Breathing Corpses By Laura Wade

So I'm currently in an ISDA (Irish Student Drama Association) play called Breathing Corpses, written by Laura Wade. For those of you who don't know, ISDA is a national competition for all student drama societies. They each choose two or three plays to go to the host university to represent their college. At the end of the little festival, there are awards for all sorts of categories from Best Actor to Best set design to Best Prostups.

So It's been a very long two weeks in preperation for our show. We have performed it for 5 nights about 3 or 4 weeks ago to the UCD campus audience, then we got chosen to represent UCD in ISDA... so now it was all hands on deck in order to construct the set in a much neater, cleaner way, to rework scenes so that everything is specific and intentional. It's been amazing, but it been VERY exhausting....

We've spent three days painting the entire set white, right after the two weeks it took to rebuild it! So now we are off to University College Cork tomorrow for our get in at 3! and then we're on first thing in the morning at 10am in the Firkin Crane in Cork! This is going to be so fun! It's been hard work but it will all pay off, and if we win an award then that would just be a bonus!!

It's been so interesting to do this play and work with a dear friend of mine, Lisa Carroll, who is directing. She's been amazing and everything she says in terms of directing our acting, is so clear and precise, she just wants us to be natural, to be an extension of ourselves. It's been brilliant and later on I'll post about an amazing book for everyone to read... but more on that in a later post!

I will keep you all posted on how ISDA goes and how it feels to perform in a 'competition'... because I have definitely never been in that kind of an atmosphere!

Pics to come!! GO 'BREATHING CORPSES'!

https://vimeo.com/59905438

Peach Out!

John Dawson Acting Workshop

So I spent Saturday and Sunday in an Acting For Camera and Audition workshop with John Dawson and I thought I'd go through a little bit of what happened for anyone who is thinking of doing it.

www.facebook.com/DawsonDramaWorks
www.dawsondramaworks.com

We were asked to prepare a 2 min max monologue from a play, film or tv script, but that was not shakespearean. It had to be contemporary and suitable for camera. I know some casting directors disapprove of using anything from a play because they normally don't transition well.
   So before I even got to the workshop, i had my work cut out for me. Because all the auditions I have been to have been for film or tv, I was always given SIDES to work from and never had to prepare a monologue. So I was now faced with the job of finding one, and here are some of the monologues I came up with:

Vesper from Casino Royal, the scene where she meets Bond on the train and surmises his history by the clothing he is wearing. (this is on youtube)

Olive Pendergast from Easy A, has a monologue at the very beginning of the movie to camera.

Erica Albright from The Social Network, I'll post the link for the text here: http://www.monologuedb.com/dramatic-female-monologues/the-social-network-erica-albright/

and that was it really. It had to be a monologue suited for my age, and it had to be a role that I would love to play. So I was wrecking my head for ages trying to think what role I would love to play, and then finally on Friday (the day before the workshop) I realized, by simply looking at my desktop screen, there was a collage of photos of Rooney Mara as Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.... DUH!!!

So I chose to do a monologue from the original film script, in the revenge scene! Yay! So now I had a monologue for a part I would have killed to play!!!! (obviously I didn't do it as much justice as Rooney, but hey ho!)

So on Saturday morning, I arrived at his studio in the Stoneybatter Area, and we were all introduced to John and each other before we were all thrown right in at the deep-end to perform our monologues straight away. We would then end up performing them again, with some direction at the end of the course! And the improvement was remarkable! We were all given a DVD of all our work that occurred in front of the camera so that we could see our progress and practice!!!

Through the course of the weekend we would be learning how to perform a monologue from a subjective view (To Camera) and an objective view (looking off camera) We were also taught how to relax in front of the camera and just feel comfortable in the room. We also learned how to do an audition successfully and how to cold read.

I have learned so many valuable things over the course of the two days, and here are some of the most valuable tricks I learned:
1. Don't cut yourself- when you're performing a monologue or scene to camera for an audition, don't freeze at the end or cut yourself, keep acting beyond the words!
2. When going into an audition, ask what Frame you are in and how much can you move.
3. When Cold reading, hold the paper up at eye level and away from your face, so off to the right for example, so the camera can pick up your face even when you're looking for your next line.

I would highly recommend this workshop if anyone is looking for a small two day workshop in order to just gain that little bit more of an insight into what auditioning is really like. You will definitely pick up great tips along the way! And the workshop is really fun and you will definitely enjoy yourself!!!

Thanks for reading! If have any questions just post below! x


Peach Out!

Can YOU be a successful actor?

The answer is very simple. But only you can answer it. How badly do you want it?

The industry in Ireland is VERY small, so if you really want to be successful here, or in fact anywhere, you just have to work hard! Thats it really!!

Do you have a headshot? Is it a good headshot? Don't tell me you have no money for a headshot when I'm sure you or someone you know has an Iphone! Go out and take a picture on a good day with good light and it will suffice until you can earn enough to get a headshot photographer or even just a portrait photographer (probably cheaper)! If you have at least an iphone 4S then you've got an 8 megapixel camera right there! which will take very decent photographs! So go out, and ask around if you or someone you knows has a good camera phone. Ask what the megapixels are and then just go out and take a few shots. Here is some solid advice for your headshot:

Be natural: that means very little make up please! If they need to make you up they will!
                  Also your hair, keep it simple, up or down it's not very relevant as they are looking at your
                  face!!

Light:   Good lighting!! Women are normally light from slightly above, which is more flattering and
             creates a nice glow in the eyes. Men are more often light from the side.

Background:   It doesn't really matter as long as your are in focus. So if it's plain white then thats fine,
                     but it can be a brick wall or greenary or anything, just as long as it's not in focus

Editing:  Do not over edit your photos! No crazy photoshopped perfect skin, they don't want you to
              look like a model! They want to see the real you, so no glam shots!

Smile or no smile? Well I prefer not to smile but I suggest you take a few pictures with it each way and see what works best for you. But if it's a smile, try think of something genuinely funny, you don't want a picture with a fake cheesy grin.

Now, moving on! Once you've got your headshot, do you have an up to date Resume?? It should have the list of past work you've done or are currently working on. And it should probably follow this type of pattern:

Date      Production       Role     Director     Company

And use these under the categories of Theatre and Film and Television.



Showreel.

TIP NO.1:
NO MONTAGE!!!!! PLEASE GOD NO FRIGGIN MONTAGE!! Directors and Castign Directors have announced countless times that they do not want to see a 30second montage of footage of you set to music at the beginning of your showreel! They'll skip it anyway! So don't put a montage in there!

TIP NO.2:
If you are making a showreel, just keep the editing simple, and start with one of your best scenes (although probably not the one where you're screaming your head off), maybe it's a good idea to ease them in.

TIP NO.3:
I know you love that monologue scene you're in, but don't forget to include dialogue scenes where you actually have less dialogue than the other actor, but obviously a lot of reaction footage time. Casting Directors want to see that you can listen to the actor you're playing opposite and see you react. You don't always have to be talking!!

TIP NO.4:
Don't send it to casting directors through email or something where they have to DOWNLOAD it. NO NO! Rather upload it to a private youtube site or Vimeo (this is my preferred choice) and send them a LINK. This is much less hassle to a director or casting director, as they just need to click and follow the link. So much easier for them!

TIP NO.5:
It's not essential to have a showreel. But it is a huge benefit to have some sort of material you can show them. If you're unrepresented and applying for a role to the casting director directly, then it actually might be a better idea for you to just upload a selection of different clips from the projects you have done. This means that if you're going for a soft character, and you have a specific scene in which you played a character which was very similar, you can just send the casting agent/director a direct link to that scene. This is more beneficial to you as they see it immediately, rather that if that scene is in the middle of your showreel and they never get to it because they only watched the first 20 seconds. So a selection of clips might be a very good idea. (this is why I like vimeo!)

And finally, once you have your headshot and resume and possibly a showreel, go out and get it! If you have an agent, send this info to your agent and make sure they are putting it to good use! If you are unrepresented, then send it to every agent, casting agent or director you can! Make sure everything is clear! Who you are, where you come from and what you are hoping to achieve ("I'd like to apply for... role", etc)

Be strong and confident in your own skin. Like you as a person and they will like you as a person. Be yourself, be natural and most importantly work hard! Fight for it! Go out and get involved in everything on camera that you can!

Good luck!

Peach out!

are there any topics you want discussed?

Hi guys, so I know a lot of people have veiwed the Jimi Hendrix posts and the Tattoos posts quite often.
Want i want to know is, is there anything you want to ask or know about that I can help you with? I should really write on this more often so I'll give you a quick update so far:

I've started my Masters in Drama and Performance in UCD and so far am loving it. I have just been so busy with reading and writing little tasks.

Auditons are slow and have pretty much stopped. My last audition was for The Sea and needless to say I didn't get it. I was a little disappointed as it would be shooting in my home town, but if it's not meant to be then it isn't meant to be. What can you do eh? x

I have been working on a few shorts, one for a local company in wexford which was so much fun! It was sort of a thriller themed shoot, so it was quite creepy! and when it is completely ok to release it to the internet I'll probably write a post on it.

I still haven't seen any edits of Cuckoo episodes 3 or 4, so that's kinda disappointing... but we shall just be patient! Once they are completed I'll make myself a showreel and include the shorts I did, then naturally; post it here...

Well basically all I'm doing now is waiting for another call, another audition or another job. Acting is such a hard career because of the uncertainty of it all. But hey! you gotta love it!

So guys if there are any questions I'd be happy to answer them or even ask some casting directors for you!! xx

Thank you for reading!

Peach out!

there's me!! in titanic Blood and Steel!

look look! its me!!

So excited when I saw me and my one line! woop woop! it's in episode 11 about 41.58 mins in!! so excited to see my on screen! and there with Kevin Zegers and Billy Carter! both wonderful people! 

Best experience of my career so far!!!!!!!!!! so so so so so so happy right now!! 

Self taping an audition

Oh gee... I seriously hate self-taping for an audition because you have time to analyze and stress. The worst thing about self taping an audition is having one day to do it...

I had one day to self tape an audition for a short film because the actual audition was a good while away and I had somewhere to be that night which was extremely important for me. So I got my sides and realized straight away, this is something I can't do on my own. So ensue another dilemma... My boyfriend who is doing media studies is in Wexford, I'm in Dublin... so he's out. My brother had just returned to Wexford the day before.. so he's a nope too.. I couldn't exactly get my grandmother to do it so my last and only option was Dramsoc...


Oh let me tell you there are not a lot of people willing to give up their day to help you. That's a fact!! Luckily I had a good friend in Dramsoc who would read with me and hold the camera... but only after 6pm... My audition needed to be done and uploaded by the next morning at the latest.

So fine, it was the best I could hope for. But doing a scene is so hard when you self tape because you can't just relax. You're gonna do the scene, then watch the play back then do it again and again.. it's really time consuming! and Then you feel bad for taking up other's time.  But I got it done after about 4 hours... (4 scenes in total) and I uploaded and sent it off.

I would totally prefer to go to the audition but sometimes that's just not possible.

My only advice so far is so find a very well lit room and use a good camera. If you need to hire a studio for an hour or two then you should do it, if you get the part it could be worth it. I'm not sure about filming it in the context that the script states, e.g., if it's a kitchen scene, film it in the kitchen. I will ask a few casting directors about this and see what they come back to me with.

Have you ever self-taped? any advice?

Peach out.

what to do in an audition (from experience from audtioning in ireland)

So I thought I'd start making more of these posts that a lot of people want to know about. so if anyone has any questions they'd like answered please tweet me @appeleyes2 and I'll put up a post or I will reply to your tweet with the answers.

So let's begin with, what to do in an audition and in this post I will include the preparation and the actual audition.

Scenario 1:
Ok, so lets presume you were asked to attend an audition, and lets presume they have asked you to prepare a monologue:

Find a monologue that suits your age and your characteristics. So if you're more into comedy do something funny. And likewise if you think dramatic monologues are more comfortable for you to perform then choose a dramatic one.

There are plenty of male monologues out there, and there is loads of ones for women too. Males I'd suggest anything from Shakespeare's plays (likewise women) but also some good monologues can be found in Howie the Rookie and Terminus (Mark O'Rowe-irish actors), also there's Enda Walsh's Disco Pigs and Conor McPherson's Rum and Vodka.

Women there are two characters in Terminus (Mark O'Rowe) a young(B) and older character (A). Also there are good monologues in Brian Friel's Faith Healer. But I'd definitley recommend Sarah Kane's works (mostly 4.48 psychosis) and also Caryl Churchill. She rights brilliantly for female actors. and Billy Roche too writes amazing female roles.

Those are just a few suggestions.

Then read the monologue and learn it off.

Do it in the mirror. 100 times. or a 1000 times. however long it takes until you stop acting and actually start being the character.

The most important thing I can offer here is to learn your lines. Know your character. Read the whole play. This will help greatly!!!

Your audition starts when you walk in the door. Be confident. Find something in your character that you can identify with and so you will be that character. The director/casting director will introduce themselves then they will chat a bit and then they will ask you to start in your own time.

Do it. Do it with confidence. Do it with Style.

and then they will thank you. and you will leave. that is the end of your audition!!

Good luck!!

Scenario two: Getting sides from the script.

if you have an agent they will no doubt have sent you sides (pieces of the script with your character's lines on it for the audition).

learn your lines! always always learn your lines!!!!

Then it's pretty much the same as above. Practice loads and do it with confidence!

90% of auditions you will go on will reject you. For not being the right height, weight, body type, hair colour, eye color, anything at all!!!

This game is all about rejection. The best thing to do is to stay positive, relax and enjoy your experience. Try feel good after your audition and put it to the back of your mind, maybe even treat yourself afterwards! I find this helps loads! get yourself a lil desert or ice cream or whatever you want. you've earned it after all that work!!


Best of luck!!!!!


Peach out!