OK
I've just got back from an audition for a film which I think went horribly wrong.
I was invited along for a screen test with some other hopefuls. They put us together in different groups to see who looked good together etc. This, I get.
A few days ago, I was emailed a script but not told who I was up for, so I briefly read through it , nothing too taxing and went along.
Everybody else (around 25 people) had learned ALL of the lines.
I felt a bit stupid, but then I thought I've never learned lines for a screen test before, especially if I don't know which character I'm up for.
After all combinations had been exhausted, we were asked if we had any questions. Nobody did, but then somebody (auditionee) offered us all to do some impro. Now, I'm not afraid of impro, in fact I quite like it and am quite good at it. The director didn't think it was necessary, but before you know it the rest of the rabble had talked him into it.
I had already been there for an hour so at this point I excused myself and left after thanking the director.
Well to be honest, I feel as if I wasted my time today. I caould tell by the rest of them that I wasn't going to look good next to any of them. All the men were over 50 and it turns out they were casting for husband and wife teams. None of them looked like they could be my husband.
I suppose when I saw what was going on I got a bit dispondent and didn't give it my all. i think a part of me was thinking, why the hell have they wasted my time. Then maybe this has made me a bit negative about the whole thing???
I'm normally very positive and come out of an audition and forget about it, then if I get it, great.
But this one, from the minute I saw the other canditates I knew i didn't have a chance really.
I suppose I've just aswered my own question!!!
The main reason I didn't do the improv was because I've got a life outside of acting. I had to get back to pick the kids up from school. A reality for me. It clearly wasn't necessary as the directo didn't even want us to do it.
Anyway, I did ask for your thoughts, so I shouldn't expect everybody to tell me i did the right thing.
I think I just need to treat this one as another notch on the headboard of nightmare auditions.
If an auditionee offered everyone up for an improv session and not the director I think I would have said to the director 'Are you running this show or is he? I've a million things I should be doing right now and 'improv'ing with that guy is not one of them. Call me when you want me back and I'll improv anything you want me to then.'
Whoever it was obviously wasn't taking charge as a director should. If someone expected me to 'workshop' an idea I could understand it. But not for an auditionee. It's not their job to order other auditionees about.
Or maybe I'm too forceful?
I think you should have stayed and actually co-operated. Its got nothing to do with whether you have a life of acting, but the fact is that it IS a job interview and while I dont think it was a very professional audition from what it sounded, I have done group auditions and they look at everything- your willing ness to work in the moment, the way you engage with other people and how you take direction.
Taken a step further, it could have seemed like you were not interested and this does matter.
On the other hand, they were not professional and probably had not a clue what they were doing, but I still think you could have said "I have been here for an hour and have another appointment. Will you need me any longer or can I go?" Even if in an audition they are idiots, its best to always remember that they will look at your responses as on film sets its always chaotic and people never do things they way you expect.
I think that was a tricky situation to be in and I don't blame you for not doing it. It sort of smacks of desperation of the others to insist on an impro when the director didn't even want it. Personally if I was directing, I'd now be questioning whether I'd want to work with the people that insisted on doing what I didn't want because it suggests that they'd be difficult to direct on the project I was casting for. Would they go against whatever I said rather than listening, and would they try and interfere with what other actors are doing on set?
I suppose that's a personal response, and we'll all react differently but I really don't think it's necessarily a bad thing that you won't have come across as one of the people going against the will of the director. If your gut instinct was that it was inappropriate to continue, then fair enough unless the DIRECTOR him/herself had asked you to do it, not other actors.
Remember there'll be another casting that makes up for this experience soon.
Blake, it's not a question of co-operating. The director wasn't bothered if we did it. I didn't just walk out. I spoke with the director before I left. Had he wanted me to do the inprov, I would have done it.
The audition was 80 miles away, so I was under time pressure. Had I been given advanced warning that it could go on for a couple of hours, I would have weighed the situation up and either gone and sorted out child care, or not gone altogether.
The director knew I had kids, as I explained before hand, and that if I got the job, childcare would be sorted.
Anyway, enough about childcare!!!!
I left with a proffessional manner.
PLEASE DON'T THINK I JUST GOT UP AND WALKED OUT!!!
You asked for feedback. I gave you my thoughts. I am not a mind reader and yu did not communicate that in your post. If you put a post on here , realise that people will disagree or say stuff you maybe dont want to hear. Im sorry if I jumped to conclusions but I gave my opinion and considering what you have just shared I am more inclined to agree with you-
however, I do think there is no need to be so hostile to my comments and to flame me with capital letters.
Its fine. Its not a problem at all. If you were that polite etc then theres no problem, they saw what you could do etc... and I read that you DID say you thanked them, so sorry- I didnt read that.
Right or wrong you made the decision so why go on beating yourself up over it? It's very easy in an audition to give all the power to the director or casting people but in this case you made a judgement call and no amount of worrying will change that decision. Doesn't sound as if the director really knew what they were doing, if they allowed other auditionees to persuade them into unwanted impro, or that you received the same instructions as others prior to the casting, esle you would have made more effort to learn the lines i'm sure. Sometimes, as much as we always want to be professional and corteous, we get invited to auditions which themselves come across as being slightly amateur or you know that, regardless of the outcome, that something about that group or project no longer appeals to you. In this instance i see no problem in taking control of and removing yourself from a situation, saving both yours and the directors time. As long as you do so in a polite and professional manner and have done all that was asked from you by the director where's the harm? We've all had good and bad auditions and you have to find a way of learning from the bad ones without obsessing over them as it would prove counter-productive to you in the long-term!
I don't see the point of an improvisation if you're auditioning for a film. It's scripted. Ok they want to see "how you work together as an ensemble", but, apart from that, when it comes down to the actual shoot,time is money as you know on a film set. Perhaps this auditionee was a Mike Leigh fan.
I think you absolutely did the right thing, were totally professional and sensible.
I once went to a Shakespeare audition where we improvised as the Mechanicals! "How's it going Bottom?" "Yeah, I'm cool Snug, how's the joinery business?" I walked out.
Nice of you to say so, Blake. Now where the hell did I leave my specs?.....
16 years ago
20
You must login as a candidate to participate in the forum.
Please note:Messages written in the forum do not represent the views of The Mandy Network, nor have they been vetted by The Mandy Network staff.
If you read something which you believe to be offensive or defamatory, please contact us and we will take the appropriate action.
