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Audition Advice for Non Actors

We are often asked for specific advice for non actors about auditioning, from professionals in other areas of performing.
Dancers, Models, Singers all have occasion to get a chance to audition for an acting job unrelated to their work experience or the field they are already connected with. Read the rest of this entry »

When an actor first comes to Los Angeles, in search of an acting career, an agent, a manager, a good acting class…there are so many options, and it’s hard to know where to begin.

After you get your headshot, and perhaps an agent, a new actor will face meeting casting directors for the first time in the form of a general audition.  This is a meeting that is usually arranged by an agent or manager, or is a result of being seen in a play or at a workshop.  It is not for any specific role, but to let the casting director get to know the new performer and sort of get a feel for whether he or she will be someone the casting person will choose to champion for future roles. Read the rest of this entry »

Of course it is important to be a good actor in order to get a job on television.  Acting class, auditioning class, performing in plays, doing student films, watching films and television, reading instructional books and periodicals all help round out an actors understanding of what will be required of him or her. Read the rest of this entry »

Learning to Audition is in many ways a subtle art.  There are as many different audition styles as there are projects to audition for.  That is why an actor must really research and know the show or project he is trying out for. 

Television is always changing.  The auditioning actor needs to know as many details of the project they’re reading for as are available.  Sources for that information are online, in print, in the form of the breakdown and the script, and in person, by way of asking questions of your agent or the casting assistant.  Know as much as you can before you get to the audition. Read the rest of this entry »

Audition Advice for Non Actors

We are often asked for specific advice for non actors about auditioning, from professionals in other areas of performing.
Our answers are nearly always the same:  come in prepared to do your best, be yourself, and show the people on the auditioning panel that you are a professional.  If they want you, they’ll see to it that you have the help you need to do the job well once you’re hired.  You must come in dressed appropriately, be on time, be friendly and professional, and apply the rules you already know in the field in which you already excel.  There may be different expectations, but the attitude of the professional is universal. Read the rest of this entry »

The obvious list of professional behaviors at an audition should be reviewed here.  Show up on time or even better still, 15 minutes early.  Dress appropriately.  Leave time to find a parking spot and get yourself  together so you enter the appointment composed and prepared.  Prepare your material in advance, so you are confident with the copy, the scene and its content, the character basics for the role you are trying to win.  Be pleasant, be professional, ask questions before you go into the room with casting.  Ask an assistant, or read the character and project description when you’re preparing your scene.  Often information can be found through your agent or online. Read the rest of this entry »

Theatrical auditions are often quite different in terms of content and acting style from commercial auditions or stage auditions.  Theatrical auditions refer to those projects that are filmed or video taped for theatrical purposes on television and for films.  These may be independent films, tv shows, reality shows, major motion pictures, daytime dramas, or other theatrical projects.  The word theatrical does not refer to live theater, stage or plays. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s always a challenge to know how to start when preparing an audition scene.  First you must read the scene carefully and make decisions about the facts that are written.  If you can get more information, that is also helpful.  If you can read the whole script, that is ideal.

In any case, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to make the choices that will help develop your character.

Who am I?  You as the character…always personalize and try to relate to the character in a first person way.

Where am I?  The physical location has impact on how you act.

What am I doing?  What does the character accomplish during the course of the audition scene?  Keep in mind how what you’re doing impacts the other character or characters in the scene and make sure you accomplish the things the author wrote in a physical and emotional way.

Why am I doing it?   The “motivation” aspect of the material.  This tells you how committed you must be to the work of the scene, and keeps you moving from one thing to the next with purpose.

These questions are just the basics of the analysis necessary to give a good audition, and the more decisions you can make, the more layers there will be to your performance.  

Joel Brooks and Beth Maitland teach online seminars on this subject and have many tools and techniques for you to consider and use when you start your career.

Many people live in areas of the country where the entertainment industry does not have a hub…areas outside Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and several cities in Canada…and these people often have questions about how to get prepared to start an acting career.  The Internet has opened many opportunities for remote learning, but to get started in show business, the actor must relocate to one of the industry hub cities.  Joel has written extensively on how to be prepared.  Don’t move until you have enough money saved to live on for six months, a car to get around to auditions and meetings, a place to live that is central, affordable, and safe.  Beyond that, there are some other basic things to prepare. Read the rest of this entry »

Beth Maitland has written about this subject in terms of what to wear to auditions in detail and we thought it was necessary to address how you take care of yourself.  How you look.  How you feel.  What kind of shape you’re in.
The acting business accommodates a broad range of types and people.  You are what you are and we encourage you to celebrate how you look, no matter what that is.  You will be selling YOU.  Know the product and don’t try to make it into something it can never be.  Some people will always be character people.  Some people are born with what society regards as “good looks” and they should celebrate that as well.  We are not saying a good looking person can’t be a character or visa versa, it happens all the time.  We are advising you to realistically see how you fit into the big picture and help yourself by encouraging that fit. Read the rest of this entry »