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MODEL BEHAVIOR BY MARY THERESE FRIEL
Acting on camera is an important skill set for models to develop if they wish to broaden their career from the print and runway realm, into the world of television, films, web videos, etc. Modeling and acting are very closely related and the skill sets of each are tightly interwoven. The one key difference, however, is speech: Actors have a script - Models do not. This article is the first installment of a two-part feature on acting and on-camera work. Part one will focus on Commercial Acting, part two (see next month’s edition of this magazine), will focus on Dramatic Acting. You will find the information in these articles valuable, whether you are going all-out, pursuing a career in this field, or if you just want to be able to do a better job when presenting on-camera, ideas and information in your everyday work environment.
COMMERCIAL ACTING
Commercials are one of today’s most effective marketing tools for reaching a large audience. Commercials are used
to advertise goods and services, promote ideas and causes, increase brand name recognition and of course to increase sales. Most television commercials are complex and expensive productions, from their inception to their completion. Many commercials use people in them; some of these people are professional actors or models, some are celebrities and others are just real people. A person who acts in a commercial may be a spokesperson, a principal, supporting, featured, or a background extra. The actors act. The models, model. The celebrities endorse and the real people give testimony, called testimonials. All contribute their individual talents, to the success of the project. Getting cast in a commercial production requires several key ingredients: performing well at an audition, being liked by the casting director and the client, having the right general traits, that will resonate with the audience and let’s not forget, in many cases, luck. It is important to note, that you only have control over one of these things. And that is, how you perform
and interact with the decision makers (including the casting director). So, we will focus on that.
SOME IMPORTANT SKILLS:
• Being animated - Add energy to your performance with freedom of movement, a full range of facial expressions voice tones and inflection and various body movements, eye contact (or not), to name a few. • Taking Direction - Listen carefully to what is being asked of you and then be able to deliver it on demand. • A Sense of Timing - Know when to speak, when not to, when to pause and when and where a special emphasis is needed. • Positioning – Know how, when and where, to play to the camera. • Good Diction - Being able to read well, speak clearly and correctly pronounce the words in the script is so important. • Life Experience - A familiarity with ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE :: JANUARY 2018
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