Conflict is typically avoided by the majority of people. Anxiety, fear, and chaos can often be the result of conflict. However, during an acting audition, conflict is essential to delivering an impressive reading. In order to have a good audition, it is necessary for an actor to find the conflict within a story and within a character.
Perhaps one of the most common conflicts, internal conflicts are those that consist of the psyche battling between opposing desires and feelings. There are also external conflicts that a person takes on with the environment, fate, God, and the world. Relational conflicts can also plague a person's life. When an actor reads for an audition, he or she is only given the bare framework such as a story overview and the lines. Every story and character has interior conflicts, with some being harder to uncover than others. It is your responsibility to locate the conflict and express it in your reading.
There is no doubt that conflict is interesting. Instability in a character or story adds depth and movement. After you have determined the personality, desires, and needs of the character, there is no question that obstacles will arise. That is life. Our life's hurdles must be overcome and manipulated until they become collaborators in our lives. Think about the movie, "Midnight Run". Charles Grodin plays a white collar criminal who is being sought by the bounty hunter played by Robert De Niro. Jack (De Niro) is required to track down Mardukas (Grodin) in order to collect his bounty. He experiences many conflicts in his quest including other bounty hunters, FBI agents, his insecurities, as well as Mardukas himself.
All of the answers may not be provided to you in the material provided to you at the audition. Improve your acting audition by using the dialogue and the clues therein to create a character full of depth and truth. Doing so will add more dimension and life to the character, thereby grabbing and holding onto the attention of the auditor and improving your chances of making a good impression. Far worse than creating the "wrong" conflict is delivering a performance without any emotion and depth. If you are able to flesh out a character in this way, your auditions are sure to be more successful.
Real conflict is rarely one-dimensional. The typical person has numerous inner demons that are in constant turmoil. Using this to your advantage during an audition will make for an exciting reading. The lines being recited are not nearly as important as the character that is created by the actor.
Even though a scene may only contain your character, there is no doubt that other circumstances and persons have and continue to impact his or her life. Understanding these circumstances will allow you to improve your readings and auditions. There is another thing to remember about conflict. Comedy should always play a role in any conflict. Even the largest conflict will contain some levity. If you want the auditors to enjoy watching your reading, adding some comedy is essential. With both conflict and comedy combined, your reading is sure to be a success.
Perhaps one of the most common conflicts, internal conflicts are those that consist of the psyche battling between opposing desires and feelings. There are also external conflicts that a person takes on with the environment, fate, God, and the world. Relational conflicts can also plague a person's life. When an actor reads for an audition, he or she is only given the bare framework such as a story overview and the lines. Every story and character has interior conflicts, with some being harder to uncover than others. It is your responsibility to locate the conflict and express it in your reading.
There is no doubt that conflict is interesting. Instability in a character or story adds depth and movement. After you have determined the personality, desires, and needs of the character, there is no question that obstacles will arise. That is life. Our life's hurdles must be overcome and manipulated until they become collaborators in our lives. Think about the movie, "Midnight Run". Charles Grodin plays a white collar criminal who is being sought by the bounty hunter played by Robert De Niro. Jack (De Niro) is required to track down Mardukas (Grodin) in order to collect his bounty. He experiences many conflicts in his quest including other bounty hunters, FBI agents, his insecurities, as well as Mardukas himself.
All of the answers may not be provided to you in the material provided to you at the audition. Improve your acting audition by using the dialogue and the clues therein to create a character full of depth and truth. Doing so will add more dimension and life to the character, thereby grabbing and holding onto the attention of the auditor and improving your chances of making a good impression. Far worse than creating the "wrong" conflict is delivering a performance without any emotion and depth. If you are able to flesh out a character in this way, your auditions are sure to be more successful.
Real conflict is rarely one-dimensional. The typical person has numerous inner demons that are in constant turmoil. Using this to your advantage during an audition will make for an exciting reading. The lines being recited are not nearly as important as the character that is created by the actor.
Even though a scene may only contain your character, there is no doubt that other circumstances and persons have and continue to impact his or her life. Understanding these circumstances will allow you to improve your readings and auditions. There is another thing to remember about conflict. Comedy should always play a role in any conflict. Even the largest conflict will contain some levity. If you want the auditors to enjoy watching your reading, adding some comedy is essential. With both conflict and comedy combined, your reading is sure to be a success.
About the Author:
Kirk Baltz has been a acting coach for more than 15 years. Kirk helps actors of all levels get the roles that they desire. You can read more about acting auditions at the actor's intensive website.
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