You’ve got your headshots and résumé, you’ve done your research, and you feel ready to take on the world. Now you need to start going to auditions. I’ll tell you about some different kinds of auditions and give you tips on how to approach them.
If you have an agent, he or she will set up appointments for you with casting directors. You go in with a group of actors who are typically all reading for the same role (and possibly other roles as well). Your agent has submitted your headshot and résumé ahead of time, so the casting director knows who you are before you walk in the room. There are three basic types of agency auditions: height/weight breakdowns, pre-reads, and general sessions.
So, you are an actor trying to book a job. How do you get through an agency audition? What do you need to bring with you? What should your attitude be? Here are some tips for first-time actors.
Preparation:
1. Be sure you know the role you are auditioning for, and that you understand it thoroughly. You can’t improvise in an agency audition. If there is any question at all, contact the agency or the casting director and ask them to clarify any lines or actions that seem confusing to you.
2. If anything requires props, bring them yourself. Props such as phones or cigarettes will not be provided by the agency.
3. Practice! Put on your costume and act out your scene in front of a mirror or a friend until it becomes second nature to you.
4. Arrive at least fifteen minutes early for your audition, so that if there is a problem you can take care of it before your turn comes up.
5. Make sure your hair and makeup look natural, but attractive and professional; over-the-top glamour will make people think that you don’t take acting seriously, whereas too little effort in this area will make them worry that they can’t depend on
A wonderful thing about acting is that there are so many different ways to approach the same scene and make it believable. It’s one of the reasons I love this job so much. I love to see how other actors work and learn from them.
The only problem with this is when you’re sitting in an audition waiting room surrounded by people who have made choices that are completely different than yours. All of a sudden you begin to doubt your own choices, thinking that maybe you’re wrong and they’re right. Or maybe they’re right for that role but you’re right for another one.
Let me tell you something: we are all right. We all have our own way of working, our own process, and no two actors work exactly alike. If we did, then there would be no need for auditions: the director could just put all of us into a big pot, mix us up, and then cast whoever comes out first.
But because casting directors must see many different actors before they find the right one, it’s important to keep your feelings in check and understand that everyone has their own way of doing things, including you!
I am not an agent or manager. I do not know you or your child. I have no idea who you are, or what your child looks like. I am not on the “inside” of anything. I don’t know how to get you an audition for some project that is happening, even if it does seem like I am the only person in the world who doesn’t know about it.
I can’t help you get into a class, get signed with an agent, or get cast in a production.
If you send me an email and ask me one of these things, don’t be surprised if you never hear back from me. I am busy and there are many other people who need help. If you want to talk to someone else who has the same opinion as me, try looking at Kids In The Biz (www.kidsinthebiz.com).
Auditions are stressful, especially when you are young and inexperienced. I have been auditioning for twenty years and still get nervous. You can get worked up about the smallest things. Don’t sweat the small stuff is good advice. When you walk into an audition room it is important to have confidence in yourself and what you are going to do. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, no one else will either.
Actors need to prepare as much as possible. Always know your script, not just your lines but the whole of the scene you are going to do. There is nothing worse than being asked a question about what happens before or after your line and not being able to answer it. It comes across as disrespectful to the person who has written the script if you don’t know it thoroughly. It also gives you more confidence in the audition if you know how your character fits into the scene and how he/she progresses throughout it.
Sometimes there is no information available on the characters background and personality so it is up to you to make these decisions for yourself when preparing for an audition. What age does this person appear? What is their emotional state at this moment? Are they happy, sad, angry? What kind of relationship do they have with other people in
Actors need to master the craft of auditioning. Auditions are a very important part of the business. You must understand what casting directors, directors and producers are looking for in an audition.
The ability to deliver a good audition is crucial to your career, whether it is a television commercial, feature film or voice over.
If you don’t have anything booked, you are not working! If you are not working, you are not making money! If you are not making money, you will be out of work!
Popular actors are not just skilled. They are also lucky. They have a lot of help from their agents, managers, coaches and casting directors. They get to read for great parts. And they get to do it again and again.
You need to be lucky too. And the more you act, the luckier you will get.
An agent can make you famous or keep you in obscurity. A good one will guide your career, help you find better auditions and teach you how the business works. If they don’t do this, they won’t last very long in the business because actors will drop them fast!
