Preparing for an Audition – What to Bring

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By: Kimberly Jentzen

Recently, an actor shared that she is always lending out her highlighter when she is at auditions. I’m thinking that it’s time for a blog to prepare all actors for the actual physical necessities for your auditions. What else do actors forget to bring?

What to bring to your audition:

  1. A highlighter: in case you have more or new dialogue. This makes cold reading material so much easier.
  2. Your photo and resume: already stapled or adhered together back-to-back. An unstapled photo and resume is a pet peeve to most casting directors. It’s unprofessional and often happens, so it’s become an annoyance. It’s important to respect your meetings with them by having your photos and resumes already attached.
  3. Your sides: if you were able to get them on-line, which is usually the case.
  4. Pen or pencil: just in case to take notes.
  5. Mints: for obvious reasons. You don’t ever want to feel self-conscious about anything, especially your breath.
  6. Bottled Water: it’s best to be self-sufficient and not need anyone to bring you anything.
  7. Your cell phone turned off! There is nothing worse than “Apple Bottom Jeans, Boots with the Fur” blasting out during your reading.
  8. Your coaches cell phone number: just in case you would like a last minute suggestion for the reading or to get feedback on your choices.
  9. You clothing should lean towards the role you are auditioning for. So, if you are auditioning for a lawyer, wear a dress shirt instead of the T-shirt with the holes.
  10. Most importantly, bring a positive attitude!

What to bring in your car:

  1. A great navigation system/or map.
  2. Plan extra time for parking and bring parking money.
  3. Dictionary: one that not only has definitions but notates the punctuation of words. Or you might be able to look up words and pronunciations on your smart phone. It’s great to have one. You can always mosey on out to your car to check out words in the dictionary you don’t know so you can commit to that dialogue!
  4. Different shoes: boots, heels, sandals, flats, thongs and tennis shoes all deliver different walks, stances and strides. Dependent on the script, you will want to choose your footwear accordingly. It’s so important for women to always have a pair of heels in their car (just in case) and for those tall women, flats.
  5. For women: hair accessories. A brush or comb and makeup is helpful to have in your car just in case the role calls for a different look and/or to freshen up.
  6. For men: a comb or brush. You may need hair-gel and base cover makeup to hide any imperfections or breakouts to feel less self-conscious about them.
  7. Your acting tools: that means if there’s a good reference book that you like to have to inspire you or help in your preparation, have it in the car. My actors like to bring a deck of Life Emotion Cards.

What not to bring to the Audition room:

  1. Don’t bring a tote bag: or huge bag of stuff and lug it around…unless it’s part of the character.
  2. Don’t bring animals: or other living things, unless they are required for the audition.
  3. Don’t bring gifts: Leave those to a more appropriate time, other than an audition.
  4. Don’t bring a bad attitude: always be ready to take direction and enjoy the process of auditioning.

Finally, always plan to be a half hour early. That way, with traffic and parking, you’re pretty safe to say that you will be there early enough to catch your breath and center yourself, so you don’t feel rushed. If you are always early, you will always be on time, which is essential for production. Being on time is one of the few things you can control as you apply your commitment to getting that gig.

Happy auditioning!!!!

How to Select Your Best Teacher

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or waste time and money

by: Carolyne Barry

The teachers you choose to train with will be a major influence in the development of your craft and thus will have a strong impact on your career. But so many actors choose teachers for the wrong reasons: either they select one who is less expensive, offering some kind of deal, located close to where they live, recommended by unqualified sources, they know actors in the class or ONLY because the teacher is or has been a casting director. These are not good reasons for such an important decision. Don’t be one of those reckless actors who wastes money and time going in the wrong direction. Be in control of your career and those you are assembling for your team.

To make your best choice(s), I suggest this plan:

  1. Research
  2. Audit
  3. Ask Questions
  4. Consider your Chemistry with the Teacher

Audit at least three candidates then make your selection of the teacher who can help make you the best you can be and the one you can see yourself staying with till you get everything you need- before moving on. For commercial classes it can be a few months and for acting it can be several years. CHOOSE WISELY.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR TYPE?
I believe one of the big mistakes many actors make is not being clear on their type (or as often referred to as a brand). Most believe that they “are actors and can play many roles”. In a majority of theatre productions, you can because of the distance between the actor and audience. But on-camera, which is more intimate, who you really are and what your look represents is obvious and there is usually no hiding behind character make-up and wardrobe.

Although it can be vital to your success, for booking commercials as well as theatrical work (especially when first starting a career), most don’t give determining their type the time needed to figure it out. When you know your type/brand: you can shoot headshots that better serve you, intelligently describe yourself to your representation, and submit yourself for roles that you have a better chance at getting. Knowing your type can be very important, but how do you determine what it is? It is not easy for most. You may need help from others because it is difficult to be objective about ourselves. Most actors tend to label themselves as more or less than how they choose to see themselves. That is why it is important to investigate.

During your investigation, you must honestly look at your:

  • Age
  • Physical Appearance
  • Personality Type
  • Essence

You might need assistance in labeling your type, so I suggest you put together a concise questionnaire using those four factors. Then question teachers, friends and some strangers. Strangers can often be more objective. Be sure them know that you need honesty. And you must accept what they say (with no comments from you) so they can be truthful.

It will probably take more than what I prescribe here but this is a good beginning. What you learn about yourself during this investigation into typing should be of great benefit to you personally and to your career. Have fun learning how others perceive you.

How to Make Requests

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THE LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS

by Suzanne Lyons

This is one of the hardest things for people in the entertainment industry to do. In other businesses it’s the normal language of business. Making requests is common practice. Here, in the entertainment world, we tend to feel like we are interrupting, interfering or over stepping our bounds, and instead of making request we end up asking for favors. Favors don’t work in business. Requests work in business. It’s the language of business. We tend to ask in a tone of voice that is more like a favor.

In a meeting where the person has shown an interest in your script, you say “I’m really happy you want to read my script, thanks so much for doing this, I really hope you like it.” And it’s the tone that implies a favor… like they are doing you a favor if they read it. I have tons of unread screenplays that have been collecting dust in my office for years that came to me as a favor. A request has power in it and it keeps the power in your court. It would be more like, “thanks so much for agreeing to read my script. I am certain it’s a perfect fit for your company, and can I call you in two weeks to get your response.” They may counter offer and say no, call me in three weeks, but at least it’s in your court.

One of the actors I coached years ago was amazing at doing all the necessary steps needed to get her name out there. She was great at creating relationships, setting goals, getting her head shots and demo reels out, doing follow up, etc. She just couldn’t figure out why nothing was happening. When I asked her if she was actually making requests she was silent. I said, did you say, for example, “here is my demo reel that you asked for… can I call you by the end of the week and get your response?” I could see the light bulb go on in her head when I asked about making this request. She said it had never even occurred to her. And by not being aware of this simple (yet important!) business tool, she’d missed some great opportunities. So she committed to me on the spot that she would go back and make all the calls again, but this time she would add this new tool… she would make requests! The results were unbelievable. By the time my month of working with her was over she was up to five auditions a weeks, getting call backs and roles!

EXERCISE: Okay, now I want you to take your Map of Relationships (your data base of relationships) and call everyone (yes, I said everyone!) on your map and make a request. Get back into relationship and then, tell them what you’re up to and make a request. Maybe it’s asking for a referral to someone on your Target List. Always, end those calls with “and is there anything I can do for you?”