How to do your best audition
How to do your best audition
"The time the actor takes is what the directors watch. The lines are just decoration. But stay within the five minutes, if that is what you've been given, and be able to change it if you get a second go" said actor/director Michael Hurst.
Actor, director and acting coach Cameron Rhodes advised actors to remember that they are at the audition to "do the job, not get the job". If you do that, you'll stand a better chance of landing the role. "The only power you have is to do the best job you can at that moment, and then let it go. You may not be right for that role but they will remember you. Go there with positivity and don't apologise" said Cameron.
"Be unembarassed about doing auditions the way you need to do them. As long as when the camera is on, you do your best, that is all that matters" said actor Tandi Wright. "Do some personality when you do your ID boards, especially for overseas productions" Tandi added. Confidence is attractive. When American producers see humble, they see weakness.
Don't do a musical audition in an American accent if you haven't been asked to, and don't tell the casting director you have a cold, especially if you are singing, advised actor/director Jennifer Ward-Lealand. Casting directors know that you can still perform with a cold. "When something is difficult, act like it is easy for you" Jennifer said.
Should you approach casting directors outside of auditions?
Yes, if you are offering them tickets to one of your shows. You have nothing to lose. Actors should invite producers too. Even if you invite six directors and producers and one shows up to watch you, that is very postive. Jennifer said actors should look at who is influential and send them tickets too, not only the casting directors.
Are casting directors interested in helping actors get the role?
Yes! There is no truth to the urban legend that casting directors make their decisions in the first 20 seconds of the audition - neither in theatre or TV. Michael Hurst directed Spartacus for some time and when he held auditions, he always did his best to get actors to give their best performance. Michael said he has also gone to bat for New Zealand actors when the producer didn't look past the first 10 seconds of the audition, and has made sure that they watched the audition again - up to three times.
Actor, director and producer Kerry Warkia said that on webseries, casting often happens at a quicker pace. Webseries directors are also looking for actors who have the ability to do a good performance in one take, because they are shooting very fast. Kerry has gone to bat for actors who she cast but who were then rejected by the networks, and has often managed to convince the networks to use the actor.
Do you have more chance of getting the part if you dress as the character?
Not necessarily. When Liam McIntyre auditioned for Spartacus, he had lost a lot of weight for a prisoner of war role and didn't look like Spartacus at all. Michael draped him in a creative cloth and Liam was cast because in the end, it was about performance and seeing that Liam could carry the material and let the casting directors into the moment as opposed to emoting for himself. However, Tandi Wright had four call backs when she auditioned for a lead role in Nothing Trivial, and each time she had to go back looking more glamorous. Michael advised actors to come in neutral clothes. Don't wear a collar for a priest role and don't turn up dressed as a wizard.
What are some of the reasons for not getting the role?
According to Michael, "it doesn't matter if actors blow their lines as long I can see they have that thing. Mostly I ask them to do the opposite of what they do, because I can tell what they are good at. The thing that you are good at, you will always be good at. So you need to be doing the other thing as hard as you can. 100% here and 100% there - that is 200% and that is what I want" said Michael. He added that when he casts for American TV, he has to present his choices to about 16 different people. So any one of them can influence the final decision.
Jennifer has seen actors not getting the role because they didn't go a lot bigger with a lot more energy, even when asked to do so by the director. "Even if it feels too far, you still have to do it so that the director sees you can go there" said Jennifer.
Does everyone find auditions stressful, and what can be done about this?
Tandi found it stressful landing her lead role in Nothing Trivial (now shooting its third season) because the directors and producers wanted her but someone on the network didn't. "The whole process took six weeks and four call backs. Hanging in there paid off". Tandi was also called back to read opposite actors who were playing against her before the network was convinced.
What role do actors agents really play?
You have more chance of being cast if you are with one of the top five agents, Kerry said. Some directors do not really look outside those agents. It is also very important to keep your agent constantly updated if you acquire new skills. Sometimes, directors literally need to cast someone overnight with particular skills, like combat or horse riding, and they will call the agents and ask for someone who fits the bill. Your agent also needs to go to bat for you if the casting director turns you down because they want someone with more experience. Kerry added that some agents go the extra mile and ask her if she would like to meet an actor and she is more than happy to do that.
Jennifer added that any agent worth their salt, will call up all the theatre companies (if theatre is what you want to do) and find out when the auditions are and really motivate for an actor to be seen. "You need to make sure that you tell your agent you want to know about any theatre gig going and ask what you can do to be seen" said Jennifer.
What role do the networks play?
The networks have information that is not known to actors, agents or even casting directors. If someone has been cast for a production set to screen on a TV station in November, for example, the rival TV station is not going to cast the same actor in another show screening at the same time. Actors must do their best auditions and not worry about network decisions because these are outside of your control, said Cameron.
Are there fewer roles for professional actors now that many producers are holding mass casting calls for ordinary people in shopping malls?
Producers are finding that casting non-actors in acting roles has its drawbacks. "It is one thing to have a load of talent but when you are not technically experienced, it becomes a problem for the crew" said Kerry. There is a mentality currently doing the rounds that webseries can be done really cheaply and that producers can skimp on a lot of costs, but actually it cannot be done.
Is casting done differently in Australia?
Cameron is currently working trans-Tasman. Theatre casting in Australia is quite similar but there is a bit of difference in TV casting. Cameron had to be Brisbane-based to get his current 10 day role in an Australian TV series, so he made sure that he is Brisbane-based for that time. Instead of auditioning, you may have to do a self-taped test. You will still have to go through the normal network approvals after the director chooses you, said Cameron. A good thing about working in Australia is that even though he is Brisbane-based, Cameron still gets transported from the airport and taken to and from his home to the set. "In Australia, there is a level of acknowledgement of you as an actor which is respectful", said Cameron.
What if you are cast in two roles at the same time?
The panel said that actors in this fortunate position must be immediately upfront with the directors and producers. If a director really wants an actor, he or she will move schedules around. Never say you are available for a date if you have something else already booked.