distracting. The all important next step is the white balance on the camera.
This reads the color temperatures of the combined light sources. They range from being very yellow to very blue. Let's say you set up the lighting, and you are also near a window. A mix of light sources is possible but, the camera must be "balanced" to correct for these color differences. The white balance feature is used to make this correction quickly and automatically. A pure white card or sheet of paper needs to be placed in the middle of the lighting sources. If you do not use this feature the color will be completely off, especially your skin tones. You want good clean skin tones, eye color and hair color, so you must not forget this step.
Perfect, clear sound is also critical. A good audition tape is only as good as the sound, because your voice is your main instrument. A good way to get quickly dismissed is to have poor sound quality. 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. Let's face it, acting is a form of communication and you cannot communicate clearly if you can't be heard. Acting classes in nyc sometimes have ways to help with this.
Of course, content is truly what will set you apart from the other actors. Preparing for an audition tape is the same as preparing for a live audition. Meisner acting techniques can be helpful when preparing, especially for a specific character or role. If nothing else, you need to be interesting, unique, and studying the Meisner acting technique can help. Anyone who has studied Meisner acting nyc will understand that acting is as much about what you leave out as what you put in. Trying to cram every emotion into a few minutes of an audition will seem false. What's underneath, unspoken, is as important as what's said and shown, maybe more so. If you can get the casting agents, directors, producers to begin to infer things about your character that are being left out then you are doing your job as an actor.
At times, actors are asked to include something very specific, but it should still have your own ideas incorporated. In a more general circumstance, it's good to have a recent audition tape with a monologue, ready to send out on a moment's notice. Whether you have the gift of comedy, or a talent for dramatic roles, a great audition includes both. However, keep in mind that the best actors have developed strong skills in all of these genres and use it all. The best comedians always have an underlying sense of tragedy, and the most dramatic performances are capable of lighter moments. Acting classes in nyc are led by experienced professionals who can help give constructive feedback. Professional actors are always open to direction, certainly as an up and coming actor it's smart to remain open to input regarding your audition tape.
About the Author:
The Maggie Flanigan Studio provides acting classes in nyc for serious actors. To learn more about commercial acting class visit the studio website.
No comments:
Post a Comment