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August 14, 2019

Auditioning Advice from Vancouver Actor Michael Coleman

Michael Coleman is a Vancouver-based actor who has appeared in Once Upon a Time, Supernatural, Stargate, Smallville, and animated hits like Hello Kitty, Dragonball Z, and Inuyasha.

He is also co-founder of the production Rebel West Pictures, with several film and television projects in development, including Thirty-Seventeen and the television series, Hipsterverse, both set for release in 2019.

In addition to working in front of and behind the camera, Michael Coleman is also an educator and founder of Story Institute, an accredited, arts-based post-secondary school and think tank for serious actors, writers, and music creators.

With over twenty-five years experience in the Vancouver film and television industry, he knew acting was the career he wanted to pursue as early as high school. Many of his childhood idols were actors, actresses, and writers he grew up watching and he loved their life of creativity. If this is what his idols were able to do for a living, he thought me too! I want in on this life of storytelling and affecting how people feel.

"This is a subjective industry," says Coleman, "with subjective opinions on what people like, what the rules are, and what makes a bookable performance." So how does one ensure they are always able to deliver their best and respect the casting process and consistently deliver bookable auditions?

Coleman says there are 4 rules one should adhere to in every audition that are universally respected.


1. Be prepared. "This is more than just remembering your lines or being 'emotional'”, says Coleman. It means understanding the core elements of story and character and scene work. It means having a clear motivation or goal and knowing what it costs you if you don’t achieve it. Being grounded and authentic. It means having rehearsed your scenes out loud with a scene partner and having triggers or personalizations that allow you to fall into the character efficiently and effectively for the audition.


2. Be efficient. Casting has lots of people to see. This is also a part of being prepared. You have the drive/walk over to the audition and time in the waiting room to emotionally connect to where you need to be for the audition. Many actors use this time to be social and try to reduce the jitters with casual banter. This is a time to lock into the role and scene(s). Treat it like a stage performance. If your scene is coming up shortly you aren’t off with other cast or crew socializing, you are in the wings, preparing to go on.

3. Be on time. To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late. To be late is unforgivable. An audition scheduled for 1pm means you should be signed in and preparing by 12:45pm at the latest. "You only get so many minutes in the audition room," says Coleman. "Why would you do anything other than ensure you are always grounded and ready to deliver your best work?"

4. Be directable. This doesn’t mean nodding at the idea given by a director or casting director, this means being able to truly understand the note and being able to apply it throughout the scene. "There is nothing more frustrating," says Coleman, "than an agreeable actor who says they want the note but then aren't able to apply the feedback given." Try saying the idea back in your own words to ensure you truly understand what they are saying. Think the scene through and ask yourself where this note shifts things and how your motivation or goal may need to be revisited in order to respectfully apply the goal.

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