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Two actors walk into an audition.

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Both are talented,

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both are prepared, both give very good

performances.

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But one of them makes the director lean

forward

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and says something that every actor

would love to hear.

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I never thought of it that way.

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What happened

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was, that actor better,

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not necessarily.

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Was the interpretation more correct?

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Maybe not.

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But something happened in that room.

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The actor made a choice that was

unexpected,

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truthful and completely committed.

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And suddenly the audition became

memorable.

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Now here's what's interesting.

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The actor might not get the role.

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The director may have a completely

different version of the character,

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but the actor has demonstrated

something enormously

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valuable,

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imagination,

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technique,

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confidence

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and the ability to bring something to

the material that nobody anticipated.

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So how do you do that?

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How do you take creative risks without

becoming

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gimmicky?

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How do you find something original

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without abandoning the writer's

intentions?

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Well, I want to share two little words

that might change the way you prepare

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your next audition.

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What if?

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So today we're going to explore

something actors are constantly

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encouraged to do.

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Make strong choices.

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You've heard that advice.

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Haven't you

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make a strong choice?

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Take a risk.

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Don't be predictable,

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wonder, wonderful.

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But how

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that's the part I think sometimes gets

left out?

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Because telling an actor to make an

interesting choice is a little like

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telling someone to be spontaneous.

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The moment you start trying spontaneity

becomes rather difficult.

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So instead of trying to be interesting,

we're going to become curious.

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And curiosity begins with a question.

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What if

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we welcome to casting actor's cast?

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I'm Jeffrey dries back, a casting

director, teacher, author, former actor

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and somebody who has spent a

considerable amount of time watching

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talented actors make perfectly

reasonable choices,

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and occasionally some wonderfully

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unreasonable ones.

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If you're new to the podcast, welcome.

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And if you've been with me for a while,

I'm delighted you're back.

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You can find everything we're doing at

casting actors cast all one word dot com.

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Casting actors cast dot com that's.

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Well, you'll find the podcast

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information about my book, booked it,

the actors play book for getting cast,

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and my outline course.

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Next level auditions

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prepare smarter, perform, better book

more.

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Hey.

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And while you're there, fill out the

form, jump into the talent pool.

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That opens up some free material.

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I've created this material for actors

like you, including the voice over book

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and video.

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Along with casting directors.

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What they don't tell you that's the

video.

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You're going to love it.

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All right.

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So now let's just talk about choices.

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Because making memorable choices

doesn't necessarily mean making a

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bigger choice.

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You understand?

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Sometimes it means discovering

something smaller,

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more personal

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and considerably more interesting.

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There's a phrase we sometimes use in

casting.

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Good acting,

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not right.

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And I want to be careful with that

phrase, because it doesn't necessarily

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mean the actor did anything wrong.

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Quite the opposite.

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The actor may have been

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woo beautifully prepared.

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The interpretation may have been

intelligent, the technique may have

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been excellent,

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but the performances didn't quite

connect with what the director was imagining.

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Now

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that happens

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all the time.

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Casting involves a tremendous,

tremendous number of variables,

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age, brand

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relationships,

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chemistry,

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the director's vision,

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the world of the project.

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And sometimes something as simple as

the way one actor looks standing next

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to another.

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But here's something else I've observed.

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Sometimes an actor delivers a perfectly

good audition that follows the most

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obvious interpretation of the material.

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And that's fine nothing wrong.

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Nothing embarrassing, nothing

particularly

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memorable

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either.

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The actor comes to the room,

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the character is angry, so the actor

plays angry.

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The character is frightened.

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So the actor plays frightened.

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The character is confident.

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So the actor plays confident.

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And I understand why

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the script seems to be telling them

what the character is experiencing.

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But here's the question,

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is the script telling you how to behave,

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or is it giving you circumstances

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from which behavior can emerge?

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Those are two different things

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you see.

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A character can be angry

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without behaving angrily.

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A frightened person might become

controlling.

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A confident person might be desperately

trying to conceal insecurity.

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Human behavior

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is wonderfully contradictory.

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And acting becomes interesting when we

begin exploring

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those contradictions.

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Let's talk about the literal

interpretation trap.

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So we'll imagine a scene.

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Two people are ending a relationship.

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One says, I don't think we should see

each other any more.

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The other replies fine.

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If that's what you want.

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Pretty straightforward.

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Now the most obvious interpretation

might be hurt or anger, or disappointment.

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And any of those could be absolutely

truthful.

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But suppose the actor begins preparing

by asking,

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what if I'm relieved?

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Suddenly the same words mean something

different?

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Fine.

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If that's what you want.

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Perhaps the character's been trying to

end this relationship for months and

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couldn't find the courage.

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Now the other person has done it for

them.

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What if the character is delighted?

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What if the character is terrified?

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What if the character couldn't believe

the other person is serious?

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What if the character has been

expecting this conversation and has

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rehearsed the response 100 times?

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Same dialogue,

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same circumstances,

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different possibilities?

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And here's what I love about this.

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We're not changing the script.

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We're changing our relationship

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to the script.

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Now that's an important distinction.

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So let's investigate why actors play it

safe,

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and why don't actors do this more often?

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Well, one reason, I think, is fear.

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And it's a perfectly understandable

fear.

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Actors want to get the audition right.

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They want to please the casting

director.

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They want the director to recognize the

character.

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They want to demonstrate that they

understand the material.

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After years of classes, workshops,

coaching and audition experiences,

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they've developed a pretty good idea of

what a professional edition is supposed

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to look like.

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So they're prepared,

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and they prepare carefully.

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They make logical choices,

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they follow the emotional direction of

the scene,

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and they deliver something very

competent.

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But sometimes in the process of being

correct, they eliminate the possibility

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of being surprising.

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That's the trap.

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The actor thinks, if I make an unusual

choice, what if they think I don't

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understand the character?

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Well, it's a fair question,

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but let me offer another one.

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What if your unusual choice

demonstrates that you understand the

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character more deeply than they

expected?

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What if your interpretation reveals a

possibility

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that wasn't immediately apparent?

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What if the director becomes curious

about you?

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That's where creative risk becomes

valuable.

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Not because you're trying to impress

somebody,

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but because you're allowing yourself to

investigate the material beyond its

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most obvious meaning.

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One of the most exciting things that

can happen in an audition is hearing

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the director say, I never thought of it

that way.

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I've seen that happen.

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And it's wonderful because something

has shifted.

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The actor has contributed to the

creative conversation.

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Now let's be clear.

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The director may still say that's

fascinating but it's not quite where

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we're going with this character.

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Well, that's fair enough.

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The activor's interpretation may not

fit the production,

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but the director has seen something,

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an actor who can make a specific

choice, an actor who understands

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behaviour, an actor who commits, an

actor who has imagination.

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And sometimes that leads to a call back.

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Well, not necessarily.

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But

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the director wants that exact

interpretation,

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not because the director wants to see

what else the actor can do.

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That's a significant distinction.

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A memorable audition doesn't always

change the director's mind about the character.

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Sometimes it changes the director's

mind about the actor, and that's worth remembering.

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So let's get practical.

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I want to introduce a process that you

can use when preparing a scene or an audition.

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And it begins with two words.

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What if?

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Now I'm not suggesting that you abandon

script analysis.

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Quite the opposite.

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You still need to understand the

writer's intentions.

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You need to know what your character

wants,

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what they need from the other person,

what stands in their way,

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and what they're doing to get what they

want.

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And what changes during the scene

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that's the foundation.

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But once you've established that

foundation, I want you to begin testing possibilities

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not randomly,

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intelligently.

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Curiously.

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Let's start with the characters need.

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Imagine you're playing a character

confronting a friend who has betrayed them.

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The obvious need might be, I want an

apology.

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Fine.

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But what if you don't want an apology?

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What if you want the friendship back?

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What if you want the other person to

admit that you still care about them,

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and they still care about you?

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What if you want them to become angry,

because their anger would prove?

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The relationship

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still matters?

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Suddenly

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the confrontation changes.

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You may be saying angry words while

desperately trying to preserve the friendship.

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See, that's interesting, because now

there's a contradiction between the words

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and the underlying need.

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And contradiction

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is often where compelling behavior

lives.

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Now let's take a look at obstacles.

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Suppose your character is trying to

convince some one to lend them money.

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The obvious obstacle is that the other

person doesn't want to give it to you.

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But what if the real obstacle

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is your pride?

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What if asking for help is the most

humiliating thing you've ever done?

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What if you're terrified?

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The other person will discover how

desperate you are.

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What if you believe that accepting help

makes you weak?

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Now

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the scene isn't simply about getting

money,

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it's about trying to get something you

desperately need, without revealing how

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desperately you need it.

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And that changes behaviour.

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Maybe you become overly casual.

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Maybe you joke, maybe you talk too

much, maybe you become strangely formal.

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Maybe you can't look the other person

in the eye.

266

00:13:37,217 --> 00:13:38,551

Those aren't decorations.

267

00:13:39,953 --> 00:13:42,722

There are possible consequences of

circumstances.

268

00:13:43,690 --> 00:13:45,291

That's what makes them playable.

269

00:13:48,28 --> 00:13:50,563

So here's another possibility I want to

share with you.

270

00:13:50,897 --> 00:13:54,401

The script tells you the character is

furious,

271

00:13:55,201 --> 00:13:55,835

ok?

272

00:13:57,303 --> 00:14:01,107

But what if the character has learned

that showing angry

273

00:14:02,8 --> 00:14:03,843

and showing their anger

274

00:14:04,577 --> 00:14:05,745

makes them vulnerable?

275

00:14:07,547 --> 00:14:11,985

What if anger is something they never

allow themselves to express?

276

00:14:13,553 --> 00:14:16,656

Now, instead of shouting, they become

quiet,

277

00:14:18,24 --> 00:14:20,326

very required, perhaps polite,

278

00:14:21,294 --> 00:14:23,663

perhaps unnervingly reasonable.

279

00:14:24,731 --> 00:14:30,570

And suddenly the scene may become more

powerful because the anger is being contained.

280

00:14:31,705 --> 00:14:33,440

Or perhaps the character is frightened.

281

00:14:34,174 --> 00:14:36,176

What if fear makes them talk too much?

282

00:14:36,409 --> 00:14:37,377

What if they become funny?

283

00:14:38,178 --> 00:14:39,846

What if they become aggressive?

284

00:14:40,747 --> 00:14:46,86

What if they try to make and take

control of everything around them?

285

00:14:47,454 --> 00:14:48,955

Think about the people you know.

286

00:14:50,90 --> 00:14:53,727

People don't all respond to the same

circumstances in the same way.

287

00:14:54,260 --> 00:14:56,162

Why should characters?

288

00:14:59,65 --> 00:15:03,303

Now let's talk about quirks, because

this is where actors can sometimes get

289

00:15:03,370 --> 00:15:04,471

themselves into trouble.

290

00:15:05,372 --> 00:15:10,76

You might ask, what if my character

laughs at inappropriate moments?

291

00:15:11,311 --> 00:15:12,312

That's interesting,

292

00:15:13,79 --> 00:15:13,747

but why?

293

00:15:14,247 --> 00:15:14,881

What

294

00:15:15,48 --> 00:15:16,816

purpose does the laughter serve?

295

00:15:17,851 --> 00:15:18,184

Is it?

296

00:15:18,184 --> 00:15:19,52

Is it nervousness?

297

00:15:19,953 --> 00:15:22,122

Is it a defence against grief?

298

00:15:22,655 --> 00:15:25,125

Is it an attempt to control the other

person?

299

00:15:25,692 --> 00:15:27,994

Is it a way of avoiding intimacy?

300

00:15:29,62 --> 00:15:34,100

If the laughter emerges from something

truthful, it may reveal a fascinating

301

00:15:34,901 --> 00:15:36,102

dimension of the character.

302

00:15:36,569 --> 00:15:40,640

But if the character is laughing simply

because nobody else will,

303

00:15:41,941 --> 00:15:42,742

we may have a problem.

304

00:15:43,777 --> 00:15:46,413

That's not necessarily character

development.

305

00:15:46,913 --> 00:15:49,282

That's an actor trying to be

interesting.

306

00:15:49,849 --> 00:15:54,387

And believe me, casting directors can

usually recognize the difference.

307

00:15:56,489 --> 00:15:57,457

A memorable choice.

308

00:15:57,791 --> 00:16:00,360

Isn't necessarily an unusual choice.

309

00:16:00,593 --> 00:16:02,595

It's a choice that reveals something.

310

00:16:02,896 --> 00:16:04,164

That's the distinction.

311

00:16:04,998 --> 00:16:06,833

The behaviour has to come from

somewhere.

312

00:16:07,634 --> 00:16:09,2

It has to belong to the character.

313

00:16:09,636 --> 00:16:12,572

It has to serve the story otherwise

it's decoration.

314

00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:15,842

And we don't need to decorate the actor.

315

00:16:16,109 --> 00:16:17,911

We need to descover

316

00:16:18,278 --> 00:16:19,45

the character.

317

00:16:20,347 --> 00:16:21,781

So here's a little acting experiment.

318

00:16:22,182 --> 00:16:22,816

Let's try something.

319

00:16:22,982 --> 00:16:26,519

I'm going to give you four simple lines

of dialogue, two characters,

320

00:16:27,554 --> 00:16:27,987

Alex

321

00:16:28,421 --> 00:16:29,122

and Jordan.

322

00:16:30,23 --> 00:16:30,890

Alex says

323

00:16:31,558 --> 00:16:32,792

you knew about this,

324

00:16:33,793 --> 00:16:35,28

and Jordan replies.

325

00:16:35,795 --> 00:16:37,130

I was going to tell you,

326

00:16:38,498 --> 00:16:39,532

Alex says

327

00:16:39,999 --> 00:16:40,633

when,

328

00:16:41,634 --> 00:16:42,869

and Jordan answers

329

00:16:44,37 --> 00:16:46,239

when I knew what to say.

330

00:16:48,808 --> 00:16:50,76

That's it four lines?

331

00:16:51,77 --> 00:16:52,812

Now, imagine you're playing Jordan.

332

00:16:53,546 --> 00:16:55,782

Your first interpretation might be

guilt.

333

00:16:56,349 --> 00:16:59,986

Jordan has concealed something, Alex

has discovered it.

334

00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:02,522

Jordan feels guilty, perfectly

reasonable.

335

00:17:03,156 --> 00:17:05,291

But let's try a few possibilities.

336

00:17:05,959 --> 00:17:08,795

What if Jordan doesn't feel guilty at

all?

337

00:17:09,529 --> 00:17:14,401

What if Jordan believes keeping that

secret was an act of kindness?

338

00:17:15,869 --> 00:17:19,673

Suddenly Jordan may become defensive or

even indignant?

339

00:17:20,907 --> 00:17:24,811

What if Jordan is relieved that Alex

finally knows?

340

00:17:25,945 --> 00:17:28,815

Now the confession might feel like

freedom.

341

00:17:30,250 --> 00:17:33,286

What if Jordan is terrified of losing

Alex?

342

00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:38,725

Now every word becomes an attempt to

preserve the relationship.

343

00:17:40,93 --> 00:17:44,631

What if Jordan is actually angry at

Alex for forcing this conversation?

344

00:17:46,99 --> 00:17:48,1

Now the character may become

345

00:17:48,802 --> 00:17:49,969

confrontational.

346

00:17:51,471 --> 00:17:53,940

You see four of the exact same lines,

347

00:17:54,974 --> 00:17:58,812

different need, different obstacles,

different behavior, unpotentially

348

00:18:00,747 --> 00:18:01,614

different Scenes.

349

00:18:02,582 --> 00:18:03,983

Here's what I want you to notice

350

00:18:04,584 --> 00:18:06,252

we haven't changed the dialogue.

351

00:18:07,454 --> 00:18:09,289

We haven't changed the circumstances

352

00:18:09,956 --> 00:18:11,191

we're exploring.

353

00:18:12,192 --> 00:18:15,462

And that's where the actor's

imagination begins to contribute

354

00:18:16,262 --> 00:18:18,231

something very valuable.

355

00:18:20,667 --> 00:18:24,204

We're going to take a quick break, but

when we come back, I want to talk about

356

00:18:24,270 --> 00:18:26,72

something equally important.

357

00:18:26,906 --> 00:18:29,542

Once you've discovered an interesting

choice.

358

00:18:30,176 --> 00:18:32,946

How do you know whether it's actually

working?

359

00:18:33,780 --> 00:18:37,450

And what happens when the director asks

you to do something completely different?

360

00:18:38,184 --> 00:18:41,755

Because making a memorable choice is

only half the job.

361

00:18:43,289 --> 00:18:44,491

More on, what if,

362

00:18:45,558 --> 00:18:46,393

right after this?

363

00:18:49,295 --> 00:18:49,462

Ok?

364

00:18:49,796 --> 00:18:52,365

Let's put this into simple process.

365

00:18:52,999 --> 00:18:56,2

We're going to just simply make a

simple process out of this.

366

00:18:56,836 --> 00:18:57,537

What do I mean?

367

00:18:57,771 --> 00:18:59,39

I mean, three steps.

368

00:18:59,873 --> 00:19:00,507

Just three steps.

369

00:19:01,141 --> 00:19:01,908

Discover,

370

00:19:02,709 --> 00:19:03,343

test.

371

00:19:04,144 --> 00:19:05,111

Evaluate

372

00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:06,846

first.

373

00:19:07,80 --> 00:19:07,681

Discover.

374

00:19:08,348 --> 00:19:12,318

Take a senior preparing and identify

the most obvious interpretation.

375

00:19:13,153 --> 00:19:16,489

What would most actors probably assume

about this character?

376

00:19:17,223 --> 00:19:20,794

What emotional direction does the

dialogue seem to suggest?

377

00:19:21,861 --> 00:19:22,729

Then ask,

378

00:19:23,396 --> 00:19:26,566

what if the character wants something

different?

379

00:19:28,568 --> 00:19:29,869

What if the obstacle isn't?

380

00:19:30,170 --> 00:19:31,204

What I assumed?

381

00:19:31,771 --> 00:19:36,309

What if the character is hiding the

very emotion the scene seems to suggest?

382

00:19:37,777 --> 00:19:40,747

What if the relationship is more

complicated than at first?

383

00:19:40,980 --> 00:19:41,614

Appears

384

00:19:42,415 --> 00:19:44,484

don't settle for the first answer.

385

00:19:44,784 --> 00:19:45,752

Explore.

386

00:19:47,187 --> 00:19:47,854

Second,

387

00:19:49,389 --> 00:19:52,258

actually perform the scene using the

new possibility.

388

00:19:53,626 --> 00:19:55,829

Don't just think about it, do it,

389

00:19:56,663 --> 00:20:00,734

because an idea that sounds fascinating

in your head may not work when you

390

00:20:00,734 --> 00:20:01,167

began speaking.

391

00:20:01,301 --> 00:20:03,36

The dialogue that's fine.

392

00:20:03,236 --> 00:20:03,636

It's an experiment.

393

00:20:04,738 --> 00:20:05,405

You haven't failed.

394

00:20:05,638 --> 00:20:07,40

You're learning something.

395

00:20:08,41 --> 00:20:08,274

And third,

396

00:20:09,309 --> 00:20:10,76

evaluate,

397

00:20:10,977 --> 00:20:13,446

did the choice reveal something

truthful?

398

00:20:13,947 --> 00:20:15,849

Did it deepen the relationship?

399

00:20:16,416 --> 00:20:18,885

Did it clarify the character's need?

400

00:20:19,319 --> 00:20:23,56

Did it serve the story, or was it

simply unusual?

401

00:20:24,24 --> 00:20:25,125

That's the test,

402

00:20:25,558 --> 00:20:27,193

not whether the choice was clever,

403

00:20:28,194 --> 00:20:29,129

whether it worked.

404

00:20:31,398 --> 00:20:33,233

Now here's something I want to

emphasize.

405

00:20:34,434 --> 00:20:37,103

Once you've discovered an

interpretation, you love

406

00:20:38,38 --> 00:20:39,39

don't marry it

407

00:20:40,40 --> 00:20:42,575

because the director may have another

idea.

408

00:20:43,209 --> 00:20:45,545

And that's not a rejection of your

creativity.

409

00:20:46,813 --> 00:20:48,815

It's part of the collaborative process.

410

00:20:49,783 --> 00:20:51,51

Let's say, you've made a wonderfully

411

00:20:52,185 --> 00:20:52,919

restrained choice

412

00:20:53,953 --> 00:20:55,522

in a confrontation scene,

413

00:20:56,423 --> 00:20:58,725

the director watches and says,

interesting.

414

00:20:59,392 --> 00:21:01,594

Now let's try it with much more anger.

415

00:21:02,562 --> 00:21:03,196

Great.

416

00:21:04,30 --> 00:21:04,764

That's an opportunity.

417

00:21:05,465 --> 00:21:07,300

You don't need to defend your original

interpretation.

418

00:21:08,568 --> 00:21:13,139

You don't need to deliver a ten minute

dissertation on your character's childhood.

419

00:21:15,208 --> 00:21:16,476

Just make the adjustment.

420

00:21:17,477 --> 00:21:20,413

And here's where a strong technique

becomes especially valuable,

421

00:21:21,548 --> 00:21:25,618

because the actor who can make the

imaginative choice and then adjusted immediately,

422

00:21:26,653 --> 00:21:27,887

is demonstrating something.

423

00:21:28,254 --> 00:21:29,923

The directors love,

424

00:21:30,824 --> 00:21:31,124

flexibility,

425

00:21:31,958 --> 00:21:33,893

responsiveness, professionalism.

426

00:21:35,128 --> 00:21:36,796

The ability to collaborate

427

00:21:37,530 --> 00:21:38,998

the choice gets their attention.

428

00:21:39,799 --> 00:21:40,667

The adjustment demonstrates

429

00:21:41,768 --> 00:21:42,736

your craft.

430

00:21:43,770 --> 00:21:45,605

That's a pretty good combination.

431

00:21:46,573 --> 00:21:49,275

I also want to distinguish creative risk

432

00:21:49,709 --> 00:21:51,177

from recklessness.

433

00:21:52,278 --> 00:21:55,215

Taking a risk doesn't mean ignoring the

script.

434

00:21:55,849 --> 00:21:58,718

It doesn't mean changing the dialogue

without permission.

435

00:21:59,219 --> 00:22:03,857

It doesn't mean inventing behavior that

contradicts essential facts of the

436

00:22:03,857 --> 00:22:04,24

story.

437

00:22:04,657 --> 00:22:07,994

And it certainly doesn't mean trying to

shock the casting director.

438

00:22:08,495 --> 00:22:11,831

A meaningful creative risk is grounded

in the material.

439

00:22:12,332 --> 00:22:13,400

It expands the possibilities.

440

00:22:14,434 --> 00:22:16,2

It doesn't abandon them.

441

00:22:16,970 --> 00:22:19,205

And sometimes the most interesting risk

442

00:22:19,539 --> 00:22:21,107

is surprisingly small,

443

00:22:21,775 --> 00:22:24,944

a moment of kindness where we expected

cruelty,

444

00:22:25,612 --> 00:22:28,148

a smile where we expected anger,

445

00:22:28,915 --> 00:22:32,485

an admission of fear for someone who

appears confident,

446

00:22:33,319 --> 00:22:37,390

a moment of stillness from someone

who's been trying desperately to

447

00:22:37,557 --> 00:22:38,725

maintain control.

448

00:22:40,894 --> 00:22:42,595

Those choices can be enormously

449

00:22:43,697 --> 00:22:44,464

revealing.

450

00:22:46,32 --> 00:22:49,936

And because they're rooted in

recognizable human behavior,

451

00:22:50,670 --> 00:22:53,273

they can feel completely truthful.

452

00:22:55,875 --> 00:22:59,512

There's just one more psychological

dimension I want to explore here.

453

00:23:00,413 --> 00:23:03,983

Actors sometimes approached auditions

as examinations.

454

00:23:04,918 --> 00:23:06,252

They want to get the answer right.

455

00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,289

They want to demonstrate that they've

done their homework.

456

00:23:10,256 --> 00:23:11,858

They want to avoid making mistakes.

457

00:23:12,659 --> 00:23:15,395

And I understand that auditions are

important.

458

00:23:15,862 --> 00:23:17,130

No question about it.

459

00:23:18,98 --> 00:23:21,601

But what happens when we replace the

desire to be correct

460

00:23:22,902 --> 00:23:25,105

with the desire to discover

461

00:23:26,740 --> 00:23:27,841

something changes?

462

00:23:28,808 --> 00:23:30,43

The actor becomes curious.

463

00:23:30,510 --> 00:23:32,812

Instead of asking, will they like this?

464

00:23:33,613 --> 00:23:35,215

The actor begins asking.

465

00:23:35,715 --> 00:23:37,751

What happens if I try this?

466

00:23:39,719 --> 00:23:43,456

A much more creative question, and

perhaps a much healthier one.

467

00:23:43,690 --> 00:23:47,527

Because you cannot control whether the

director likes your interpretation.

468

00:23:48,194 --> 00:23:50,663

You cannot control whether you're right

for the role.

469

00:23:50,997 --> 00:23:54,234

You cannot control the final casting

decision,

470

00:23:55,1 --> 00:23:56,670

but you can control your preparation,

471

00:23:58,38 --> 00:24:02,175

your imagination, your willingness to

explore and your commitment to the

472

00:24:02,175 --> 00:24:03,343

choices you make.

473

00:24:04,110 --> 00:24:05,912

That's where your power is,

474

00:24:06,980 --> 00:24:10,116

not in questioning what the director

wants, but in bringing something

475

00:24:10,350 --> 00:24:13,286

truthful and specific to the material.

476

00:24:15,622 --> 00:24:15,955

All right?

477

00:24:15,955 --> 00:24:17,924

So here's your reset for this episode.

478

00:24:18,425 --> 00:24:21,861

The next time you're preparing an

audition, don't stop at the first

479

00:24:22,95 --> 00:24:23,663

reasonable interpretation.

480

00:24:24,664 --> 00:24:25,932

Understand the script,

481

00:24:26,499 --> 00:24:28,835

understand the character, understand

the circumstances.

482

00:24:30,337 --> 00:24:31,371

Then ask,

483

00:24:32,38 --> 00:24:32,472

what if?

484

00:24:34,441 --> 00:24:36,643

What if my character wants something

different?

485

00:24:37,711 --> 00:24:40,146

What if the obstacle isn't what I

thought,

486

00:24:40,914 --> 00:24:45,285

what if the behaviour I'm expecting is

actually hiding something else?

487

00:24:46,986 --> 00:24:48,655

But if the character isn't angry?

488

00:24:49,155 --> 00:24:50,223

But if they're afraid,

489

00:24:51,57 --> 00:24:52,359

what if they're not trying to win?

490

00:24:53,460 --> 00:24:55,995

What if they're trying not to lose?

491

00:24:57,931 --> 00:24:58,598

Explore the possibilities,

492

00:24:59,632 --> 00:25:00,667

test them, see what happens.

493

00:25:01,701 --> 00:25:02,435

Keep what works.

494

00:25:02,669 --> 00:25:03,703

Let go of what doesn't.

495

00:25:04,37 --> 00:25:07,674

And remember, you don't have to make an

unusual choice to be memorable.

496

00:25:08,108 --> 00:25:13,113

You have to make a truthful choice that

reveals something worthy worth watching.

497

00:25:13,713 --> 00:25:17,384

Sometimes that interpretation will be

exactly what the director wants.

498

00:25:18,518 --> 00:25:19,519

Sometimes it won't.

499

00:25:20,253 --> 00:25:21,788

But a director who sees imagination,

500

00:25:23,56 --> 00:25:24,491

commitment technique

501

00:25:25,158 --> 00:25:29,763

and the ability to adjust has learned

something valuable about you

502

00:25:30,597 --> 00:25:32,165

and that's never wasted.

503

00:25:33,299 --> 00:25:35,368

So stop trying to guess for the

504

00:25:35,635 --> 00:25:36,970

perfect interpretation.

505

00:25:37,704 --> 00:25:39,506

Start asking better questions.

506

00:25:40,40 --> 00:25:44,477

Because memorable acting doesn't begin

with the need to be different.

507

00:25:44,911 --> 00:25:48,148

It begins with a willingness to

discover something

508

00:25:48,915 --> 00:25:50,16

I'm Jeff drives back.

509

00:25:50,250 --> 00:25:52,285

Thank you for spending this time with

me today.

510

00:25:52,752 --> 00:25:54,554

This is casting actor's cast,

511

00:25:54,921 --> 00:25:56,156

and i'll see you next