How To Book More Work

By Bob Fraser

Excerpted from Bob's acting career course, Nail
It!

The main difference between professional actors, who book
enough work to earn their entire income from acting, and
those actors who struggle – is generally a result of the
way they perceive the audition.

The strugglers see each audition as a separate event with
a separate outcome – a series of unrelated, yet similar,
experiences – whose only possible results are either
`thumbs up' or `thumbs down.' 

Since `thumbs down' is the most
common outcome most of the
time –for most (if not all) actors – those actors who have
`the strugglers' mindset are constantly trying to come back
from `failure.' 

Pros, on the other hand, see auditioning as a
process – a
continuum of related events – that are a necessary part of
building their business and thus, their acting career.

In order to
get a handle on the difference in these two
vastly different perceptions, I'd like to share a couple of
stories that underscore a core reality of the audition
process.

First is a scene from The Producers (original 1968
version).

The story involves a Broadway producer who discovers he
can
make a lot more money with a flop – than he ever could with
a hit. So begins his search for the worst play ever written –
a guaranteed flop. 

The play he finds is called Springtime For
Hitler. 

But having a horrible play is not enough – he must find an
equally horrible director and cast the worst possible actor
in the leading role.

Which brings us to our scene ...


The producers, the writer, and the director are assembled
in the theatre, conducting the auditions for the role of
Hitler. Scores of "the worst actors in New York" have been
assembled.

The audition goes on for hours (in montage) – each actor
more ridiculous than the last. 

As the last actor exits, we see
that the producers have
not found their Hitler. While they are grumbling, a lone
figure appears out of the wings - and wafts his way to
center stage.

He's a flower-power hippie in thigh high boots,
wearing
a peace symbol necklace, sniffing a daisy and humming to
his own internal music. 

It soon becomes apparent that this actor
is at the wrong
audition – in the wrong theatre – on the wrong day. The
stage manager is about to dismiss this lost thespian,
when the producer (etched in acid by Zero Mostel) jumps
up and yells, "Wait! Let's have a look at him." 

The hippie (a
spot-on performance by Dick Shawn) proceeds
to sing a practically unintelligible rock/jazz ballad. 

He doesn't
look like Hitler, he doesn't sound like Hitler,
he doesn't act like Hitler. This actor could not possibly
be more wrong for the role of Hitler.

Of course, he gets the
part.

What makes this scene so funny is the underlying truth that
is revealed, as it progresses. 

The truth: No matter how you may
perform in your audition
– good or bad – it rarely has an effect on the outcome.

Because, what no actor knows at any audition - including
the actor who gets the part – is what the producers really
WANT. 

Remember? They were looking for the worst possible actor
to play Hitler.

Get it? The outcome of the audition is usually not
affected
by the performance of the actors who are auditioning – but
only by what the producer really WANTS. 

Here's a joke that
illustrates another truth about `trying
out.' 

One day a little old man walks into a nightclub. He carries
a leather attachι case – which he places on the bar. "May I
speak to the person in charge of hiring acts for the club?"
he says to the man behind the bar.

The man behind the bar says,
"I'm the owner of the joint. I
hire all the entertainment." 

The old man is delighted and begins
opening the attachι case,
"Well, my good man, I have the most unusual night club act
ever seen – and you will be the first to have a chance to
feature this amazing act in your establishment." 

With that the
case is opened and inside there are 14 rats
all dressed in tuxedos – sitting in a miniature bandstand
– holding tiny instruments.

The little old man takes out a
conductor's baton and taps on
the edge of the bar. With that, the rats, after a downbeat,
play a flawless rendition of Bumble Boogie. 

The man behind the bar
is in awe. "That's the most amazing
thing I've ever seen in my life. How did you teach all those
rats to play like that." 

The little old man is beaming. "Although
it is not commonly
known, the female white rat is the most musical of rodents.
These are all female rats and I've been working with them
for years. So what do you say? You want to hire them?"

"Nah. I
don't think so."

"What? Why? You just said that they were
amazing."

"Yeah. But, I gotta tell you, the one playing the
trombone
reminds me of my ex-wife." 

See? It's not just what the person
hiring talent wants, it's
also the personal prejudices that he (or she) brings to the
table.

What that scene from The Producers and this old joke tell
us,
in no uncertain terms, is this vital point:

What `they' are looking for is something that is completely
out of your control. 

"I get it, Bob, it's all just a crap
shoot."

Please – don't `understand' me so quickly.


Yes, the outcome is out of your hands. But keep in mind the
idea I mentioned earlier – that auditions are a continuum
and that you will always be auditioning ... for the rest of
your career. 

The key to booking more work is going to more
auditions –
and nailing the audition every time. 

In all stories of successful
actors you will find a common
theme that gives us an understanding the audition process,
from a professional point of view. 

That common thread in almost
every success story is the actor
who's called in, auditions, does a good job – but ultimately
doesn't get the part. Then, at some point, maybe months later,
that actor is called in again, by the same casting director,
director or producer – for another role in another project ... 

...
and the actor books the job! 

Getting called in again (for
something else) is the secret to
auditioning success – and acting career progress. 

Which means that
getting good at the audition process should be
your long term concern – not the short term, `failure' oriented
thinking that starts, "God, I hope I get it ..."

* * * * *

Go see Bob Fraser's acting career course,
Nail It! Delivering
the Hypnotic Audition - and discover why thousands of actor
all over the world are raving about his approach to the very
important skills that get actors to the red carpet.

GO HERE => http://www.hypnoticaudition.com