How to Get an Acting Job

 

Acting auditions are the big road blocks that stands between a beginning actor and the roles he or she wants. Here you’ll find help on where to find casting calls and get noticed when you submit your headshot and resume, plus tons of audition tips on how to nail theater, TV and movie auditions.

First, let’s take a look at how the acting casting process works.

1. A director or producer of a play or a movie will hire a casting director to find actors for the acting roles in their projects.

2. Casting directors will then write a breakdown of the acting roles available. This usually includes the size of the role (lead, supporting, etc.), the character’s age range, physical and psychological characteristics, plus a short bio and their role in the story. Special skills or special strengths to play the part are also included (like the ability to speak a language or cry on cue, for example).

3. When an actor fits the role, actor headshots and resumes are submitted. Casting directors review the submissions and pick several actors to audition for each part. Acting tryouts are scheduled.

4. The initial acting auditions are usually followed by callbacks.

And then… The phone rings! 

The actor’s has booked the role. The fun part of being an actor begins.

So let’s get started…

1st STOP – How to find Acting Auditions

It can be frustrating to come out of acting school ready to put your acting talent to the test only to find you can’t get an acting audition.

If you haven’t already done so, follow these steps to find an acting agent or register yourself with "The Faces", get your folio printed

and reach out to the industry at one go and start getting audition calls.

2nd STOP –

Ring… Congratulations! You got a call. Time to schedule your acting audition. 

3rd STOP – How to schedule the Audition

You’ll get information about your upcoming acting audition directly from the casting director’s office. 

Don’t pick up the phone unless you’re prepared to write down all the information you’re given and have a calendar of your schedule handy. Better to let your answering service pick up then to rely on your memory for all the information you’ll need to prepare for your audition. 

Here’s a list of the questions you should have the answer to by the time you hang up the phone: 

* When and where you’ll be auditioning. Make sure you write down any special directions and parking instructions if you’re driving. 

* What is required for the audition (audition monologue, cold reading, etc.) If you’ll be auditioning with a scene from the script, find out how you can get the sides. You will often be able to access the audition scenes online through a special website like Showfax. If not, make sure the casting director has your e-mail and fax number so they can send you your audition sides. Also find out if you can stop by to read the entire script and better prepare for your audition.

* Who you’ll be auditioning for. Will this be a pre-read with just the casting director (or an assistant casting director) or will the director and producer be present? Try to get the name of everyone who will be in the room. 

* Anything else you should know about. If you’re talking to your agent, get any information he has on the project, casting director, producers and director. Also discuss with your agent things like how to approach the role and wardrobe choices.

A word about pre-reads. Sometimes when you submit to an acting audition you will get a call for a pre-read. That’s when a casting director who doesn’t know you wants to see you audition for them alone first to make sure you’re a good actor and right for the part. If they are happy with your audition monologues or scene, they will ask you to come back to the acting auditions in front of the producers and director.  

  

4th STOP – How to prepare for acting auditions 

Now you’ve scheduled your acting audition, it’s time to get to work:

* Get as much information about the acting role and project as you can. Casting websites keep track of your submissions for you, so you can review all the information in the original casting notice. But don’t stop there. If you’re auditioning for a published play, get a hold of the play and read it. If it’s a new work, film or television show, see if you can stop by the casting director’s office to read a draft. Read up on the subject the plot centers around.

* Also research the names of the director(s), producer(s), writer(s) and anyone else who will be at the audition. If you get a chance, watch their work. Also get familiar with the casting director you’re auditioning for. If you ever took a workshop with this casting director, review your notes. (Audition tip: See if you can dig up an interview they gave to a trade publication. Knowing their pet peeves and how they like to run a casting will be tremendously helpful come your audition day.)

* Work on your audition material. Make sure your audition monologues are timed right and appropriate for the acting role you’re auditioning for. If you have audition sides, try to work on them with a partner and memorize all audition scenes. Consider working on your acting audition pieces with an acting coach. This can be expensive, but it’s worth it for important acting auditions, plus you’ll be able to apply what you learn the next time around.

* Decide ahead of time what you’ll be wearing for the audition, and how you’ll do your hair and makeup. When possible, the idea is to suggest the part without going full out into wearing a costume.

Whether you go to acting school or not, making a stop at a good audition technique and cold reading class is one of the best things you can do for your acting career. A skilled auditioner will often get the part over a more talented actor who has skipped this essential step in his acting training.

5th STOP – How to nail the audition

OK, so there’s no way to guarantee you’ll get the part, but these acting audition tips will help you have a successful acting tryout and in the least get you called back for the next acting role you’re right for. 

1. Show up on time. Lateness reflects badly on you as a professional. (How will you make rehearsals/shoot dates if you can't even arrive on time for the audition?) 

2. Bring your headshot and resume. Have it readily available.

3. Be prepared. Whether you have to read a segment of the script (called "sides") or perform a monologue, be sure you are ready to go from the moment you step into the auditioning room.

4. Be respectful...even when the auditioners aren't. The fact is that some auditioners are downright rude. It may seem to you that you're not holding their interest or even you're being ignored. Do not let this affect your performance.

5. When you're finished, say thank you...and then leave. Do not linger and discuss your life, the piece, how much you enjoy the character, etc. 

Your audition is your first impression. Make it a good one. 

6th STOP – What happens after the audition 

Weather you feel your acting audition went well or not, the couple of days or week after an important audition can be nerve-wracking. 

You just walked out of the audition room... Take a few moments to go over your acting audition:

* Note anything that went well and things you need to work on.

* Write down any notes you got from the casting director, director or producer. These notes will come in handy if you get a callback.

* Make a note to call your acting agent the next day to get any feedback they received from the casting director.

* Keep a written record of your audition with information on the project and character you auditioned for, as well as the name of the casting director and anyone else present in the audition room. This is very useful for updates to agents and thank you notes to casting directors. To find out more about keeping an actor logbook, click here.

And now…

Stop! The best thing you can do after an audition is forget all about it. Spending hours or days double-guessing yourself or waiting for the phone to ring is counterproductive and not good for your self-confidence. Go over your acting audition once and start looking for the next casting call.

What happens now? One of 3 things:

1. You book the acting job! All you need to do is jump up in the air a few times and work out the details with the casting director. You’ll be getting a lot of information (salary, rehearsal schedule, performance or shoot dates, fittings, etc.) so make sure you’re ready to jot it all down.

2. You get a callback. This means you made it past the first round of auditions. A lot of things may be different at the acting callback, so make sure you ask all the same questions you asked for your initial audition. If you used audition monologues previously, you may now need to prepare audition scenes from the script. Most of the time, the producer and director will be at the callback. Click here for tips on acting callbacks. 

3. Nothing happens. It’s frustrating, but most of the time, if you don’t book an acting job, you’ll never know why. When an auditioner tells you, “We’ll let you know by Thursday”, it usually means, “If you don’t get a call by Thursday, you haven’t booked the job.” There are so many factors that go into why an actor doesn’t get a job. So many are out of your control. It could be something as simple as they decided to go with a brunette and you’re a blond, or a name actor is interested in the role, or you’re not what the writer envisioned. Whatever the case may be, if you gave a good audition, you will get a call for the next acting role that’s right for you, and that’s what really matters, building a career.