So many times in class or a private coaching session when an actor is performing a scene, there will be a moment that grabs me. But, it's not necessarily the big emotional breakdown or the well-crafted “speechy” moment.
Do you know what it is?
It's when they mess up.
What do I mean by messing up? It's usually a moment that is literally messy. A moment when the actor has to search for the line, or is so flustered the line gets a little tangled in their mouth, or they look lost for a few seconds...until they recover.
And that is the key. They don't freak out, apologize, stop the scene and start over. They are present enough to go with the moment and embrace the imperfection.
People, those moments are golden. Those are the moments that can make your self-tape audition riveting and your scene SING! Why? Because real life is messy. Our job as actors is to recreate real life, so that people watching feel as if they're eavesdropping on something happening in that moment, not an event that's been pre-planned and rehearsed.
Now you might be asking, well, aren't I supposed to be 100% memorized? Am I supposed to try to mess up on purpose?
Well, yes, you should be memorized. And while you may not necessarily try to mess up, you can be strategic about how you can find those moments organically. Here's a few tips for you to try for your next self-tape.
Tip #1 – For practice, tape yourself telling a story that is either emotionally difficult to tell, or something that you must give a great deal of thought to. Notice your natural moments where you pause, search, surprise yourself with a laugh. These moments of organic spontaneity are the same ones that you can layer purposefully into your written scripts.
Tip #2 – Keeping that practice in mind, find the moments in the script where your character may be searching, or hesitant, or thoughtful, or flustered–where the words may not come so easily. Stay open to surprises and try not to pre-plan your reactions.
Tip #3 – Get out of the habit of stopping yourself if your run-thru isn't perfect. Unless you've dropped a major line or gone totally blank, try to always go all the way through without cutting and see if you can actually stay present if it doesn't go perfectly and salvage your take if there are any bumps. Those salvaging moments could be the best moment in the take.
Tip #4 – If you didn't like that take, and you may not, pay attention to those bumps. Did you have to search for a line, or a word, or have a moment when you weren't sure how to react? Maybe that's exactly what should be happening in that moment. Now you can find a way to layer that into your performance – an intentional mistake.
Think of your acting work the same way a tightrope walker does. They have to be present. They have to recover from a stumble to stay on the rope. And, it's thrilling to watch them live with the danger and somehow make their way across.
The best actors live with that danger in their performances, staying present in every moment, living with the danger that it might not come out perfectly. But ironically, that's exactly what makes it perfect.
My favorite example is the Aaron Paul audition for Breaking Bad. He goes up on his lines during the most important audition of his life. Does he freak out? Well, watch.
For more tips and inspiration, follow my Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/andi_matheny_acting_studios
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