Drama school audition :Top 5 questions
What Prompted you to become an Actor?
The interviewers of quite a few acting institutes tend to start off with this question. It is asked simply to make you feel more comfortable and get you talking. Some of the inquisitors are genuinely interested in what you have to say, however, so don’t muck it up! You don’t need to prepare for this one; just say what really got you into this field.
Interviewers are fed up of listening to monotonous gabs about how acting was the candidate’s lifelong passion and a childhood dream. In your case, it might actually be true, but don’t state it like a robot. Act out the authentic passion behind your dream to convince the questioners of your answer. Also, start with an amusing detail or instance that led you to pursue a career in this field; keep them hooked right from the word go!
Which Actor/s do you Admire the Most and Why?
This is usually the follow-up question if the interviewers like your answer to the first. Why would anyone care about your acting preferences if they slept through your doleful narration of a first answer! You already know the answer to the initial part of this question, but you will need to prepare for the ‘why’.
Imagine that you admire Robert De Niro (though I doubt it would call for much of your imagination since he might already top your list of favourites), and try to figure out what you like about his acting prowess. He is a natural, has a commanding presence, can act like an insignificant beggar if he wants to, and is a fine example of a versatile actor. You don’t need to go into the technical aspects of his acting; simply elaborate on the aforementioned points.
Describe your Monologue in Brief.
And by brief, make it as short as possible (not more than a couple or three sentences). This question is like a prologue to the monologue you picked for your the drama school audition, asking you to explain what the monologue is about before you perform. Let us assume that your performance is about a son explaining his beliefs/motivations to his father.
Tell the inquisitor that your character is partly humorous and partly philosophical, expounding his coming-of-age, complex outlook toward life to his traditional yet possibly open-minded father. And once you have stated the nature of your monologue, make sure that it meets the requirements. The moderators should find themselves laughing at the comedic parts of the one-way conversation. And that will come through practice. Pick the type of monologue that best portrays your acting skills and keep practicing till you can act it out like a natural.
What are your Strengths and Weaknesses when it Comes to Acting?
After the monologue performance, the interviewers will likely ask you to analyse yourself. And what better question to put for the purpose than this one! Every actor has his/her own private areas of strengths and weaknesses. Some may take quite a bit of time in memorizing a dialogue, while others may not be able to depict a particular emotion very well. The hardworking ones may require a sound-proof environment to practice, whereas the natural actors may be plain lazy. It doesn’t matter if your weaknesses outnumber your strengths.
All you have to do is convince the inquisitor that you will focus more on your strengths and try your best to work out the considerable chinks in your armor. Don’t hold anything back. They need to know every small facet of your acting prowess before they could decide to admit you. You only need to assure them that you are up for the task.
What will you do if we don’t Select you for the Course?
This might seem like an odd question. Do they think that we will shoot ourselves or die of shock right then and there? While this may seem like the right rhetorical answer, there is an underlying motive to the question. Your admission might just hinge upon your answer to this question. It is asked to determine whether or not you are truly passionate about drama. If you reply, “Oh, I’ll sit at home and reapply next year”, then you may think you are showing your faith in the organization, but you are actually portraying your lack of gumption for acting.
It is perfectly alright if you say that you will look for another drama school; they appreciate honesty. Also, assure them that you will keep honing your craft, working on your weaknesses in the meantime.
Confidence is the key to acing any acting school audition regardless of its level of difficulty. State even your weaknesses with confidence, letting the interviewers know that you are willing to work on them. If confidence itself is one of your weaknesses, then at least act like a confident person, showing them that you do have some skill in acting.
"As a disclaimer, these are simply suggestions of common questions that should be considered as a basis for practice. These will not increase students’ chances of being accepted into Acting in English at Cours Florent. In order to improve, students should think about and be ready to answer many different kinds of questions and those mentioned in this article are to be used as a starting point. Being comfortable with these particular questions does not guarantee that students will pass Cours Florent's audition process."