Feature film, First World War, tanks, mud…zis should be interesting, ja?
New Year, New Part
Throw Backeth Thursday: A nutty blast from the past
This was such a crazy audition: one day my agent sends over a casting invitation and I’m so chuffed to have an audition, as usual, until I notice the character is Henry VIII – the older, more familiar version. I’m a bit of a lanky beanpole and I just sit there thinking, well, this’ll be a waste of time.
However, I decide I’ve got nothing to lose and end up doing something a little outlandish – I fully dress up for the audition. I use cardboard and bubble-wrap to create American-football-style shoulder pads on top of a puffy jacket and dress it all up with curtains and sparkling fabrics – the volume is impressive. I even grab some elegant white leggings from Primarny and stuff cotton wool into my cheeks to fill out my face. To give a little more context, dressing up like this is generally not encouraged and is considered a little unprofessional. It can also look silly VERY easily. With regard to costume, best practice is to give a hint of the character and concentrate on the performance.
I think the casting director was a little confused when I asked if there was a changing room at the audition location; when I stepped into the room he was genuinely taken aback, but then grinned and said, “10 Out of 10 for preparation”.
To my delight, I was invited back for the recall. This time there was a whole crew of people in the room, including the director, Daniel Kleinman (creator of many superb James Bond title sequences and brillianty funny commercials). Again, I wore the full costume, but this time I entered in character and stayed that way, treating everyone in the room, who would be deciding my casting fate, with absolute contempt. It was simply delicious. Of course, I came back down to Earth once the acting part of the audition was over – I observed all the usual pleasantries and when my skirt (yep, my curtain-skirt) started slipping off, I quickly made my exit.
Long story short, I booked the job and had an excellent time in an amazing costume, riding horses, shooting arrows and meeting all sorts of fascinating filmy folk. An interesting bit of trivia: the cloak I’m wearing in this commercial was one of a series originally created for Eric Bana in The Other Boleyn Girl – because this one never appears in the film, we were allowed to use it.
Equity vs. Spotlight: let the Tax On Hope drama unfold
Finally, the British performers’ union, Equity, is lobbying against Spotlight – its high subscription fees and the laws that protect this money making casting monopoly.
“In the UK, the practice of charging work seekers to join a directory such as Spotlight is illegal in most sectors, but the performing arts and entertainment industries are expressly exempted from this law.”
Find all the key points in the original Equity article.
Reckon we’re in for the usual corporate ploys – the old definition-dodge and semantic-swing. The question is: how far will our Equity fees take this little drama – to the moon 🚀?
Auditions pile up ’23
My first audition of 2023 raced in as the year sped off and I thought: Here we go – let’s get this show on the road! Then three jobbing months limped by.
It’s been a stuttering start, crawling off the back-fire of the last three years. I won’t lie – my engine has taken a knock and I struggled to get up to speed ahead of the second of this year’s starting grids. Yep, that’s a grand total of two auditions in the last four months! From what I’m hearing, many of us are seeing ignition failure in the casting department this year. It’s depressingly quiet. The turbos are far from boosting.
Auto analogies aside, both of my auditions have surprisingly been of the face-to-face variety – unusual with the current trend towards self-tapes where you film and edit your own audition remotely. Both systems have pros and cons. I find being in the room, able to ask questions and take direction useful – especially when the actual director is present.
This latest audition was a commercial casting where actors are grouped in a variety of combinations, then held a while longer to play the scene again in a different group and so on – unlike the common two-minute, hit-and-run type.
I’m pretty certain I was kept for over an hour by mistake – honestly didn’t feel I was firing on all cylinders. Regardless, staying longer does give one the feeling of being in the running, a little boost to the confidence: you’re still a contender. It also doesn’t take long for a room of actors to spark up conversation. Simply sitting amongst the actory chit-chat, a sense of connectedness and belonging starts to seep into those parts that are feeling the grind – some good, clean oil to smooth the ride…
Onwards and upwards.
Jeffrey Mundell 