Five tips for approaching 22-minute Comedy Auditions
Five tips for approaching 22-minute comedy auditions (aka sit-coms) to help you gain a little control. 22-minute comedy auditions can be difficult. It is a little different than most drama auditions.
Here is an old video from the NBC Diversity showcase. I wanted to share it and pass five quick tips for 22-minute comedy and filming auditions for 22-min comedy. Every casting director will have their own take or their own personal request for the auditions so always read their email and directions carefully.
Five tips to 22-minute comedy
1. Watch 22-minute comedy tv shows, like Friends, Everybody loves Raymond, Seinfeld, and you will notice they mostly shoot everything in a medium framed shot. With that being said, keep your frame a little wider than normal so we can see your body a little more for a 22-minute comedy audition.
2. We are always aiming for truth but, with 22-minute, it’s ok to give that extra bit of energy. Don’t over do it, we aren’t pushing to overact, but we are doing, what I like to call, “turning up the give a shit”.
3. Find the places in the copy or sides where you feel like there are emotional changes, things that could effect you quickly! Let them be a little more of a punch. For example, something may be going on that is kind of sad, then, all of a sudden, someone says something that could cheer you up quickly! This technique is called a “flip” and 22-minute comedies use them all the time.
4. Be all in. Keep your tempo moving; and gaps in the dialogue should only be there if they are being filled with reaction, as comedy is like throwing a stone across water. The stone can skip and skip, but, once it slows down, it drops!
These are, of course, just some tips, and remember that most rules are made to be broken, as every set of sides, casting directors, directors, and networks will have their own preferences.
5. Last, but not least, be sure to check out the tone, which can change depending on the network or directors, of the show. Go watch the show you are going in for if it is already out. For example, Disney and NBC can have different tones.
Always do your research no matter what you are auditioning for. It can be helpful to know what the director has done before, as you may see a theme going on. Know the casting director you are going in for, as they may have posted their personal list of pet peeves somewhere! Overall, have fun, leave without regrets.
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