When you are on set in Edmonton, it's important to understand the directions that are being given to you by the casting director or manager on set and also to understand where you need to stand when you arrive for an audition. For camera auditions it's good to remember that there will be an x usually marked out on the floor, those in the industry refer this tapped out drawn out x, as the mark and when you go to introduce yourself during your audition. It's very important that you stand on that x, be mindful of where the mark is and your entrance into an audition can make or break how that audition goes for you; so enter with confidence.
Just remember that it is very common for camera auditions to have the x or mark in place during the audition so you understand where you are in front of the camera. Once you've made your entrance and made your way to the mark. be sure to introduce yourself with a strong opening clearly stating your information such as your name, age and introducing the character that you are trying to portray and this is part of what we call the opening slate. Most casting directors will request your SLATE first thing and when they request that all you need to understand is that slight is your name age and the name of the agency that you have representing you; it is good to keep your introduction simple but be sure to add charisma and be personable, have personality.
You are after all in Edmonton, don't be afraid to add personality to your introduction. Don't just say “Hello my name is Matt”, add more personality with something like “Good afternoon I'm Matt. I'm 18 years old and this afternoon I will be performing as Hamlet from The Shakespearean play Hamlet. when you are introducing yourself with personality, it doesn't just sound like you are reading from a teleprompter in front of you. Your best impression is usually made within the first 30 seconds of your introduction. Surprisingly enough most directors even make their decision within the first 30 seconds of an audition. A good tip to work with; is before you introduce yourself take a pause and also take a second pause before starting on the piece that you're auditioning and be sure to even portray the small physical changes that make your character who they are.
Being able to take the stage direction from the casting director right off even during your audition will look good on you and make a great first impression. This will also show the casting director that you have the skills that it takes to get along with everyone else on set and as anybody in the acting field would know; the set is a very busy place and it's very important that you can take direction from the casting director or manager that is on set that day in Edmonton.
