The Five Secrets Of Getting Into Acting School
Getting into Acting School can be a difficult and sometimes traumatic process.
I have been on both sides of the fence. Many years ago now, I went through Acting School auditions to gain entry to start my own actor career. Now I audition students for entry onto my Ultimate Acting Programme and various productions that I direct.
Here are 5 points that will help you get through the Acting School audition and get accepted.
- Pick Appropriate Audition Speeches – You will be required by most acting schools to learn two audition speeches. One modern, and one Shakespeare. Modern means any play written in the last 100 years (roughly). An audition speech is a monologue given by a character in a play, directed to another character or speaking out their own internal thoughts to themselves. The latter, Shakespeare referred to as soliloquies.I would recommend finding speeches said by characters of a similar age and type to you. If you are twenty-one years old, it’s easier to relate to, play, and convince a panel that you are a twenty-one year old character. Obviously, you can widen the age range, but I would veer away from characters who are much older or younger than you.Also, find characters that you can relate to. It’s best to make the process as simple and enjoyable as possible. Find characters who resonate with you, and that you enjoy playing. This will come across in your acting.
- Get Professional Coaching – Most Acting Students are coached by professional coaches to perfect their audition speeches. If you do not do this, be prepared that you will be up against students who may have been perfecting speeches with professional coaches for years.
- Know the Character and Play Inside Out – You MUST know the character and the play intimately. You may be asked questions by the audition panel regarding the character and the play. The panel will know many plays very well. Be prepared – as they may ask you questions to make sure you have done your homework.
- Take Re-Direction – If the panel ask you to do your speech in a different way, this is called re-direction. They are doing this to see if you can do it differently when asked. You MUST take the re-direction fully. Whatever re-direction they give you, don’t question it, but fulfill it as much as possible. If you fail to take the re-direction, it will be a mark against you.
- Don’t Block in Improvisations – If the panel ask you to improvise with other actors, throw yourself in and don’t block the other actors. Here is an example of blocking.Actor A: Hello, would you like to go for a walk?Actor B: No, I don’t want to.Actor A: Oh, go on.Actor B: No, I want to be left alone.Actor B is blocking, and that won’t be liked by a panel. They are looking for people who join in, communicate, and create. Also, don’t take yourself out of any group situation they put you in. If you don’t join in, or if you hold back, they will think you’re not a team player.
Following these five points will definitely help you gain entry into Acting School.
In the coming weeks, I would like to send you further acting tips and reports to help you in your acting career.
In the meantime – Good Luck!
Best wishes
Brian Timoney
