Jenkins McShane Casting Workshop

https://twitter.com/eleanor__byrne/status/913497830978879488


Yesterday evening I attended a casting workshop hosted by Lucy Jenkins, from Jenkins McShane Casting - known for casting theatre work such as "The Play That Goes Wrong" (Mischief Theatre) and "Warhorse"; and screen work such as "The Bill" and "Skins". Jenkins gave the group of actors a general background on her story and what she does and after getting to know each other briefly, we got stuck into some script work in an audition set up.


We were working on scenes from Harry Burton's "Casualties" - a play that debuted in The Park Theatre in 2013. I got a good stab at the scene. Jenkins took her time giving me direction and feedback. I took on this direction and was able to apply it to my performance as best I could the second time I did the scene. An interesting pointer she established was that for theatre auditions she doesn't expect the actor to be off-script - instead she prefers if you have read the entirety of the play for preparation, and have become familiar with the context and story. A script in the hand, in her opinion, is not the devil. Of course, screen auditions differ as there is normally only a small number of sides to learn so being off-script is expected. However, in order to lessen nerves about remembering long passages for a theatre audition it is preferable to be familiar but to have the aid of the script in hand. Jenkins said she knows instantly that the actor can learn a script - the training on our CVs say as much. At the end of the day, an audition is not a test to see can we recite lines.


To top it all off, Jenkins opened a discussion for a Q&A session. Questions answered led to these few pointers of advice for the audition process:

• Positivity and Preparation are key pre-audition (she said - make the panel aware that you want the job with your mannerisms)
• Gain experience in order to get yourself in the door (fringe, student films etc)
• Gage the size of the room vocally. Decide when intimacy is appropriate
• TRUTH is key and across the board what a panel is looking for. They will be able to tell if you have the technique behind that - so truth is at the forefront of necessities
• Dialogue between director and auditionee is never bad - ultimately it is an interview to see if you would work well creatively
• Showreels should show versatility and be of good quality

All of these pointers were really helpful hearing them 'straight from the horse's mouth', as it were.

Double-Loop Learning (Task 4A)

REVIEW READER 4

Task 4 requires us to review reader 4 in relevance to forming a web of questions that are relevant to my practice. The reader seemed to emphasise that we need to "draw on existing knowledge, [and] seek out new evidence" (Kahn and O'Rourke, 2004). Effectively, it talks about the inquiry as a process. I perceived this as opting to choose an inquiry topic completely relevant to my specific professional practice - but at the same time leave space to learn and develop different aspects surrounding the topic.

Questions Relevant To My Practice

'How has the method of self-tape auditions affected the acting industry?' is a question that is searingly relevant to my current position within my professional practice. Stemming from this question, I began to brainstorm some sub-questions...

'How has the centrality of television in people's lives changed the system of auditioning / the acting industry?'

'Does the globalisation of self-tape acting auditions produce more or less opportunities?'

Organisational Theories of Learning

We were also encouraged to apply the theories of learning to understand our own professional practice. 'Double-loop learning' (a theory introduced by Arghris and Schon) particularly caught my attention; relationships between individuals and organisations easily translates to my world of the relationship between me, the actor, and organisations, i.e. agents and casting directors.

Does the process of self-taping eliminate 'acting in the moment'? The finished product that the organisation (in this case, the casting director) sees is a 'reflective' piece of work.

'Do self-tapes muffle the spontaneity of the audition process?'

Single-loop learning would be the actor sending a self-tape directly the casting director.

Double-loop learning is the safer option of putting my self-tape under scrutiny of my agent. This may lead to an alteration if my agent isn't happy with it.

http://infed.org/mobi/chris-argyris-theories-of-action-double-loop-learning-and-organizational-learning/

Getting Lit...(eratured)

Yesterday I was very excited to receive two books which I had ordered off Amazon.co.uk to get my relevant reading back on track. I have decided to look outside of the box. I have chosen books about topics that interest me and could potentially be useful research towards my inquiry subject. 'Women & Experimental Filmmaking' (edited by Jean Petrolle & Virginia Wright Wexman) alongside 'Joan Crawford - Not the Girl Next Door' (by Charlotte Chandler) popped through my letter box on Saturday and I am itching to sink my teeth into some new literature. I think having books about topics of personal interest encourage productive reading to morph into leisure reading.
Also on the way is 'Irish National Cinema' by Ruth Barton, a history of the film industry in Ireland.

Introduction into Module 2

The idea that I am entering the penultimate module of my degree is slightly daunting. It all became quite real when the handbook was sent out to us which outlined that in module 2 we are required to decide on an Inquiry topic. Before the introductory Skype yesterday, I felt a bit overwhelmed with the tasks ahead.
However, during and post introductory Skype - I found myself breathing easier. I came to the conclusion within the conversation that it is in fact liberating to not have a specific inquiry decided upon just yet. This module is a journey to explore the different ways in which my research may take me.
Today I read up a few journals of topics that interest me - generally basing around the film industry / self taping. The discovery of different ethical issues and specific sections which I can focus on will become apparent the more I read about a subject. Who knows? These subjects may propose different subjects I never thought would become my Inquiry.
Everything is relevant. Everything is eye-opening. Read. Read lots. But also think about what you read - ask questions, form your own opinions and share these with others.

British Urban Film Festival

British Urban Film Festival

Since finishing Module 1, I have been staying proactive in different ways - but always based around my professional practice. The summer has given me the opportunity to focus on the practical side of the professional practice of acting.
Last Wednesday (07-09-2017) I had the pleasure of being part of a live script reading of one of three plays for The Urban Film Festival at the BT Tower London.
It was hosted by the actor Wil Johnson. I played the character of Bryne in 'Sara White and the Seven Socialites' written by Sinitta Monero. It was the debut performance of this original piece and it felt special to be part of it. This performance was following merely one rehearsal. This short rehearsal period meant that we had to pull together with integrity and energy.
It was apparent that the playwrights had so much passion for their work. The female playwrights were an inspiration to me. During the Q&A afterwards they talked about the importance of simply writing. If you have an idea - write it. It was truly fascinating to hear their backgrounds and how they got into writing and, furthermore, how they discovered writing could be pursued as a career. They made it clear that you can be a writer AND actor simultaneously. As an actor who has tried a dab hand at writing before - this experience has encouraged me to pick up the pen again.
What better time for this realisation as module 2 of BAPP approaches? I feel refreshed and ready to put my ideas / thoughts / realisations to paper. As far as I am aware, this module will feature a lot more blogging (YAY!) and planning of our inquiry. These tasks incorporates skills I use in my creative writing. I am hoping that writing my own material alongside Module two's tasks; this will benefit the overall results and achievements I experience throughout.
http://www.britishurbanfilmfestival.co.uk/readings-masterclasses/