ACTING LESSON 5: MEMORIZING FOR AUDITIONS AND FOR TAKE

The circumstances and situations for auditions or for filming of a scene in India and in western countries are vastly different.

In the western countries and especially in USA

For auditions, there is something called as "COLD READING"
-Your line are given to you few minutes before the auditions. It is not necessary for you to memorize them. You will be required to read them in front of a camera. You should look up at the camera as you are reading so that a casting director can see whether you are suitable for the character. The focus is not on how good are you in remembering lines but on your suitability for a role.
Many a times, your lines are emailed to you in advance to enable you to prepare.
GOOD, isn't it?
It makes your job easier.

In India

Unfortunately due to many constrains like time, large numbers of actors assembled during auditions, you are given your lines, character explained briefly, a time of 10 to 15 minutes given during which  you are supposed to memorize your lines and blurt it out in front of a video camera. Invariably you mess it up as either you forget your lines or in anxiety to remember your lines, you spoil your performance!
It's here that we come to the techniques of-

"QUICK MEMORIZATION"  methods

(Time available with you-10 minutes)

• Read the text-understand the situation and character
• Memorize 1st line reading loudly 7 times
• Add 2nd line read 7 times
• Add 1st and 2nd line and read loudly 5 times.
• Check if you remember both the lines without looking into the paper
• Follow the above for rest of the lines.
• Carry blank paper with you and write lines again and again.
• Immediately, speak your lines into your mobile phone and go on listening to them till you enter into an audition room.
• On paper where you wrote your lines. give one line to each finger and remember- when you touch 1st finger which line you have to speak. This way you can remember and speak 10 lines
• Take a deep breath, release slowly. Do this as many times as the time permits.

Finally, just give your audition, thank the casting director and come out. You can't do any thing more.
You have just now given a great performance. Celebrate!
Okay, you had a call back and finally you are selected.
Consequently, you get the details of all of your scenes with let's say 50 lines. Then memorize in the same way as above plus ad the following techniques:

1. Make a mental picture ie your story board on a paper and write your lines-like drawing a cartoon and writing dialogues in a circle
2. Prepare flash cards 4'x4' on a drawing sheet. Write cue of other actors and then write your lines in bold. Always carry them with you and practice as and when you get time. Carry them to a shoot. Repeat and repeat-between breaks.
3. Do you remember any song and it's tune?
4. Fit your lines to the tune of a song, record it on your mobile and listen as often as you can. Sing along with the recorded lines on a tune. It's a fun and easy to memorize
5. Remember your lines with blocking ( your movements as told to you by your director or create your own movements at your home. For example- 2 steps close to mirror, 3 steps after crossing the door or after looking up at the sky
6. write on  "word doc" on computer using larger and colored fonts, many a times