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To day we're tackling one of these

sneakiest acting problems on this

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earth, one that has taken down even the

most talented people,

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one that shows up at the worst possible

time, usually right when you hit record.

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We're talking about

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overthinking,

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you know, that mental spiral where

suddenly your brain is narrating your

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audition like it's doing play by play

commentary during the super bowl.

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Here comes the second line.

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Careful, careful.

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Don't mess this up.

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Oof.

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Eyebrow.

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Twitch.

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Bad.

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reset, reset.

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Overthinking is the enemy of presence,

the enemy of impulse, the enemy of surprise.

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It's like having a backseat driver take

over your brain while you're trying to

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actually drive the car.

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So let me ask you a question.

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When you are really living in a moment,

I mean, like, really living it.

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Do you think about it while you're in

it?

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No, no.

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You just live it.

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You notice the other person, you feel

the emotion.

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You react like a human, not like a

student trying to pass a final exam.

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That's the shift we're going to make

today, from thinking the moment to

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owning the moment.

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This is casting actor's caste.

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Well, hello, and welcome to today's

episode of casting actor's caste I'm

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casting director Geoffrey driesbach,

I'm a teacher, a former actor as well

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as an author of a couple of books on

acting.

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It's really great having you here

today.

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Welcome to this particular episode.

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I think you're going to get a lot out

of it.

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But first, this is that moment of the

conversation where I get to say thank

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you for tuning in to casting actors.

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Cast.

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It's been a pleasure bringing you these

patios, these podcast videos.

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You can watch me on YouTube actually do

the podcast.

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So if you like the visual of that, you

know, not too shabby.

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Why don't you give that a try as well.

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If you're listening on the Broadway

podcast network, it's a real pleasure

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to be part of this really wonderful

organization.

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Do check out some of the other

offerings on the Broadway podcast

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network.

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I think you're going to find all kinds

of stuff that might be really just fun

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for you to check out.

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Also, I just wanted to say, please take

a look at the website, if you would,

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it's casting actor's cast all one word,

dot com, casting actress, cast dotcom.

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You're going to find a course that's

available.

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And my new book is out also.

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There's a form that says dive into the

talent pool.

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If you do that that's just going to

open up some free bees for you.

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Absolutely free as a book.

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I'm doing voice over work as well as a

video called casting secrets.

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What they don't tell you,

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finally, there's jeff's jots.

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Now that's the corresponding blog on

the website that corresponds to each of

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the episodes.

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They're actually the notes that I make

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when I put these episodes together.

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So you can literally have a kind of a

cheat sheet, kind of something that

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becomes an excellent reference for the

future, if you like.

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Those are downloadable,

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absolutely free.

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I guess what I'm trying to do over

these past several years, and getting

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close to 400 episodes of the podcast,

is I just try to get

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a group of actors to feel more

comfortable and more confident and to

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understand the workings of what's going

on in the industry, both in the

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psychological terms for actors, but

also literally in the business of the business.

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And in that way,

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you might feel more comfortable, you

might feel

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more alive, you might feel

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that you belong.

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And that's exactly what I'm hoping

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happens.

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So continue to listen, please.

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And finally, if you don't mind, give me

a, like, a share of thumbs up.

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Every view would be great.

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By the way, there's a form that I said,

you can leave me a note.

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I've gotten all kinds of really nice

notes and wonderful feedback from many,

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many actors.

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So if you would be so inclined, if you

get something out of the episode,

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please let me know.

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By doing that and going to casting

actress cast dot com.

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I think that's everything.

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Thank you for letting me do that.

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Let's talk.

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When we talk about

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the moments that we're talking about,

we need to talk about the psychological

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aspect, the psychological truth.

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First of that,

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the reality is that your brain wants

control.

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So it's wired for survival, it's

constantly

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scanning for danger and mistakes

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and auditions.

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They feel like danger.

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So what does the brain do?

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It overfunctions,

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it takes over,

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it micromanages.

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But you have to understand that acting

happens in your body, in your breath,

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in your heart.

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Thinking is preparation.

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Feeling and responding

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is the work.

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So

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being in the moment becomes so

important.

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But how do you shut off that mental

commentator?

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How do you do it?

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Guess what?

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You don't.

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Sorry,

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you simply make it less important.

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You make it irrelevant.

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You override it by having a very clear,

clean, objective.

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Now, what do I want from the other

person is a great question that you

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ask.

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What does your character want from the

other character?

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Here's another one.

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How does what they say

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change me

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when you ask that in question?

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Internally?

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In other words, you're replacing your

inner monologue

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with an interesting dialogue.

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Here's another one, what do I do

because of that,

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because of the situation I find myself?

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Those are actionable

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questions, you see.

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They take you out of self evaluation

and into story telling

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that's key

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here's another helpful truth.

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I think

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your impulses are smarter

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than your plans.

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See, every actor has experienced that

moment.

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When something happens you didn't

expect.

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Do you remember those moments?

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It's like.

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It could be like a laugh

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or a pause or a painful shift.

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And guess what?

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Suddenly the scene becomes alive.

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That is what we're chasing.

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Not the perfectly mapped out, pre

approved performance,

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but the living one.

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All right, so let's go deeper.

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What causes overthinking?

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For actors,

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you wonder that

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fear being wrong,

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fear of being judged,

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fear of being boring fear of looking

stupid.

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Fear of not booking fear.

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it's loud.

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And fear makes you think instead of do.

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But guess what,

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the only wrong choice is the choice

you're afraid to commit to.

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I would like to offer a simple technique

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before you start a tape, or you walk

into a room, say this out loud.

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I am here to tell the truth,

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not to be perfect.

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When you do that, it frees your nervous

system.

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This restores your breath, this invites

humanity.

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Now let's just take a quick look at how

overthinking physically shows up.

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We're going to tackle that right after

this.

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Welcome back.

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So when overthinking, how does that

show up?

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What is it manifests itself

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to be well?

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You hold your breath,

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your eyes dart,

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your shoulders tense up, you disconnect

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from the other person.

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You go faster than the scene's rhythm.

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And when that starts happening,

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and it will

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ask one question,

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what did the character just make me

feel?

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Not?

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How did I do

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not?

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Are they impressed?

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Not?

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Did I blink too much?

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What does this moment do to me?

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See that question automatically puts

you back into presence.

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I have a truth bomb for you.

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Acting is reacting.

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You've heard that, right?

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requires listening.

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Listening requires relaxation.

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trust.

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And trust

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requires

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knowing who you are as an artist.

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You are not here to show something.

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You are here to reveal something.

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That means the moment isn't happening

inside your head.

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It's happening between you and the

other actor in a scene.

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I want you to try this.

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I want you to pick a single, simple,

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playable action for your audition, your

next audition, whether it's a self

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tape, whether it's live or even a call

back.

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Not ten.

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I don't want you to do ten things.

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I want you to do simply one thing.

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I need you to confess.

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I need you to stay.

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I need you to love me.

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I need you to notice me.

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I need you to tell me the truth.

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Pick any one of those

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and guess what that is.

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Your anchor,

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everything else becomes instinct.

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So when you do that,

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your focus now shifts to being present,

shifts to being in the moment.

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That means that you're allowing other

things to happen.

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Now this isn't a shorthand version of

preparing the work, it isn't.

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It is really indulging the work in all

kinds of different aspects by playing

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the what if scenario?

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What if my character is feeling this?

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What if my character was feeling

something else?

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The reality is that when you do your

work first,

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then you go ahead and pick one of those

questions.

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What do I want from this person?

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What does this person want from me?

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That

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becomes something that frees you up?

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That's when those really spontaneous,

interesting moments take place.

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I just made you a lot of money right

now, because that was great advice.

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Now, listen let's stock, some bravery.

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When I talk about owning the moment,

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please understand that when you own the

moment that's brave.

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It means that you're taking risks,

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that you're risking literally

everything.

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It means letting go of the illusion of

control.

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It means trusting that your training

lives in your boat bones and will come

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through when needed.

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So I want you to think of your most

memorable performance, whether it was

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on stage or in class,

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wherever.

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I guarantee those moments felt like

flying,

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not like thinking.

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What if every audition could feel like

flying?

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What?

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Yeah?

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Guess what?

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It can

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when you stop over thinking and start

owning.

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When you stop policing yourself and

start participating,

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when you stop needing the moment to go

a certain way and start letting it unfold.

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However it does.

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I want you to hear this.

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You do not need to earn the right to be

yourself

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in the scene.

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You already have that right.

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So tell the truth.

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Trust your instincts.

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Be discoverable.

263

00:12:41,227 --> 00:12:42,362

Let the scene change.

264

00:12:42,595 --> 00:12:44,164

You be alive.

265

00:12:44,998 --> 00:12:45,865

That is how you.

266

00:12:45,932 --> 00:12:46,866

Book rolls

267

00:12:47,801 --> 00:12:49,436

simply be present.

268

00:12:51,671 --> 00:12:52,305

Cool.

269

00:12:53,473 --> 00:12:56,509

Thank you so much for choosing to be

present with me to day.

270

00:12:56,910 --> 00:12:58,712

Thank you for your bravery.

271

00:12:58,978 --> 00:13:01,948

I believe in your ability to show up

with confidence and curiosity.

272

00:13:02,749 --> 00:13:05,885

And I cannot wait to see you owning the

moment.

273

00:13:06,186 --> 00:13:07,187

Not survive it.

274

00:13:07,787 --> 00:13:09,389

Prepare smarter, act better.

275

00:13:09,556 --> 00:13:09,956

Book more.

276

00:13:10,423 --> 00:13:11,157

I'm Jeff driesback.

277

00:13:11,624 --> 00:13:14,894

I'll see you next time casting actor's

castle