Acting Tips: Auditioning for Television
Note: I published this in October 2011, but I think the points are still valid so I'm reprinting it to move it up in the queue. Best workshop I ever attended. Hearing a drama coach tell you to have “the courage to take risks” and “make strong choices” – especially when spoken in the same breath as phrases like “create stunning, three-dimensional characterizations” – can be intimidating for an actor. And much to the chagrin of many drama coaches I’m sure, “take risks” is too often interpreted as a directive to reach down inside yourself and pull out someone totally different from who you are. In short, to “act.” That’s not it. Not according to Geoffrey Soffer , casting director for Ugly Betty and The Beautiful Life , who grew up in the business. I took notes during a workshop I took with him a week ago. The following is what I wrote down. Some of it I knew, some I suspected, and some was a complete surprise. Film and television directors cast personali...