At first glance these clips might not make a lot of sense but when you look up screen testing and how it’s been done throughout the years it might actually begin to make a little more sense given how things work. It does appear a little goofy since the people that are featured in it but if you can get past the idea that some folks just couldn’t act their way out of a wet paper bag and others are convinced that they’d be the next De Niro if given a chance, it becomes kind of entertaining since hearing the same lines over and over and then hearing improv lines is kind of amusing given what people tend to come up with, or are told to say in some cases. The action poses are a bit over the top at times but hey, this is a screen test, it’s not meant to bring out the timidity in a person, but instead will unleash the creative side of an individual that’s just yearning to be free with some folks. It’d also be a great highlight reel for people that just want to get a good laugh since a lot of the clip is just insanely funny given how people choose to react and deliver their lines.
This also makes a person wonder though just hoe many people actually make their way to the casting calls that are held in order to try their hand at becoming the next selection that could possibly go from nothing to Hollywood star every year. Back in the 90s, just as in any other decade, it’s obvious that people were willing to step in front of the camera and try their hand at being the next big thing. That’s what it takes though, right? The meek don’t always get noticed and if they do it’s usually a random bit of happenstance that occurs when one least expects it. Screen testing is something that isn’t a guarantee of being discovered but it’s at least a move in the right direction, even if it is just for a commercial or something that might not grant a person that much exposure in the early going. This part of the process is done to feel out every participant and determine whether or not they’re right for the screen and if they’d be worth taking a chance on based on a lot of different factors. It’s so very easy to laugh at the efforts of those that put themselves out there that a lot of people forget just what it takes to actually get in front of other people and act out a part, even if its something small or innocuous. Plenty of people are more than willing to get up and show what they can do or at least make an attempt at it, but there are plenty of us that can’t stand being in front of others even for a simple school speech.
Of course someone had to go and remix it, that just feels like the natural reaction when finding something like this since it peps up the clip and makes it a little more fun and less cringe-worthy in a lot of ways. With what people tend to do with clips these days it’s almost difficult to think why the video wasn’t a bit longer since there’s so much material to work with and enough screen tests to really dig in and make it something that could be an internet sensation that might really amuse a lot of people. Thankfully there’s nothing mean about it, the effort is something that more or less an attempt to make people laugh which, in this case, is something that’s inherently positive. Screen tests are definitely something that can intimidate some folks and empower others as it has more to do with the idea of getting people outside of their comfort zone so that they can do something that they might not have felt capable of before making the attempt, and while some screen tests are obviously kind of laughable and make a person want to think why some of these folks bothered, it’s still an effort that a lot of people might not make since being shy and reserved does tend to work against those that might want to be a part of the show business scene.
All in all these clips were pretty funny and if you made it all the way through them you might even think that some of the people in the clip had at least a little potential since it’s hard to judge just from one showing who could and who couldn’t hack it when it comes to show business. In fact if one looks at it this way even the greatest actors had to go through this process at one point. David Reddish of Looper has more on this thought.
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