Syllabus
David Cady's Commercial Acting Course
Commercial Auditioning Technique: Syllabus
Week 1: Introduction to the
Basics
In addition to general theories of
commercial auditioning and an overview of the advertising industry, students
will receive one-on-one coaching on actual commercial copy. Students will
learn:
What directors and advertising executives look for in actors and their auditions;
What agents and casting directors expect from actors and what you should expect from them;
Why those agents and casting directors don't matter as much as you think.
Week
2: Introduction to the
Basics/On-camera Class #1
A continuation of the foundations
begun in Week 1, with the introduction of the camera. Students will see
themselves on video for the first time in the class and learn how energy and
enthusiasm can make or break an audition. (Note: At the end of the next four
classes, the videotaped "auditions" will be reviewed by all students and
analyzed by Mr. Cady.)
Week 3: On-camera Class #2
This class comes closest to offering
both private instruction and the atmosphere of an actual audition, as all
students will work on commercial copy individually without other class members
present. The emphasis is on developing continuing comfort with the on-camera
process and perfecting the "right" audition performance. Students will be
introduced to cue cards and the technique of working with them.
Week 4: Non-verbal Auditions
(On-camera Class #3)
Students will learn the basic
techniques of non-verbal (sometimes referred to as “improvised”) auditions and
exactly what casting directors expect of actors in these situations. Students
will learn:
The SAG rules for actor “improvisation”;
How being oneself is imperative to booking “improvised” auditions;
Why imagination is key to booking non-verbal auditions;
Why ten ideas are always better than one.
Week 5: Double duty (On-camera
Class #4)
This class is devoted to the
(sometimes) tricky reality of auditioning with other actors. In addition, this
class will touch on commercials that are not as straightforward as those
explored earlier. Students will learn:
When and why actors may represent different things in the same commercial;
When physical contact with another actor is an important (and necessary) thing;
How to make unreal situations more "real";
How to interpret copy that makes no mention of the product;
How to "listen creatively" to an off-camera voice;
Why being liked is not always necessary in a commercial audition.
Week 6: Meet an Agent
A professional commercial agent will
be brought in for a Q&A, followed by an opportunity for each student to present
copy, which the agent will critique. (Note: The "auditions" in this class
are not videotaped.)