Goodies
Articles, videos, and other miscellaneous items
that echo the Audition Psych 101 philosophy.
The Worst Thing You Can Do in an Acting Audition
by Andrew Gallant / Green Shirt Studio
link to article
Over the last few years, I’ve stepped outside my usual role as an actor and instead have dedicated a lot of time to directing and producing plays. As a result, I’ve spent a ton of time in the audition room behind the table watching actors audition.
GLOW Star Betty Gilpin: Why
Acting Is "A Seesaw of Death"
by Betty Gilpin link to article
The actress, hot off her first Emmy nom,
reflects on her craft's ego-boosting, princess-making highs and soul-crushing, debilitating lows.
What Actors Actually Do: An Open Letter to Critics and Media Writers
by Molly Goforth for Onstage Blog
"...I’ve noticed a disturbing pattern among otherwise clearly educated and otherwise
honorable and incisive critics, entertainment bloggers, podcast hosts and media journalists. I’m talking about a persistent misunderstanding of what actors actually do that ranges from unwitting perpetuation of outdated terms to inadvertent stereotyping to
misapplied critique to inexplicable ridicule all the way to aggressively unapologetic
ignorance.
Positive thinking is pleasurable, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for us. Like so much in life, attaining goals requires a balanced and moderate approach, neither dwelling on the downsides nor a forced jumping for joy.
Sarah Paulson on an Actors' Self-Worth
by Brian Ferry
American Horror Story actress Sarah Paulson shared nuggets of wisdom concerning an actor’s sense of self-worth during an interview with Off Camera’s Sam Jones.
Bryan Cranston's Advice to Actors
(sounds like he took my class!)
Artists Don't Have to Believe in Themselves to Have Success
interview with cinematographer Brad Rushing
A sign at a casting office:
Just Breathe
May 23, 2013
by Kali Meister
The benefits of proper breathing are astounding. The most common effect is the release of toxins, but also, proper breathing massages your internal organs, relieves tension, eases pain, increases muscle mass, improves posture and blood flow, aids in digestion, strengthens the heart, improves cell regeneration, assists in weight control, boosts energy levels and stamina, and brings so many other health benefits.
In this article, an actor shares her unique experience with Audition Psych 101.
A Gap You Can't See
January 1, 2013
The Reflective Artist
The day after my father’s funeral, I learned a monologue. This was not a reaction to the event, not done as something to take my mind away from the grief . . . This was a professional requirement: the week after this major life event, I was scheduled to be seen at my first audition after just over a four month gap.
A Quote from George Clooney
(having now sat on the other side of that couch) the producers and the director and the writers are all going ‘God. I hope this person is the savior. I hope this person does it right.’ Every time you go on an audition, you’re gambling with house money. From the minute you walk in—you don’t have the job—to the minute you walk out—you don’t have the job—nothing is different. The only thing that could be different is you get the job. Period. And if you think of it that way, then you will take off all the pressure and you will just go into it going, ‘Worst thing that could possibly happen on this audition is I don’t get a job that I don’t already have.’ And once you take that out and do it, I promise you, auditioning is a very different [experience].”
—George Clooney on Inside the Actors’ Studio
"Actors tend to get in their own way a lot. A lot of times you will do things that will screw up your auditioning process. I loved auditioning, but I was very bad at it for a long period of time. And part of it was because every time I went in on an audition I thought, 'God. I just hope these guys like me' or 'God. I hope I don't screw this up.' And the truth is
An Actor’s Dilemma
Bobby Steggert, Broadway,
film, and TV actor
I ask myself why in the world I choose live performance as a career on, perhaps, a daily basis. It depends on when, as to the vote for or against such a peculiar vocation.
“Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend.”
an excerpt from Yes, Please by Amy Peohler
Here’s the thing. Your career won’t take care of you. It won’t call you back or introduce you to its parents. Your career will openly flirt with other people while you are around. It will forget your birthday and wreck your car . . .
How to Book Work Now!
by Risa Bramon García and Steve Braun
Pilot Season. Are you over it yet? Either you’ve been auditioning like crazy and are up to your eyeballs in “sides” and traffic on the 405 or you're watching the party from the outside and struggling...
SAG-AFTRA Warns Members About Casting Workshop “Scams”
Casting workshops that charge actors a fee to be seen by casting directors are a “scam,” SAG-AFTRA says, and might violate California’s pay-to-play law that prohibits employers or their representatives from taking money from job seekers.
How to Love Auditioning
by Karen Kohlhaas
The Art and the Audition
Anyone who watches auditions regularly will tell you: 10 percent or less—some even say one percent—of the actors they see look like they’re having a good time . . .
21 Things that Make Casting Directors Happy in the Audition Room
by Risa Bramon García
Casting directors are
your advocates and
your champions . . . We want to share in your excellent work.
The Truth About Casting Will Set You Free.
"The casting process is a mystery to most actors. Why one actor gets cast over another is something we all ask ourselves. The bad part is that this question can result in never ending answers."
Commencement speech by writer Neil Gaiman:
"Make Good Art"
Neil Gaiman - Inspirational Commencement Speech at the University of the Arts 2012
Actors really are more emotionally unstable than the rest of us.
"A psychology study comparing 214 professional actors to a cohort of non-acting North Americans has in fact found significantly higher rates of disordered personality traits in the thespians." Link to article.
"How do you maintain your identity when you're not working in the arts?"
Struggling with your identity is one of the toughest things for freelances to deal with
– especially in those times when work is scarce. Actors and others in the entertainment business feel validated when they’re in work – when that magic ingredient called success is in their lives.
The Secret of Effective Motivation
by Amy Wrzesniewski and Barry Schwartz
April 30, 2015 link to article
There are two kinds of motive for engaging
in any activity: internal and instrumental.
"At this very moment your head is conspiring against you. It’s having secret meetings in undisclosed locations designed to map out your epic downfall . . . Why is your head interested in your destruction you ask? . . . You have an audition tomorrow."