The art and challenge of auditioning actors

Today I did a first audition and location scouting for the short film about an art workshop for young girls in a poor neighborhood in Medellin that I mentioned in an earlier post. The idea is to first work with actors and locations from that very place, since the film is based on, and is supposed to promote, an existing art workshop.

We had about 20 young girls from the neighborhood who wanted to be in the film. I shot and watched at the same time. I split them into three groups, and did a scene looking at both the protagonist and some girls what will be part of the workshop member, as well as the workshop leader. So, many to watch at the same time! But the girls all collaborated with lots of will.

I also looked at several possible locations. Except the actual workshop, there is a scene in a street corner, in front of a house, in a bedroom and some others. I looked at about three or four house interiors and decided on one that had a little more space but still had the style I was looking for. Many of the houses in this neighborhood are made of wood, and all the streets are dirt roads (see picture).

Doing audition is an art. What I look for most is presence and authenticity. I can mostly tell when somebody is too aware of the camera, or are not "in character". The other thing I look for is their capacity to improvise. I almost never work with a script in an audition, I always have the actors improvise. That is because I like to see if they can invent their own lines and actions. At the end, that is what acting is, inventing things. An actor can have a line to deliver, but he or she has to invent how to do it. A person who is good at improvising, creates a space around themselves that is bigger than their physical body. They create drama. And I'm not talking about theatrical gestures and raising their voice, but rather creating a person that is alive.

The other thing I look out for is overacting. That mostly alert red lights in me. Also, I prefer to like the face I see. It doesn't necessarily have to be someone "beautiful", but the face should read well on the camera. Because needless to say, the face is the most important part of a film actor's body.

Then, of course, if I feel something when they act, that is also a factor. Today we had a girl that was great at improvising. She had a face that was alive, and she seemed to be present. But she did show off a little too much. It felt overacted in some parts. But she did create feelings in me, I almost cried when she acted. That is a good sign of course. And the overacting might be workable. Only a second audition could tell.

Another girl had a great face, very authentic and ready to express all kinds of feelings, but when it came to improvising, she wasn't very creative. Her persona didn't expand at acting and moving. Then again, since she is totally untrained, she might be able to develop that skill. Again, in a second round we might be able to work with that.

Finally, I need to watch the auditions "on tape" as well. Because sometimes a face looks good in reality, but not in camera. Or vice versa.

Recently I heard the Swedish film director Drazen Kuljanin say that there are two things you should put 90% of your efforts into: the script and the casting. I think there's great truth in that statement. Even if this will be a small film, I will invest some time and effort into finding good actors.

Writing synopsis

Writing stories is really a process. Today I was working on the synopsis for an upcoming short film we will do together with the Swedish foundation Ankarstiftelsen. It is a film about an art workshop in a poor neighborhood in Medellin.

I have found that it is worth investing time in the idea. And I mean the idea, not the screenplay. To work on synopsis level. And work again. And work again. But today I had a little breakthrough and I hope we can reach an agreement with the foundation.

Tomorrow I will visit the art workshop to scout locations and maybe do some first auditions.

Filming a dance scene for ViValores

Yesterday we shot a film scene for ViValores, the values foundation. The scene was to film a dancer in front of a big audience, who was clapping and cheering as she finished dancing.

I had a few alternatives, we could shoot the scene in front of a green screen, and then add the stage and the audience silhouettes in post, or shoot it in a real theatre. I chose to shoot it in a theatre, because the city of Medellin lends out a theatre for things like this.

So we put the dancer on the stage and I filmed her from behind, toward the "audience", using two strong back lights to make the background completely black.

Then we shot from the front, lighting the stage background with an "orange party gelled" fresnel lamp.

And finally I did a wide shot from the audience, using a couple of extras as silhouettes.

I used dolly in all the shots. In the audience shot, I put the dolly on top of the theatre seating, using two lateral bars to fix the dolly tubes, and a couple of half apple boxes and a bean bag to find the right height and angle.

We shot "MOS", that is, without sound. The audience cheering will be added in post.

I was director, producer and director of photography for this shoot, plus in this particular shoot I was working with several people that had little or no experience with filming, so it was a challenge, but we got all he shots in the can and all things considered it was a good experience.

How to be safe

It is interesting to see what God teaches us about being safe. He talks about that if you do such and such, you'll be like a house on a rock, but if you do so and so, you'll be destroyed (Matthew 7:24-27). He is talking about long-term safety.

But instead of talking about how to work hard and save up for the future, how to build a house, how to build a big family or how to defend yourself, God talks about morals. If you are a good person, you will be safe. How are you to be good? This is what he says:

- Do good to others ("gather riches in heaven", do to them what you want them to do to you)
- Reconcile with others ("when you present your offering...")
- Be humble (do not do things just in order to be seen etc)
- Follow good leaders (look at their "fruit").

So being safe is, in God's perspective, about being a good, humble person. That is what gives you a future.