5 Things Actors Should Know About Walking Into an In-Person Audition
Drawn from what is actually said on camera, so you can decide whether to
spend the 2:37 watching it.
Bring a script that looks worked on
A clean, crisp page tells him you have not done much with it. He wants paper that is crumpled, highlighted and written all over. Even if you have to fake it a little, make it look like the text has lived in your hand.
Some actors are interesting while talking and do less while the reader speaks. In an emotional scene he needs something to cut to on your listening, to keep the shot moving. If you give nothing there, someone else will. Acting is reacting.
On a soap you spend far more time waiting than filming
Hollyoaks might shoot six or seven minutes a day across a 10 to 12 hour day on set. So he wants someone easygoing, professional, courteous and honest, a bit of a laugh but not too much, who can read the room.
The vibe always comes last for him. If you are quiet but excellent at the job, he is fine with you taking yourself off between takes, as long as you come on set and deliver.
What, as a director, are you looking for that makes them stand out, mate? First of all, I don't like a clean, crisp piece of paper. If you're bringing in a clean, crisp piece of paper, I'm not that bothered about that because it feels like you haven't really done anything with it. I like a crumpled bit of thing that's got writing all over it, it's highlighted, that's been in your hand, that you've worked. Even if you have to just give it a little bit of that and kid it to me, I don't care. Just make it look like you've been working on that text and that thing's been in your hand and it's noted because then it's just like, alright, okay, you're studying, you're doing it, you're working through the text. I also like you to, obviously, do all the tick-boxy stuff. Natural, empowered, focused, all that sort of stuff. You know, the things that you'd expect. Good acting. I also look for what you're doing on the off-lines and that sometimes can kind of expose a few actors because they'll do some really interesting stuff when they're talking but when they're listening to the reader, they're doing less. And the reason why I'm looking for what you're doing on the off-lines is I'm thinking, well, I'm not always going to be on you when you're speaking and if it's an emotional part or you're reading opposite an emotional part, I'm like, I need something to cut into for whatever reason. Like, you know, to keep the composition moving or to get around something or whatever. And if you're not offering anything on the off-lines, then that might be something that somebody else is doing. You know, you might be reading really well but not reacting very well. And acting is reacting. So, I look for that. I go, how are you reacting? And then if you're in the room with me and you can act really well and you're reacting really well and you've worked on your text and stuff, then it's like a vibe. You just need to get a good vibe from you. It's like, am I getting your personality coming across? Are you relaxed enough to just talk to me and engage with me? I like to think I'm not difficult to talk to. If anything, I talk too much. But I like to think I'm not a difficult person and I try not to have status because I just think the status in the room is the script for me. We're all working for the text. We're all working for the scene. So, let's all make the scene. And if you can make the scene better, then that's going to make me look better as well. I just need to get a good vibe from you and just go, you're filming less than you're not. When we're making Hollyoaks, we might be making six to seven minutes a day, but we're on set 10, 12 hours. So, there's a lot of time that you're not filming what you like, you know? And if you're just easygoing, good fun, professional, well-mannered, courteous, kind, respectful, honest, bit of a laugh, but not too much, you know, all that sort of stuff, read the room. And if you can read the room and have a nice time and we can have a nice conversation and stuff and I just get a good vibe from you and you can do all of the above, it always comes last for me, the vibe. If you're not great at banter and all that kind of stuff, don't worry. If you're ace at the job, I'll be like, it's all right if you're quiet. If you want to go and take yourself off, go and do your thing. Fine, as long as you are cool with just coming on set and just smashing it, then come on set and smash it. I'm not bothered.
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