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Audition Tips
From the CubeCity Archives
Audition Tip #8
Headshots and
Acting Your Age...
What is your age range when it comes to acting?
While some actors can be 30 years old and realistically play a high
school student, others can not.
When you are submitting for a role, be realistic
about your age range. If you're not sure what your age range is, ask your family
and friends. Better yet, ask strangers: "How old do you think I am?"
They might give you a more realistic answer. (And remember, the style of clothes
can make a difference.)
Casting directors have to sift through hundreds of headshots. If
they put an age range in a casting call, then please pay attention. Can you realistically play a
17-year-old? A 38-year-old? A 62-year-old? The photo on your headshot is very important here. If you're vying for the
role of, let's say, the 17-year-old teen, but your headshot makes you look like corporate executive,
chances are you won't even make the Casting Director's list of possibilities.
Now sure, the casting people could use their imaginations. But remember, your
headshot is probably only one in a hundred that could arrive in just one day.
You want to make it easy on the casting department. Just one quick look and they
can tell you're a possible candidate for the role...
The key here is, don't just tell them you can play a certain age. Show it with
your headshot!
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Audition Tip #7
Headshots | Black & White... or Color?
Black & white headshots. It used to be the standard. Now,
you may have noticed a trend where some actors are getting their headshots
done in color.
So, which is better? Well, black & white still lends the
photo a bit of a classic air. Especially if you're doing theatre. But, if
you're interested in film or television, you may wish to go with the color
photo. Eye and hair color may not be as important for a theatre role as it
is for a film role.
It’s really your choice, however. Really, the most important thing for a casting director
is that the headshot looks like YOU. Whether it's in color or black & white.
The purpose of the headshot is to help the people responsible for casting to remember
who you are.
And isn't that what you want? A casting director to remember you and say, "Hey, this
person is perfect for the role!"
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Audition Tip #6
Slate Your Name, Please
What do you do when you're in an audition situation, and the casting director asks you something like "Please, slate your name" -- and you don't know what they want you to do!?
Well, if you ever find yourself in that scenario, probably the best advice we've heard is to ask what the casting director means. That way, the least amount of time is spent on this and more time can be devoted to your actual audition.
But, to avoid the embarrassment, you may wish to do a little research as to what to expect at a film audition... before you go. (And if you're reading this, then it looks like you're doing exactly that!)
Let's go back to the "slate your name" example.
So, what's a slate? It's that board that is held in front of the camera to identify the scene and the take number -- you know, when they yell out "Scene 17, take 52!" and then slam the clapper down? (If you still don't know what we're talking about, have a look at the photo!)
We're assuming you don't have one of those slates (or clapper boards as they are also called) hiding in your backpack. So, to make things go quickly, you are asked to "slate your name" -- which basically means to say your name aloud for the camera. (Sometimes you'll also be asked to slate your telephone number, or the character you are reading for. But wait for them to give you those instructions if they want you to do so.)
The purpose of slating? So the casting people know who you are and don't get you mixed up with some other actor!
(Oh, and by the way, if you do happen to have one of those clapper boards in your backpack... please leave it there. The casting folks really don't need to see an actual slate when they want you to slate your name. If they did, they'd provide one for you!)
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Audition Tip #5
Headshots... Here's Looking at You, Kid!
The Headshot. It's your calling card to casting directors and production companies.
It's the photo that they'll associate with you, the actor. In other words, your
headshot's job is to represent you... which will hopefully land you the role
you're looking for!
What’s the best kind of headshot? First and foremost, your headshot should look like YOU.
Basically what this means is that you
need to have a current photo.
So, if you dramatically
alter something about your appearance (e.g. you dye your hair), you really
should change your headshot, too. We’ve
had many an actor who came in and didn’t look anything like the photo they gave
us. This can be very confusing
for the casting director. Remember, casting directors rely on headshots to help them sort through the many
actors they audition.
This cannot be stressed enough, so let us say one more time. Be sure
that your headshot looks like... you!
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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.
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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:
- Put only ONE production company in the To: field.
- Leave the CC: field blank.
- 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'."
- You might even want to mention the date(s) of the audition (if they are
listed).
- Ask an intelligent question, like "Is there something special you'd like me to prepare?"
- 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:
- 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.
- 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 2010 by CubeCity Entertainment, Inc.)
All rights reserved. http://www.cubecity.org"
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