— Wow, there are twice as many of you here today compared to a typical Sunday! — Yana Adamivna smiles and scans the room, taking in all twenty of us final-year film school students. — Is there something I don’t know about?
Yana Adamivna is my favorite teacher… Not only does she have a deep understanding of the material she teaches, but she also knows how to explain it in a way that clicks. Unfortunately, most of my other teachers—both at school and my private tutors—have always struggled with that…
— Well, the Kharkiv auditions for ‘Blockbustar’ are just a week away, — Stas says calmly. — Everyone’s hoping to make it through. That’s why they all showed up.
Stas is as composed as ever, but I can tell this audition is getting to him too… After all, his parents are even more against his acting aspirations than mine are, so this show is a real chance for him to prove that acting is his true calling… And it really is. He’s the most talented teenage actor I know.
— Ah, right, of course! — Yana Adamivna’s tone brightens a bit. — Do we know yet how the audition process will work?
— Yeah, — I chime in this time. — First, you have to fill out a form on the channel’s website. You upload your headshots, portfolio, and a video intro if you have one, and then you get a personal ID number. After that, you show up to the live audition with that number.
— If you make it to a certain stage in the regional auditions, they might ask for that number. In some cases, those photos could decide a contestant’s fate, — Alena adds.
Alena is an acquaintance of mine. We share some common interests (obviously, I’m talking about acting and filming), but we’re not super close… Maybe because she’s not as obsessed with acting as Stas and I are. She’s got those “backup plans” my parents are always harping on about. Alena has a very realistic outlook and doesn’t expect some big role to just fall into her lap and make her world-famous overnight… In a way, she’s mentally much more mature, even though she’s a couple of months younger than me.
— At the live audition, depending on how many people show up, there could be three to five rounds of selection. First, in photo booths, they’ll test our ability to convey emotions through facial expressions, — Stas continues. — Based on those quick shots, they’ll pick the top hundred.
— Then they’ll assign us roles in a big crowd scene, — I pick up where he left off. — That’s how they’ll narrow it down to the top thirty. But it’s all just rumors for now… They could change everything at the last second.
— Yeah, and for now, the plan is to split the top thirty into groups of three and give each group a one-minute scene with dialogue, — Alena continues. — Each trio will perform for the judges one by one. The results, meaning the Kharkiv top ten, will be announced after the judges have seen and scored all the trios.
— And what if there are five rounds of selection?
— There’s no info about that on the website… — Stas shrugs. — I’m hoping there won’t be too many people since the age range is pretty narrow. — He gives me a playful glance. — Aly, did you know that those who make it to the final stage of the TV show will live together for fifteen whole weeks…?
I think I might blush a little at first, but I quickly pull myself together and reply:
— Stas, we haven’t even made it through the Kharkiv auditions, let alone the national ones, — I remind him. — And you’re already talking about ‘living together.’
— Exactly! Especially since they’re looking for actors for a melodrama project. And melodrama is definitely not your strong suit! — Mikha adds with a cocky smirk aimed at his rival. — You’re like a rock; you just can’t pull off those kinds of emotions…
— Every melodrama has room for a smart, calm, confident guy. But metrosexual types? They don’t fit everywhere… — Stas fires back with a jab of his own. — I’m just saying this from experience, purely as a friend.
— Dude, I’ve been on just as many sets as you these past few years, so don’t lecture me…
Honestly, they’re both right. Both of them have done background work, group scenes, commercials, and even played lead roles in theater troupes. Me, though? I’ve never liked theater, and I still don’t. I’m only interested in the camera…
— Alright, boys, settle down, — Yana says firmly. — Let’s start the class. Today, we’re recreating the first stage of the audition—conveying emotions through headshots… We’ll be working until late, so focus!...
***
Man, we’re so exhausted… Even though class didn’t start until five, and it’s only eight now.
It’s just that five of us had background shoots early this morning, and one had a commercial shoot. That commercial, for a trendy clothing brand, was only casting guys. Three from our group made it to the final round: Stas, Mikha, and Yura. But in the end, they told Stas he was too rugged for the clothing style, and Mikha that he was too soft. So, they picked Yura as the most versatile.
Yura often gets chosen for commercials, and honestly, he’s super photogenic. I think he could have a solid modeling career. His build and face are perfect for modeling: he’s tall, fits standard male model measurements, and has a neutral face… Thanks to his versatility, almost any clothing style suits him. Overall, he’s exactly what you’d want in a male model.
Truthfully, for shoots like these, they often look for models rather than actors… But actors have one big advantage—they’re usually better at conveying emotions in video ads. Plus, an actor’s movement on camera tends to look very natural. So, it’s no surprise that people from our group often get picked for all kinds of commercials.
I used to go to those kinds of castings a couple of years ago and even won a few, but now, with these entrance exams, I have to choose: either focus on commercials or keep showing up on film sets, hoping someone notices me and offers a real role instead of just background or small group parts. By the way, background work and group scenes aren’t the same. Background roles are smaller parts in big scenes, often without lines or just a couple of words, while group scenes involve dialogue and episodic roles where your character might even have a name.
— …Been waiting long? — Yana steps out to us with her laptop and smiles again.
The whole group is sitting on benches in the lobby of our acting building, and we really are waiting… None of us say it out loud, but deep down, we all have hopes about our headshots and our acting skills in general. And Yana—she’s kind, but always honest, so we all trust her feedback…
— I’ve looked through the photos. I’ll email them to you, but for now, I’ve got comments. Come up when I call your name. — Yana sits down at the counter by the lobby entrance. — Alena, you’re first…
***
Fun fact: All these details about filming, headshots, and the like are drawn from real life! My daughter and I have done a lot of background and group scene work in movies, as well as various commercials.
In a way, my daughter inspired me to write this book, just as she did with the story ‘Ksyu’s Game.’
So, in both books, the moments about playing the violin, festivals, and acting will be as authentic as possible!)