If you really want to “live truthfully” on stage/set then you have to forget about pre-planning. To live in the moment means being present in the moment and not getting caught up with thoughts that take you to the past or the future. This is easier said than done and in many acting schools they only give this a nod and a wink. So, on this podcast we delve deep into what it is to genuinely “live truthfully” on stage or on set.

Places have an impact on us. Walking on the Right Bank of Paris feels different from a ghetto. This podcast is all about how places can be used (and should be) to affect your acting.

A prominent Hollywood casting director once told me that when he auditions an actor, he wants the tenth date version instead of the first date version, metaphorically speaking. On this podcast we discuss this in detail and how it can help you audition even better.

When an actor finds themselves in a “long run” it presents some very unique challenges. On this podcast we discuss them and how to deal with them.

Idris has been incredibly successful as an actor. Find out his secret to acting success on this podcast.

The current trend for self-taped auditions, giving tips and guidance on shooting your audition tape – what to include, where to get it done and achieving the right balance between quality versus over-perfected acting.

7 things you will learn about:

• Self-taped auditions: advantages and disadvantages

• How to shoot your self-taped audition

• Self-made versus professionally shot

• What to include in your tape

• The right balance: quality acting versus over-perfected acting

• The importance of having the right reader

• The ‘ident’ – getting it right

The issue of the relevance of youth, image and looks in the acting industry, with insights based on Brian’s and Rob’s own personal experiences: just how important are youth and beauty in clinching that role?

8 things you will learn about:

The role of youth & beauty in the acting industry

What the acting industry is looking for beyond looks

The importance of developing personality & charisma

Relying on looks to get you through – does it work?

Real-life actors: the ordinary & the oddballs

The importance of training & experience

Authenticity: your “natural strangeness”

Playing up your unique features: ticks & twitches

Today’s culture of “fast-track” delusion – the idea of people being plucked from obscurity and handed fame and fortune on a plate. Tips and guidance on reality shows, the importance of training, and what it really takes to make it in the acting industry

8 things you will learn about:

The “fast-track” delusion: being picked from obscurity

Fame and fortune: a by-product, not the reason

Why it’s all about the process, not the end result

The right intention: Why do you want to act?

The importance of loving what you do – and doing it well

The role of hard work: skill and ongoing training

Confidence issues: Facing the fear and doing it anyway

The protocols of acting – the “unwritten rules”

Tips and guidance on how to make it in this unique area of the acting industry – from the challenges they offer, to the special skills required, through to why soaps are such a valuable source of work and a serious seal of approval on your CV

7 things you will learn about:

• Why working on a soap is great for your CV

• Coping with the pace: High-pressure environment

• Getting it right – in just one take

• Honing your short-term memory: Lines, lines, lines

• The importance of timekeeping: The unwritten rules

• Getting the job done: Why there’s no room for divas

• The role of “serious fun”

Delving into the unique approach and methods of one of the world’s greatest actors, with anecdotes and insights about Marlon Brando’s inimitable specialness and aura – and how you can learn from this acting genius.

7 things you will learn about:

• Learning from the best: Brando’s unique approach

• Standing out: Unusual choices, doing things differently

• Pros and cons of conditioning: ‘Getting out of your way’

• Developing your unique specialness: Aura and magic

• The importance of keeping true to you

• The role of courage: Not caving in to peer pressure

• The psychology behind acting