How To Get Past The Final Round

Getting past the final round!

So getting past the final round, it's interesting a lot of people approach me at Audition Access at this stage, being stuck every year at the final round.

A lot of people have said they don't think they could do another year, or 'I can't get past this round' or "I'm at I'm at a crossroads in my life, I don't know whether I want to be an actor anymore...".

The two main points...

If you're stuck at the final rounds you need to work on redirection.

Now, redirection does come up a lot in the recall stages, but particularly in the final round stage. They will more than likely redirect one or all of your pieces/songs, and it's super important factor to consider. The nice thing is that it's a skill and it can be taught and it can be learned 🥰 Talent however I can't help you with that! 😜

Now the gorgeous thing is, is that I'm always pleasantly surprised because you guys always turn up with BAGS of talent. So immediately, that's 50% done, but what just gets us over the edge past that last little hurdle is fine-tuning the skills that you need. And redirection is one of the skills that I believe you can be taught.

With redirection, it is important to adopt a playful mindset and a playful heart. When they're asking you to change a piece, they're also looking at you individually and thinking hmm, can I work with this person?

And sometimes what can get in the way of us performing to our best on that final round day or really bossing that audition or that song is when they go:

'Ok so let's think about this like you're Lord Chamberlain the third and you're announcing to England you're going to war in the restoration period.' And you're like, "Oh my God" what do I do?

Well let me tell you!

It's Commitment! 110% commitment even if you feel like an idiot. Even if you feel like 'I don't know what I'm doing'. That's good. You need to lean into the scary. The whole audition panel knows that you're scared and knows that you don't really know what's coming next. A good panel should appreciate the fact that you are very much free falling here and but the right school should catch you.

So commit, commit, commit to everything that they've asked you to do, and allow yourself to free fall without the nerves stopping you.

You need to, in your mind, get ready for the idea that you don't know what's coming around the corner. So you need to be in a playful mindset and a playful heart. So to give a little helping hand here:

How do I get rid of nerves?

1. Take a breath before you start.
2. Take some time for yourself.
3. You do not need to fill the gap, embrace the silence. 

The only person that's rushing yourself will be you! The panel will want you to do your best. So you need to make sure that you take the time before you do that piece of redirection.

The final round will usually more often than not heavily weigh on your your sense of playfulness. They may even ask you to do a bit of a group exercise as well. Again, you need that playfulness you need to be able to interact, so stay present and in the moment. 

Get used to the free falling not knowing what's happening, not trying to hold on to the day and go.

You may go: "This wasn't part of the plan in my mind" - true! But It is about letting go and freefalling and giving you 110% commitment. 

I always encourage clients with me on session; whether it's on the Acrtors All Star Access app, on a monologue course or a 1:1, it's to 100% commit to what is being asked of you. Out of that commitment, what the panel will say is "that's a person that I would like to work with. I can mould that person, I can help and nurture that person.". If you bring 50% that's gonna be a lot of effort for the panel, whereas if another person has 100% they'll likely go with that applicant.

Everyone's talented

but not everyone's committed. Now I say that again.

Every single person in this community is talented. Every single person following me on my instagram is talented. Every single person I graduated with is stupidly talented.

But who sticks out in the end, who gets what they want, who achieves what their dreams are and who achieves their intentions for themselves? The ones who are committed.

Confidence

I find when clients come to me "J, I didn't get past the final round and really stuck and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. My pieces were great, they loved me. They loved my pieces, the direction, they loved my song. They loved my personal statement" blah blah blah. Everything was perfect."

Again, it comes down to energy and again for me, I think comes down to confidence.

There is a balancing weighing scale between like wanting it so much and then actually just like doing the work and letting it go (which is so hard and I completely appreciate that) but there has to be a part of you that lets it go. When you do this it's almost like the panel goes 'Oh, who are they?'.  Because if you're in the energy of please please please give me the place the panel's gonna be avoidant to work with them. You know, it's such a weird mind warp when you think about it, but perhaps this might be the final Golden Nugget to help you get in this year, you know?

I think you definitely should take forward with you in a final round is letting go of the outcome, letting go of the 'I need to get in'  and actually just enjoying the day.

Maybe finding something new about your piece or meeting someone new and  making a drama school friend!

If this is something you particularly struggle with and would like deeper support on come join me and the community below :)