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audition tips

:: from the CubeCity archives ::



:: audition tip #4 ::
Early is Good (But Not Too Early...)


So, you have an appointment for an audition. Congratulations!

Now's the time you want to impress the casting director. One way to do that is to show up on time for the appointment. In fact be a little early. Somewhere between 5-15 minutes early is usually good.

But here the catch. Try not to be too early! There might be limited seating or other reasons why this might be inconvenient to the casting people.

So, if you find yourself a half hour early, try going for a walk. Get rid of some of your nerves and come back in 15 minutes.

:: audition tip #3 ::
Beware the Vague Email


When you send out emails to casting directors, don't send a vague email. What's a vague email? It goes something like this:

"Hi! I'm I'm available to come in for an audition. Please contact me at 212-555-5555."

Often, this type of email is sent to many production companies; and each casting director can see who else is in the To: or CC: fields. This could be the kiss of death for your email. It certainly doesn't reflect the fact that you're really interested in the project.

If you're going to send the same email to several production companies, take a few minutes to do the following:

  1. Put only ONE production company in the To: field.
  2. Leave the CC: field blank.
  3. Put the name of the project (i.e. the show or film) somewhere in the body of the email. For example: "I'm interested in your auditions for the film 'Under Jakob's Ladder'."
  4. You might even want to mention the date(s) of the audition (if they are listed).
  5. Ask an intelligent question, like "Is there something special you'd like me to prepare?"
  6. Attach a resume and headshot (unless otherwise instructed)

If you'd like to send that same email to another casting director, just make sure you copy the text in the body of the email. Go to a new email and paste it in. Be sure to change the name of the project. Put in the new address in the To: field. And, voila! It probably took less than a minute. And it looks a whole lot better than that blanket email you could have sent.



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:: audition tip #2 ::
Before You Send that Email


So, you've seen a casting call posted online or in a trade paper. And since you’re interested auditioning, you want to send an email off to the casting director. But, wait a minute.

You should probably check out a few things before you hit the "send" button.

Casting directors get hundreds of emails. Including lots of spam. Now, you want them to take your email seriously. So, before your send that email, ask yourself a couple questions:
  1. Is the audition located near me? In other words, if you live in Oregon, responding to a casting call in New York City is probably unrealistic on your part. Instead, look for something in your area.


  2. Is there is a role available that fits my description? This is assuming the casting call posts a list of roles. Many describe age, ethnicity, gender, etc. 


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:: audition tip #1 ::
Don't Let Your Email to a
Casting Director End up as Spam

Okay… So, you're ready to email your headshot and resume to a casting director. Your goal is to get that email into the inbox, right? You do NOT want your email mistaken for spam.

So, how do you do that? Write a good subject line. Something not too short or too long, but descriptive enough (that could include the name of the film or theatre production). Below are some sample subject lines…

    GOOD Subject Lines:

  • "Seeking actors for Liars and Lunatics"
  • "Open Call Audition for Job and the Snake"
  • "Audition Notice for Pilgrim in Wonderland"
  • "Upcoming Audition for Purim Day"
  • "Headshot and Resume -- John Doe"

Beware of the non-descript subject line. These can tend to be labeled as spam. Below are some examples you should probably stay away from:

    BAD Subject Lines:

  • {subject line is blank}
  • "Application for job"
  • "Actor"
  • "Question"
  • "You need me!!!"
  • "I’m the actor for you!"
Permission to Reprint :: You may reprint the above tips on condition that you include the following footnote: "The preceding was originally compiled from "Audition Tips" (copyright 2008 by CubeCity Entertainment, Inc.) All rights reserved. http://www.cubecity.org"

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