How to Prepare For a Cold Reading Audition
Cold reading is a technique through which psychiatrists, mentalists and illusionists get the information about a person whom they have never met before. Basically, the facial expressions and body language tell a lot about the person and that is the reason why this technique is employed in auditions as well.
By handing over a script and giving an actor very little time to prepare, the casting directors try to bring out the real artist. They try to determine whether the auditionee possesses any natural talent or not. There is no doubt, that clearing this type of audition can be an uphill task, but you can get a “YES” by following some simple tips.
Instructions
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1
Get a grip:
Though, the concept of cold reading is to judge an artist’s ability to adopt a character without any prior knowledge but still you can be prepared yourself by doing rehearsals at home. Do not worry, it won’t kill the purpose as you will not be reading after memorising the lines.
Pick a random portion of a novel or drama and read aloud. You may ask a friend or family member to give an honest opinion on your performance. You may also request them to give you a surprise script to perform. This will help you in elevating your spontaneous acting skills. -
2
Stay calm:
Mostly, auditionees get panicked and fail to hit the mark in cold reading audition. You must learn how to control your nerves. Before they call you in, take a deep breath and try to be free from anxiety. Remember, they know that you did not have enough time to understand the script so the jury will definitely give you some benefit of this. All you need to do is to perform without any pressure and confusion. -
3
Take your time:
There is no harm in asking them to give you some time for a brief reading. However, it does not mean that you will start memorising the lines. The most common mistake people make is to derive a character from such a brief script. Do not do this ever. -
4
Start reading:
Now, it’s time for the real shot. You should start reading the script in a natural way. Do not be conscious otherwise you will lose the essence. There will be lot of other auditionees as well so you must stand out by showing versatility.
Try to be different, like if someone is performing a character in a loud voice, you should give the jury another flavour with a different tone.
