Posts Tagged ‘Auditions’

A Positive Attitude to Acting Auditions

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

There are many wannabe actors who have not got the strength or confidence to make enduring careers for themselves. They very quickly become negative about their work opportunities and this attitude can easily affect others.

Acting auditions are a great opportunity for you to show your talent as a performer – not just for the project in hand, but also for future projects. If you leave a memorable impression with your audition panel, it is a good investment for your future in the business

Clint Eastwood has had a varied career in the movie business, and his attitude perhaps explains why he has been so successful: ‘I don’t believe in pessimism. If something doesn’t come up the way you want, forge ahead. If you think it’s going to rain, it will.’

Auditions are a chance for you to meet new people, to discuss projects with them, and to build a network of associates and colleagues for the future. If, at the same time, you are able to show your performing talent to the best, and it leads to an offer of work, then you have hit the jackpot. However, don’t disparage the process of auditions just because you don’t land the part.

The more you audition, the more you will be able to build up your contacts and your career prospects. At Audition Now, we offer an information service on theatre auditions and TV casting calls, and text all the latest work opportunities direct to your mobile phone. We help you make the most of a positive attitude to your future career.

Top Tips for Acting Auditions

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

There are no fixed rules for doing well at acting auditions, but if you are starting out on an acting career, it is useful to have some pointers.

First, you must know your audition material perfectly, and you should be able to offer two contrasting pieces to show your depth of range when adapting to different roles. It is worth getting used to performing your pieces for auditions pieces in front of other people, such as friends or family. Remember that you are not looking for advice from others, but more their reaction to your talent. How they respond may well be an indication of how your casting director at audition will initially respond.

Do some research on the company and people you are auditioning for; it pays to show that you are aware of their previous work. You may be asked if you have any questions, and this would be a chance to engage your panel in informed conversation.

You should wear what you are comfortable in to your acting auditions.  If you know something about the part you are trying for, then it may help to dress in a way that complements this. You should of course take along a 10×8 photo and a comprehensive CV.

Make a point of getting to your audition fifteen minutes early; it shows determination and preparation for the role, and can help calm your nerves as you adjust to the environment.

At Audition Now we not only offer work opportunities direct to your phone via text, we also have opportunities for guidance on how to make the most of your acting auditions.

Worrying About Acting Auditions

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Many actors get very stressed by the processes in auditions. The stakes are high, so they can feel as thought they are under tremendous pressure.

There are, however, simple ways to help you through audition nerves. Whether you aim to be on TV or want to try out for a spot in a theatre production, remember to be kind to yourself. Simply make sure you are very clear about where the audition is being held, and that you allow plenty of time to get there. You also need to be absolutely sure of your prepared material: any doubts or uncertainties will make you very much more nervous. In addition, it is always worth being polite and friendly; other auditionees are going through the same process, and a friendly word puts everyone at their ease.

There are, however, two key things to remember, and these will always help you to keep acting auditions in perspective. The first is that the people who most want you to do well are the very people who are auditioning you, and the second is that whether or not you get the part, the audition is an investment in your future career as an actor. The audition is a chance for you to make your mark, whether or not you land the role on this particular occasion.

At Audition Now we specialise in putting actors forward for acting auditions. With our wide network of associates and contacts, and our up-to-the-minute auditions information service, you can be sure of getting the best opportunities to show off your acting talent. And that, in itself, is one thing less to worry about.

The Value of Acting Auditions

Monday, April 12th, 2010

It is important to value the opportunities you get in going to acting auditions. It may be that the project does not obviously interest you, or that you cannot easily imagine yourself in any of the advertised roles, but that does not mean that you should treat the audition as unimportant. Every audition is important to you, even, for example, for low-budget or profit-share projects. This is because your audition panel may well include casting directors or producers who have influence in the bigger projects, or may be young hopefuls themselves who are going onto more important projects in the future.

Many casting directors need to see more than just talent: they need to be sure that you can bring commitment to your work and that you will give of your best whatever the circumstances. This means you need to bring a positive attitude to all auditions. The interest and engagement you bring to the work in hand may well be remembered and could affect your work opportunities in the future with the same director or company.

The golden rule for acting auditions is to prepare, prepare, and prepare; but if you can also keep an open mind about what you are auditioning for, you may be pleasantly surprised by what other opportunities come your way.

Here at Audition Now, we help you get all the latest acting casting calls and auditions through our SMS information service. It is then up to you to turn them into an investment for your future.

Facing Up To Acting Auditions

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

All actors know the difficulties of performing at acting auditions. Even onstage, it can take quite a time for an audience to ‘warm’ to their cast, so achieving a connection in the few minutes you have at audition is that much more difficult. It is why some actors find acting auditions or casting calls so nerve-wracking.

There is no substitute for preparation. You need to go over your audition pieces till they are totally secure in your memory, but you also need to practise in front of others. It can be harder to perform to your best in front of family or friends than before those you don’t know.

The great film actress Bette Davis once said, ‘Good actors I’ve worked with all started out making faces in a mirror, and you keep making faces all your life.’ You might be surprised how much you can learn about your acting from watching yourself in a mirror; or even better, filming yourself. Self-criticism can offer the most unforgiving judgment of yourself, but it also encourages you to explore new means of self-expression. The more you know about how you look, the more you can control that look, and the more confident you will feel in auditions.

At Audition Now we have an exhaustive network of contacts throughout the stage, television and film business. Thanks to this, we can provide you with news of all the latest theatre acting auditions and TV casting calls, texted direct to your mobile phone.

Make the Most of Acting Auditions

Monday, April 5th, 2010

Acting auditions are unique opportunities to promote your talent, so it is important to present yourself successfully in the short space of time that you are before the casting panel.

You will know beforehand what you are auditioning for, so a minimum part of your preparation should be to research the theatre or production company that is holding the auditions, and something about the upcoming project. You will also need to have your prepared audition pieces up to scratch: not just memory perfect, but also carefully nuanced so that you can adapt them to the situation of the actual audition. It pays to have two contrasting pieces prepared, so that casting directors can see your range as a performer – for example, classical and contemporary, or tragic and comic.

A fully professional 10×8 headshot is worth the expense. Very often where audition panels find it hard to choose, whether for theatre auditions or TV casting calls, they will refresh their memory of you by reference to your photo, so it needs to be a true but also flattering reflection of you. Don’t forget to include in your CV details of your physical characteristics, such as height, colour of eyes and such like, as well as full details of your experience, training and additional qualifications, such as fight-skills or horse-riding.

Here at Audition Now, we help you make the best of your acting auditions by providing an up-to-the-minute auditioning information service, via SMS, direct to your mobile, so that you never miss out on all the best opportunities to promote your talent as an actor.

Presentation at Acting Auditions

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Casting calls and acting auditions offer very little time for performers to show themselves at their best. They rarely last more than five minutes, and often may be over in less – particularly when there are large numbers to be seen and heard, or when the panel are looking for something very specific from an actor.

This means that it is vital to take care over your presentation, because the smallest detail may affect the impression you give. You can make a big difference, for example, with the way you lay out your curriculum vitae. You should make sure that the details of your experience are presented in a clear way, listing projects you have worked on, with which companies or directors, in which venue, and when. Make sure that you space this information on the page in a way that encourages your audition panel to read it. It is, by the way, common practice nowadays to put your most recent work first, and work ‘backwards’ chronologically. You should also include your educational qualifications, any further studies, and any additional skills or abilities that you have acquired, and which may be relevant.

You should not present a C.V. that is overly long – don’t use more than two sides of A4.

At Audition Now, we give you information on all the latest acting auditions and casting calls, but we can also help you with guidance opportunities on promoting your acting career in the most eye-catching and successful way.

Whether your forte lies in seeking theatre jobs or musical theatre auditions, Audition Now can keep you updated.

Acting Auditions

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

There are many useful tips for how to make the best of acting auditions or casting calls.

The first is that you should prepare well. If you have a script in advance, you should be totally familiar with the material, not just in knowing it from memory. You should be ready to deliver the lines in a totally different way from what you have prepared. This is how the auditions panel test your responsiveness to direction.

Give some thought to your appearance at the audition: if you know something about the role, it will help you to wear clothes that are in-keeping with the character you are portraying.

Very often you will be asked to give a cold reading; performing from a text that you haven’t seen before. You can only prepare for this by testing yourself in the same way. Give yourself two minutes to look over some lines you have never seen before, and see how confidently you can perform them. If might help to try this out in front of friends or family.

You should make a point of arriving at acting auditions a quarter of an hour early, ensuring that you get used to the venue, but it also shows that you are reliable.

Here at Audition Now, we offer an up-to-the-minute information service for acting auditions up and down the country: we send details direct to your mobile, so you need never miss out on all the latest work opportunities. Whether you’re more interested in theatre auditions or TV casting calls, we can provide information for you.

Extras Acting Work

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Film and television companies are often holding open acting auditions for extras. This can be interesting and relatively well-paid work, but you have to accept that it may involve you in doing very little actual acting.

Very often, particular scenes or shots need a suggestion of normal life going on in them, and extras provide that. Unless you have had some previous experience, it is unlikely that you will be asked to say any lines. Usually, in fact, you will be expected to do nothing that stands out. Skilled extras, however, can very successfully complement the action of a scene by behaving naturally and imaginatively in the character of the people they are portraying.

There are some rules for how to behave ‘off-camera’. For example, it is usual to respect the main performers, and to defer to them in public situations such as during meal breaks. You must also follow instructions, and avoid getting in the way of other people’s work: the set is a busy place, and everyone is on a tight schedule.

Many people take part in extras auditions as a regular source of extra income, but some are trying it out for the first time. Here at Audition Now, we provide a comprehensive information service on the latest upcoming casting calls and auditions for extras in the film and television world. We can keep you posted directly to your mobile phone, so that you know where and when the next work opportunities may be coming your way.

The Latest Modelling Opportunities

Monday, March 29th, 2010

If you think you have the face that fits, then you need to put yourself forward for the best modelling opportunities. Model agencies are often bombarded with unsolicited ‘dry calls’, and may find it hard to give your application the attention you feel it deserves.

Indeed, very often, sending a photo of yourself will give only a limited idea of what you really look like, or how that look could fit in the next promotion. Therefore, you need to rely on other ways to get yourself noticed. Smaller agencies out of London may be more responsive to dry calls, but the surest way of being seen is to go for open acting auditions or casting calls.

Agencies always need to update their lists, so they are always looking out for new faces. One of the easiest ways for them to do this is to hold open calls for aspiring models. These auditions will be advertised to the public, but if you want to be sure you don’t miss any of them, then you need to have a dependable source of information.

Being ‘in the right place at the right time’ is the motto, and the secret to your success is not just in persevering – it is also in keeping yourself informed of all the work opportunities available to you.

That’s where we at Audition Now come in. We offer an information service second to none, direct to your mobile phone, for all the latest fashion, magazine or catwalk modelling opportunities across the county.