10 Tips to Prepare for Your Acting Audition
1. Gather the Details
2. Know the Format
3. What to Wear
4. How to Enter and Exit
5. Be on Time
6. Have a Positive Attitude
7. Be Prepared!
8. Turn Off Your Cell Phone and Pager!
9. Do Not Chew Gum or Eat During Your Audition!
10. Follow up with a Thank You Note!
An acting audition is one of the most nerve-wracking experiences an actor can have. You are called in to a room with a casting director, a camera and sometimes several other people. You are handed a script or maybe just sides and told to give your best performance. It’s easy to feel intimidated by this process.
My first advice to you is to calm down. You might be nervous but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared for the audition. Here are 10 tips I’ve learned over the years from my own auditions and my time as a casting intern:
1. Know the role you are auditioning for.
2. Know who you are auditioning for: Casting director, director, producer, writer?
3. Know why they are holding an audition.
4. Know what the project is about.
5. Know what to wear to your acting audition.
6. Eat something before you arrive at the audition call for actors and actresses.
7. Be presentable when you walk into a casting call for actors and actresses
8. Be on time for your audition for actors and actresses!
9. Be prepared to wait a long time at acting auditions before it’s your turn to audition for an acting job!
10. After your acting audition, follow up with the casting director or person holding the casting call for actors and actresses!
Lights, camera, action! Auditions can be scary. You spend hours preparing for your moment in the spotlight, only to have it end in seconds. Here are 10 tips to help you become prepared and confident before you walk into your next audition.
1) Know the sides before you get there
2) Find out what they are looking for
3) Bring a pen and paper with you so you can jot down any additional notes that the director may give out
4) Be on time for your audition! Directors don’t want to work with actors who are late every day on set.
5) Be prepared to improvise if asked (i.e., what would happen if…)
6) Have an “out” planned ahead of time just in case things go wrong during your scene (ex: if someone drops their lines or forgets their lines). This way you can focus more on acting instead of trying not to panic about what’s happening around you!
7) Take deep breaths before going onstage; this will help calm your nerves and keep them from getting too high up in front of everyone watching – it also helps with stage fright!
8) Practice makes perfect: practice as much as possible before going into an audition because this will help
Airport security? Who has the time? But getting through an airport security check is a lot like an acting audition. You stand in line, you wait your turn, you run through a checklist of what you need to get through the door, you get inspected by the gatekeeper and you show your stuff.
One of my favorite memories from my first trip to New York City was seeing Dustin Hoffman going through the same security check as I was at JFK airport. He had his little plastic baggie of allowed-size liquids and gels just like me. And when he got to the front of the line and put his bags on the belt, I stood behind him and watched him go through his pockets one by one to make sure he didn’t have any forbidden items that would set off the alarm or have to be confiscated. The guy in front of me in line was an Oscar-winning screen legend with decades of experience, and this was part of his process for preparing for a flight too.
I’m usually doing these things without thinking about them thanks to muscle memory, but watching Dustin Hoffman do it reminded me that every casting director or producer who has invited you in for an audition is also human, with their own personal criteria they’re looking for in order to “get
1. Be ready for anything. Assume that you will be asked to read a scene or monologue at your audition that you’ve never seen before. You may be asked to read sides or an excerpt from the script the actors are auditioning for while they decide whether or not they want you to read with them. In that case, be thankful that they give them to you, but don’t think you have time to prepare. When you get to your audition, ask if you can have a few minutes before reading so you can get familiar with the material.
2. Prepare two contrasting monologues of your choice and memorize them thoroughly. If the people behind the camera want to see something else, they will let you know. If they ask for a third, it’s not because what you have done is bad, but because they like what you have done so far and would like to see more.
3. Read the script of the movie or TV show from beginning to end if possible so that when you go into the room for a call-back, you can talk about it with knowledge and authority. This is not only an asset for yourself, but also for your agent who may be in the room with you at times (many talent agencies don’t
1. Make sure you’re well rested, both the night before and the day of the audition
2. Before the audition, listen to music that puts you in a good mood
3. Eat healthily and drink lots of water
4. Do exercises to get your brain working and your body in shape
5. Warm up your voice with some vocal exercises
6. Memorize your lines
7. Decide on some goals for yourself at this audition
8. Prepare your clothing and makeup
9. Plan out how you’ll get to the audition with plenty of time to spare
10. Be yourself!
