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, an ideal heathen horde spilling onto the shores of a younger England and a solitary determine slowly sinking right into a blue abyss? Vikings is considered one of 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. Persistence, persistence and preparation are key with these massive ticket auditions. So search for methods to hone your expertise 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 report should you’ve learn my different articles, however we have to get you the audition. There are two essential methods of getting auditions on this business, each with their very own professionals 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 protecting it there.
Securing an Agent
The primary and hottest route is getting signed with an appearing company. We’ve bought a myriad of articles written about how to decide on an excellent company and the best way to get signed with them.
Most reliable appearing brokers will want proof of your skill–whether or not that takes the type of a showreel or a qualification from a well known appearing faculty or a suggestion from a well known director. You’ll want one thing to show your dedication to the craft.
Brokers are nice as a result of it’s their job to maintain their finger on the heartbeat of the business and look out for alternatives that go well with you. Brokers usually are 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 an excellent 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 powerful 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 personal agent will be very rewarding in that you’ve full management over the initiatives you undergo and the one factor that can chew into your earnings is earnings tax.
If you happen to’re desirous to signify your self, ensure your Digital Press Equipment (EPK) is updated and able to ship at a second’s discover. A very good 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 an excellent on-line presence as a contract actor. Instagram is a good platform to market your self and does play some half within the roles you’ll be thought of for.
Persistence, 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 doubtless gained’t be the primary stuff you go for. You’ll must construct a status with casting administrators earlier than they begin asking to see you for large initiatives.
The best way you do that is by doing all of your job effectively. Everytime you get an audition, no matter what it’s for, do it effectively. Be taught the traces, 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 vital to understand that so much occurs on invisible fronts on this business. Simply since you won’t hear again about an ideal audition you probably did, doesn’t imply it was all for nothing. Individuals discuss and, consider it or not, casting administrators are folks, too. If you happen to persistently submit nice self-tapes, they’ll keep in mind you and ask to see you many times.
So what are you able to do within the meantime? Develop your private observe, that’s what. Be persistent and constant along with your vocal warm-ups, eat effectively and train recurrently, and take in as a lot artwork as you presumably can. Take courses, preserve your showreel and headshots updated and keep interested in folks 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 it’s worthwhile to do to offer your self the very best shot at a multi-year contract in Eire?
Contextual Analysis
Vikings is what one would possibly 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 based mostly on true occasions. Ragnar Lothbrok and his adventures throughout the North Sea really occurred, as did the gradual creep of Christianity that ultimately spelled the top of the Vikings.
If you happen to’re auditioning for Vikings, there’s a good likelihood you’ll be auditioning for a historic character. So it’s time to get nerdy. I can advocate two podcasts to study in regards to the normal 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 through which your character lived, you’ll get perception into the way in which they may have behaved. For instance, faith performed an enormous half in shaping pre and early-Medieval society. Nearly everybody on this time interval was spiritual which enormously influenced their behaviour and lifestyle.
I might 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.
Model of Efficiency
I feel a part of what makes Vikings such a profitable tv collection is how distinct its model is. There’s one thing that units it aside from different well-liked medieval-centred collection like Recreation of Thrones or The Final Kingdom; the performances are exceptionally grounded, however the way in which 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 way in which Travis Fimmel lets the given circumstances progressively overwhelm his character. On this scene, Ragnar has been away from his dwelling for a very long time–he has deserted his folks and his sons and has determined that being king, which he pursued for a lot of his life, isn’t well worth the toll it has taken on him. It’s a fantastically written scene and fantastically carried out.
Once you’re working along with your audition script, preserve it low-key. Let the phrases simmer just under the floor and see 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’ve got 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 whenever you tape, your creativeness must be firing on all cylinders: particularly with initiatives like Vikings the place the setting is to this point faraway from the fashionable day.
My favorite means 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 about in a longhouse, what does that appear to be? Really feel like? Odor like? Is it raining exterior? A chilly, wintry evening? Is there a fireplace 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 underneath a clouded sky, a raven flying overhead.
I wish to make my photos as vivid as doable. They are often summary or sensible, it doesn’t actually matter. So long as it offers 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 that method, don’t try to play the pictures. Simply allow them to sit under the floor of the traces. Your eyes will mild up along with your photos and also you’ll discover a complete new depth of emotion to play with.
There’s a large emphasis on the characters’ eyes in Vikings and never simply because they’re typically probably the most intense shade of blue recognized to humankind. The characters are continuously 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 doubtless you’ll should do some form of combat scene whenever you land the function and also you don’t need to get caught out since you lied in your CV, particularly not with fight.
Past the easy undeniable fact that security is the number-one precedence on any manufacturing, figuring out the strikes will instil you with that all-important viking confidence. You don’t need to step with trepidation onto that battlefield: you need to stride on the market like assembly your dying is as regular as ordering a espresso!
If you happen to’re based mostly 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 instructed in Vikings are historic drama combined 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, unbelievable aptitude—two almost-opposing concepts.
The purpose I’ll depart you with is that this: and not using a robust private observe, 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 protecting your creativeness, thoughts and physique lively, you then’ll be well-positioned to offer a compelling efficiency.
Hope this helps. See you across the traps!