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Welcome to casting actor's cash, where

we turn good intentions into great auditions.

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I'm Geoffrey driesbach, casting

director teacher, and today your guide

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through one of my favorite acting

truths.

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Stop trying to be good,

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be specific.

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Well, hello, and welcome to casting

actress Cass, the podcast for actors.

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I'm Jeffrey Dreisbach.

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I'm a casing director, I'm a teacher,

I'm an author.

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I'm all kinds of weird stuff.

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Welcome to the episode.

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I'm merely looking forward to sharing

this information with you.

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I think you're going to have a really

good time understanding

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what it is

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to not be specific in the choices when

you audition.

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Um.

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But first, this is that moment of the

podcast where I get to say, thank you

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for tuning into casting actress.

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Gas, please, if you have any questions,

please, you can write me a letter.

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The way that you do that, you can send

me a note.

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You can email me.

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It's really easy to do.

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Casting actress cast at Gmail dot com

is the email address, but my website is

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also a place that has a form that you

can fill in and ask me any questions.

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That's casting actor's cast, all one

word, dot com.

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If you do that, you can also find some

freebies on the website,

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a book on doing voice over work.

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Your loss will see an absolutely free

video called casting secrets.

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What they don't tell you, also

available is my course, the audition

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course, which is doing really well.

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And I'm really excited that it's now

available for you as well as my book

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called booked It, the actor's play book

for getting cast.

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You'll find that also in an audio book

format.

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So all kinds of stuff going on.

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And we're busy.

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Our office is continuing to work on

several feature films at the same time.

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And we're gearing up for some of the

theatre things that are going to be

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happening in the spring.

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So it's been an exciting time.

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And I just want to welcome you and

thank you very much for being here.

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Also, my shout out to my good friends

at actress connection, actor's

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connection dotcomslash, New York.

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So let's just talk about the trap of

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being good.

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You know, I heard that from an actor in

a class.

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I said, well, really?

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What do you want?

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And the actresses, I just want to be

good.

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See let's face it, actors are

perfectionists.

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You want to be good.

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You did?

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You want validation?

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You want to walk out thinking that was

solid.

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I nailed it.

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But here's the thing,

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surprise,

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good

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is boring.

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Yeah, you heard me write.

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Being good is kind of boring.

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It's vague,

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it's safe.

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You can be good, and guess what?

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You're still forgettable.

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on the other hand, is what makes you

pop.

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Think of it this way.

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I think of good is like vanilla ice

cream.

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Vanilla ice cream it's good.

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Specific

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is like vanilla ice cream with sea

salt, Carmel and just a dash of chilly flakes.

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Yeah,

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guess what?

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You don't forget that right?

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So

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this is why specificity wins every time

over just trying to be good.

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When you make specific choices about

who you're talking to, what you want,

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what's in your way

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and what you're feeling,

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you invite the audience into your world.

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As a casting director, I've seen

hundreds of readings where the actor

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delivered every line correctly,

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hit every beat

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and still left me cold.

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Then someone comes in, makes a strong,

oddly

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personal choice,

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and suddenly the scene lives.

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That's the magic of specificity, it's

the difference between acting that's impressive

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and acting that's alive.

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Here are some examples and some

insights.

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Let's say, you have the line,

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I don't care any more.

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That's the line.

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Now, I know already you're trying to do

that line several different ways, right?

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I don't care any more.

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That's your line.

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Now, if you're trying to be good,

you'll probably play it very evenly.

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Maybe maybe sad, maybe detached.

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But if you're specific,

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you know that you're saying that line

to your brother, who's betrayed you for

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the third time.

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Now it's full of complexity.

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Maybe it's anger hiding in heartbreak.

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Maybe it's relief.

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You see, that's what draws us in

specificity

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story.

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Now that's that's one of those riots.

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Write that in kind of deals.

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Somebody make a note of that.

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reveals story.

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So here's some practical tips for being

specific.

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I've got five tips that I think are

going to be really helpful to you about

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this.

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Name the relationship

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that's.

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Number one, name the relationship.

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Who are you talking to

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saying, oh, that's my partner.

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That isn't enough?

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Right?

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The person who once knew everything

secret about me, and now barely looks

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at me.

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Guess what that's specific?

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Number two, define

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the want.

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What do you need from the other person

right now?

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Not, I want to win.

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Try.

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I want them to admit I matter.

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Well, you can see how reframing

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that

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can provide all kinds of nuance and

specificity in the choices that you're making.

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Play the opposites.

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This tip number three, play the

opposites.

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If the scene seems angry,

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find the tenderness underneath.

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Real people.

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Hold contradictions,

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anchor your choices.

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In truth,

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specific doesn't mean invented.

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It means rooted.

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Use your imagination to illuminate

reality,

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not decorated.

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Let's move on from there's.

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My favorite example from casting.

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There was a young actor who auditioned

for a role in a TV pilot.

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It was a son um confronting his father.

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Every actor, young actor that came in,

they played it very, very angry.

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And this one actor i'll never forget

this.

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He played it quietly,

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almost tenderly.

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He listened.

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He smiled in the middle of the pain.

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Amazing.

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The director leaned over to me and

said, that's the one.

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Now, why did that happen?

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Because the performance wasn't just

good.

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It was specific

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and specific.

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Feels like truth.

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Own it.

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Make it yours,

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and you'll find that a whole new world

opens up

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in addition to working on a script.

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In this way, finding those specifics

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what's going to happen is you're going

to find something interesting to focus

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on, even during Anne audition or when

you've booked the role and you're kind

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of wondering.

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Gosh, which direction should I take

this in?

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This is a way that you can absolutely

stay focus and connected.

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Specific

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feels like the truth.

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So keep searching to finding that truth.

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Ah, here's some closing thoughts.

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If you take anything or one thing away

from this episode, let it be this

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don't chase, approval

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chase truth.

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Specificity isn't about showing off

your acting choices.

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It's about giving us a reason to

believe you.

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Because when you're specific, you're

not performing any more, your living.

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Thanks for spending time with me to

dancasting actors.

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Cass, if this episode sparked

something, cheer it with a fellow

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actor, or drop me a message.

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I love hearing how those ideas show up

in your auditions.

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Casting actor's cast a, Gmail dot com.

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Until next time, remember, stop trying

to be good.

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Be specific,

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the audience

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and casting directors.

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Well, thank you.

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Next time.