Screen test

Last updated

A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. It is typically a secondary or later stage in the audition process. [1] The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a camera to see if they are suitable. The developed film is later evaluated by the relevant production personnel such as the casting director and the director. The actor may be asked to bring a prepared monologue or alternatively, the actor may be given a script to read at sight ("cold reading"). In some cases, the actor may be asked to read a scene, in which another performer reads the lines of another character.

Contents

A screen test can also be used to determine the chemistry between two potential actors or actresses, to see if they work well together or not. They may be told to read out their characters' lines from a scene, and perform them together.

Types

Screen tests can also be used to judge the suitability of costume, make-up and other details, but these are generally called costume or make-up tests. Different types of actors can have different tasks for each individual test. For example, a lead for a musical theater-type movie could be requested to sing a popular song or learn a dance routine. Screen tests are routinely used in films and commercials. They are also used for short films.

International actors such as Bruce Lee were given screen tests to demonstrate that they are sufficiently articulate in the relevant language. In Lee's case, for the role of Kato in The Green Hornet , he was asked to converse about Chinese culture in English to judge his grasp of the language, then to demonstrate some martial arts moves to show off his physical skills. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acting</span> Story telling by enacting a character

Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode.

Mise-en-scène is the stage design and arrangement of actors in scenes for a theatre or film production, both in the visual arts through storyboarding, visual themes, and cinematography and in narrative-storytelling through directions. The term is also commonly used to refer to single scenes that are representative of a film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stage combat</span> Technique used in theatre to create the illusion of physical combat

Stage combat, fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet productions. With the advent of cinema and television the term has widened to also include the choreography of filmed fighting sequences, as opposed to the earlier live performances on stage. It is closely related to the practice of stunts and is a common field of study for actors. Actors famous for their stage fighting skills frequently have backgrounds in dance, gymnastics or martial arts training.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stunt performer</span> Person who performs stunts

A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed to a daredevil, who performs for a live audience. When they take the place of another actor, they are known as stunt doubles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casting (performing arts)</span> Pre-production process for selecting actors, dancers, singers, or extras for roles or parts

In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra for a particular role or part in a script, screenplay, or teleplay. This process may be used for a motion picture, television program, documentary film, music video, play, or advertisement, intended for an audience.

The technical rehearsal or tech rehearsal is a rehearsal that focuses on the technological aspects of the performance, in theatrical, musical, and filmed entertainment.

<i>Our Countrys Good</i> Play by Timberlake Wertenbaker

Our Country's Good is a 1988 play written by British playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, adapted from the Thomas Keneally novel The Playmaker. The story concerns a group of Royal Marines and convicts in a penal colony in New South Wales, in the 1780s, who put on a production of The Recruiting Officer.

So You Think You Can Dance is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by Idols producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has broadcast seventeen seasons since. Adaptations of the show began airing in other countries in late 2005 and to date 30 localized adaptations have been produced, representing 41 different countries and comprising more than ninety individual seasons.

So You Think You Can Dance is a dance reality show and competition aired on 8TV. Premiered on 5 April 2007, it is based on the original United States version of the same name. It has a similar premise to the American Idol series of singing competitions, with nationwide auditions leading to the discovery of the next big star.

I Know My Kid's a Star is an American competitive reality television TV show for aspiring child actors and their parents. The show aired from March to May 2008 on VH1. The show's host and primary judge is Danny Bonaduce, who is best known as having been a child actor himself on the 1970s TV show The Partridge Family. Casting agent Marki Costello stars as co-host and secondary judge. The show features ten parent/child pairings, with each pair working together as a team to further the child's career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pornographic film actor</span> Person who performs in pornography

A pornographic film actor or actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, or porn star is a person who performs sex acts on video that is usually characterized as a pornographic movie. Such videos tend to be made in a number of distinct pornographic subgenres and attempt to present a sexual fantasy; the actors selected for a particular role are primarily selected on their ability to create or fit that fantasy. Pornographic videos are characterized as either softcore, which does not contain depictions of sexual penetration or extreme fetishism, and hardcore, which can contain depictions of penetration or extreme fetishism, or both. The genres and sexual intensity of videos is mainly determined by demand. Depending on the genre of the film, the on-screen appearance, age, and physical features of the actors and their ability to create the sexual mood of the video is of critical importance. Most actors specialize in certain genres, such as straight, bisexual, gay, lesbian, bondage, strap-on, anal, double penetration, semen swallowing, teenage, orgy, age roleplay, fauxcest, interracial or MILFs and more.

<i>Legally Blonde: The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods</i> American TV series or program

Legally Blonde: The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods is an MTV program created in order to cast an actress to replace Laura Bell Bundy in the role of Elle Woods in the Broadway production of Legally Blonde: The Musical. The show debuted on June 2, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audition</span> Sample performance by a performer

An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece given to the performer at the audition or shortly before. In some cases, such as with a model or acrobat, the individual may be asked to demonstrate a range of professional skills. Actors may be asked to present a monologue. Singers will perform a song in a popular music context or an aria in a Classical context. A dancer will present a routine in a specific style, such as ballet, tap dance or hip-hop, or show his or her ability to quickly learn a choreographed dance piece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Actor</span> Person who portrays a character in a production

An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is ὑποκριτής (hupokritḗs), literally "one who answers". The actor's interpretation of a role—the art of acting—pertains to the role played, whether based on a real person or fictional character. This can also be considered an "actor's role", which was called this due to scrolls being used in the theaters. Interpretation occurs even when the actor is "playing themselves", as in some forms of experimental performance art.

Sexually transmitted infections in the pornography industry deals with the occupational safety and health hazard of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by workers in the sex industry. Since the 1980s many cases of pornographic performers contracting HIV/AIDS have been reported. However, since the mid-2000s strict adherence to rigorous STI testing, and limiting sexual contact with only fellow tested performers has halted the spread of HIV and other STIs in the industry.

<i>So You Think You Can Dance</i> (Vietnamese TV series)

Thử thách cùng bước nhảy: So You Think You Can Dance is a Vietnamese televised dance competition and an entry in the international So You Think You Can Dance television franchise. The show is produced by Dong Tay Promotion Company and Endemol Shine Group under licence from 19 Entertainment, Dick Clark Productions and Conrad Sewell Productions and begins broadcasting its first season on September 15, 2012. Chí Anh from the local Dancing with the Stars is set to be a permanent judge, with additional permanent judges yet to be announced. Guest judges include Ngô Thanh Vân, broadway staff John Huy Trần, choreographer Trần Ly Ly, B-boy Việt Max, and MC Thanh Bạch. The show's winner will receive 400 million đồng and a choice between several career advancement opportunities.

<i>Venus in Fur</i> (film) 2013 film by Roman Polanski

Venus in Fur is a 2013 French-language erotic drama film directed by Roman Polanski, based on the play of the same name by American playwright David Ives, which itself was inspired by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's novel Venus in Furs. It stars Emmanuelle Seigner and Mathieu Amalric, the only actors in the film.

Cambodia's Got Talent is a Cambodian televised talent competition, and is part of the global Got Talent franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program premiered on Hang Meas HDTV on 30 November 2014 and is presented by Nhem Sokun and Per Chamrong.

An acting coach or drama coach is a teacher who trains performers – typically film, television, theatre, and musical theatre actors – and gives them advice and mentoring to enable them to improve their acting and dramatic performances, prepare for auditions and prepare better for roles.

<i>StarStruck</i> season 7 Season of television series

The seventh and final season of StarStruck, is a 2019 Philippine television reality talent competition show, was broadcast on GMA Network. Hosted by Dingdong Dantes and Jennylyn Mercado, it premiered on June 15, 2019. The council was composed of Heart Evangelista, Cherie Gil and Jose Manalo. The season ended with 28 episodes on September 15, 2019, having Shayne Sava and Kim de Leon as the Ultimate Survivors.

References

  1. "Definition of SCREEN TEST". www.merriam-webster.com.
  2. "Bruce lee interview 1965". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 20 October 2020.