3 Audition Recommendations to Help You Become the Next Flo

A working actor can prosper when booking a commercial, but the audition room can be very puzzling. As a Northwestern student specializing in Theatre and Integrated Marketing Communications, I have found two articles that will benefit you in your next commercial audition. 

How to Nail Your Next Commercial Audition by Jamie Irvine, a writer for Backstage.com, demystifies the audition room and provides insight into what casting directors are thinking. In Irvine's experience, she has found that being specific about clothing and knowing your colors will help bring your personality and archetype to life, but you have to be able to play the part you dressed for. Irvine touches on the importance of moments immediately before and after the audition; the waiting room is a great tool to come alive and express yourself by being aware of your surroundings. Once the audition is over, there's no reason to overthink what you just did because even your mistake might've made a strong impression. 

Source: Progressive Corporation

My Worst Moment: When Paul Scheer Realized Trying to Stand on Your Head Won't Get You the Part, by Nina Metz from the Chicago Tribune, looks at renown actor Paul Scheer's experience in an audition for a Twix commercial. Scheer was in his early 20s and felt like commercial auditions were high stakes because he might "hit the jackpot." Scheer felt pressure to stand out and make a dent, so he took inspiration from Robin Williams' audition for 'Happy Days' where he was on his head the whole audition. Scheer relied so heavily on trying to be memorable and do his two-line audition upside-down on a chair that he bombed the whole thing. 

Based on these two articles and my experience at Northwestern University and as a working actor, I have developed a few key tips to use when preparing for your next commercial audition. 

• Embrace Your Mistake. Making a mistake can be a good thing that shows the casting director something organic and natural, but don’t actively try to make a mistake.

• Use Your Archetype. Be aware of the types you are consistently called in for and make sure you can play those. Commercials rely on archetypes.

• Be Memorable, Naturally. It’s important to make strong choices in an audition to standout, but don’t force an unnecessary choice in a commercial audition where you might only have five seconds of screen time.

As actors, we must not be scared by the audition room but instead discover how to own the space. 

Julian Larach is a senior at Northwestern University studying theatre and integrated marketing communications. You can get in touch with Julian via LinkedIn or Twitter. 

Film/TV: 3 Tips for Thinking About the Work of Controversial Figures

·       As viewers of film and television, it is important to consider the implications of the media we are consuming and its creators, especially in regards to the recent Hollywood movements relating to abuse and assault. As a film student at Northwestern University, I have two articles that will help you navigate the conflicting feelings you may feel when thinking about the work made by controversial people.

      In the Paris Review article What Do We Do with the Art of Monstrous Men? author Claire Dederer grapples with her own feelings on consuming the work of controversial figures. She goes through many men: Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby, Woody Allen. She ponders if it’s fair that these men’s transgression are interfering with her connection to their art, and asks what their situations mean for her love of their work. Additionally, she discusses what our moral responsibility is as viewers when watching these pieces. Finally, she poses the questions: “What is to be done about monsters? Can and should we love their work? Are all ambitious artists monsters? Tiny voice: [Am I a monster?]”

·     

Source:  https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/25/us/list-of-accused-after-weinstein-scandal-trnd/index.html

      Wesley Morris discusses the implications of the Bill Cosby trial in his New York Times article How to Think About Bill Cosby and ‘The Cosby Show.’ He cites the 8 season show as a source of foolproof happiness and joy. But, he also emphasizes that there are other parts of Bill Cosby that people tend not to focus on. He explores these parts of the public figure, and argues that America’s collective cultural memory may be selective. The fall of Bill Cosby is complicated, Morris argues, by racial issues. In cases such as Cosby and OJ Simpson, Morris says: “If achieving success in this country is twice as hard for black people, it’s also doubly tough for black people to flunk their own.” Morris also points out that Cosby decided to weaponized his work by utilizing lines from Fat Albert, which remains a big disappointment for the author.

After reading these two articles, and from my studies as a film student at Northwestern, I highly recommend these action items the next time you are thinking about work created by controversial figures:

•  Reject the weaponization -- Do not let the art of the artists become an excuse for their transgressions; do not let them use their portfolios as a weapon of strategy to negate their wrongdoings.

• Mourn the nostalgia -- If you wish to condemn the artists, you cannot separate them from their alter egos; their wrongdoings have contaminated even those most innocent and comforting works with controversy

• Accept the conflict -- This is an important ongoing conversation that requires nuance and the exploration of context as it relates to many factors; accept that while there is no easy solution, the dialogue around this topic is productive.

While watching film and television, it is important that we do not forget the context of the media we are consuming. We must explore our own moral responsibilities and, most importantly, remain in an open and ongoing conversation about these topics.

Kiki Meiners-Rios is a dedicated student at Northwestern University studying Radio, Television, Film + Creative Writing + Integrated Marketing Communications. She endeavors to work in the film industry, and you can connect with her on Twitter (@_kiki_m) or LinkedIn.