Eyelines in auditions.

You have multiple characters in your scenes for your audition.

What to do?

You never need to show the producers that you know there are multiple characters in the scene.

But you may want to place them in different locations to help you play the scene. If so, look at the reader when speaking to the main character. Secondary characters can be on the other side of the camera.

Work in a triangle of about thirty degrees on either side of the lens. That way they can always see both of your eyes.

Practice crossing your look either above or below the lens. You don’t want to spike the camera – looking into the lens.

For most typical scenes in TV playing within that triangle works just fine. But be careful not to feel locked within that space. You can always move. Coming back to the reader after you’ve moved always looks good.

When you prepare the scene at home you may be setting the reader on the left side of the camera. Be prepared to flip your blocking to the other side if when you get into the room the reader is on the right side.

If the scene is very emotional or physical then you can drop the idea of the narrow triangle. Big scenes should be played out fully and truthfully without attention to the eyelines.

The main thing to watch out for is getting diverted when you encounter three or four characters in a scene. Arrange them in a way that you like.

Or, you can play just to the reader for all the characters.

You won’t get cast just because you showed you know there are more than one character in the scene.

It’s a different story when you shoot on set where eyelines are very important and you should always ask if your eyeline is good.

In auditions it’s up to you.