Audition: Day 2
…woke up early again the flwg morning. Again, went out for Singapore fish ball noodle nearby and coffee. This time around I was unsure what exactly to prepare for. The director (one of the judges) pretty much just said we’d be directed throughout and to prepare a few questions for the expert. So i figured the least I could do is to prepare an opening to Fort Canning (using the info emailed to us) and just some relevant questions. Somehow we were to pretend to look for some tombs belonging to some British soldiers who died defending Singapore at the fort and then lead up to the interview. My audition time was earlier this time so had to get dressed and leave earlier to arrive at 1:15pm.
Ironically, the whole area of Fort Canning is ALSO a hill! After getting slightly lost, I found myself trekking up the road when my phone rang. The assistant had called to tell me that things were behind schedule. Since I was already going up the hill i decide to wait (and joked with her about how this audition itself was turning out like a leg on the Amazing Race haha). As I arrived, the previous guy just wrapped; he didn’t say anything nor did he acknowledge em– in fact, he looked pissed off! While waiting, I chatted with a part-timer helping out and also a bit to the next guy who also arrived as scheduled.
When the director (who was lunching with the history expert) returned, it was my turn. The director briefed that he wanted a “continuous” take of sorts in which i was to pretend to explore the fort, starting at the bottom of the fort, drop some comments to cam, and build the history about the fort on way up the fort and then finally lead in to the interview. Of course, there was no time to plan and looking back, it really was quite difficult a task (at the end, I confessed to the director that it WAS hard). So I started and was stopped many times about the speed i was walking, not to mention the weather, no need to mention that we were at Fort Canning etc etc. In between trying to recall the actual historical facts and spouting it to cam, the main thing that I COULD remember was that there were tombs of British soldiers! So, since I spied some tombs at the bottom of the hill, I immediately went that direction, thought these were the tombs, approached one of the bigger tombstones, mentioned it on cam and then found out that…
IT BELONGED TO A RUSSIAN!
I tell you…at every point there was something wrong with either what i was doing or I simply didn’t know what i was doing! By the time halfway up the hill with all these boo-boos, I’d forgotten exactly I’d mentioned to the camera already. And then by the time I reached the expert i was expected to know exactly what to ask the expert and not repeat some fact again (which of course I did). The expert (Dr Malcolm) was cool though and joked about how things are supposed to be made tough for us (erm, yeah). As I wrapped the “interview” I remember the director saying ok, now tell us how you feel…he meant from the host’s standpoint on what the interview shed light on but I honestly felt and was thinking “Ok, actually i feel like crap now”! Anyway, with his guidance I managed to mumble something about “feeling glad that the confusion about the guns at Fort Canning being cleared up” and then we made-up an exit and lead-in into the (supposedly) next scene, ending my “screen test”…
Honestly, I still don’t know now whether it was purposely made confusing or I was incompetent. I mean, imagine having to pretend that something so set-up is real. Then, having to develop a coherent story while exploring the place with no run-thru. Then having to have that story built -up so that I arrive to meet the expert and ask the relevant “climatic” questions. And all this with the right amount of energy and to look good on camera as well! Looking back, a large part was the fact that i didn’t have the flow of the info/story (but I’m not sure how anyone, no matter how spontaneous, can wring together a coherent story (with historical facts), interview and wrap-up with just ONE take and no prep time). The director kept saying it’s ok, we just wanna see your presenting skills and not to worry about having facts correct etc etc. And he was fairly nice about the whole thing…but the whole thing left me flustered and confused!
And…what happened to the email brief that we were supposed to use the locating of the tombs (of British soldiers who died) to build up to the interview with the expert..??
Back at “base”, I saw that 2 others guys (in addition, to the 1 already waiting) had arrived. They seemed so young tho….Anyway, I was sooooo disappointed as I walked down the hill as i left the area. In my mind, i just had to remind myself about how valuable the experience was (to be shortlisted etc for a regional programme), to be reminded to be positive etc etc..while shaking off my disappointment at, erm, my screen test.
The awesome thing (that did made me feel much, much, much better) was that now that the audition was over, I could look forward to an exciting and FUN rest of the day as I’d had 2 events planned for that evening/night!
[PS. Again no pics at the screen test, sorry 
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