Loren E. Chadima's Intentional Acting

“If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.”—Michelangelo

Watching the contortionists at the Cirque du Soleil last night, I realized that they make acrobatics look so easy that I forget how impossibly hard it is.  I took for granted the strength, the flexibility, the practice, and courage it takes to achieve those feats.

Acting is the same.  Great actors make acting seem easy. But I see a lot of actors who take the craft of acting for granted. They think “I can do that” and they audition, go to casting workshops, do showcases, without having a teacher and being in a regular class. By the way, they are the same actors complaining that they’re not booking.

Great acting requires consistent practice, a good coach and personal courage to build the emotional strength and emotional flexibility required to perform great roles. Respect your craft.  Be in class – practice.

Winter is a fallow time – a time for nature to rest before expending energy to bloom in the spring.  Actors and artists need fallow time as well.  We need down time to regroup, reflect, rest, and drink in the life experiences that we then use to feed our creative expression.

In the next couple of weeks before pilot season begins give yourself some fallow time.  Enjoy the holidays with your family, without working, without worrying about how your career will bloom next year.

Rest, relax, reflect.  There will be plenty of time to get things started and to make things happen in 2012.

May joy and peace fill your holidays.

May abundance of love and opportunity fill your New Year.

Thank you for allowing me to be of service to you and your dreams.

Loren

With Pilot Season around the corner you can’t afford not to be.

Where there used to be over 300 pilots made in one season, now there may be only 30.  Studios are not making as many films either which means more movie stars go to television, not just to star in series, but to do three-or-four-episode guest roles. Remember there are over 2000 actors being submitted for every role.  You have to be at your very best when that audition comes in.

Take an inventory – an honest one or it really doesn’t work.  Have your coach or teacher give you feedback.

Here are six questions to help.

1. Are you breaking down a script and making the strongest choice?

2. Are you owning the room when you walk into the audition?

3. Do you adjust quickly if you’re not in the mood or something happens in the waiting room to throw you off?

4. Are you really adjusting to the direction the CD gave you or are you giving them the same thing twice?

5. Are your headshots working for you? Looking like you? Resume up to date?

6. Are you in class? Professional actors, like professional athletes – Practice.

This is your Pre-Season. Take your inventory, practice and get to work!

Feel free to share your inventory results or other questions that might help.

According to TheWrap.com (by the way a great place to get free tickets to Oscar screenings.) even working actors like Christine Lakin www.imdb.com are having a hard time getting auditions.

Regardless of this depressing trend, we forget that we are lucky to be living in the Entertainment Capital of the world. Many people around the country and the world would love to be in LA auditioning. I know because I get emails from actors asking how they can get the opportunities that you have.

So when you get that audition, go and be grateful that you have an audition.

Next audition: focus more on being grateful rather than getting the job. Be grateful for the opportunity to be seen by this Casting Director. Be grateful to your agent for the work they did to get you the audition. And be grateful you had the time, money and means to get to the audition.  Notice how the audition goes. I just bet – a little better.

I am grateful to all of you for your support of my business. I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Comment and share your experiences of how gratitude has helped with your auditions.