1:49 pm - Thurs 10.21.2010
Forgetting I Was Ever There

The day after a big audition (or two) is tough.

At a casting workshop once, the casting director's advice on handling auditions was "go, do your best...then forget you were ever there".

I think that's sound advice.

But it's moving towards 10 years since I moved to LA, and that "sound advice" still falls under "easier said than done".

All I've really been able to think about today is yesterday's auditions (Or more specifically, getting a call about yesterday's auditions).

But I haven't gotten a call all day, and likely as not, if/when I do, it'll be a big letdown; someone from WW asking if I can work a meeting for them, or Bette asking if we can change our appointment time, or Haley or Jon calling about a new audition (The latter is typically a good thing, of course - It just isn't the call I want to get right now).

So I've watched tv...while waiting for the phone to ring.

And I've surfed the Internet...while waiting for the phone to ring.

And I just got back from the grocery store, where I shopped...while waiting for the phone to ring.

"So how did things go", you're wondering?

An easy question, wouldn't you think?

But I'm not sure how I feel about yesterday auditions, not sure where the dividing line is between "how I really feel about how things went", and "wanting to hope for the best and be positive here in Diaryland".

On top of that, I'm fresh off some D-land entries and FB "status updates" to the effect that "I'm not the best judge of my work, and my opinion of it doesn't matter anyway".

But since, shy of booking a gig (Or to a lesser extent, getting a callback or an "avail"), I don't get any feedback on my auditions, my opinion is usually all I have.

So, in my opinion, yesterdays auditions were...pretty good.

I would have preferred a Tony the Tiger-ish "GGGRREAT!"...but "pretty good" is what I've got.

The commercial audition was more elaborate than normal, with somewhat involved blocking and direction, and a lot of responding to situations that weren't happening and to things that weren't there (Basically, acting out the action of the entire commercial).

I think it may have been like the Trident spot, where they'd had a day of auditions and weren't happy with what they'd gotten (And ended up "casting a wider net"), because in addition to the camera person, there was a woman directing me, and she had an assistant (Usually, your first time in for a commercial, it's just you and the camera person, who explains what you're supposed to do).

Bobby R., a fellow former ACG'er, was auditioning as well.

He gave me a little grief about my being dressed in a blue shirt and a red tie...like many of the other guys auditioning for the "Boss" role.

His point? I should have done something more to stand out, and not worn a stereotypical "Boss" outfit

(I will give him this - He was not dressed as a "Boss" stereotype...but he didn't look much like a ""Boss" either. He looked more like a gay economics professor.)

Anyway, when I got in the room (After the group explanation), we went over the blocking, I did two takes of it, "Camera Guy", "Director Woman", and "Assistant Boy" conferred and agreed the second take was perfect, and I was on my way.

My Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior audition was at 2:15, at the Disney Studios in Burbank.

I got there early, and didn't have to wait very long before they called me in.

This was a "pre-read", in front of just the casting directors (There were two of them), and they were very happy with me, telling me to come back at 5:15 for the "producer session".

I didn't feel like driving back home, only to have to drive back in late-afternoon traffic, so I walked around for a bit - buying an iced tea and some gum at a nearby gas station - then just sat in the lobby till it was time for me to do my "producer session" thing.

(It ended up being ACG "Old Home Week" yesterday - Tammy D. and Wendy O., who were also ACG stalwarts, were also at yesterday's "producer session".)

When my time came, I didn't feel like I was doing quite as well as I had in the pre-read; not sure what happened (Was I too nervous for some reason? Should I have gone home, instead of hanging out? I don't know), but I wasn't as tight on the lines, and I didn't feel I was quite as in control of my "affect".

(At the "producer session", the producer and director were there, in addition to the two casting people.)

After I read once, the Director gave me direction, which was basically to be more "clinical" in the scene, more matter-of-fact and less emotional.

The fact that the Director directed me seemed like a good thing - clearly, he was seeing something he liked (Or why bother?) - and I felt like I didn't have a big problem going where he wanted me to go...but again, I wasn't happy with a wobbly line or two, and again, felt somehow a little less "in control" of what I was doing than I wanted to be.

But like I've said, I can feel however I feel about these things, but I can't see what they see, or know exactly what they're looking for, so who knows?

In any case, it's done now, so I've gotta put those auditions to rest.

...and focus on Shameless, which is coming up on Monday.

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