What follows is an example of what an actor can expect from a TVC .
This particular experience highlights the technical aspects of an actor’s skills.
Let’s start with the first information emailed from my agent.
4. Female Hero |
Role type: | 100% |
Gender required: | Female |
Age range: | 38 - 52 |
Breakdown: | The female hero needs to appear in the 40-50 year old age bracket. She could look late 30s - early 50s. She will need to be able to present 100% dialogue to a camera steadicam as it tracks with her for the duration of the commercial all whilst following a very specific path through various sets of locations in what is a fairly complex film making exercise. Above all we need to find an accomplished [expand]The female hero needs to appear in the 40-50 year old age bracket. She could look late 30s - early 50s. She will need to be able to present 100% dialogue to a camera steadicam as it tracks with her for the duration of the commercial all whilst following a very specific path through various sets of locations in what is a fairly complex film making exercise. Above all we need to find an accomplished actor/presenter who can achieve this while appearing completely natural and effortless. The lines will be broken into sections but she also need to be able to remember lines. Our hero woman represents people who have endured a long journey to quit smoking and now have accomplished that so we don't want sickly looking smokers. There should be a positive vibe to her. Above all our lead woman needs to seem like a real everyday person. Typically the target market are clue collar and clerical style workers. Think smoko breaks. It would be great to find a person who, while looking healthy, also conveys that there is a story behind those eyes and a feeling of emotion and hardship. And our lead needs to be able to relate (on the same level) to our working class target market. Noni Hazlehurst or a dressed down Kerry Armstrong (though she is probably a little too attractive) are good references.
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Yes, absolutely fit in between Noni Hazlehurst and Kerry Armstrong and happy to be there!
The script, however, is confusing.
SCRIPT
FVO: Doors – Female.
NARRATOR: This commercial features a middle-aged Australian woman walking through a lot of doors. The doors illustrate the many issues and hurdles the woman must face to quit cigarettes for good.
The commercial opens on a door. The middle-aged woman wanders through the door and onto a suburban street. She talks to camera.
FVO: You walk through a lot of doors to quit smoking.
NARRATOR: The woman walks through the door of a dress shop and past a woman looking in a mirror. She says.
FVO: You worry about putting on weight.
NARRATOR: She walks through another door and into a coffee shop. She says.
FVO: And you try to ignore your weaknesses.
NARRATOR: She walks through another door, which leads her to her doctor’s clinic. She walks past her doctor who gives us a little wave. The woman says.
FVO: But you could walk through your doctor’s door because smoking, for many, is recognised as a treatable condition.
NARRATOR: The woman opens another door and walks into an indoor swim centre, past a bunch of people doing laps. She says.
FVO: You could get the energy to do more.
NARRATOR: She walks into a modern bistro style restaurant, where she meets a bunch of friends.
FVO: And do the things you love.
NARRATOR: The camera moves through a final door and into a white room. A logo fades up and a voice over says.
FVO: Open the door to quitting. See your doctor.
NARRATOR: And the commercial ends.
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A phone call to the agency happens next to find out if the role required is the V/O or the Narrator.
Turns out the scripted FVO is 100% . The dialogue is the bold type.
Suspect that I was sent the power point pitch to the client.
Get a clearer version of the script .
Do the screen test and get the gig.
Hooray!
TVC, 12 months , cinema +internet $8000.
Thank God for advertising.
Wardrobe calls x2
Try on at least 15 options of clothing. Plus the things I wore at the screen test.
No prizes for guessing which outfit gets chosen by the client as the one to wear for the shoot.
Hope it’s clean…
Here is another challenge for the screen actor-
The call sheet indicates that both Female version and the Male version of the TVC will be shot together because of the location requirements.
Each single line exists in a separate location . Each location is entered by opening a door and exited by a second door. Some of these doors are real and some are constructed by the set builders and placed on set.
Some locations have doors which open the wrong way so the actor must appear to be as a mirror image so, when the image is reversed in post production, the actor appears as correct in appearance.
The lines are not shot in sequence , over two scheduled days.
First location was the Doctor's office, then the house (on a 45 degree celcius day) then the pub and the pool and cafe. The pool and cafe had a floating door. The pub is the reversed image.
Challenges? Performance continuity , precise timing and heat!
