27th November 2010
Alex Wheeler lead another great session. Wheeler put us into pairs, and we acted a scene for him. I worked with the same partner as the day before and we played a scene of a person interviewing another for a flat share. We played it first very friendly, to what we felt was appropriate taking into account our phsyical appearance and the way we naturally played the scene. It came across like friendly students chatting about future living plans. Wheeler then asked us to play the scene again, this time my character being very much a bitch, this created an entirely different scene. I very much appreciated this chance to experiment with the scene and respond to the director's instruction.
We then had time to try another commercial, for skitsofrenia, this was very much a phsyical exercise, each performer had to display a very dramatic emotion and immediately snap to the next one. From anger, to paranoia and finally suicidal.
Wheeler at the end gave me words of encouragement about starting a phsyically based drama group of my own. Using casting call pro as the tool to get the word out. Really want to do this soon, or should I research funding first? Or just try to produce the piece first?
Monday, 29 November 2010
Workshop With Casting Director Nicci Topping
25th November 2010
Nicci Topping operates TOPPS CASTING in the UK. She has experience of casting for feature films
and short films, television commercials, pop promos, videos, voice overs, photographic assignments and the
theatre.
Topping's session consisted of giving us in pairs a script, some had a very straight forward dialogue between two girls, going through a creepy factory. And others had the script for a wii commercial. I would much rather have had the wii commerical. It allowed actors to demonstrate how well they could present script in a natural manner. Whereas the script for the girls in a spooky factory was quite hard for me to take seriously. Suppose there will be many times to come where I will find a script hard to be believable and I will have to perform my best any way.
Nicci Topping operates TOPPS CASTING in the UK. She has experience of casting for feature films
and short films, television commercials, pop promos, videos, voice overs, photographic assignments and the
theatre.
Topping's session consisted of giving us in pairs a script, some had a very straight forward dialogue between two girls, going through a creepy factory. And others had the script for a wii commercial. I would much rather have had the wii commerical. It allowed actors to demonstrate how well they could present script in a natural manner. Whereas the script for the girls in a spooky factory was quite hard for me to take seriously. Suppose there will be many times to come where I will find a script hard to be believable and I will have to perform my best any way.
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Workshop With Casting Director Janet Hampson
24th November 2010
Tonight was great, before Hampson entered the room many of the other actors informed me Janet Hampson was the casting director they were most excited about meeting and hearing from. I began to feel quite nervous, she came across as direct, but in a very positive way, which I really like, feel its the kind of direction I adhere to well.
She split the group into pairs and one solo. We were each given specific scripts, and an adequate amount of time to develop the scene. We then performed our scenes to the group and camera as though for an audition. (One thing I learnt that if you are sat next to the camera, supporting the actor that is acting for the camera, then you should still give hundred percent performance, not to be read neutral from side lines.)
Each scene was extremely different from the other, and over the past couple of days I think everyone performed their best during these scenes. I found mine quite demanding, I went from obnoxious brat, to anger, to break down crying. I really enjoyed the challenge and felt happy in my performance afterwards.
Speaking to Hampson after the session, she was lovely and approachable. Hampson gave me sound advice and gave me words that encouraged me to pursue professional acting.
I am really enjoying this course with Fuse, will definatley be looking out for more in future.
Tonight was great, before Hampson entered the room many of the other actors informed me Janet Hampson was the casting director they were most excited about meeting and hearing from. I began to feel quite nervous, she came across as direct, but in a very positive way, which I really like, feel its the kind of direction I adhere to well.
She split the group into pairs and one solo. We were each given specific scripts, and an adequate amount of time to develop the scene. We then performed our scenes to the group and camera as though for an audition. (One thing I learnt that if you are sat next to the camera, supporting the actor that is acting for the camera, then you should still give hundred percent performance, not to be read neutral from side lines.)
Each scene was extremely different from the other, and over the past couple of days I think everyone performed their best during these scenes. I found mine quite demanding, I went from obnoxious brat, to anger, to break down crying. I really enjoyed the challenge and felt happy in my performance afterwards.
Speaking to Hampson after the session, she was lovely and approachable. Hampson gave me sound advice and gave me words that encouraged me to pursue professional acting.
I am really enjoying this course with Fuse, will definatley be looking out for more in future.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Workshop With Casting Director Jo Adamson
24th November 2010
Tuesday our session was led by Jo Adamson, very different from Carrolls session. Really enjoyed this session, Jo has a strong passion for verabitm theatre. Jo began with a freeze improvisation game, to get grey brain cells working. Two actors in begin a scene, freeze change one person, copy their last position and begin a new scene. Bully people in who try to keep out of game. Every one enjoys being in impro, finds it hard to jump in.
Then we worked a scene from a piece of Verbatim theatre. First group stood in four, two stood, two sat, with authoritive type character seperate from others. My group didnt seem too worried about how it was set. So when it came to setting I put forward an idea that was recieved well by the group apart from one person, an alternative was decided apon, which is what I would expect working creatively its passing the energy between people to get best idea. So we set our scene speradically through the group, delivering the lines to people around us. Jo said she was unsure at first, but when she saw how the audience were really engaged and looking all round to see who was going to talk next she realised it made the scene alot more powerful.
Adamson also promoted being real, rather than having an acotrs facade. She very much promoted a natural actor. Stripping back layers of performative nature to show real an actor really feeling emotions.
She gave advice of writting to directors, sending post cards with photos, to get face known. Invite to productions, send tickets with programs.
Tuesday our session was led by Jo Adamson, very different from Carrolls session. Really enjoyed this session, Jo has a strong passion for verabitm theatre. Jo began with a freeze improvisation game, to get grey brain cells working. Two actors in begin a scene, freeze change one person, copy their last position and begin a new scene. Bully people in who try to keep out of game. Every one enjoys being in impro, finds it hard to jump in.
Then we worked a scene from a piece of Verbatim theatre. First group stood in four, two stood, two sat, with authoritive type character seperate from others. My group didnt seem too worried about how it was set. So when it came to setting I put forward an idea that was recieved well by the group apart from one person, an alternative was decided apon, which is what I would expect working creatively its passing the energy between people to get best idea. So we set our scene speradically through the group, delivering the lines to people around us. Jo said she was unsure at first, but when she saw how the audience were really engaged and looking all round to see who was going to talk next she realised it made the scene alot more powerful.
Adamson also promoted being real, rather than having an acotrs facade. She very much promoted a natural actor. Stripping back layers of performative nature to show real an actor really feeling emotions.
She gave advice of writting to directors, sending post cards with photos, to get face known. Invite to productions, send tickets with programs.
Workshop with Casting Director Anji Carroll
23rd November 2010
This week I have been attending a course provided the London based company Fuse, an opportunity to have a session each night of the week with a different casting director.
The week began with Anji Carrolls, her most recent work being the casting of the film "West is West." In which she cast a "flyer" (newbie to acting) in the lead role.
We read a scene to Carrolls as though we were auditioning for "The Bill", my scene was for a woman in a car accident, then a hospital scene. Carrolls gave me very positive feedback, said I was good at taking notes and came across really well for a newbie. Just slow down my speech, something every director I have ever had has said to me, you'd think I'd take that on board by now.
"Be faithful to the script" Carrolls advised us, and "dont over do it." Remember to make performance appropriate for its medium, not to over project for tv, but at same time smaller doesnt mean less energy. "Same energy, packaged differently" she advised us. "Same intensity"
"Make a checklist" 'I'm here for tele-not theatre'
Carrolls said she began her casting sessions with a chat, and that it was important not to "step" from chat into acting, keep acting as natural as the chat was. Keep the character you, natural. Dont increase volume as though on the stage.
"Make own journey" Carrolls advised us, when given a script by a casting director try to create at least one change in emotion/ intention during a scene. "Make it interesting." Make scenes different. More humour/ anger/ something else on mind or less. "Sell it different"
Staging a scene:
Take writters direction where it works for how you want to work the scene, Carrolls advised us. And not to be afraid to ask director how they want scene played, over top hysterics or more natural. Also ask if they want you to stand, gestures.
She advised to get in contact with film schools and offer services as an actor so that one gets material for a show reel.
Really enjoyed meeting Anji Carrolls, she came across as a really nice, genuine person. I hope I get to audition for her one day.
Saturday, 19 June 2010
The Evacuees
Working with the year 9 class from Old Moat Primary School, I devised a play based on the childrens knowledge of WW2 from their history lessons and experience from visiting Stockport's air raid shelters.
The piece was composed of different styles of performance; acting, singing and dancing. This made it easier for me to make sure each child had a fair amount of performance time and was able to perform in the area they felt was their strength.
The play began with a WW2 siren wailing and a stillness swept the hall. All the children and adults were unnerved by the noise. The evacuees entered wearing gas masks, with minimal movement they placed themselves into straight lines waiting to begin. The introduction was spoken by the cast in character, and explained to the audience that they were evacuees waiting for a train that would take them to Devon, safe away from the bombings that were happening in th
e city.A physical drama section then followed as a small group of the children created several tablos showing soldiers in different war scenes. The exercise was developed from looking at photos of soldiers in regimental lines, soldiers in battle, soldiers looking fatigued at the end of the war. The children were most mature about this and produced very emotive tablues representing these pictures. In the performnace these tablos were accompanied by the main theme music from "Saving Private Ryan" (recording: The Band of H.M Marines). Moving from image to image with slow graceful movements the children reflected the seriousness and solemness of this tragic piece of history, many of the teaching staff commented how impressed they were by the level of performance skills within this scene.
The children to contrast the previous serious scene, using only their bodies and voices created the effect of a long steam train, clattering down the tracks, full of excited children, complete with loud "tout tout" from the train's whistle.
Year 9 had a very mature understanding of the emotional trauma that the evacuees must have felt, being forced to leave their families and loved ones behind. They felt that the song "White Cliffs of Dover" sung by Vera Lynn was the most appropriate song to express the sadness of the evacuation process and hope of being reunited with family again soon. The song was a great success, led by strong solos the song built up to the point where entire cast had joined in for the final verse. Several memebers of the audience came to me after the performance to comment that the power and
emotion expressed in the childrens voices sent shivers down their spines!To finish on a more joyous note I created a dance inspired by the Lindy Hop, as the cast was too big for partner dancing, I split the children into 3 groups and each performed a different section of the dance. Lots of bouncing and silly faces made it a great number to end the show on and gave the children a great surge of pride and pleasure at what they had achieved and rightly so, they enjoyed performing it and everyone who watched it enjoyed it aswell!
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