You receive a self tape audition. How exciting. There is a character breakdown. You now have an idea of the character you are being asked to play. Now how do you immerse yourself in that character and make it your own? You live the life of that character for the duration of the story you are telling. The character uses you to voice their thoughts and their emotional connection to the events and other characters in the scene. Keep reading for more actor self tape audition tips!
Your Character, Your Choices
It is fun to use all that information to create a visual for yourself. Start with the environment. Where is your character? What does the place look like? Is it a small room, a busy cafe or an outdoor space? Who else is around? Is it a comfortable space for your character or does it make them feel uneasy? All of this helps you create spatial awareness and decide on how to modulate your voice in volume, pitch and pace. The words you speak are thoughts released through words. Some thoughts are not spoken but the audience can hear them through your eyes, facial expression and body language. This is called inner dialogue.
Actor Self Tape Audition Tips
Acting should always be exciting, fun and simple. You did it without thinking as a child, it is called make believe. The hard work is making the world your character lives in real so that it is honest, authentic and believable. It is like a magical game. You jump into the new world, live out your character’s life and then get to leave it all behind once the scenes have ended. Use your iphone to record yourself and the sound of your voice as the character. This will help you step into the character before you start to work on the given dialogue.
Creating characters is one of the most exciting and inspiring things to do. The screenwriter has given you the clues, finding them and deciding what to do with them is up to you. They are your choices. Have fun!
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