For some it is the most intimidating and sterile environment to work in.  Other love the pressure cooker feel.  I love it because I get to act in a professional setting.  To add complexity there is a camera as well.  Now what?  These thoughts race through your head  “I better be good.  I better be intense”.  You end up blowing your performance all over the room and it looks like crap on camera.

You have to be on camera to understand the camera.  I was just teaching a workshop in Europe.  It was a really awesome experience.  Other instructors brought their expertise and we shared ideas and thoughts.  Very good time had by all.  The major difference between what I taught and the other classes is that mine was based on the camera.  The camera is very objective.  The camera doesn’t have an opinion, it just records what is in front of it.  Most theater acting classes are experienced subjectively.  How did I feel? What was it I experienced? Etc.  What I focus on is the transferring of  that technique to a marketable performance.  So that you can end up acting in a film or TV.

You have to get up and get in front of the camera.  If you go to freeactingtips.net and sign up, you can see a bunch of free acting tutorials.  These will give you a foundation. A bit of information to operate off of.  They are for you to reference. They are not going to make you an actor.  No sooner would fight tutorials make you a fighter.  You have to simply get out there and do it.  The camera has a very specific set of factors.  It only see’s what you want it to see.  The human eye see things in a 270 degree view, which is very different than the camera.  Most people own a camera of some sorts.  It may be in your phone, your parents have one etc.  What ever it is, you need to start acting in front of it.  You have to start to see what the camera see’s.  Find out the difference of what a medium shot does compared to a close up.  How big does your performance need to be?  How much is too much?  Too little.  Watch your favorite movie with the sound off.  Watch the shot sizes.  See what the actor is doing in that shot.  Find the same script on line and do your own version of it.  Review and see what happens.

Ultimately you need to train with a professional at the professional level if that is what you want to be.  You will have to move to the nearest market.  United States is Hollywood or New York.  Canada is Vancouver or Toronto.  England is London.  If you want to be an actor, go for it!

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Simon Longmore

As a character moves through a film or play he encounters obstacles.  Each one of those obstacles has to be a greater challenge from the one before.  As he overcomes the obstacle he reveals who he truly is.  Can you see where I am going with this?  So let me use a film as an example. Something popular, something that hopefully everyone has seen.  How about Star Wars.

Luke Skywalker at 1st is a reluctant hero.  He is a happy farm boy living out his existence with his family.  Then he buys R2D2 and the recording of Princess Leah propels him into action.  His family is killed and then he teams up with Han Solo.  As the film goes on Luke has to encounter bigger and bigger obstacles.  Now this is a major component to the concept of Character.  If he met Darth Vader and chose to avoid him.  To not challenge his evilness.  Then the movie would stop.  Instead Luke takes up arms against Vader and his evil empire.

So as you see Luke reveals who he truly is as the film goes along.  As each obstacle gets greater and greater, Luke has to dig deeper inside himself.  Thus revealing his true character.  So as you see obstacles reveal who you really are.  The greater the obstacle the greater the reveal.  Now what happens if you don’t over come the obstacle?  Nothing. Yep you got it, nothing happens.  The story just stops.  The movie just stalls and does not move.  Sound a little like life?

My next question is this:  Are you stuck in your life?  Are you stuck in your career?  Then what is it that you are not overcoming?  Have some time to reflect on that.  Then maybe you can reveal who you truly are.

Simon Longmore

www.simonlongmore.com

freeactingtips.net

Being fake in acting is not what people are after.  What we are looking for is reality.  We want to see real emotions, real actions, real risk.  That is why we watch movies, plays, etc.  So that our lives can be entertained by the most exciting days of the characters life.  If you listen it will elicit genuine emotion.

When actors try and compensate for listening we lose all connection to that actor.  The actor may think that he is not interesting enough.  You are!  He is!!  As an actor you have to learn to trust this.  You have to trust it so much that there will be no tension of any kind in your body.  Now don’t go to the other extreme and do nothing.  Make no choices and just whisper the lines back and forth.  That is just as bad but in another direction.

Know your caharcters perspective and your response will come naturally.  Listen and be genuine and a genuine response will come.  Being an actor is a difficult job.  It is fun and rewarding.  If you trust in the camera, the script, etc.  The things we see, the things you do, will often be more interesting than what you say.  You have to listen and do so.  It’ll make the difference in your next performance.

Her students would be trying to get the best actors for their film projects.  They audition, they cast, they trust the system to which is in place.  For the most part it works.  Every once in a while, the system fails.  Especially if you have a limited draw and time.  You get a stinker of an actor in the picture.

Now I have done my fair share of crappy acting.  I ‘ll be the first to admit it. We all have to learn and grow as artists.  The student film is exactly that.  Students working together for a common goal: To learn.  Unfortuntly when an actor does poorly it is so painful to watch.  They will try and edit out as much of your stuff as possible.  They will try and cut away from you.  Sometimes edit you right out of the picture.  The worst is when it is recast and reshot.  That really sucks.  Then again it was your acting that sucked in the first place.

The whole point i am trying to make is: if you don’t get cast in that part, move on.  It may have been you acting, it may be your look, it may be that you are just not the right type.  The filmmaker is just trying to make the best product possible.  Don’t take it persoanlly.  Just move on.

Simon Longmore

vadastudios.com

freeactingtips.net

Being located in Vancouver, British Columbia we get a lot of shows up here, a lot of U.S. based productions.  Which means that most of the leads are cast in the U.S. and the locals audition for the supporting roles.  It’s good work if you can get it.  This was just such the case on this show.  This particular pilot, if picked up, is going to be shot in New York.  A lot of the show was already cast and I got an opportunity to audition for one the Guest Star roles.

When I first auditioned for the role, it was rather uneventful.  I made my choices, did my thing, and left the audition room with little more than a nod from the casting director.  I left it in the hands of the acting gods.  About a week later I got a call back, the only problem was that it was the same day and I was already on set shooting a commercial.   ACTING GODS!!!!  Of course!! I would already be shooting something on the day that they give me no notice for the call back.  Here is where it gets good.

My Agent calls the Casting Director explains I am on set, sets the last time slot available for the day.  Casting Director gives the Director the heads up.  Agent tells me there are more sides.  I call my office, get my assistant to go into my email and print them off.  She then grabs my costume (a shirt), and another resume, head shot, new sides and comes to location I am shooting at.  Now I approach the Director of the commercial and explain the situation. They tell me “they will see what they can do”.   Since I was the lead in the commercial the chances of me being wrapped by 6:30 was slim.  I called upon the ACTING GODS to work in my favor.  In between takes I worked on the new pages of my call back.  The commercial shot all my scene’s first and released me.   I raced across town running my lines and red lights to make it to the audition.  I made it to the room and “they” were waiting for me.  A quick breath to ground myself, the Casting Director gives me that reasuring nod and it’s on.

I book it.

Couple days later I am in wardrobe and shooting some of the scenes with the leads.  Amazing actors, a great script, Directors amazing. You know why he won an Emmy for his previous work.  Long hours grind into the wee hours of the morning.  Crew and Cast being released at 6 am after being there for 16-17 hours.  Working all through the night messes you up. You can’t even work the next day.  Non the less you grind it out, because you love it, because you want the show to be picked up, even if it shoots in NYC.

Two and half weeks later it’s done shooting.  Now they edit, they pitch, they hope it gets picked up. I call upon the ACTING GODS one more time.  A pilot is a pilot.  They shoot so many TV pilots each year.  Hardly any turn into shows.  Even fewer go a season or two.  To make it to the top in this business takes a lot of persistence.  Lots of it.  You have to keep grinding away at it.  Until you pop!  Then again I love acting so it’s not really a grind. It’s my passion.  The years of hard work lined up this time.  I hope it will continue.

Simon Longmore

freeactingtips.net

vadastudios.com

What are the odds of you getting a commercial?  It’s tough to say.  Some people, who I know personally, do anywhere from 12-18 commercials a year.  They just have that X-factor.  Also they are non-union.  I personally get a commercial every two years or so.  That makes my stats about 1-30/40 auditions to get a booking.  Other people get 1 in 10.  It varies from actor to actor.  Now in Film and T.V. I won’t go no more than 10 auditions before I book something.  Sometimes it’s as low as 1 in 4.    However I digress.

Auditioning for commercials.  Yes we all do it.  Why?  I have studied acting for years.  I mean that, I have spent something like 17 years in classes.  On and off, full-time and part time.  I have studied Shakespeare, voice, text analysis, character etc.  Does anyone care?  No, not really.  Commercials are like speed dating, you go in, ya do it,  you might get a second date.  If your lucky….well you get lucky!

That elusive booking, why is it so appealing?  Money, money,money! If you are lucky enough to get a campaign, you can strike it rich.  How much money do you think the Version guy has made?  You know the dark haired fellow with the Buddy Holly style glasses.  “Can you hear me now?”.  That guy has made lots of money, especially since those are US commercials.  In the US they residule payments are far greater than in Canada.  Why?  Canada has a population of about 33 million people.  Which is the same as the state of California.  US has about 330 million people living there. That is why you get bigger paycheques.  I did a US regional for Cox Communications and I got cheque that amounted to over $10,000.  That is not bad for 1 day work huh?  In Canada I would have gotten $1,200 for a 12 week run on a national commercial.  It’s just the way it is.

In summary I had an audition for a commercial yesterday.  I got a call back!  Yeah!  I am auditioning for a character who is wearing a leotard.  Yep a 1 piece leotard.  I can’t help but think of a line from the movie Tropic Thunder.  The part were Robert Downey is talking to Ben Stiller.  “No one goes full Leotard”.

Simon Longmore

freeactingtips.net

vadastudios.com

Well at the audition you can pretty much wear whatever you want.  It’s once you have booked the gig that this article is about.  Last week I shot a commercial.  Of course there was a wardrobe fitting.  I was playing a boxer.  During the conversation prior to the fitting.  The wardrobe person was asking all the regular questions.  Height, hair color, shoe size etc.  Just before I hung up he asked me, in a very awkward way, if I could bring some brief’s.  My response was “huh?”. He went on to expand on the point that being a boxer I was going to be getting knocked down…..baggy shorts…..don’t want anything coming out etc.  I was perplexed that he even had to mention such an obvious warning.  So I dug a little deeper.  I said “of course I’ll wear underwear, I am wearing a costume right?”.  During our converstation he told me that it wasn’t uncommon now a days that people go “commando” or “sans le’ underwear”. I understand if you don’t want to wear your gonch, gitch, undies, whatever you call it.  You are however wearing a costume, which will most likley, be worn by another actor later on.  To which someone else might have worn already.  Eeeeeeeewww!

There was much discussion about this.   I found that it was absolutely astounding to hear that people would, have and do this with uncommon regularity.  Actors would just come in drop their gear and change wherever.  Not caring if anyone was looking or not.  Now if you think a body is a beautiful thing, so do I.  If you are proud of your body and are uninhibited then great.  But that does not give you license to drop your gear and have your junk exposed while on set.  It is not cool.  I think that actors who do this are a little off side.  The reason being is that this is not the nudist beach.  This is a work space.  This is a professional environment where there are clients, advertisers, producers, crew, and maybe even kids.  To drop your drawers, male or female, in the middle of the work place is uncool.  You need to know, that if you do that, you may make other people uncomfortable.  I, possibly could be one, the wardrobe person another, and any number of people who are at the fitting to approve the costume.  Show some respect to your fellow workers.  Wear underwear when you go to set.  If you don’t have any, go buy some.  Gonch is “in” when you make movies.

Simon Longmore

Freeactingtips.net

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Which is exactly what I did. I played it on the nose, a predictable audition, that was safe. After I was done, I chatted with the casting director about how…boring it was. The directors who she works with, often tell here there is not enough layers to the performances. The acting is too on the nose, to predictable.

So here lies the difficulty as an actor. Through my journey as an actor, a reader in the audition room, the artistic director of my school. I have seen countless auditions. I have personally auditioned so many times that it would be impossible to count. I have tried different actions, performances, tactics etc. I have blown my fair share of auditions by trying to be too interesting. I am also confident that I have blown my fair share by being too safe as well. So in chatting with the casting director we discovered that there is a fine line that needs to be walked. The predictable lawyer part has to be done to a certain expectation. How much room do you, the actor, have for creativity? The answer is…not much.

You still have to work in the realm of believability. You cannot go over the top and in film and TV the ceiling is very low. We did another audition. This one I was more condescending, smarmy and gross. However I still had the predictable quality. Afterwards she was much happier with the second performance.

The casting director wants me to get the part. She was there to help me, give me direction and get the casting session over as soon as possible. What I have concluded is that getting in communication with the casting director is an important part of the audition process. Don’t go over board with this. Just remember that you can ask for guidance if you need it.

Simon Longmore
freeactingtips.net
vadastudios.com

Now some 20 plus years later what I had dreamed of is not what my Acting Career looks like.  In some areas it’s better than imagined other not so.  What is success? How do you measure that?  And who does the measuring?  Success is a just a word.  It is vague and general and doesn’t provide any real insight into it’s implied meaning.

I took a diving lesson in Mexico over Christmas.  It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it very much.  The  following day we went diving in the bay of Puerto Vallarta.  The dive was amazing.  The reason I bring this up is the dive instructor.  He was basically teaching tourists to dive and in some circles he maybe seen as successful.  Is this what he dreamed of while he lay in his bed at night.  Teaching tourists how to dive?  Most likley not.  He probably dreamed of being an ocean explorer discovering old wrecks.  Finding the lost city of Atlantis and stumbeling upon a Pirates gold chest.  Yet he teaches toursits diving and seemed to be happy with that.

In acting you have to set yourself up to win.  That means finding yourself some sort of job that permits you to go to auditions, rehearsals and classes.  Oh and pay your bills.  If working at the local bank is your idea of this, I don’t think it is going to be successful.  There’s that word again! A common job is bartender or waiting tables.  It’s good money and it’s flexible.  You might also come across other actors and artists as well.  Another angle to look at is a contractor.  This is one of the best one’s out there and so commonly over looked.  I know actors who have there own Painting, Landscaping, and Computer Companies.  It gives them the opportunity to take time off from work to do all the things you need to support yourself in acting.

Success in Acting is very personal and elusive.  To be honest I don’t know anyone who is satisfied with there current condition in acting.  Which is a good thing.  Acting is an insatiable thing.  You always want more.  Even when you have done a long run of a show.  You’ll take a break and want to get back at it.  That is if your a junkie like me.  You’ll almost always want to take it to the next level.  The next show, the next movie, the next series etc.

What does Acting really look like?  I am not sure.  It’s something you do at the end of it all.  That is something that you look at through a retrospective lens.  Once it’s all said and done.  When you are old and gray you can tell your Grandchildren….Acting is this…..

Simon Longmore

Freeactingtips.net

vadastudios.com

Acting is a crazy business.  It has rules for this, rules for that.  Do this, don’t do that.  Everyone knows you should be “this way”.  Or my all time favorite is “everyone hates it when you….” . Nothing could be further from the truth.  Truth is what we are after in acting, so we should never stray from that.

This tactic of telling the actor to beware his mistake, focus on what not to do.  Zone in on what he shouldn’t be doing.  Concentrate on what people do as mistakes.  Is probably the worst mistake anyone coach could tell you.  Of course there are things that are common sense, and of course common sense is not that common at times.  But you should never really focus on what you shouldn’t do.  That just makes you rigid, stiff and flat.

You should solely focus on your objective.  What is it I need from the other person?  What and I going to do to get that objective met?  What is preventing me from getting that objective?  Focus on creating the environment, use a sense memory.  That technique is there to help aid you in having focus on something outside of yourself.  Something other than being self-conscious.  Something other than what not to do.  Teaching someone what not to do is just putting stops up one after another.

I have seen students ask me the simplest of questions.  But in asking the question it becomes so complex and involved.  WHY?  Well that is because the answers that we come up with have to be authorized by the authority in the classroom.  That is simply because of the with-drawl of approval, threat of judgement etc.

What you shouldn’t do in acting is focus on what not to do, but to focus on what to do!

Simon Longmore

freeactingtips.net

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