Audition Tape – House (Hugh Laurie)
Another great sample audition tape. Once again, notice the acting doesn’t stop when Hugh isn’t talking . . .
Into the -Woods
While Hollywood, or more specifically the United States film/tv industry, is the largest producer of films and television in the world, there are other “-wood” labelled markets.
Second on the list is Bollywood, the term known for the film industry of India.
Bollywood is commonly referred to as Hindi cinema, even though Hindustani, understood as the colloquial base common to both Hindi and Urdu, might be more accurate. There has been a growing presence of Indian English in dialogue and songs as well. It is not uncommon to see films that feature dialogue with English words and phrases, even whole sentences. There is a growing number of films made entirely in English.
Third, surprisingly, is Nollywood, the collective term for the Nigerian film industry.
According to Hala Gorani and Jeff Koinange formerly of CNN, Nigeria has a 250 million USD movie industry, churning out some 200 “home videos” every month to become the third largest in the world after the United States and India [2]. Many foreign and local critics have criticized Nollywood for its trite plots, poor dialogue, terrible sound, and poor production values. Some worry that the prevalence of witchcraft and violence in the movies may reinforce negative stereotypes about Africans. In just 13 years, Nollywood has grown from nothing into an industry that employs thousands of people.
As an actor, it makes sense to know about these “film epicenters.” Expose yourself to film from these regions, especially if you would like to expand beyond acting into producing and/or directing.
Backstage on Soap Operas
Soap operas are proven training ground for actors and, in my opinion, are often underrated showcases for great actors. Backstage has a new report focusing on the world of soaps. I recommend it even if you if would rather not appear on daytime TV.
Not Your Mama’s Daytime Drama – A crash course in soap operas, including auditioning tips
Student Work – Rob Edwards
One of my students Rob Edwards appears in this viral video that is apparently very popular — even Bill O’Reilly mentioned it on his show. Enjoy . . .
Audition Tape – Lost (Matthew Fox)
It’s important for actors to be prepared for auditions, particularly those where the sides (script) are provided prior to the audition date.
Most importantly, Actors MUST react even when they are not talking.
Here is an excellent example, featuring Matthew Fox auditioning for ABC’s Lost. Incidentally, I don’t believe this is the role he was cast in . . .
The U.S. Economy and Shifting Film Focus to International Markets
It’s important for actors to be aware of the film business as a whole.
Here is a very informative article coming out of the recent Cannes Film Festival. Here are a few highlights:
The acquisitions biz has shifted drastically. With the downturn in the niche market, studio specialty arms and the bigger indie buyers aren’t buying films like they once did. And projects are becoming more expensive, exemplified at Cannes by Steven Soderbergh’s companion Che Guevara films.
Translation: Fewer films are being purchased for distribution, making it less likely for some films to see the light of day.
The funding world is completely different. American sources of financing like hedge funds and Wall Street are being hit hard by the rocky U.S. economy, while new sources are popping up in other regions around the globe, like India and other Asian countries, as well as the Middle East.
Translation: Less films are being funded from traditional U.S. sources
Simultaneous with those shifts is Hollywood’s new attitude toward foreign production. U.S. studios are aggressively looking to produce local-language projects for a particular territory or territories.
Translation: Expect to see the studios dump more money into region-specific and foreign productions, leaving less money for domestic films.
Overall, it means that things are shifting due to the U.S. economy, and that domestic financing and distribution are becoming harder to obtain. For the actor, that could mean less work here in the States and/or decreased chances that completed films will be distributed.
Understanding Movie Posters
There is a skill to making a movie poster. Not all filmmakers understand that, and the viewer is left wondering, “Have you ever even looked at a movie poster?”
Design, like directing, is its own art, and should not be skimped on, especially the fonts.
Here’s a site that discusses some of the best movie posters of all time. Bookmark it and share it with directors you work with and for the day when you too decide to produce or direct.
If your movie poster doesn’t look like it would fit well with the ones at the this link, maybe it’s time to go back to the drawing board . . .
Welcome
Actors are often considered “a dime a dozen” — easily replaced.
As such, we must continuously educate ourselves to give us an edge in “the business,” so that we become more valuable than the “average” actor.
In addition to my classes, I plan to offer insights here for my students and other actors worldwide.
For more about me, please visit my Official Web Site or see me on MySpace.
Onwards and upwards!
Jimmy Flowers
