How NOT to write to casting directors. CAUTION contains humour.

After publishing this comedy post on my facebook wall and on an actors group on facebook I was pleasantly surprised at how much positive response it received I decided to revive my blog with it. The piece is meant purely for humour and no I did not send the following letter to casting directors. If I make you chuckle my mission is accomplished.

What happens when I attempt to write to casting directors. I rebel and write this instead:




Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss Casting director,

You know why I'm writing and I know why I'm writing so let's stop beating around the bush. Here's my face. Look at it. Note: high cheekbones. They are in at the moment. Real life example Benedict Cumberbatch. Here is my showreel. Cheekbones in action. I would say I'm brilliant but we all know actors have bags of self doubt. Also note massive eyes. They look great on screen. Here's a list of my previous work that you won't really read. So if you found this vaguely amusing throw an audition my way. 

Best, 
Annina Kaski 





I wish letters like these actually worked.

Adventures in Pantoland!

Hello everyone,

I am sorry for lack of posting recently. I have been super busy with pantomime rehearsals and performances. This pantomime with Rainbow theatre company has proven quite a challenge. We were only given 3 full days of rehearsals and then it was straight on the road with the show. Talk about being thrown in the deep end! Also the rehearsal process lacks a vital part of any panto performance: audience participation. The first shows become the proper learning experiences on how to handle an audience. Feel a bit sorry for the audiences on the first day, they were getting an slightly incomplete product in my view. A dress rehearsal with a real audience would have  but then again I think many actors feel like that in other performances as well.

Our tour consisted of schools and children of all ages. The atmosphere in every school was different. Some schools love the panto and get so excited about participating that it takes all your skills as an actor to get your lines out and the play moving. Other schools have children so polite they sat quietly and attentively that it takes improvisation skills to keep the show going. It was fascinating how differently we were treated by the teachers in different schools as well. Others held us in high regard and drowned us in tea and biscuits and thankyou's other treated us as performing monkeys: annoiying but necessary to keep the kids entertained with no respect for our craft. We were even asked by one school to cut our performance short. I'd like to see how the children would appreciate an unfinished pantomime.

During our tour I stayed in the windy seaside town of Worthing. Every morning of the tour we woke up at the crack of dawn and scramble into our rented 4x4 that served as our tour bus and of we went to our given destination. Four people crammed into a car with props and costumes and a soundsystem (a cv player and an amp) made for a snug ride. It was an adventure to say the least. A hearty sense of humor, high tolerance to stress (our satnav broke after the first day on tour!), a cornucopia of vitamins and numerous cans of energy drink are essential in surviving We had two to three performances a day and most in different venues.

There is a particular pleasure in playing the villain.You always get a reaction. People love hating you. I entered the stage with uproaring "boo"s. I even made a few kids cry uncontorably which made me feel awful. Then again I knew I was doing a good job.

After our last performance before the costumes were taken off some memories needed to be cherished.

Doing a panto is NOT an easy job. With insufficient time to do vocal warm ups we were hoping our voices would last until the last show of the day. But with hard work comes great rewards. My day was made by kids high-fiving me and complementing me. "You were epic and amazing!" It makes me smile to think our show made some kids day. After the tour I spent two weeks at my parents' house relaxing and recovering from the toll it took on me. Will I do it again next year? I would have to think about it but I knowing me I would end up saying yes.

It's in the bag!

Great news! I got the part of the evil queen I auditioned for! That's my December sorted, now to just scrape through November. I can feel a lot of waitressing coming my way. But at the end of the day I will always smile since I know I have a paid part coming my way. It's funny how life surprises you. The other week I was really depressed since I hadn't done any paid acting work this year and doubted I would get anything. Bing. Thank you fairy god mother! I will keep you all posted on how life treats me on our tour in December.

How to nail auditions. Tips and tricks

I had an audition today and I left feeling great afterwards. A success in itself. Many of my acting teachers and mentors have said this "Auditioning is not acting". As a professional actor I now know what they mean. You can be an amazing actor and still fail auditions. But until you get a name for yourself in the business you will have to learn how to at least bear auditions. I have complied a list of tips based on what I have learned.

Tips for a successful audition:

First let’s start by defining a good audition. A good audition might not get you the part you are auditioning for but it will showcase your best side to the casting panel and build your reputation as an actor and keep you in their minds when they are casting their next production. 

Representation: These days even getting the auditions to go to is a hurdle in itself. Acquiring an agent is the best thing you can do for your career. You already have someone who vouches for your talent without you having to say a word. A lot of auditions aren't publicly advertised and stay within industry professionals i.e director and casting agents tell agents what they are looking for and the agents produce actors for the auditions.

Rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse! Every audition is different. Some casting panels will talk to you a lot, some hardly at all. Your best bet is to know your audition speeches as well as you can. Unless auditions are sprung up on you at the last minute which sadly for actors happen a lot. This is why you should have a back up monologue in your repertoire instead of just relying on what they have asked you to prepare. Being prepared will build your confidence which is essential to giving a good performance.

Know your weaknesses and strengths. I know my eyes have a tendency to wander especially when I am nervous in an audition. In preparation for auditions I have repeated my monologues in front of mirrors and chosen spots on walls to concentrate. Now whenever I go for an audition I choose a spot to do my monologue to which is near the audition panel but right in their eyes as no one likes to be eyeballed. I also know my strength is my big eyes which are able to express a lot without me even having to say anything. Camera auditions are the chance for me to get the big guns out.

Listen like a hawk to what the audition panel is saying. When the audition panel give you tips on how to do your speech treat it as gold dust. They might have an idea how they want the part to be played and want to see how suitable you would be. Ignoring these will be fatal to your audition. You might not have practiced what they are asking you to do but they know this and are not looking for perfection but potential! 

Don’t assume you know what they are thinking. You will never know exactly what other people are thinking and while auditioning becoming obsessed with why the audition panel isn't looking at you or why they are writing during your speech can potentially ruin your performance. Concentrate on your speech not the panel.

Ask for peoples opinion. Before auditions I make all my friends and family watch me and give comments. They might not be industry professionals but they can still give you valuable insight. I have ignored my boyfriend's comments on the speed of my monologue thinking he doesn't know anything about acting since he is not in the same industry, only to be told by an audition panel not to rush my monologue.

Enjoy it or at least look like you are. Looking or acting petrified will only make you seem unconfident and have your name struck of the list of potentials. If you appear to enjoy the challenges they throw at you gives out the impression you can handle any situation. I don't enjoy auditions and still sometimes feel like my heart is about to burst from my chest but the audition panel will never know this. I keep smiling and my head high. 

Learn from each audition. After auditions I briefly right down what worked in the audition and what didn't. The way I made one of the panelist laugh with the wry humor I used. The most important lessons are to be learned from your mistakes. I know now to prepare as thoroughly as I can for auditions but not have a panic attack if you don't have time to prepare your best performance as they might ask you to do something else entirely.

The most important thing to remember is that every actor has good and bad auditions. Succeeding in auditions and acting is all about learning to pick yourself up after the disappointment and striving to do better next time. I had auditioned to the casting agent I met today before and given what I still see to this day as my worst audition. I am unashamed to say I went home in tears, wallowed in self pity and lost opportunities for a full day before I was ready to brush myself off and start again. Allow yourself to wallow as long as you pick yourself up after your allotted wallowing time is over. 

Actors, you must learn to juggle!

Life as an actor is mostly a juggling act. For all those thinking about a career in showbusiness be warned it is not easy! But if it truly is your passion don't let my warnings hinder you. When I first told my family about my plans to become a professional actor as a teenager I was bombarded with statements. "Oh that is a HARD career." "Really? Maybe you should reconsider." "There is so much competition in that field." The wave of unsupporting comments was topped of with my grandmother's undying words: "I'd love you to become a doctor!" If you met my grandma you would understand she is not a woman you want to disagree with. At the time I didn't take these comments well and saw it as a comment on my abilities. Nowadays I see the truth in their words. You need determination, perseverance and undieing passion. If you attend drama school all this will be repeated to you countless times. The reality doesn't hit you until you graduate and step into the life as a professional actor. Being a professional actor for most means being out of work more than in work in your chosen field. Unless you are one of the very lucky ones to get a big role straight out of drama school. Damn you Orlando Bloom!
               My life is a constant juggling act between making ends meet and trying to progress in my acting career. Before you make a name for yourself you will be offered a lot of low paid or unpaid work. These have the opportunity to get you valuable contacts but doesn't pay the rent. After I graduated I was surprised to find that flexible part time work is really hard to find. Auditions have a tendency to pop up with little or no notice. I was lucky to find work in a recruitment agency that is very flexible but enough shifts to pay the rent are never guaranteed. It is important you have an employer who understands this. This is why I ventured into nail technology. I am currently negotiating a position in a local nail spa and have told the spa owner this so many times I'm blue in the face. I want to avoid unpleasant situations or accusations of not following a contract at all costs. I still haven't decided whether to accept the job or not. Acting always comes first and I need to keep reminding others and myself of this contstantly. Any actors out there I would love to hear your experiences and methods of keeping your head above water. Good bye for now. I have an audition tomorrow. Break a leg!



For acting and audition tips you might find this e-book useful.