Oh man, is there something extra gripping than Fever Ray’s “If I Had a Coronary heart” thrumming alongside to scenes of longships battling livid wind and waves, a fantastic heathen horde spilling onto the shores of a younger England and a solitary determine slowly sinking right into a blue abyss? Vikings is one in all my favorite TV collection of all time. The tone, the imagery, the setting, the commentary on early faith and tradition–chef’s kiss. To not point out the stellar efficiency by Australia’s very personal Travis Fimmel because the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok. With a model new instalment, Bloodaxe, formally confirmed and within the works, there is no such thing as a time like the current to sharpen your axes and don your bear pores and skin cloaks. If you wish to audition for Vikings and land your self a spot within the halls of Valhalla, that is the article for you.
Auditioning for any main TV collection will be simply as thrilling as it may be daunting. Endurance, persistence and preparation are key with these huge ticket auditions. So search for methods to hone your abilities as an actor (and would-be viking) earlier than the casting notices emerge. You can provide your self the sting earlier than you see a lot as a web page of audition materials.
Get an Agent – or Don’t
Very first thing’s first, and I do know I’m sounding like a damaged document when you’ve learn my different articles, however we have to get you the audition. There are two foremost methods of getting auditions on this business, each with their very own execs and cons. And whether or not you select to get signed or signal your self, this step is about getting your foot within the door and maintaining it there.
Securing an Agent
The primary and hottest route is getting signed with an appearing company. We’ve acquired a myriad of articles written about how to decide on company and find out how to get signed with them.
Most authentic appearing brokers will want proof of your means–whether or not that takes the type of a showreel or a qualification from a widely known appearing college or a advice from a widely known director. You’ll want one thing to display your dedication to the craft.
Brokers are nice as a result of it’s their job to maintain their finger on the heart beat of the business and look out for alternatives that swimsuit you. Brokers should not so nice in that they take a proportion of your earnings and, sadly, not all brokers are for all actors. I do know loads of actors who’ve been signed with some high businesses and felt they’ve been hamstrung by doing so.
My recommendation for signing with an agent is signal with somebody you possibly can develop private relationship with. A pleasant, skilled relationship ensures belief and belief is every little thing on this business. It’s what will get you employed and employed once more, and builds a robust basis for an extended and profitable profession.
Going Freelance
The second, much less travelled route is the trail of the freelance actor. While it takes significantly extra work, working as your individual agent will be very rewarding in that you’ve got full management over the initiatives you undergo and the one factor that may chew into your earnings is earnings tax.
If you happen to’re eager to symbolize your self, ensure that your Digital Press Package (EPK) is updated and able to ship at a second’s discover. An excellent EPK consists of an up-to-date showreel, headshot and CV. That is what you’ll ship to casting administrators you’d wish to work with.
It additionally pays to have on-line presence as a contract actor. Instagram is a superb platform to market your self and does play some half within the roles you’ll be thought of for.
Endurance, Persistence and Preparation
I’ll be frank: issues take time on this business. If you happen to’re simply beginning out, both with an agent or with out, an audition for Vikings seemingly gained’t be the primary belongings you go for. You’ll must construct a repute with casting administrators earlier than they begin asking to see you for giant initiatives.
The way in which you do that is by doing all your job properly. Everytime you get an audition, no matter what it’s for, do it properly. Be taught the strains, motion your script, drop within the textual content, do your contextual analysis. Deal with the audition like you have already got the job.
It’s essential to understand that so much occurs on invisible fronts on this business. Simply since you won’t hear again about a fantastic audition you probably did, doesn’t imply it was all for nothing. Individuals discuss and, consider it or not, casting administrators are individuals, too. If you happen to constantly submit nice self-tapes, they’ll keep in mind you and ask to see you time and again.
So what are you able to do within the meantime? Develop your private apply, that’s what. Be persistent and constant along with your vocal warm-ups, eat properly and train recurrently, and take in as a lot artwork as you presumably can. Take courses, maintain your showreel and headshots updated and keep inquisitive about individuals and the world they inhabit. It’s all a part of the job.
Now for the Enjoyable Half
Okay, let’s get to the mead and longships half. You’ve landed an audition for Viking: what do you should do to present your self the absolute best shot at a multi-year contract in Eire?
Contextual Analysis
Vikings is what one may name an historic drama. Though it performs up sure components and takes liberties right here and there, the general story of each the unique collection and Valhalla are primarily based on true occasions. Ragnar Lothbrok and his adventures throughout the North Sea truly occurred, as did the gradual creep of Christianity that finally spelled the top of the Vikings.
If you happen to’re auditioning for Vikings, there’s a good probability you’ll be auditioning for a historic character. So it’s time to get nerdy. I can advocate two podcasts to be taught in regards to the common historical past of the Viking Age: Dan Carlin’s Hardcore Historical past and The Relaxation is Historical past. Each of those are nice crash programs in Viking historical past.
By studying in regards to the time interval by which your character lived, you’ll get perception into the best way they may have behaved. For example, faith performed an enormous half in shaping pre and early-Medieval society. Nearly everybody on this time interval was spiritual which drastically influenced their behaviour and lifestyle.
I may nerd out about historical past for a whole article however I’ll allow you to go and uncover a few of it for your self.
Type of Efficiency
I believe a part of what makes Vikings such a profitable tv collection is how distinct its model is. There’s one thing that units it other than different well-liked medieval-centred collection like Recreation of Thrones or The Final Kingdom; the performances are exceptionally grounded, however the best way the characters communicate is sort of laconic and intense. Take a look at this scene:
See how steadily the strain rises all through the scene? That is largely due to the best way Travis Fimmel lets the given circumstances regularly overwhelm his character. On this scene, Ragnar has been away from his dwelling for a very long time–he has deserted his individuals and his sons and has determined that being king, which he pursued for a lot of his life, isn’t definitely worth the toll it has taken on him. It’s a superbly written scene and superbly carried out.
If you’re working along with your audition script, maintain it low-key. Let the phrases simmer slightly below the floor and spot how they have an effect on you. If they’re provocative and indignant, allow them to slowly construct to a boil till they can’t be contained anymore.
Don’t play the emotion, let the emotion information you and also you’ll discover you will have one thing very Viking-like certainly. Quiet, and harmful.
Your Creativeness
Everytime you do a self-tape, it’s fairly unlikely the scene will contain your character standing in entrance of a blue display in your lounge. So while you tape, your creativeness must be firing on all cylinders: particularly with initiatives like Vikings the place the setting is thus far faraway from the trendy day.
My favorite approach of approaching a script is to learn over it, many instances, and write down any photos the textual content evokes. For instance, if the script is ready in a longhouse, what does that seem like? Really feel like? Scent like? Is it raining exterior? A chilly, wintry evening? Is there a hearth casting shadows throughout the corridor? I’ll even write out photos for dialogue. If my character says: “They have been robust… however not robust sufficient,” I may think my character standing triumphant in a subject of damaged our bodies below a clouded sky, a raven flying overhead.
I wish to make my photos as vivid as potential. They are often summary or life like, it doesn’t actually matter. So long as it provides me one thing to think about while I’m in entrance of a shoddy tripod in my Melbourne share-house lounge. If you happen to do this strategy, don’t try to play the pictures. Simply allow them to sit beneath the floor of the strains. Your eyes will gentle up along with your photos and also you’ll discover a complete new depth of emotion to play with.
There’s a enormous emphasis on the characters’ eyes in Vikings and never simply because they’re typically essentially the most intense shade of blue identified to humankind. The characters are always wrestling with one thing be it their religion, their relationships or the load of their ever-threatened lifestyle.
Swing some Swords
Final piece of recommendation–take some stage fight courses. It’s extremely seemingly you’ll should do some type of struggle scene while you land the position and also you don’t wish to get caught out since you lied in your CV, particularly not with fight.
Past the straightforward undeniable fact that security is the number-one precedence on any manufacturing, understanding the strikes will instil you with that all-important viking confidence. You don’t wish to step with trepidation onto that battlefield: you wish to stride on the market like assembly your demise is as regular as ordering a espresso!
If you happen to’re primarily based in Australia or the UK, I can advocate Lindal Grant as an outstanding stage fight practitioner. She runs workshops and programs recurrently in Australia, so save up some money and get your self alongside to a category.
Conclusion
The tales being advised in Vikings are historic drama blended with a little bit of magical realism. It is a tough ask for actors, as they should steadiness the grounded, historic components with the extra fanciful, incredible aptitude—two almost-opposing concepts.
The purpose I’ll depart you with is that this: with no robust private apply, you’ll fall proper off the metaphorical tight-rope. Means earlier than you even get the audition, it is best to have your course of locked down and constant. If you happen to’re maintaining your creativeness, thoughts and physique lively, then you definitely’ll be well-positioned to present a compelling efficiency.
Hope this helps. See you across the traps!
