15 Best Audition Tips To Kill It At A Casting Call

Do you dream of being on television? Is fame and fortune in your stars? Stop daydreaming and join in with thousands of other wanna be stars to start your journey towards celebrity status by going to local casting calls.

Casting calls are a way for casting directors to find fresh, new faces to put in infomercials, reality tv shows, sitcoms, and more. They are a huge deal for women and men looking to break into the acting field. The trick is, however, to set yourself apart from all the other participants so that you stand out at an audition.

One of the first things that you need to realize when going to an audition is that the casting director and whoever is with her are professionals. They are also there to do a job. Giving them a hard time or not following instructions gets you dismissed almost immediately. Performing as asked is what gets you in the door and gets you the call backs.

There are certain things you can do to prove your worth at a casting call, make you stand out as someone who is fully capable of doing the job, and is reliable because, believe it or not, real actresses are professional from the start.

15 Be Early

An audition is not the time to be late. Set your alarm early and plan on arriving at least 30 to 60 minutes ahead of schedule. Many times you will have to park 10 to 30 minutes away from where the casting call is being held. You also need to figure in for traffic because if there is going to be bad traffic, it will happen on a day when you absolutely must be somewhere. Do everything in your power to be early and not leave anyone waiting for your arrival. Being late is one of the quickest ways of making sure you don't get the job.

14 It Is A Job

Auditions are a part of the casting director's job. You are also seeking a job and need to approach the audition in a professional manner. It is an interview. Auditions are not about partying and making cool new friends. They also aren't about sucking up to the casting director. She can see right through the act. Auditions are about showing how well you follow instructions and can portray a character or personality.

13 Bring Your Photo ID

Above all things, don't forget to bring along your photo ID. You will need it to park and to get into many of the places where the casting calls are held. If you don't have your ID on you, you have just decreased your likelihood of being seen by the casting director.

12 Don't Apologize

Casting directors can't stand it when a person apologizes throughout an audition. If you make a mistake in your line, correct yourself without faltering or stopping to say you are sorry. If you trip or knock over a chair, recover and continue. The reason why so many casting directors hate constant apologies is because it takes up their valuable time. While most casting directors are wonderful people, they have to see hundreds of people in a day and they need the auditions to move along smoothly and quickly. Making quick recoveries shows the casting crew that you are able to quickly move on to get the job done.

11 Show Confidence

Enter the casting room with full confidence. Command a presence with a strong walk and hold up your head. Speak loudly, not meekly. Even if the character you are trying out for is a weak person, you need to show the casting director that that is not who you are in real life. Instead, come into the casting room with certainty and, when it is time for you to read the part, transform yourself into that character to show the casting director that you can play the role.

10 Leave The Excuses At Home

“Oh, I can't do that.” The tears start to well up in her eyes. “When I was a kid, I was bullied and one of the bullies, my very own sister, used to say that to me all the time and I can't repeat those lines and… ” Don't walk in to an audition with a bag full of excuses. The casting crew are not interested in your past dramas, your personal problems, or your bad attitude. They don't want your tears and they don't want you walking in hungover. In fact, casting directors ask that you leave all of your personal baggage at home. Their time is limited and you are both at the audition to get a job done.

9 Practice On Camera

Before you start going to auditions, begin practicing in front of a camera. Film yourself reading from different scripts that can be found online. Afterwards, watch and critique yourself. If you are unsure how you should appear during an audition, watch a few audition reels online. See how other actresses audition for the camera. With practice, you will learn how to position yourself and how to interact with the camera. This will also help you overcome any nervousness you have about getting in front of a camera when it comes time to actually audition.

8 Understand Your Character

Whether you get your script ahead of time or just moments before you have to read them, your first job is to figure out who your character is. What emotion is being expressed? What is the situation? If you got your lines a few days before the audition, you should spend the time learning your lines forwards and backwards. If you got your lines only moments before having to read them, don't worry. You can hold the script in front of you to read out. The important part is that you portray the character as best as you can with the information that you have.

7 Skip Smoking

Smokers carry the scent of tobacco smoke wherever they go. If you smoke, do your best to avoid smoking before the audition. Use the patch to help you through the wait and the audition. Also, going out for a cigarette during auditions is frowned upon and seen as unprofessional. Save the smoking for after the audition, when you are back inside your car or when you are back at home.

6 Hands To Yourself

When you enter the audition, touch nothing unless you are specifically asked to do something during the audition. Never touch any of the equipment and keep your hands off of other people's personal stuff, including any papers or tablets the casting director may have. Also, do not touch the casting director. While in social settings, touching a person's arm may be seen as a personal gesture of friendliness, you are not at the audition to try and get close and personal with the casting crew. Be professional and hands off.

5 Take Direction

Sometimes the casting director will ask you to try something different or change your portrayal of a character. When you are given a direction to take, follow through. Casting directors look for people who are not only willing to make changes but are also capable of making the changes quickly, effectively, and without complaint. If you disagree with a change or direction, keep your mouth shut. Never argue with the casting director because you will not win.

4 Don't Complain

The casting room is hotter than a sauna in the dry desert. What should you do? Ignore it and act like everything is fine and normal. Casting directors don't want to hear about your complaints. In fact, if you have ever watched any of the reality modeling shows, you will see first hand that photographers, casting directors, and everyone else in the business don't take kindly to people who stand around and complain. So, whether it is too hot, too cold, or too crowded, make the absolute best of the situation and focus on nailing the audition.

3 Expect Nothing

If you are walking into your first audition, you don't need to announce it or act like a total newbie. Don't expect any coaching from the casting crew. It is not their job to help you act. Directors also say not expect any coddling or hand holding during the audition. It does not matter how young, old, new, or experienced you are. Their only interest is in whether or not you can play the part and how professionally reliable you are.

2 Listen To The Reader

When given a dialogue that requires interaction with another reader, make a point of actually listening to the reader say his lines. You are not there to just read off what is on the paper, but to interact with the scene. Listen and react to the reader and return your lines naturally. If the reader has the last line in the script, pay attention to it. The casting editor is looking for reactions and for an actress who is concerned with acting out the entire scene and not just that parts that involve her lines.

1 Thank Everyone

When your audition is over, make a point of thanking everyone involved in the process. It should only take a few seconds to say thank-you and make sure you make eye contact with each person as you say it. This one simple thing makes you stand out from less professional people at the audition where the person might say a quick thanks and make a mad dash for the exit door.