As an actor it’s easy to reek of desperation. But how do you conduct or start a conversation with a CD without sounding desperate?
What you want to say (and in many cases do say):
“I am perfect for this part. Please let me audition for you!”
“I love this role.”
“I need this role.”
A better way of going about it though is not to talk about you. This is about the CD and what he/ she may be going through in casting this project.
So start the conversation where you talk about the character:
“She (the character) has a great warmth.”
“I love the way she deals with children.”
“She has an inner strength, she doesn’t need to show it.”
At The Audition Technique, we suggest the most important person in the room is not you, not the casting director nor the producer.
The most important person in the room is the character.
And it is not yours.
Not yet anyway. So treat the character with respect
Your objective in an audition is to be seen again. If not for this role, then for something else.
Let me give you the dinner party scenario – If you were going to a dinner party, and you wanted to be invited back again, you would enter and find a moment to connect to the hostess. With lines like:
“So nice to see you. Thank you for inviting me. How are the children?”
“I love the way you have decorated the table!”
“I heard great things about the social event you staged last week.”
“I love the colours you have used in this room.”
To translate that into what should be said by an actor-in-an-audition-funk :
“I love your casting in (project x)“
“Did you see ? film it reminded me so much of the film you were involved in ……..”
“What a great project this is. Congratulations (that you are casting it) You’re the perfect person to be casting this!
In this way you are making it about them. Not about you. CDs are far more willing to connect with you.
