We all focus so much energy on the spoken word. In fact, a poll conducted by one of the industry’s leading acting coaches revealed that actors spend about 75% of their time running lines, and only about 25% of their time working on facial expressions and body language.
If you want to be a fulltime actor and deliver world class performances that will have directors, CDs and even your castmates wanting to work with you over and over again, then spending your time this way is a big problem.
See, in reality, nonverbal communication accounts for about 93% of the impact you have on people. This is something that, as an actor, you have to portray in the characters you play.
The audience picks up on this on screen in the same way they do in the “real world.”
There is an absolute science and a formula for how to use nonverbal communication (body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice) properly.
It’s not limited to just the characters you play. Your body language could be the reason you are not getting as many callbacks as you should, and why you are not booking as many roles as you should.
CDs are trained to look beyond just how you perform at an audition. They are trained to look to your body language to determine whether or not you have what it takes to play the role.
Here’s how to communicate to Casting Directors know that you can deliver a world class performance, without even saying a word about it, and practically force them to book you...
One of the biggest factors that will determine whether or not you get a callback and ultimately whether or not you will get booked is your level of confidence.
You may deliver the lines perfectly, but if the casting team picks up on anxiety or insecurity they will think twice before giving you a callback.
You have to project confidence in yourself and in your talent as an actor.
There are a few ways to “hack” projecting confidence, which you can also use on screen. Stillness is a powerful way to show confidence.
Imagine someone who is nervous. What do they do? You probably picture someone whose eyes dart around the room. Someone with a nervous energy will fidget with their hands and jewelry, play with hair, and stumble over their words, all while speaking with a blank expression on their face.
Someone who is confident will be still, make eye contact while speaking, and speak clearly.
To subtly project confidence, roll your shoulders back gently and puff out your chest slightly. Placing your hands on your hips is a great way to expand your personal space. The ancient “reptilian” part of our human brains pick up on these as clues of someone who is confident.
When a CD asks you questions after you have finished reading, it’s a sign of a great audition. They want to get to know you and your methods better, to better determine whether there may be a mutual fit.
Leaning in slightly will communicate that you are highly interested in what the CD is saying and that you listen while others are talking, rather than simply waiting for your turn to speak (which is what most people do).
You can take it a step further by leaning towards the CD, or the other character in the scene if you are using this tactic on set, and ever so slightly pivoting your head so that your dominant ear is towards the other person.
Your dominant ear should mirror your dominant hand. If you are right handed, then you would pivot your head to the left so that your right ear is more exposed.
If you are left handed, you would pivot to the right so that your left ear is more exposed. There may be times when the opposite is called for.
If you find yourself playing a soldier for example, then you would want to do the opposite. A right handed soldier would fire a weapon with their right hand and expose their right ear to loud, damaging noises, over and over again.
In that case, exposing their left ear to hear better would make a lot more sense.
You should also determine whether or not your character should pivot at all. An elderly character, for example, would lean in more than a younger character and is not likely to have a dominant ear.
They would lean in to hear better but would do it from a neutral angle.
Even the way your character crosses their legs can either be an enhancement to the character, or it can be character-breaking.
Crossing your legs at the ankles gives a much different body language cue, than crossing them knee over knee.
This is true for guys too. Does your character cross his legs knee over knee to minimize his stance and shrink his personal space, or would crossing his legs ankle over knee to expand his space be more appropriate?
These are the subtleties that will supercharge and layer every character you play, making directors and CDs absolutely love you and want to work with you over and over again!
Directors are focused on the big picture. They are charged with driving the story forward and keeping the actors on track, on a macro level.
When you take personal responsibility for using your body and facial expressions to enhance your character, they may not even pick up on what you are doing because it all happens on a subconscious level.
They will just know that there is “something about you” and that is more than enough to build a solid rapport.
That’s why you see many actors and directors team up and work together over and over again.
Doing this can even have you take a small role and get the production team to give you more screen time.
I’ve seen actors go from playing Girl in Bar#11 to being featured in several shots. I have even seen one of our fellow tribe members be recast on the spot and go from background player to delivering a handful of lines.
Not too long ago, I received an email from someone who went in to read for a bit role and was completely shocked when she received a callback for the 3rd lead in the production!
So, spend more time focusing on the 93% that counts. You will find that when you start with body language, the way you deliver your lines will take care of itself.
It will completely change the course of your career.
Just be sure that your industry reputation matches your goals.
Casting teams will look into you when making casting decisions, so clean up your social profiles and remove anything that is unprofessional, offensive or polarizing.
Put effort into growing your following, because that adds legitimacy profile. I can actually help you get the ball rolling on that. Here are the details.
You probably became an actor because you have a creative calling that nothing else can fulfill. At times I’m sure you get frustrated of being passed over for parts you should have booked, or by not making the progress you should be making.
Take what we talked about in this report to heart and use it to power up your career.
I can help you to be highly visible to the industry, so you can focus on refining your talents while I help you get the industry’s attention.
I’m all about giving you every advantage possible so that I can...
See you at the top,
Scott