UPCOMING AUDITIONS

FILM AUDITIONS


Director Sean Talbott, Master of Fine Arts student at Ohio University - thesis film.  Here is a brief description of the roles I'm looking for. All of these are speaking/on-camera roles.

Alice is a 30's something rich suburban housewife trying to hide her fling from her 6 year old daughter and public figure defense attorney husband. She's beautiful, sexy, intelligent and very manipulative when she wants to be. Must be pleasing to the eyes, have a strong killer look, almost femme fatale-like. I am looking for someone who is cunning, sexy, and beautiful, as Alice is a dynamic character.

Bill is a late 30's defense attorney. He's a man who desires power and has=a lot of it, both inside his home and in the legal arena. Bill has strong masculine features and is also very handsome. Bill spends most of his time smothering his wife and trying to track down Alice's fling.

Chloe is the 6 to 10-year-old daughter of Bill and Alice. Just like her mo=her, she has looks to kill and a smile that melts the heart. Also like her mother (although she's a young girl) Chloe is smart, much like a miniature adult, due to her strict upbringing.

Gina is the 20's something secretary to Bill. She's your classic sexy looking administrative type, the kind any man would wish to work with. Although short, she has a pivotal role in the film.

Rick is the 30's something that Alice is sleeping with. He's a polar opposite of Bill, blue collared and rugged. He smokes, shouts, curses and is more of a cowboy then a modern man.

Principal photography begins at the end of September. I plan to fill these roles and begin rehearsing from late August into September. We are working with a micro budget but can provide $100/day, hotel accommodations if needed, copy, credit, and meals. This is a passion project, we've got=a great production team and locations in place. The Ohio University Graduate School of Film ranks top 15 in the country year after year.  This film will travel to festivals all over the world.


AUDITION TIMES:
Saturday August 6th from 9am-6pm
Monday August 8th from 2:45pm-6:45pm

Auditions will be held in Westerville. Shooting will take place in Columbus with a few scenes being shot in Athens.

As a sort of promotion, I've also put together a trailer of films I've directed and shot.  I've also put together a trailer of films I've directed and shot.  These aren't your average student films.  In fact they trend more towards professional than anything: http://v=meo.com/26463439 Contact me for a script and to schedule your audition: Sean Talbott MFA, Film Production The Ohio University School of Film st894004@ohio.edu 614-307-0646 


http://www.finearts.ohio.edu/film./pages/st=dents/mfa-students/studseant.htm http://www.backdropmag.com/entertainment/script-screen 


THEATRE AUDITIONS 

Gallery Players 

Auditions for Lost in Yonkers will be held on Monday, August 29, 2011, and Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus, 1125 College Ave., Columbus, OH 43209. Auditions will include cold readings from the play.

 For more details about this production, including synopsis/characters/production dates, and for details about the 2011/2012 season, including audition information, go to: http://www.jccgalleryplayers.org/

COLUMBUS CHILDREN'S THEATRE Auditions

Sunday, August 7th 7:00 pm  &  Monday, August 8th 7:00 pm Columbus Children’s Theatre 512 N. Park Street. Callbacks will be on Tuesday, August 9th, 7:00 pm• Actors should come with a prepared song and music. An accompanist will be provided.  NO TAPES.
• Actors should bring a current resume and a photo (snapshot is fine) and dress comfortably!
• Also, bring your calendar to indicate conflicts with rehearsals. Readings will be from the script.• Scripts are available at our offices (177 E. Naghten St. Cols, OH 43215) and may be checked out for 3 days with a $20 deposit.

Adult Roles (Ages 18 and up)MRS. PINKERTON: Pink's mother who learns to be less rigid and busy.
MRS. PINKERTON: Pink's father who learns to be less close-minded and strict.
DR. WINK: Pink's pediatrician
All adult actors are paid*!*Must be 18 and a high school graduate

Youth Roles (Ages 10 & up)
PINKALICIOUS: girl who loves pink and learns that more is not always better, learns self control and the power of pink.
PETER:  Pinkalicious's little brother who secretly loves pink and to express himself creatively.
ALISON: Pinkalicious's friend who learns not to be jealous and that the grass is not always greener on the other side. 
Also: BIRDS,  BEES,  BUTTERFLIES, and DANCING CUPCAKES

Acting for Film for Beginners and Acting for Teens - Final Scenes

 

ACTING FOR TEENS: TV, FILM and COMMERCIALS Eight-Week Intensive - Summer 2011

Acting for TV Commercials - Introduction to Acting for the Camera

PHOTO: Acting in Columbus student Don W.
currently appearing in a 'PENN STATION'
Commercial.

Acting for TV Commercials - Introduction to Acting for the Camera
Sunday, August 14, 2011 1:00pm - 8:00pm $175



Learn how to audition for and break into the local commercial and industrial industry. You will learn how to make the first contact with the agents. By taking this class you have the opportunity to show the agents that you are serious about pursuing this type of work.This workshop will give you experience with the actual audition process:

You'll work on-camera all day doing both prepared and cold readings, and receive plenty of feedback from instructor Richard Mason.

Script analysis skills: We have written our own textbook that breaks this process down and makes it simple.

Comfort in front of the camera: How do you stand? How do you hold the script? How do you deal with your partner and the camera at the same time? What is a slate? What do you do with your hands?

Practice at doing all types of commercials: Scene work, improv, one-liners, bite and smiles, handling products, etc. You'll also learn how to market to the casting directors, all about pictures and resumes, how the unions work, etc.

Chicago Casting Director Jane Alderman Holds All the Cards by Katie O'Mara

Jane Alderman’s epitaph could read: "The ship that launched a thousand faces." The headshots of Gary Sinise, Irma P. Hall, Joan Cusack and Amy Pietz came across her desk and all were pushed toward successful careers. The casting director’s lofty office is wallpapered with headshots of the discovered and the hopeful. All of the glossy, starry eyes seem to watch Jane as she walks across the room. They watch and wait. As the very tanned casting director (she just vacationed in Hawaii) settles into her chair, her office hums with morning activity. The air conditioner rattles slightly, gearing up to fight the heat of another summer day. Catherine Head (Alderman’s associate casting director) sits at her desk in the adjoining room. The familiar pulsating dial tone indicates that she’s checking her e-mail. It is a typical Tuesday morning at this River North office and Alderman is handed a typical pile of mail—a stack of headshots separated into submissions from talent agents for specific projects and unsolicited material from actors called 'takes.’ This small office receives over 150 pictures a week. "That is why it is so important that they have something going on," says Alderman. She is referring to the whole package, not just the headshot; the cover letter and resume are as crucial as the picture. Alderman puts aside the paper clipped submissions and tackles the takes of the day. "I look at them very quickly, that’s why the picture—being a good one—is important. And that it’s neat, so I don’t think they’re cuckoo," she says without a glimmer of comedy, underscoring how many cuckoos she has to circumnavigate. As cool as a dealer in Vegas, Alderman shuffles through these actors. The first photo is put aside. "No big deal. It’s not jumping out at me and I’m not looking for it." Next. "Hmmm. Interesting picture, smiling guy. I’m going to see what his credits are. Quite a bit of theatre. I’ll hold on to him. Maybe I’ll meet with him one day." Next picture. "This one has a very ethnic name. He’s of mixed ethnicity. I’m going to hold on to him because it might serve me down the line when I’m looking for that." Moving on. "Another nice picture, but nothing jumping out at me so I’ll leave that." She leaves a very attractive 20-something woman with perfect teeth and an appealing smile. "There are 3,000 women just like her." Next. "This person is obviously a model. She says she’s 14 and she apparently plays the violin. So although I am not interested in a model, because she’s 14 and seems to be multi-talented with a violin, you never know. I’ll keep her." Phew. Here is where three summers of juggling for your brother’s backyard big top makes the difference. She moves back to the discarded pile—discarded but not thrown away. With what seems like a mixture of caution and compassion, Alderman gives them a second pass. Her manicured hands flip the photos over, looking for credentials that will save them from the trash. "Now these poor souls. I’m just wondering if there’s anything they’ve done. Nothing jumping out at me. What has she done?," Alderman asks, peering at the photo of the woman with nice teeth. "A lot of improv," she notes with a shimmer of a spark in her eye. "I better pay attention to that because people always come here for improv and anyone’s who’s been with Second City , Annoyance, ImprovOlympic. Especially the Los Angeles comedy people. They’re always looking for that so I need to know who they are." And with that Smiley is saved. She will now be filed in the Women drawer. And Alderman will remember her for a while. So if LA calls within the next month or two looking for a comedic female actor, her fingers know where to fly. Improv, often referred to as acting’s bastard cousin, gets called up to the head table. Next. "Now this poor soul doesn’t have any credits whatsoever. She’s come out of a school that does not even have acting, so…" The wrist flips the headshot into the trash. But the gesture is not flippant. "The reason that cruelty exists is that we don’t have time to be kind to every picture that we come across," Alderman says. Her advice for actors is guarded. She measures her words carefully, not wanting to give out blanket words of wisdom which may smother the actor’s spirit. "Sitting under a rock isn’t going to help anybody," she says. "It’s important to see that the actor is keeping afloat with getting their pictures and postcards out, getting into a play and such. And between all of that, that’s how we meet them. It might take a long time. Sometimes it’s the beautiful people, sometimes it’s the young people, sometimes the black people. I have no idea what it is we’re looking for. Sometimes it’s just a fascinating picture." What about training? Alderman again moves toward improv. "Improv is something that is very impressive and important to me in that I think that it’s extraordinary training. It’s such a wonderful tool…it teaches them extraordinary concentration and an awareness about them," she says. She breaks down the content of the cover letter without blinking an eye. "Who, how long you have been here, training, talent agent, what you’re in." If actors can include those elements—have something in their photo that jumps at Alderman, have interesting training and experience, perhaps they can be involved in the myriad of projects Alderman casting is continually working on. Current projects include the resilient "Early Edition," now in its fourth season as a Chicago-produced network series; NBC’s hit show "E.R.," which comes here for specific scenes; "People Who Fear People," an ABC pilot; and "Passions," an NBC soap opera. She just finished casting the independent film Bored Silly, currently shooting in Woodstock, Ill. Chicago was not always such a productive town. Judging from the amount of work being cast, it is a productive town now—despite such failures as "Cupid" and "Turks," despite the weather and the uncompetitive taxes. But Alderman remembers a quieter start. She worked for an agency and was an actress in New York in the 1960’s where she learned about the international theatrical scene. She moved to Chicago in 1966. "I thought I should do something more substantial than act, which is ludicrous because anything in our business isn’t stable at all," she says. She saw a huge need for casting directors here. "It was sort of flotsam and jetsom here. By the 80’s I was thinking, my God, as an actress I can’t bear it anymore. That’s what actors need is a casting director to funnel this through. " In 1980 Alderman got divorced. "There was a need and I also needed to get on with my life after my divorce and try to take care of [her son] Jason and myself. Of course it was pretty tough going for a while, but I just started and my guardian angels were with me and it all worked out," she says. And the eyes on the wall continue their purposeful gaze, some playful, some stoic. All hoping that Jane Alderman is their guardian angel.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS - Now enrolling for fall sessions!

For more information and to register visit our website: ACTING IN COLUMBUS


Acting for Film for Beginners - Wednesdays, beginning September 14 - November 2, 2011 7:00pm-9:30pm. $200 


Advanced Acting for Film: Shooting a Film/Demo Reel - 


Mondays, beginning September 19 - November 7, 2011 7:00pm-9:30pm. $250 

Master Class: Audition, Monologue and Scene Study - Thursdays, beginning September 22 - November 10, 2011 7:00pm-9:30pm. $250 


Acting classes for young performers (teens ages 12-17):


ACTING FOR TV, FILM and COMMERCIALS - Saturdays, beginning September 17 - November 5, 2011 10:00am-12:00pm $175


Acting for Teens: ACTING IN A MOVIE! - Saturdays, beginning September 17 - November 5, 2011  2:00pm-4:00pm $250

CRAFT NOTES by Ed Hooks

TECHNIQUE - WHAT IS IT?


You've been cast in a show and handed a script. Now what? How do you prepare for performance? Where do you start? Once you begin rehearsal, what do you do if you run into trouble? After the show opens, what do you do if the actor co-starring with you can't remember her lines or gets replaced? The answer to all of these questions is contained in a single word: "Technique". Technique is an actor's blueprint, a set of operating procedures.


It amuses me that a lot of people evidently think that "Technique" is Meisner's last name. It's not true. Meisner Technique, popular though it may be, is simply the approach to things that Sanford Meisner recommended. Uta Hagen offers other techniques and approaches, as did Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg. In my acting classes, I teach my own suggested technique. If your current acting teacher is not teaching you technique, then it would be a good idea to check out other classes. Technique is what acting is all about.


Here are eleven basic acting principles that are at the core of the technique I teach:


1. Thinking tends to lead to conclusions; emotion tends to lead to action.
2. Acting is reacting. Acting is doing.
3. Find the conflict in a scene. Conflict = Obstacle = Negotiation
4. Theatrical reality is not the same thing as regular reality. It is compressed in time and space, enriched and oxygenated.
5. Your character needs an objective. An action should be in pursuit of an objective. Activity is not the same thing as a theatrical action.
6. Play an action until something happens to make you play a different action. When on stage or a set, you should be playing an action 100 percent of the time.
7. All action begins with movement.
8. Empathy is the magic key to acting. Audiences empathize with emotion. Emotion is an automatic value response.
9. Play off the reality of whatever your scene partner is doing.
10. All humans -- even the most vile -- act to survive. From birth to death, every waking moment, we act to survive. The audience's empathic reaction depends upon the actor finding his character's survival mechanisms.
11. Acting is a shamanistic activity. When you act, you are stepping into the circle to talk to the tribe. It is an honorable thing to do with your life.


At the end of the day, every actor develops his own technique. He takes a little from here and a little from there and does what works best for him. Neither Meisner nor Strasberg nor Hagen nor Hooks have the only single answer or approach. Some roles work best if you approach them internally and others work best if you work very externally.


I have been fortunate to act opposite some very excellent actors, and I can report that no two of them use the same technique. I have seen actors show up at the first rehearsal with their entire role committed to memory already, and I have seen others that are still clinging to the script at dress rehearsal. I've seen actors work improvisationally, and I've seen others stick to the scripted word like glue. Whatever works for them is okay with me. I have my own technique.


Regardless of your technique, it is not wise to flaunt it. In his book "Olivier on Acting", Laurence Olivier wrote: "Technique should appear effortless. If you buy a diamond ring or any other wonderful bit of jewelry, you don't ask, 'What was your technique in creating this?' If you did, the jeweler might say, 'Why don't you mind your own business? You're not a jeweler.'"

BOOK OF THE MONTH

RESPECT FOR ACTING BY UTA HAGEN


Great acting is about the difficult fusion of intellect and action--about sincerely and truthfully connecting to the moment, your fellow actors, and the audience--and Hagen's thoughtful and profound book contains a series of observations and exercises to help an actor do just that. Her prose style is admirably clear and filled with examples from her own lengthy career both as a performer and in the classroom. While her exercises in sense memory and basic objects skirt close to the sort of self-absorption that followers of "the Method" are routinely accused of, they are presented clearly and with a focus on practical results. And in such places as her chapter "Practical Problems," which includes discussions of stage nerves and how to stay fresh in a long run, her straightforward advice is invaluable. --John Longenbaugh