The formula for audition

Being an admitted film buff, I tend to notice patterns and formulas in the different films that I've seen through the years. Whether it's a Hollywood production or an old Filipino one, it's quite easy to spot patterns as they are formed from one movie to another.

One of my favorite film formulas is the "audition scene."

This scene usually happens in teen or young adult movies. There's usually a choir, dance group, cheerleading team, or any other team that loses a member, and that member needs to be replaced. Thus, they open an audition where they'll usually find the "I-don't-want-to-get-into-this-but-I-don't-have-a-choice" character who will make their team win.

The "I-don't-want-to-get-into-this-but-I-don't-have-a-choice" character is usually a brooding misfit who would rather do something else with his or her life. But once s/he gets accepted into the choir/band/group/team, there is an epiphany and that person finally finds contentment.

Before that magical person is found, they have to sift through different wacky characters during the audition. And even if the movies are different, you'll see common characters trying out for those coveted spots.

Exhibit A: Bring it On cheerleader tryouts



Exhibit B: Pitch Perfect acapella choir auditions



These films might be 12 years apart, but you'll see a formula when it comes to the characters who audition. In these 2 films, these characters are:

1. The "Crier" - Or the girl who cries at the audition because something happened to her before the big tryouts.

2. The "Perky Girl" - She's the eager beaver who tries hard to impress everyone with her high pitched voice, and she looks like she's on a sugar and adrenaline rush at the same time.

3. The "Theater Guy" - Like any person trained in theater, they have big movements and are overacting.

4. The "Nasty" - This is usually a female character, looks like a trailer trash chic, and naturally acts like one.

Needless to say, the top plum usually goes to the main character who is usually portrayed as:

5. The "Deviant" - Also known as the "I-don't-want-to-get-into-this-but-I-don't-have-a-choice" character.

Folks who watched "Bring it On" and "Pitch Perfect" know that the main winners during the auditions were Missy (for Bring it On) and Beca (for Pitch Perfect), and their characters and characterizations were the same.

I guess that's why we're rooting for them, we want them to win, and they do win in the end. Slow claps all around, we get the feel good ending we all want, and everyone loves the movie so much, they watch it over and over again.

See, it's a formula that works.