Audition funsies

A few auditions have come my way lately and I am very grateful and happy about that. Through all the negativity of the past two weeks, it helps to do some work and see that I am still on the right track. Lets hope everything gets resolved soon and the damage to the New Zealand film industry will be far far less than many have said it could be - preferably none at all.

But I wanted to talk about auditions, actually this mornings audition. It was so much fun! I got to read opposite a child for the first time at a casting ever. The poor girl had been at the casting office all morning and was stifling yawns between takes. But let me tell you, she was all the consummate professional as soon as the camera was rolling. M. was a delight to work with and made it incredibly easy for me to believe that our imaginary circumstances were real. I loved to work with the too kids on the short film a while back as well. I tell you what I think it is about kids working as actors that I find so fascinating.

Kids are both selfishly living their own story and incredibly generous in their performance. Their egos (although I'm sure there are exceptions) aren't yet as big as our adult ones, so they are unimpeded by a need to be great and awesome and loved for their work. All they want to do is play and we are the toys. They give us their enthusiasm for playing and with it the chance to live our own story selfishly and unimpeded by our own egos. They give us permission to play and share their imagined world with them without any ulterior motive and without manipulation. It doesn't get more generous than that, aye!?

What was also great about today's audition was that I basically got to take a glimpse into the future. I got to time travel a few years ahead and see what it might be like to play with my son when he is M.'s age. I got really excited! I'm admittedly biased but hey, he's damn cute now. Just think of all the fun we'll have when he can talk!

In my future auditions and gigs I will remember M. and shall aim at being as generous a performer than she was today. In the mean time, white light everyone!