Hi Guys,
The s word... screentests... if you're a director it's that fun time of pre-production... So what do you reckon to it? Anyone got any radical tips for drawing out the character mannerisms you're looking for? What about testing improv? Testing how well the actor would work with a crew?
Spill the beans!
I had a screentest last month where I was auditioning someone for main character in the next short film i'm working on. I was looking for how well the guy could act desperation on improv - but in a progressive manner. I said 'right, you've just fallen down a drain' and continued to say that he was going to be trapped in that drain for 10 days with no food or water. I asked him to act his stages of detrioration, desperation, enegy etc... express his state of calm, exhaustion, desperation, emotion for every other day. For example, day one what do you do? He was energetic etc... day 10? Different story!
But the catch was I asked him to act without moving his body and said he could only use his voice and face to express his emotion. After all, film is all about the face and expression
especially for those nitty gritty CUs!
So! Let us in on your tricks to test!
The s word... screentests... if you're a director it's that fun time of pre-production... So what do you reckon to it? Anyone got any radical tips for drawing out the character mannerisms you're looking for? What about testing improv? Testing how well the actor would work with a crew?
Spill the beans!
I had a screentest last month where I was auditioning someone for main character in the next short film i'm working on. I was looking for how well the guy could act desperation on improv - but in a progressive manner. I said 'right, you've just fallen down a drain' and continued to say that he was going to be trapped in that drain for 10 days with no food or water. I asked him to act his stages of detrioration, desperation, enegy etc... express his state of calm, exhaustion, desperation, emotion for every other day. For example, day one what do you do? He was energetic etc... day 10? Different story!
But the catch was I asked him to act without moving his body and said he could only use his voice and face to express his emotion. After all, film is all about the face and expression
especially for those nitty gritty CUs!So! Let us in on your tricks to test!
