Audition Tips from 7 Casting Directors

I want to start by saying that there are so many ways to learn about acting and the entertainment industry!

If you are having trouble knowing where to start, just ask me and I can guide you to several resources with a personalized Skype session.

One emerging source of information is a podcast, where today’s post is based on.

BGB Studios recently had an interview with 7 casting directors and published it as a podcast.  Read on to learn their secrets and tips for actors!

Casting Directors: 

• Monika Mikkelsen – Director of Casting at Paramount Pictures, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Learning to Drive
• Mike Page – Manager of Casting at TNT and TBS, Arrow, Weeds, The Last Ship, Dallas
• Dorian Frankel – Parks and Recreation, Veep, Family Practice 
• Kerry Barden – Spotlight, Dallas Buyers Club, The Help, Good Will Hunting
• Megan Branman – How I Met Your Mother, The Cleaner, Law & Order: LA, What I Like About You
• Jami Rudofsky – Gilmore Girls, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Masters of Sex, Grown Ups 2
• Jeanie Bacharach – Nashville, Ally McBeal, Marry Me, Brothers & Sisters

What Do They Want From an Actor?

You have to walk in with “it.”  It should be magic because even if you don’t get the part, the casting directors remember you and talk to their friends about you.

They schedule you because they think you can do it.  Sometimes they’ll schedule you because they don’t know you yet and want to see what you’ve got so don’t make excuses for a poor performance.

They certainly don’t want to hear apologizes of “I’m sorry” or “I just got this [script].”  For them, that translates into “I’m about to waste your time.”

If you feel you didn’t have enough time with the script, then reschedule!

Once you have the script and are auditioning, do your version of it.  Don’t play what you think they want to see because you don’t know what that is.

Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration!

Obviously don’t walk in with an ego, but with more of a “here I am and what I have” attitude.  Focus on you and your audition so you don’t blame anyone else.

At the end of the day, all actors should remember that this business is just that – a business.

Excuses and Apologizes = “I’m about to waste your time”

Storytime: Jami Rudofsky remembered casting for Gilmore Girls and auditioning a girl who was good, but didn’t talk fast enough for the pacing of the show.   The next season came around and she brought that same girl back in to audition for a new role.  Guess what?  She blew them away!

What Makes the Hair Stand Up on the Back of Their Necks?

They said that this concept is hard to explain because it’s more of a feeling.  You have to be a good different to separate yourself from the other actors they see.

One of the ways to be different is to find some humor in each scene, even the dramatic scenes.

Enjoy auditioning and be prepared.  According to those casting directors, you would be surprised how often actors aren’t prepared.

You need to fully encompass the character and it should show in your eyes.

If you don’t know why you’re in the scene, it could get cut so make sure you are present.  For example, if you’re Nurse #2, you better drive the scene home with your one line!

Storytime: Casting director Kerry Barden shared what he looked for while casting the pilot of Hand of God.  The character was a woman who had to unplug her husband after he tried to commit suicide.  He said that the actor really had to know her relationship with her husband (aka the reader) to make the monologue believable in the audition.

How do They Champion New Actors?

Champion means to advocate.

When starting a new project, the casting directors explained that people [studio execs, producers] want to know they have a guaranteed win so those people want to pack it full of celebrities.  They want 10 stars on a show instead of 3 like it used to be.

However, those A-list actors might receive 5-10 offers a week resulting in them having to decline almost all of them.  That’s where the newer actors come in and that’s why it’s crucial to be prepared.

Storytime: When casting for the film Winter’s Bone, the star they cast dropped out, which gave Jennifer Lawrence the lucky break she needed.

The same thing occurred with The Help (also cast by Kerry Barden).  Reese Witherspoon, Anne Hathaway, and Scarlet Johansson had all passed on the role, leaving space for lesser known actress Jessica Chastain to read.  Jessica had to do a screen test on top of that because one of the “studio people” didn’t think she was pretty enough!

What Should New Actors Do in the Room?

First of all, casting directors find new actors in all sorts of ways, whether we have an agent or not.  They go to film festivals, theatre, small movie theaters, improv and comedy shows, and they watch TV.

What that tells me is that we as actors could be discovered at anytime and at anywhere so what should we do?  Be prepared!

They also mentioned that having a pre-reading or general meeting is a good way for them to get acquainted with the actors.

Don’t limit yourself with thinking things are “too small” either.  History repeats itself and actor history shows that starting with one line can eventually turn into a series regular.

Are Self-Tapes Useful and Are They Seen?

Immediately, Megan Branman exclaimed that she is compelled to watch self-tapes.  She loves them and confided that she hired a man from out of town off a self-tape he submitted.  The other casting directors also chimed in saying that if anything, it’s a good way for actors to get an acting work out.

They recommended auditioning for parts you want with self-tapes, not just the ones you think you’ll get (i.e. submit for the lead even if you don’t have much experience).

After taping, we then need to review it and ask ourselves: Would I cast myself based on what I just did?  If not, you know the drill.  Do it again!

Would I cast myself based on what I just did?

When asked what keeps them watching a self-tape for more than 15 seconds, they informed us of several factors.

These include, but are not limited to: decent resolution and audio, good environment with a plain background, not over done or practiced, and having a reader.  It should be similar to how you would audition in a room with the casting director present.

What About Making Our Own Content?

It was unanimous that it’s good for actors to make our own content because it teaches us what to look for and it can be easy to do.

However, the casting directors warned that we should be protective of what we show because the quality of the piece matters, especially if it’s a part of our reel.  They said that we need to be our own writers or work with good ones.

Storytime: There was a YouTube show created by actors called High Maintenance and they filmed in one of the casting director’s offices.  Eventually it became so big that HBO picked it up.

That’s the kind of response we should hope to get with any of our own content.

 

If you haven’t done it already, listen or watch interviews with casting directors!  It helps to show that they are real people just like us and they have their own personalities too.

Check out these Virtual Trips Around the World!