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Rob Ellis
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Joined: 01 Aug 2006
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Location: Detroit
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 Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 8:44 am Post subject: Re-take hell |
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Do any of you folks ever experience this?
Where you keep doing "one more take" trying to get an audition right
and then look up to realize that you're on Take 15?
I try to watch this tendency but fell into its morass again yesterday.
It's a bit of a conundrum because there's the belief that the next take will be better, but upon later reflection, almost invariably they get worse and worse.
Any other "retake-aholics" out there?  |
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CurtZHP
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 8:50 am Post subject: |
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Only 15 takes??
Damn, you're good! |
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Tom Test
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Joined: 23 Jan 2007
Posts: 629
Location: Chicago, IL
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:07 am Post subject: |
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Not me, Rob. For auditions, I generally do 2 takes and sometimes combine elements of both. I might have a phrase within the script that I might do 5-10 times, but not the entire script.
But I do have a tip for you if you have over-read a script and it is becoming stale: read the script BACKWARDS, word by word. The result is sort of like hitting a "re-set button" within your brain, and it will again feel fresh when you read it forward next time. Works like a charm for me - hope this helps!
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roger
King's Row
Joined: 30 May 2007
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Location: Central Kentucky
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Rob Ellis
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Location: Detroit
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:12 am Post subject: |
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Great tip, Tom.
How much text/script analysis do you do before launching into the copy? |
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Tom Test
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Joined: 23 Jan 2007
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Location: Chicago, IL
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:25 am Post subject: |
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| Rob Ellis wrote: | | How much text/script analysis do you do before launching into the copy? |
My honest answer is "not enough." I used to do that sort of preparation with a script, but have gotten lazy (I've been in the biz 20 years now, 14 as a full-time talent).
But of all the analysis/prep tips I've gotten over the years, the best for me has been the suggestion to read the script once as written, then put everything in my own words and flesh out the details (even if I'm making it u . I bet if I did that for every script I auditioned for, my hit rate would go up considerably. Hmmmmmmm.
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JBarrett
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Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 2043
Location: Las Vegas, NV
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:27 am Post subject: |
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| Tom Test wrote: | | But I do have a tip for you if you have over-read a script and it is becoming stale: read the script BACKWARDS, word by word. The result is sort of like hitting a "re-set button" within your brain, and it will again feel fresh when you read it forward next time. Works like a charm for me - hope this helps! |
Reminds me of the tip I've heard for artists who feel they're hitting a block: look at the piece in a mirror. I've even heard this works for animators. Like you said, it forces your brain to reset and take a fresh look at things. I never thought about that particular method of applying it to VO, though. Thanks!
Something I've done occasionally to reset my noggin while recording an audition is to just go nuts with it. I'll adopt some crazy character voice and way-over-exaggerate everything. After a couple rounds of that, I find it easier to relax and approach the copy the way I want.
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Justin S. Barrett
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roger
King's Row
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Location: Central Kentucky
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Eddie Eagle
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Joined: 23 Apr 2008
Posts: 2393
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:56 am Post subject: |
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| Step away from the mic. Go get the mail, do something anything to get away from where you are at. Then return no sooner than 5-10 minutes. Preferrably longer. If you have plenty of time take a few hours off and return to it. You will find what you want or you will realize this may not be a script for you. |
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Tom Test
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Joined: 23 Jan 2007
Posts: 629
Location: Chicago, IL
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:08 am Post subject: |
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| JBarrett wrote: | | Something I've done occasionally to reset my noggin while recording an audition is to just go nuts with it. I'll adopt some crazy character voice and way-over-exaggerate everything. After a couple rounds of that, I find it easier to relax and approach the copy the way I want. |
That is also a great technique! I had forgotten about that one. Just to show how old I am, I used to use an H. Ross Perot imitation as prep for reading certain types of copy. (It sounded eerily like Foghorn Leghorn, but I digress...). Using a character voice CAN help you connect with the copy in a different way than when using your own voice. Then you can take that new-found connection and do interesting things with your read.
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Tom Test
"The Voice You Trust"
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Tom Test
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Joined: 23 Jan 2007
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Location: Chicago, IL
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:10 am Post subject: |
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By the way, I think I need to be careful here about revealing these techniques. They are ones I learned from Marice Tobias, who makes a living as a coach, and perhaps I shouldn't be spilling the beans quite so freely. Talking about basic acting techniques is one thing, but me talking about stuff she invented is like me giving away her expertise for free.
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Tom Test
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Lee Gordon
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Joined: 25 Jul 2008
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Location: West Hartford, CT
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:16 am Post subject: |
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I tried re-booting my brain once. Ended up with a BSD. 
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Rob Ellis
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Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 2385
Location: Detroit
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:32 am Post subject: |
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I don't know how proprietary the "put it in your own words" technique is, but I had heard it somewhere before....just not sure where.
I guess if a smackdown is necessary we will get one!  |
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todd ellis
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:36 am Post subject: |
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i've used that one before, and i've never been to a Marice Tobias workshop (although i hear she is wonderful).
walking away & coming back usually helps me.
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Deirdre
Czarina Emeritus
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 13023
Location: Camp Cooper
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:53 am Post subject: |
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"Can I do it wrong?" asked my student last weekend.
Sure!
Wild accent, tasteless inflection.
Back to 1— perfect take.
That will be $250 please.
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