Shocking 7 Lies Some of the Bollywood Schools Teach

By on 6:03:00 AM
The world of Bollywood acting schools
Bollywood Acting Schools
You might have learned great lessons in film or theater school, but not every program prepares you for the realities of this industry called Bollywood

1. Go to every audition for everything�even if you are not right for the part, it is good for the Casting Director to see you.


A. He/ she may remember you for future, even if you are not selected for one.
B. You will learn the practical of auditions/camera acting
Trust us, the casting directors does not appreciate that even if it is an open audition call.

2. You need to learn how to perform in 10 different genres of monologues for films and theatre auditions.


Wrong! You need well-practiced, just 2 or 3 types of good monologues of different genre and one a mixed one, suiting to your profile. But if they want more, they will call you back and give you more lines (sides).

3. You can play a large age range.


No. If they want a 50-year-old, they will hire a near looking 50 year old.
(Exception: some like in serials, especially Ekta Kapoor�s Balaji productions where generations by generation�s actors are shown young)

They don�t need a 22-year-old for 50 years who can grow a nice beard.

4. It�s all about the craft (your great acting ability).


Not really� it�s about the craft when you are selected and giving your final �Take�get the job, but getting selected in auditions is about the business of a professional approach.

5. You should dress for auditions like the character you are auditioning. Or like as if you are going for a job interview.

Unless the role is for a businessman, you can always dress neatly in a Shirt and a Trouser / Salwar and Kurta. Avoid black or white top. The best is to ask about the dress when you get a called for an audition.

6. You need to mail your pictures and r�sum� to every Co ordinator, agent, manager, and Casting Director.


Yes, and you should also send Samosa or Batata Vada along with your resume so that they don�t dirty their fingers. Remember, if you send your pictures and resume without meeting them and knowing that they really need it, everything goes into the archives or dustbin. The best is to meet them personally and give your details if they need it


 7. And finally focusing too much on, like building a website, how to find a co-ordinator or agent, how to take great headshot and 50 different pictures, how to put a show-reel together, promoting yourself on social networking sites, etc.


You did learn how to act in every direction, just no one taught you how to be an actor.
Based on source
* Note:  However, there are some good schools Like NSD Delhi, FTII Pune and Berry John Acting Studio to name a few 

Why Does Casting Directors Cast You for Bollywood?

By on 2:06:00 AM
On way to realze my Bollywood dreams
On way to realize my Bollywood dreams
Why do they cast you for a role in a Rs. 20 crores Bollywood film?

 The secret of success in Bollywood auditions

Let us count the ways. Is it only your awesome personality? Your having memorized your lines? Your fabulous new shoes or your jazzy dress from a top international brand? There are way too many external forces that enter into it. But in the end, it�s the undeniable talent and deeply connected but your own simple, creative and relevant performance that you bring into the casting room that matters most.

TOP 8 TIPS

1. You're talented. 

Your talent is oozing out. Whether it is for the first time when you enter and give your introduction on camera, or shown through clips or show reel submitted, you've shown that over and over again. In a play, a short film, a guest role... Or any combo of the above.

2. You know somebody. 

Yes, that makes makes an impact. The good news is, you might know the casting director, the associate, the producer, director, writer� The more working relationships, you develop in the industry, the more likely you�ll keep working with your colleagues again. That said, you still have to bring your talent, preparation, and individuality into the casting room.

3. You�re �hot�. 

The moment you enter, they look at you with their jaws dropped and with eyebrows raised. "Wow!"- they speak in an unspoken voice. It doesn�t mean that you are the most beautiful girl or handsome man they have ever seen. No. It means that you are really attractive and eye catching. It means that you have really worked on your figure in a professional way..

4. You were prepared and professional. 

You�d done your homework and you made bold choices in performance�no excuses or apologies. It was clear that you gave your own interpretation of  the character and did not get lost in �pleasing them� or �anxious of doing the character right as per the books or what you learnt in an acting class.� They know that you can be on a shooting set and bring the same professionalism and preparedness..

5. You brought something new, fresh, and smart to them. 

Your choices were personal and alive. Not a typical class room stuff. You were bold enough to create the role and the scene so fully that it felt like they were hearing the material for the first time. And from then on, they never got anything close to from the other 100 guys who came after you.

6. Though you had a small role in an audition, you kept it simple, and you were alive in that one small moment. 

You understood that smaller roles are often there to move the story along. Wisely, you didn�t make it more than it was, but you did bring a specific life to that small role. And remember, in smaller roles, you�re often cast because you were �the guy or that woman.� (For example-that taxi driver, that hospital ward boy, that the housemaid, that nurse etc) Sometimes it�s as simple as that. You looked and felt right.

7. Your work moved them on an emotional level. 

The audition day for a casting director or a director is always stressful. It can be suddenly uplifted by your personal, courageous, and emotionally connected charm and performance you share with them.

8. They feel it was a joy to spend time with you. 

You brought your open heart, your vulnerability, and your love of the work in the casting room. You can see that they want to spend more time with you.
Remember
There are a whole bunch more reasons. There are no fixed rules. So many factors go into making a casting choice. And you have no control over most of this process. What you do have control over is the kind of performance you create in a casting room, the way you approach to a character assigned to you, and the joy you share in doing the work in the audition room. If you allow yourself to be fully present, bold, specific, emotionally engaged in your performance, everyone in the audition room will fall in love. You will be a champion.
And if it�s not this role, then another one. But you�re in their hearts and minds for good
Based on source

Learn Secret Camera Acting Skills to be in Bollywood

By on 3:31:00 AM

Ben Kingsley on camera acting
What Ben means above is -don't pretend! Just behave normally in front of a camera

There is an immense competition to be a Bollywood actor. Thousands of aspiring actor flock streets of Mumbai's western suburbs to get a break in films, serials and commercials, but how many succeed? In spite of incredible efforts, unfortunately not even 10% are winners! One of the causes of this failure is a poor knowledge of Camera acting skills which are vital for a selection in auditions and bag a role in films or serials. Later, a good knowledge of acting for camera helps in giving a  great performance in a "final take" for a shot/ scene
Nicholas Lea on camera acting


Do you have a special set of acting skills required for the camera? Did your acting school teach you?

Acting for the Camera


This is not an acting school or a theatre stage acting where you get an instant feedback from the audience.
In film and television acting, you do not get a feedback from a live audience of any kind. Your audience is just a camera, the camera operator, the director, and any sound, light, and make up artists to help you  for the day.
This means you need to use your creativity and imagination in a scientific and calculative way. When you play to the camera, you have to project emotions to the unwavering and piercing eye of the camera.
Elia Kazan on what camera does to you
Elia Kazan on what the camera does to you

How to �play to the camera�


1. Find the location of the camera at all times

Why? Because  if you are able to understand where the camera is, then you will be able to give the best performance. You must remember that it would impossible for you to let viewers see your great performance without the camera capturing your face.
2. Know how close or far the camera is for you and what the camera is trying to capture

 If you the camera is capturing a close up on your face, then it is not important for you to move your arms and legs, for the camera will not capture it. Instead, focus on what the camera is filming. For close ups, focus on your facial movements and emotions, but subtle and not exaggerated.  However, for long shots, focus on larger body movements to illustrate your character�s feelings.

3. Know where the other actors and props are located in relation to the camera 

If you step to ( move) close in one direction, you may take the other actor�s eye-line, lighting, or other sort of important elements. Understand where your �mark� (where you should be located) is and focus on staying in that position.


Great Tip


The Best Tip to Learn Camera Acting


Watch a television show or movie on video with the sound off

Without listening to any dialogue, your focus would be on facing expressions and movements. Look through at each frame first because that is a camera lens and then observe how an actor is behaving in front of that frame. The body and facial gestures can convey more information to an audience than you may think. By studying movies and television shows with the sound off, you can study how gestures can help an actor�s on-camera performance.

The bottom line

  1. Focus on where the camera is
  2. Concentrate what the camera is trying to capture,
  3. Understand how can you express your emotions and movements with technical excellence and limitations of a camera

If you can keep these three elements in mind, you will definitely see a great improvement in your acting performance.