While can’t attest to how acting auditions normally work – I have only been an actor during COVID, I signed with my manager in 2020 – I can talk about how acting auditions have been taking place lately in the post-COVID era… online. As I’m sure you can imagine, a lot of the auditions have gone from in-person to digital.
It usually goes like this;
Submitting to Roles
My agent submits me for a job on a website like Actors Access or LA Casting based on the description of the character, female, 20-30, brown hair, etc. When he submits me he’s basically turning in my headshot and resume. The casting director can see my profile on the website and watch any of my reels. Then decide if they want me to audition or not.
Self Tape Auditions
Once selected for a role, I get a request for an “eco-cast” or a self tape audition. I think bigger actors are immediately called into the audition in person, but I’m not there yet. The movie team sends the “sides” or the part of the script they want me to audition with. They’ll also send over some information about the role and some instructions on how to slate. Then I rig up my “self-tape studio” (ie. a sheet draped over the window, a ring light, and a tripod to hold my phone – more on that in this post) and start taping away.
Usually, actors have friends or roommates as their “reader” for self-tape auditions, basically the person who does all of the lines that are said by characters other than the one you are portraying. I just memorize both sets of lines and say them silently in my head. I react to the words I don’t say with my facial expressions. Then I dub in the lines later. I use COVID as my excuse, but honestly, I find this easier than finding someone to come all the way to the west side to read lines for 5 scenes. And there’s something about rehearsing all of the lines that allows me to react in a more natural way than if someone else is there making me nervous. It’s crazy how much easier it is to act in front of strangers than friends.
Anyways, I film the series of scenes that they want to see, add in the voiceover of the other character’s lines in Premier, then export and upload. If things go to the next round, I get booked off that audition, or I get called in for an in-person audition, or every once in a while a Zoom audition. The next rounds are similar, usually the same set of lines (always wear the same outfit that you wore in your original audition!), just in front of an audience.
In Person Auditions
In a self-tape setting, you can do as many takes as you want. But in a live-audition setting, you have one shot. They are watching how you move and interact the second you walk through the door. Before you start your audition as the character you are portraying, you are yourself. That person is who they are going to have to interact with on set. If you come in all moody and pretentious you might get the role. You also don’t want to be overzealous for the role. Especially if there are other big actors tied to the movie, they don’t want other cast members gawking at and making uncomfortable. So keep that in mind. Before you audition for the character, you are auditioning for the person who they will have around on set for as long as the movie is shooting.
Being Yourself, and a Character
Be yourself in an audition. Take a deep breath before you go in and know that every other person who came in was nervous too. Give it your all. The casting directors have seen dozens of people who look like to you say the same lines over and over and over. It gets boring. So be yourself. If you walk into every room a bouncy bubbly ray of sunshine, walk into your audition like that too. If you are naturally quieter and coy, go in like that. You’re an actor, they know you portray someone else on command. But when you walk in feel free to be yourself.
And that’s pretty much it for how auditions go these days. I’m sure other actors have other experiences, but that is what I have picked up so far.
Places where my agent finds castings to sumbit me to roles are:
