Let me be clear, I’m no expert. If you’re looking for expert advice, look elsewhere. What I am is someone who studies a lot, reads books, attends workshops, takes classes, and learns from the experts. I’m someone who is in the trenches, grinding away, sharing my experiences and perhaps a few tidbits of helpful knowledge I pick up along the way. Which is what brings me to this topic; K is for Knowledge.
I sat in on a call this morning with a well-known and respected casting director. One of the things she emphasized is KNOWING. Aside from the important character and scene work you must do, it’s important to educate yourself about the project. Do your research before every audition, whether self-taped or in-the-room.
You must know
Who the director is
What else the director has directed
Who the writer is
What else the writer has written
Who your audience is
The tone and pace of the project
The major players
It's our jobs to make casting directors look good. The more research we do, the better we look, and the better we look, the better they look. And if everything aligns, we may just book the job, which is the ultimate goal.
This A-Z challenge is one of the things I’m doing to keep my creative muscles active during this time of forced isolation, so it’s a bit self-indulgent. I get that. But if you’ve taken the time to read any of my posts, I’d like to think there’s something in it for you, too. So please let me know if there’s anything you want me to write about.