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'Life is all about love – it's securities, warmth, comfort. It's the energy that surrounds us. At the end of the day, love is the most important thing.'

This pertains to us all. It's a human thing! Why? Because we as humans have emotions. (I'm not sure if I believe it to be true when I am told animals don't have emotions.) And that's what makes us humans be actors.

We are emotional beings.

As we get older the more we realize that the more we nurture our relationships, the happier we are. The more energy we give to the fundamental things and people we love, the more will come back to us.

The same goes for our industry and career.

I am constantly hearing from actors that they LOVE being an actor, but they hate the lack of opportunity that is afforded to them. They hate the process of auditions.

Ok…. So how do you learn to love what you do? Because let's face it, a lot of energy goes into your world as an actor, and if you don't enjoy the process then dare I say…… maybe it is time to find another career.

You MUST LOVE what you do! Bottom line.

So….. what is it that you do not LOVE about what you do? Break it down. Is it auditions? Learning scripts?

The one that comes up most for us is the audition process. You love being on set. Being on stage. Performing.

But that dreaded audition…….?? Now that's another matter altogether.

For me, when I was acting, I hated auditions. Why? Because I believed I wasn't very good at it! Yet, I managed to get the gigs and work successfully as an actor………

So breaking it down further, I now understand what it was about. It wasn't because I was no good at it. It was because I was fearful.

Fearful of the fact that they wouldn't like me. Fearful of the fact that I was being judged.

This fear of judgment is linked to the desire to be liked by all at all times. But that's impossible. Right? Let's face it, humans are always judging others—good/bad or like/dislike, with lots of nuance in between. And as new information comes in, the human mind reassesses: It is an ongoing process.

Here are three ways to stop living in fear of judgment:

1. Nothing lasts forever.

The reality is that the human brain has limited data reserves. Although we may make judgments, they are not significant enough to earn a place in our memory banks for eternity. So when someone makes a judgment about you, chances are that moments or days later, that judgment will have left their conscious awareness.

Yes, even a Casting Directors opinion of your last audition. They won't remember that you were nervous, but they will remember if you were memorable.

We build up our understanding of people, not on the small mistakes we have noticed, but by creating a long tail story, based on the big things they do and say, and the patterns of how they interact with us and make us feel over time. In other words the story they leave behind.

Each audition is another opportunity to add to your story!

2. Judgment is avoidable.

Stop trying to control the judgments of others. It has become part of our modum operandi to ask that others not judge us.

Instead of accepting the fact that you will be judged in your audition, why not try to appeal to those who sit in judgement, by telling them how you are feeling.

You are nervous. Big deal! Of course you are. Allow them to have compassion for you. Help them to understand how you are feeling. Compassion is kryptonite to judgement. When compassion is present, judgments have little weight because people can imagine themselves feeling the same way.

3. Hide behind a character

I think this is the most relevant for an actor. It's all very well to know your lines. To have rehearsed them inside out and back the front, in the car, in the shower, etc……

But when it comes to the audition space your mind goes blank. Why is this? I believe it's because you have not found your character. Once you find your character, it's amazing how the lines are not just lines of dialogue but they are words that this character would naturally say.

So first things first, discover your character. Who is she/ he? Where do they belong in the world? Do you know someone that you can base this character on? Are they Alpha or Omega?

Check out our Creating Compelling Characters course for more details.

Your natural charm and ability is the obvious reason. But if that is the case, why don't they get you in more often?

If it is your ability, then why don't they get you in for a range of roles? A Casting Director has a perception of you. An attitude, an opinion. To which you say ….. OMG, what do they think of me? You reason that if they are getting you into their room, they think you are hugely talented.

The question you need to answer is this: Are you there because you can play any role? Or are you there because they think you are right for THIS role?

This role. What is it? If you can dissect the role, the project etc and unpack what is the essence of this role, you have worked out how you are perceived by THIS Casting Director. And of course, it may be different with another Casting Director.

You are there because the Casting Director thinks you have a quality (or a look) that is right for a particular role. As far as they are concerned, this is your strength. It is important for you to understand how they perceive you. If you can do that, now you have identified your strength (one of your strengths!).

What do you do with that information? You double down. If they get you in for tough guys, make sure you self tape tough guy characters and make sure they get that tape.

Yes, we are saying make a tape for one particular Casting Director. But show them more complexity in the character, or perhaps how you handle a bigger role, or a similar character with depth and dimension.

Actors always keep doing their tapes and auditions and never analyse ….. why? Why me? Why this role? Why this size role?

You see by having an understanding of why a particular Casting Director gets you in, now you have a chance of answering the bigger question:

Why not me?

Because you need to address the elephant in the room. What have I done wrong to this Casting Director, because they never see me?

Like any person or business in a market place, you need to analyse what works for you …. And what doesn't.

Because until you have that information, you will never make choices and decisions that move your career forward.

If you cannot answer Why Me? Then you will never ever answer Why not me?

Our Creating Compelling Characters starts January 14. Places are limited.

I came back from holiday recently, and on holidays is when I read all the books I try and keep up with and can't when I'm reading scripts. A book I read was 'Silkworm' by Robert Galbraith.

The book described a character as 'a reliable pursuer of the obvious'. You think of that kind of person. Who is a reliable pursuer of the obvious?

You think someone who's really conservative, narrow focused, narrow thinking. They're not imaginative and spontaneous.

The point I'm making is when I go into the audition space if you give me a faithful rendition of what's in the sides. So many actors do. If I'm seeing 20, 30 people I guarantee 80% of them are following it, right down to the punctuation.

What does that make them? It makes them a reliable pursuer of the obvious.

Did you start becoming an actor to be a reliable pursuer of the obvious? Of course you didn't.

You must take risks. You must be inspiring to the casting director, to the filmmakers, to the decision makers. Because that is what's going to inspire us, maybe to get this role, maybe not, but more importantly it's going to inspire us to want to see you again.

You have to deliver individuality and not be a reliable pursuer of the obvious.

In the classic online scene from Entourage, the character Johnny Drama played by Kevin Dillon in his 'audition' for CSI that "Just tell me what you want. Because I can do it a million ways"

What do you want? Tell me what to do, what to play, what emotion to give and I will gladly give it to you.

Actors say this to me in the audition space all the time. As if the casting director knows the exact emotion or moment to deliver.

All creative art will always be a subjective pursuit.

So it is with acting. And even more so with auditions. Because we are yet to set the character in concrete.

Think of it this way. You pick up the phone and ring your telecommunications provider. Or your bank. You are outraged. They have not provided a promised service. You plan how you are going to deal with them. You are going to be so angry. You know exactly what you are going to say.

But when you arrive at that moment, your feelings, your attitude, your relationship with them has evolved because of all the things that have gone before it. Your emotional journey and your relationship with the call center person has progressed.

If you are able to name exactly how a character feels at a given time (and this is a time is in the future, even 10 seconds in the future) the moment is fake.

The key to audition success is to be brave. Discover your character's feelings at any time in the script ….. when you arrive at the moment.

Oh yes, it is truly scary. You can plan where you would possibly like to take your character, but the exact emotion, the exact delivery, needs to be flexible. You may be saying the dialogue accurately, but you are improvising the character. Improvising the relationship.

Does Jim Carrey plot and plan what will happen? Will Smith? Kristen Wiig. Johnny Depp?

Of course not. This is the essence of true screen performance.

To decide a character's feeling in advance, during your audition prep, is not a screen actors approach.

Focus on the journey, and the destination will take care of itself.

Okay, I'm going to grant you one wish and that is to have any audition you want. Whatever role you want to audition for, you can audition for. Which role are you going to choose?

Now are you going to choose the major leading role in a studio picture? Therefore if you get that audition, will you get the part? If not you've wasted a wish. Your wish should be to audition for the role you were born to play.

At this stage in your career, what is the role you were born to play? What is the next role in your career? What is the next role you would be ideal for in terms of character and in terms of the production and size of the role?

That's the role you need to be chasing. The role you were born to play, not the role you dream of playing. Otherwise you've wasted a wish haven't you?

Actors need to be great communicators. As they also need to be great connectors and observers.

If you are not these three things then I'm sorry to say you are bound to fail.

But it's not all bad news here.

You can learn these traits. Well….. better said you NEED to learn these traits as actors need to communicate very complex ideas, very quickly.

In fact, as an actor you need to communicate the entire essence of a human being, and do it so simply that just by entering the shot or stage you are embodying the role.

Every gesture, every word, every vocal inflection communicates. Your existence as an actor communicates. If you are successful in your communication people will stop and listen to you, watch you, and be eager to engage with your character.

Remember our whole ethos here at The Audition Technique. Without communication you have no relationships in life. This is never truer with actors. Actors are only truly believable by their relationships and their engagement with the other characters.

How do you improve your communication skills? Start by understanding that a communication starts with you, and the way you relate to the other characters within your play/film.

Connecting and collaborating is the name of the game here both in acting and in life.

1. Listen Listen Listen

To listen you must be:

• present

• give attention

• apply or direct yourself

• pay attention

• remain ready to serve your character

Mentally screen out distractions, like background activity and noise. Listening is a skill. Without listening you cannot hear the lines you are supposed to be reacting to. You are just repeating the lines you have learned so there will be no genuine connection nor relationship.

Finally, don't be distracted by your own thoughts, feelings, or biases.

Listen! Listen! Listen!

2. Learn to understand non-verbal cues

Body language is everything.

The way you stand when talking to someone may not seem like a big deal, but body language tells its own story, whether we're conscious of it or not.

We instinctively know that someone may be frustrated or disengaged if they stand with their arms folded, or feeling anxious if they play with their hair.

How does this affect your character and what you are wanting to convey?

Learning to be aware of your own body language can help you communicate a consistent message. Picking up on the non-verbal cues of others can also help you read between the lines.

3. Imagination and Story Telling

Actors are story tellers. The business is about telling stories. Your communication skills are used to tell stories and to bring people into these stories.

Using your imagination is imperative to bring people into your characters world. Do your research by finding images that help inform your character and where they live and what life they inhabit. Bring in these images when you tell your characters story.

4. Relaxation

Most actors are nervous. Nervous in auditions. Nervous on stage. Nervous when working with respected actors and nervous when we hear "Action!"

Conquering nerves is a tough one and one which I have written about in one of our many Newsletters. In our Audition Masterclass series we have a specific course just to help you overcome nerves specifically in the audition space: Conquering Nerves in the Audition Space

Nervousness gets in your way. It is blocking the flow of energy inside the body. People with great communication skills manage to stay relaxed when they communicate even when they are deeply touched by what they are saying.

Every great acting teacher have emphasized on the importance of being relaxed.

This Youtube video of Matt Damon best explains his approach when working with famous actors. Make the decision to not be nervous! https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=40&v=qXc5pODRrAk

5. Being Truthful and Congruent

Being truthful and genuine is not as easy as it sounds, yet it is, once you understand the fundamentals.

Being truthful comes when you marry in perfect harmony the verbal and non verbal (body language) together. You must convey the same message both verbally and non verbally.

Every actor wants to be truthful when acting, hence your research into your character and his/her relationships are everything.

But it doesn't start and stop in acting. If you can't be truthful in every day life then you will never conquer it in your acting. You must learn to be yourself and use those individual personality traits to colour and inhabit your character. You learn all of this in our Creating Compelling Characters Course.

Click on the link below to find out more: https://www.theauditiontechnique.com/courses/creating-compelling-characters/