Think about your last audition for a moment...or perhaps your last 5 auditions. When you were finished and walked out of the room, if someone had asked you to describe the details of the casting room you were just in or, let's say, what the casting director was wearing...could you do it? Often the answer is "No"...and there's a simple explanation for it. When the stakes are high and you're focused on the character, remembering your lines, hitting the beats and moments of the scene, etc., the natural result is that your energy and thought life becomes primarily focused on one thing and one thing only: YOU. Human beings, when faced with moments of risk or high stakes, tend to develop tunnel vision and a primary interest in preserving oneself...it's nature's way of helping you to focus, avoid danger and stay alive. Unfortunately for you, however, this intense focus on yourself in an audition can often create a barrier between you and the very people who will be making the decision about whether or not you'll move forward with the job: the casting director, writers and producers who are in the room with you.
Powerful auditioning involves not just owning the character and executing the scene well, but it also involves the human element of connecting with the people in the room. After all, these are the very people that you will end up working with on the project, and how you are in the room is exactly how they perceive that you will be on the set. So it's not always what you do in the room that matters, it's how you do it. Being present to the room not only helps break down the barrier between you and them, but also boosts your confidence. When you look into the eyes of another human being, a connect happens and fear is faced head-on. When you avoid eye contact, you avoid connect and fear is fed. The same principle applies in the room...so don't make it all about you, but be present to them and interested in them with your energy.
Here is an easy tip for immediately becoming more present in the room. Before you walk into the room, take a moment to notice the color and texture of the carpet or floor you're standing on, then notice two more details about the environment around you. This forces your mind to become present to your surroundings. Wiggle your toes and feel your feet grounded to the earth. Take a deep breathe and exhale in a spirit of gratitude for the moment you're about to experience. Trust yourself and your work. Then walk into the room making eye contact with the people in it, noticing things about them and other details of the room. Commit yourself to staying present and allow no barrier to exist between you and them. The result? You will be an actor with whom they feel more connected!
© 2012. Christinna Chauncey. All Rights Reserved.
Powerful auditioning involves not just owning the character and executing the scene well, but it also involves the human element of connecting with the people in the room. After all, these are the very people that you will end up working with on the project, and how you are in the room is exactly how they perceive that you will be on the set. So it's not always what you do in the room that matters, it's how you do it. Being present to the room not only helps break down the barrier between you and them, but also boosts your confidence. When you look into the eyes of another human being, a connect happens and fear is faced head-on. When you avoid eye contact, you avoid connect and fear is fed. The same principle applies in the room...so don't make it all about you, but be present to them and interested in them with your energy.
Here is an easy tip for immediately becoming more present in the room. Before you walk into the room, take a moment to notice the color and texture of the carpet or floor you're standing on, then notice two more details about the environment around you. This forces your mind to become present to your surroundings. Wiggle your toes and feel your feet grounded to the earth. Take a deep breathe and exhale in a spirit of gratitude for the moment you're about to experience. Trust yourself and your work. Then walk into the room making eye contact with the people in it, noticing things about them and other details of the room. Commit yourself to staying present and allow no barrier to exist between you and them. The result? You will be an actor with whom they feel more connected!
© 2012. Christinna Chauncey. All Rights Reserved.