“Not everything is what it seems to be,” said the King as he looked into the Court Jester’s mirror.”
Have you ever wondered what’s going on behind the closed doors of a casting agency?
What’s it like to be part of a nerve-wracking cattle call?
Would the casting director be one of those failed actors who has turned his bitterness for the business into a lifelong mission to humiliate terrified talent?
Would the waiting area be filled with intimidating, cutthroat competitors, exchanging stories of horror and faded glory? Or is all of that just a caricature, perpetuated in Hollywood movies about the trials and tribulations of aspiring actors?
Well, you’re about to find out!
Being the famous blogger I am, I was recently granted unprecedented permission to record one of my auditions for the enjoyment and continued enlightenment of my readers. Nothing’s more fun than learning from other people’s most embarrassing moments, right?
So, for once you get to be a fly on the wall, as I enter a casting agency at an undisclosed location near New York.
For those of you who’d like to read along, you’ll see that I provided a copy of the script.
Anything to please my faithful fans!
Paul Strikwerda ©nethervoice
I awedored the awemazing tongue-in-cheek humor in your latest video creation, Paul!
Thanks, Linda. Sometimes I just have to stop taking myself too seriously!
Some will say that the menu did not truly reflect what’s actually on the dish in front of you. That was part of the plan.
Nevertheless I hope you’ll enjoy what came out of my kitchen, as much as Linda did!
Ahhh… the realities of this business! Your latest depiction of a casting session reminds me of Daws Butler’s classic “Blooper’s Soap,” in which the listener is a fly on the wall during an ad agency recording session. Love your tongue in cheek humor. (For those who haven’t heard “Blooper’s Soap” it can be found at http://www.voiceacting.com under the Free Stuff menu, then the Audio sub-menu.) I can hardly wait to see what you come up with next!
Thank you James! Don’t we all love to be a fly on the wall, that is -until the swat team comes in! It’s no accident that I had the urge to come up with a spoof as I was watching the second season of “A Bit of Fry and Laurie.”
I hate to generalize, but most Americans seem to know Hugh Laurie only as House, M.D. Europeans and BBC America fans know Hugh from comedies like “Blackadder.”
Anyway, these two Brits put me in the mood to package my main message as a mock audition.
I’ll check out your website for the “Blooper Soap”. Thanks for the tip!
Nicely done Paul! Hopefully it’ll help the folks who’ve never auditioned in front of someone know what the rest of us have gone through at one point or another.
…and I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one with extra voices in my head… 🙂
-Mike
Hey Mike, aren’t we lucky to have this parade of characters inside of us, just waiting for a chance to go on stage? In this case, they helped my by shining the spotlight on the real reason why I wrote this script: emphasizing the advantages of hiring a freelancer.
Thanks for the laughs and for highlighting the benefits and advantages of hiring freelancers in such a creative way. Well done!
Anything to a-muse you, Jennifer! I love it when people with an operatic background sing my praises! It’s much more musical! Joe Green would be proud of you…
Nice piece of work Paul! It was informative, interesting, funny and, an inovative piece of marketing. Umma hav ta join ya on youtube….soon as I figure out how to get my voice over the movie:0)
Thanks, Maurice. I use Camtasia to capture my PowerPoint presentation as well as the audio. Camtasia makes posting a video on YouTube a piece of cake.
Well said, Paul. I wish every potential client could read that! And like James, I was reminded of the classic ‘Blooper’s Soap’ bit – you’ll love it.
Were you watching “A Bit of Fry and Laurie” on DVD or broadcast? If it’s on DVD, I need to pick it up! I’m a fan of both of theirs – and as you indicated, I don’t think most American realize the breadth of Hugh Laurie or Stephen Fry’s talent or resumes.
I’ve seen every single episode of “A bit of Fry and Laurie” twice. The first time when it came out and more recently I watched them again on Netflix. Love those guys!