I was reading a book and the author used the word “audition” in a sentence where it meant “the power of listening and hearing.” I had never seen the word used in that way and suddenly it dawned on me that theatre auditions are about being heard. Directors and casting directors want to know that you can handle the language, make it your own, and that you can communicate relationships, emotions, and circumstances with those words. Your body is important but its importance is in the way it supports your speaking and communication.
So in the theatre the primary sense is sound. In movies, however, the primary sense is sight. We watch movies, we go to see movies because they are, after all, just still pictures flashing in front of our eyes at speed that appears to make them move.
Understanding this basic difference between theatre and film is important to you as an actor so you can think about and prepare your auditions properly. When you audition for theatre you’d better get the sound right. Make sure that your voice and diction are clear. On top of that, make sure that you are communicating character, emotion, and intentionality. Most of all, remember that the energy starts and resides in the words.
When you go to a casting call for a movie, the director and producers want to see you ‘be’. Even if you have text to read, they don’t want to see you acting. As soon as your acting is visible, it is hard not to see everything you do as overly dramatic and false. Remember the camera magnifies everything you do so it is almost enough to simply think thoughts for them to be visible. And your voice needs to be natural and unforced because the microphone will pick up everything.
So when you get an audition side for a movie, you want to work the words, intentions, and meanings but you need to understand that the primary way that casting people are going to perceive you is with their eyes. This is in contrast to your audition for the theatre where directors and casting people will perceive you primarily with their ears.
Eric Barr. All rights reserved
