P R E P – R O A R – F I N (These 3 words will WOW your audition technique!)

Auditioning?   Love it or Hate it…it’s necessary to Audition to get a job!  The more you audition,
the better you get at it (hopefully) and the less nervous you get.

Three things from the book “Audition Secrets…” are right here and seem simple:

PREP – Preparation
ROAR – Own the Room
FIN – It’s over, don’t beat yourself up or think it’s “in the bag”.

These tools are explained in more detail in the book, which can be found at

www.audition-secrets.com

You MUST prepare.  Casting Agents and Clients name this as their No.1 annoyance – when an
actor has come unprepared.

When you go into the audition room, these are the 2-5 minutes of acting you may do all week, so
make the most of it!

When it’s all over, it’s over.  At least enjoy the fact that you got SEEN and hope for the best.   Just
because you don’t get the job, doesn’t mean YOU were bad. You know, it’s the old – ‘they wanted
a different color of hair in the end’.  Give yourself a break.

Please remember that those people casting you are “not out to get you”. Actually, they are out to make you
look as good as possible – so help them out!  They have clients to please too.

So, as I always say, get out there and HAVE FUN and BE PREPARED.

It is always said that the Golden Globes are a good indication of who will be nominated for an Oscar.

Sometimes it’s true.  Sometimes the Golden Globes are a bit of a popularity contest.

Anyway, in my opinion to be nominated or to win is wonderful either way.

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Avatar (2009)
The Hurt Locker (2008)
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
Up in the Air (2009)

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

(500) Days of Summer (2009)
The Hangover (2009)
It’s Complicated (2009)
Julie & Julia (2009)
Nine (2009)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart (2009)
George Clooney for Up in the Air (2009)
Colin Firth for A Single Man (2009)
Morgan Freeman for Invictus (2009)
Tobey Maguire for Brothers (2009)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Emily Blunt for The Young Victoria (2009)
Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side (2009)
Helen Mirren for The Last Station (2009)
Carey Mulligan for An Education (2009)
Gabourey ‘Gabby’ Sidibe for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Matt Damon for The Informant! (2009)
Daniel Day-Lewis for Nine (2009)
Robert Downey Jr. for Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt for (500) Days of Summer (2009)
Michael Stuhlbarg for A Serious Man (2009)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Sandra Bullock for The Proposal (2009)
Marion Cotillard for Nine (2009)
Julia Roberts for Duplicity (2009)
Meryl Streep for It’s Complicated (2009)
Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia (2009)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Matt Damon for Invictus (2009)
Woody Harrelson for The Messenger (2009)
Christopher Plummer for The Last Station (2009)
Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones (2009)
Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Penélope Cruz for Nine (2009)
Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air (2009)
Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air (2009)
Mo’Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
Julianne Moore for A Single Man (2009)

Best Director – Motion Picture

Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (2008)
James Cameron for Avatar (2009)
Clint Eastwood for Invictus (2009)
Jason Reitman for Up in the Air (2009)
Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

District 9 (2009): Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
The Hurt Locker (2008): Mark Boal
Inglourious Basterds (2009): Quentin Tarantino
It’s Complicated (2009): Nancy Meyers
Up in the Air (2009): Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

Avatar (2009): James Horner, Simon Franglen, Kuk Harrell (“I Will See You”)
Brothers (2009): U2, Bono (“Winter”)
Crazy Heart (2009): T-Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham (“The Weary Kind”)
Everybody’s Fine (2009): Paul McCartney (“(I Want To) Come Home”)
Nine (2009): Maury Yeston(“Cinema Italiano”)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

Avatar (2009): James Horner
The Informant! (2009): Marvin Hamlisch
A Single Man (2009): Abel Korzeniowski
Up (2009): Michael Giacchino
Where the Wild Things Are (2009): Carter Burwell, Karen Orzolek

Best Animated Film

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
Coraline (2009)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Up (2009)

Best Foreign Language Film

Los abrazos rotos (2009)
Baarìa (2009)
Das weisse Band – Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (2009)
La nana (2009)
Un prophète (2009)

Best Television Series – Drama

Big Love (2006)
Dexter (2006)
House M.D. (2004)
Mad Men (2007)
True Blood (2008)

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Entourage (2004)
Glee (2009)
The Office (2005)
Modern Family (2009)
30 Rock (2006)

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Georgia O’Keeffe (2009) (TV)
Grey Gardens (2009) (TV)
Into the Storm (2009) (TV)
Little Dorrit (2008)
Taking Chance (2009) (TV)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Kevin Bacon for Taking Chance (2009) (TV)
Kenneth Branagh for Wallander (2008)
Chiwetel Ejiofor for Endgame (2009)
Brendan Gleeson for Into the Storm (2009) (TV)
Jeremy Irons for Georgia O’Keeffe (2009) (TV)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Joan Allen for Georgia O’Keeffe (2009) (TV)
Drew Barrymore for Grey Gardens (2009) (TV)
Jessica Lange for Grey Gardens (2009) (TV)
Anna Paquin for The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (2009) (TV)
Sigourney Weaver for Prayers for Bobby (2009) (TV)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Alec Baldwin for 30 Rock (2006)
Steve Carell for The Office (2005)
David Duchovny for Californication (2007)
Thomas Jane for Hung (2009)
Matthew Morrison for Glee (2009)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Toni Collette for United States of Tara (2009)
Courteney Cox for Cougar Town (2009)
Edie Falco for Nurse Jackie (2009)
Tina Fey for 30 Rock (2006)
Lea Michele for Glee (2009)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Simon Baker for The Mentalist (2008)
Michael C. Hall for Dexter (2006)
Jon Hamm for Mad Men (2007)
Hugh Laurie for House M.D. (2004)
Bill Paxton for Big Love (2006)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Glenn Close for Damages (2007)
January Jones for Mad Men (2007)
Julianna Margulies for The Good Wife (2009)
Anna Paquin for True Blood (2008)
Kyra Sedgwick for The Closer (2005)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Michael Emerson for Lost (2004)
Neil Patrick Harris for How I Met Your Mother (2005)
William Hurt for Damages (2007)
John Lithgow for Dexter (2006)
Jeremy Piven for Entourage (2004)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Jane Adams for Hung (2009)
Rose Byrne for Damages (2007)
Jane Lynch for Glee (2009)
Janet McTeer for Into the Storm (2009) (TV)
Chloë Sevigny for Big Love (2006)

I think some of these categories all the actors and actresses should ‘win’.  I haven’t seen all these films or shows — but Clint Eastwood can do no wrong by me and is an amazing human being! Go Clint!
House is a favorite and Hugh Laurie says the single hardest thing he has to do every day is to use his American accent!
30 Rock created by Tina Fey (remember, she ran for Vice-President of the USA), was quite a leap of faith for her and I really like to know that people are willing to take chances — and better yet — have them become successful!

NAFA hosted Nick Bolton last night as a Guest Speaker at the Clock Hotel in Surry Hills. He talked about the new business models currently in vogue and illustrate them with case studies.  I hope I am correct in saying that the discussion was about using the internet, i.e. MySpace, Twitter, Facebook and many other avenues to get recognized within one’s own industry and the benefits of advertising and networking.

I took my son who works with Viddler, builds website, Twitters, Podcast et.al. with amazing ability.  He is trying (his hardest) to educate me little by little into this New Media.  He is very patient with me — or of course, I would bite his head off.  He says he video taped me speaking quickly about one of my newest ventures and will put the video up on the site.

I will be speaking briefly about my interaction with this organization and also be advising Australian actors to acquire an American accent before trying to ‘make it’ in the States.   

We don’t want actors to be unprepared when they spend the hard-earned money to try to get an acting job in America.  That’s why we recommend knowing as much as possible before deciding if this is the trip for you or career for you.  Global PREP are basically your ‘home-away-from-home’ to assist you with your questions and help keep you out of trouble.

Sydney
6th & 7th of July 2009
Parade Space
National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA)
You can find out more about the seminars in Melbourne and on the Gold Coast on Global PREP’s Seminar Page.

At Actors Creative you will find more information on Acting Classes and learning the American Accent which will assist you further in acquiring the skills you need to succeed as professionally as possible.