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Brake for Scripts

Writer: Jeffrey Dreisbach
Jeffrey Dreisbach
Dec 1, 2022
2 min read

Brake for Scripts

Air Date: December 1, 2022



I had a hard time coming up with a juicy title for what might be perceived as a boring subject for today’s show. After all, when you hear the term


, “Script Analysis” you might feel like a throwback to a mundane intellectual college lecture. What I want to chat with you about is anything but. The ways you read and study a script for an audition or booking can have a significant impact on the results you are hoping for. In this episode of Casting Actors Cast, I’ll apply the brakes and give you some tips on breaking down a script!


Common issues actors have when looking/reading a script:

1. Read only the part you’ve been asked to play

2. Listen only to the dialog while reading and not taking-in the whole experience of the writing

3. Rushing through to get through

The value of taking your time with the material



1. Discover the mood of the writing, setting and circumstances

2. Absorb the writer’s style, rhythm, and musicality of the dialog

3. Relate your own experience to the character’s experience

Other ways for analyzing the script

1. Visualization-see the action and understand the character’s relationships

2. Become an audience member and not live in the characters

3. Find the subtle hints that the script provides (examples like music, visuals, settings)

4. Read more than once with different objectives in mind (arc, energy, character, plot, etc.)

Preparation methods

1. Try the first time read through in one sitting

2. Make sure you are comfortable, relaxed and unemotional when starting

3. Avoid distractions

4. Re-read any scene or passage that isn’t completely clear to you


When we let go of our emotional attachment while reading a script, we will comprehend the bigger picture that has been provided us. Only after that initial work will we be able to expose the choices and behaviors that you might be asked to play. Breaking down a script is an important skill that can expose you to even more opportunities for success. So, put on the breaks and see what you can discover.


 
 
 

Comments

Why Jeff?

Jeff Dreisbach has spent a professional lifetime on both sides of the audition table.

First as a working actor in theatre, film, television, commercials and voice-over—and later as a casting director, educator, author and host of Casting Actors Cast—Jeff brings actors something increasingly rare: perspective.

His approach isn't about tricks for "beating" an audition. It's about helping actors become more prepared, more truthful, more confident and better equipped to navigate a profession that can be both exhilarating and unpredictable.

Jeff is a Casting Partner with McCorkle Casting Ltd., author of Booked It! The Actor's Playbook for Getting Cast, creator and host of Casting Actors Cast, and an experienced educator working with actors at colleges, universities, conservatories and professional training programs.
 

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