I had 2 auditions today and they were both a lot of fun. One was for a commercial for Manitoba Securities Commission and the other was for a web series by Original Pictures. They were both humourous and fun and I’m always greatful for the opportunity. Techniques from the Chubbuck technique have really been helping me along.

Now I have to put props out to Kim Todd of Original pictures. I know she’s a producer but she could easily sit in the director’s chair. She really respects actors and she made me feel absolutely comfortable in that audition room. She gave me time to prep before each scene. She explained the characters with great precision and she just made everything feel like a relaxed atmosphere. Not to mention Steed Cranwill is a great reader and the crew were very gracious.

You would think that some of these things would be no brainers but they aren’t. Many directors I’ve found come from the technical side and have no idea how to direct or speak to actors. They just don’t know what they need or how to get the best out of them. Some think: “That’s their audition, that must be the only way they could play the part”. When in fact, most actors could do the part multiple ways. The director is there to help guide them to get to the best place and the audition, from what I’ve expereinced is a place where the actor prepares and comes in with what he/she deams to be the best choices from the info they have been given.

At that point though, the director should realize that to see the actor at his/her best they need to squeeze the the juices out of that actor. What helps?

• Giving the actor a little time.
• Explain a little more about the character’s background.
• Asking if the actor has questions.
• Developing a quick but kind report
• Suggesting character traits or actions for the actor to play once they’ve gone over it once.

All these things will create a better audition and why wouldn’t you want to give actors the best audition possible?

Thanks Kim, you’re a great example.