PSA-PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD

PSA-PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD The audition for Project Safe Neighborhood was difficult. I remember the director was looking for honesty from actors coming in to read. What that means is he expected genuine emotion and behaviors. Thankfully, his was an organic process which afforded a lot of time for the actor to acclimate to the room, access the appropriate sense memory, and become alive in the moment. There were, I think, two callbacks which meant three auditions in all. The final callback was conducted with a number of actors together in the room but not playing the same scene. Each was in his/her own moment although sharing the space with other actors. The result was an immersive experience. Actors crying hysterically, others expressing grief with anger, some sitting in stunned silence. It would have been impossible to remain unaffected emotionally while in the midst of this which spoke to the skill of the director. His process made it easier to do a difficult job: find an emotion of genuine sadness, worry, or grief.

In retrospect, the immersive audition experience not only honed our abilities to tap into genuine emotions but also laid the foundation for a camaraderie that proved indispensable on the shoot day, a testament to the director's unique and effective approach.

An emotional public service announcement (PSA) for Project Safe Neighborhood.