JANUARY 28, 2014 . . .HONESTLY . . . The way you look at yourself. Where you put yourself in the casting call firmament. Many of you, especially the young, have a tendency to look at yourselves as leading men and women - or on their way to living in those exalted spheres - no matter what your physical or vocal constraints. To be ridiculous for a second. If youre 5 feet even, weigh 160 pounds and have a Polish dialect thicker than Keilbasa - whether youre male or female - you aint goin nowhere. The dialect issue is a killer. If youre Naomi Watts, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron or Russell Crowe - say - youre a vocal chameleon and can acquire the dialect necessary for the role youre playing. But those guys are native English speakers so the adjustments are relatively easy. Especially if theres a dialect coach handy. Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Banderas and Del Toro, on the other hand, keep their dialect but have modulated it so that it either enhances their presence or simply doesnt interfere with how theyre perceived. And they are very attractive people. Many more from an earlier time, as well. Montand, Bardot, DeNeuve, Chevalier, Magnani, etc. But if you, as a beginner, have a thick dialect - and it can be a Canadian dialect, BELIEVE ME - youll be limited in the roles you might be able to book. I insist that all my clients move in the direction of acquiring Good American Speech (which is the Gold Standard), that they breathe properly, place their voices properly and that they work on their ability to acquire the skills to produce sounds and dialects appropriate to character. When I talk to young actors the complaint, almost universally, is I hate Voice Class the most and Movement Class almost as much! Good luck to you! How tall you are, how fit you are, how beautiful you are, how personable you are, how charismatic you are WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT will determine the kind of roles youll be considered for. Dangerous territory. Hate me if you will. One of the reasons the Canadian Film and Television Industry has languished and hasnt achieved hollywood type mega-releases is because of a myopic refusal to cast according to archetypal audience expectations. The leading characters in Hollywood movies are gorgeous people - whether theyre ugly or not. Think about it. The Mandarins at the money vaults, of course, are equally responsible for the failure of Canadian film to rock the world - but thats another story. So here it is. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, swims like a duck - its a duck. Ducks are good - if the movie needs ducks. Not so good, if it needs Swans. I urge you to realistically find out where you fit into the casting spectrum and go for broke where you have the best chance to score. Work on your entire physical and vocal package so that youre ready when opportunities present themselves. Dont delude yourselves, DONT LISTEN TO THE SCAMMERS (ESPECIALLY MODELLING/TALENT AGENCIES). These people prey on false expectations and take you on an expensive ride to nowhere.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 16:14:04 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015