Acting Auditions -- Tips from the "Other Side"

Last week saw us cast three TV commercials and a corporate video for one of our clients. We had submissions from agencies, as well as direct applications from the actors themselves.

Here's a few thing to keep in mind when auditioning:

1) Read the Fine Print: Most character descriptions on an audition notice will indicate an approximate age, gender, look, and a few other desirable criteria that the casting director or client is looking for. One of our postings was for a female, around the age of 35, of Asian descent: the posting mentioned that Filipino, Korean, Japanese, East Indian, and other Asian nationalities would all be considered. Alternately, we posted for a Caucasian male, approximately 30 years old. The client's reason for casting with specific nationalities in mind has nothing to do with a prejudice towards anything in particular, but has everything to do with the demographics of their clientele, which will be reinforced by their media buy. In other words, their looking at placing one of their TV spots during shows which rate highly with females 35 years and older. A lot of submissions we got were from actors who wasted our time by not looking at what age or nationality the client wanted.

2) Come Prepared: Yes, that means being on time, but also the script needs to have been read over and analyzed. If its a short script, memorization can't hurt -- but at least you need to have made some strong choices about it. We had one actor auditioning for a spokesperson role, who absolutely nailed the audition because they understood the changes in tone and appeals in the script: they made intelligent decisions about it, and those kind of decisions will come out even if you're not 100% off-book.

3) Talent No, Right Fit Yes: 99% of the actors auditioning have 'talent.' The final decision may factor in things beyond an actor's control: vocal qualities, how they fit with other actors that have been already cast, perceived age or character 'type', etc. With TV commercials, the criteria regarding the actor's look and voice are weighted much more strongly than in a film (feature or short) or TV episode. Why? The audience needs to instantly recognize what their character is and how it relates to them in 5 seconds or less. Commercials are about creating an instant connection or engagement. If they stay engaged, they'll stay tuned for the branding, product sales pitch, or key message that the commercial is going to impart, most of which happens at the end of the commercial. If something doesn't fit up front, how will the audience stay engaged to sit through the entire spot?

4) Past Work = Current Work: A headshot is great, but it doesn't tell anyone how good you are on-camera, nor how you look or sound. In the day of YouTube, having an online reel or portfolio where a casting director or client can look at your past work is huge. Don't have anything to show yet? Do an on-camera audition for something else (a TV episode, a commercial, etc.), so we can see your ability to lift the text off the page and create something engaging. Or volunteer for a short film that will be non-paid, but will give you something to use as part of a demo reel.

5) Little Things Can Reveal Big Things: Polaroids as headshots are fine to show your friends, but they aren't professional headshots. Why do we need professional headshots? You're a professional actor, right? So, make sure everything about you is professional as well. If you're sending an acting portfolio, it should be well-formatted and free of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. It should not indicate work you've done as a store clerk at Home Depot -- keep it focused on acting. The online reel, professional headshots, and a clean, clear resume speaks volumes about your professionalism as an actor, even if you don't have a lot of experience.

6) Commercials are Still About Honesty & Authenticity: Actors need to have an honest connection to the material. If we have that instant connection, if we feel that the actor/character is speaking from the heart, from experiences that are real, that's worth gold in a TV commercial. The script may be about floor polish or pet clippers, but we still need to feel that we're witnessing an authentic experience. If you're character talks directly to the 'camera,' we need that honest connection to the audience even more so.

Watch the final videos we produced here and here.