Prepare

1) WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Be yourself

We want you to be yourself! We are not looking for someone to "act" this. We don’t want this to sound fake or phony, it should be in your own voice.

Take your time. Keep it real, natural. Make sure you understand who Laura Ingalls is. What is going on in the scene? What is her objective? We want to make sure you understand WHY you are saying what you’re saying. If you can bring that knowledge to who you are, you’ll be great.

Make it come alive

Keep your head up as much as possible. Do not keep your head down in the page. Do not stand and just read the lines. Make it come alive. Memorizing is not enough.

Don’t Forget Listening! Don’t just say your lines and check out. Make sure you listen and take in what the other character is saying and what it means to you. How does it make you feel? How does it affect you? You don’t have to speak to communicate. You still communicate, even when you listen. Remember to Engage when you are not speaking.

2) PREPARE THE AUDITION SPACE

Find a quiet room that has very little to no background noises. Noises to watch for are running refrigerators, TVs, telephones, computer fans, running water, traffic, etc... The quieter it is, the better.

The wall you stand in front of should ideally be White/Gray or Blue. A clean wall is best without doorways, pictures, etc.

If you can, stand near or about one foot away from the wall to avoid distracting shadows on the wall. A great idea is to mark your spot on the floor with a piece of tape or even a book. (This is called your Mark) This will give you a consistent spot to stand and adjust your lighting, camera, and sound.

3) CAMERA AND LIGHTING

After setting up your camera, preferably on a tripod, make sure you are lit well. The viewer needs to be able to see you clearly. You want to make sure your eyes are seen very well. Do not stand with a sunlit window behind you or your face will be in shadow.

Lighting sources can be, but not limited too, ring light, table top lamps, floor lamps, window light, flood light, or whatever you might have to SAFELY light your scene. Record yourself briefly and then play the tape back and be very critical about the lighting. If it does not look the greatest, then adjust your lighting and try again. Lighting and sound are two very important areas to make sure you are very particular about.

Ideal Camera Settings

Most modern cameras, smartphones and tablets come with both 4K & HD settings. Make sure the 4K setting is selected. There may also be next to the HD or 4K, some number selections of 24, 30 & 60. Record a 10-20 seconds on the various settings and select the one that has the best quality.