SPEAKING at the SAG CONSERVATORY

I spoke last weekend at a SAG event... this was my third time and it’s always fun to do. It's basically where I try and cram in 5 or 6 hours of information into 2. It’s kind of a “Best Of” version of a seminar I’ve taught over the years. Here are just a couple of ideas that came up during our discussion I’m happy to share with you.

Take an improv class. Any class will do at first... and it’s critical. Throughout your career you will be asked to adapt as an actor, not only in your audition, but on the set. In commercial audtions, sometimes you don’t have ANY lines... you are just sitting down in a chair, or pressing a button, or throwing a football... who knows. A lot of people ask me “Is it OK to improv”... and I often think if you have to ask, then you probably don’t have the confidence or ability to improv in the first place. An actor comfortable in their skin just knows if and when to take the material and run. Obviously if you are asked to stick to the script, then you do so, but even then... how you move your body, create an atmosphere, etc. are all sharpened by improv training.

Work for a Casting Director if you can, especially you 20 somethings who just rolled into town. An ad agency, or production company might give you the same knowledge as well, but the idea here is you get to see what you are up against. HOW people are chosen, the process of selection based on talent, politics, and a dozen other things you wouldn’t have thought of. By working for a casting director you are basically gaining a healthy perspective of the business you plan to be in, and that perspective has numerous advantages. A young actor told me “I don’t take it personal anymore” after she had spent a few months in a casting directors office, and I’m sure that knowledge alone will serve her well throughout her career.

Take a cold reading, or commercial audition class. Acting class is great, but taking a class that prepares you specifically for auditions is very valuable for obvious reasons. The ability to do a mean Tennessee Williams in scene study is wonderful, but the world of auditions move fast and follow certain rules you need to learn and use to your advantage.

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel