Guide to Acting Auditions

Acting auditions are the big road blocks that stand between a beginning actor and the roles they want. Here you’ll find help on how to find auditions and how to get called in for a casting, plus audition tips on how to nail theater, TV and movie auditions.

First, let’s take a look at how the casting process works.

1. A director or producer of a play or a movie will hire a casting director to find actors for the acting roles in their projects.
2. Casting directors will then write a breakdown of the acting roles available. This usually includes the size of the role (lead, supporting, etc.), the character’s age range, physical and psychological characteristics, plus a short bio and their role in the story. Special skills or special strengths to play the part are also included (like the ability to speak a language or cry on cue, for example).
3. When an actor fits the role, actor headshots and resumes are submitted to the casting calls. Casting directors review the submissions and pick several actors to audition for each part. Acting auditions are scheduled.
4. The initial auditions are usually followed by callbacks.

And then… The phone rings!

The actor’s has booked the role. The fun part of being an actor begins.

So let’s get started…

1st STOP – How to find Acting Auditions

2nd STOP – How to submit to casting calls

3rd STOP – How to nail the audition

OK, so there’s no way to guarantee you’ll get the part, but these casting audition tips will help you have a successful audition and raise your chances of getting called back. Also read these audition scene tips and help with cold readings to prepare for these different types of auditions.

If you have a film audition coming up, review our movie audition tips.

If it’s TV commercials you’re interested in, here’s some information on how to audition for commercialsand how to get commercial auditions.

If you’ll be auditioning with a monologue, make sure to also read these audition monologues tips.

Once you get a callback, read these audition callback tips.

4th STOP – What happens after the audition

Whether you feel your audition went well or not, the couple of days or week after an important casting can be nerve-wracking.

You just walked out of the audition room… Take a few moments to go over your acting audition:

• Note anything that went well and things you need to work on.
• Write down any notes you got from the casting director, director or producer. These notes will come in handy if you get a callback.
• Make a note to call your acting agent the next day to get any feedback they received from the casting director.
• Keep a written record of your audition with information on the project and character you auditioned for, as well as the name of the casting director and anyone else present in the audition room. This is very useful for updates to agents and thank you notes to casting directors. To find out more about keeping an actor logbook, click here.

And now…

What happens now? One of 3 things:

1. You book the acting job!
   All you need to do is jump up in the air a few times and work out the details with the casting director. You’ll be getting a lot of information (salary, rehearsal schedule, performance or shoot dates for movie auditions, fittings, etc.) so make sure you’re ready to jot it all down.
2. You get a callback.
   This means you made it past the first round of auditions. A lot of things may be different at the acting callback, so make sure you ask all the same questions you asked for your initial audition. If you used audition monologues previously, you may now need to prepare audition scenes from the script. Most of the time, the producer and director will be present. Click herefor tips on audition callbacks.
3. Nothing happens.
   It’s frustrating, but most of the time, if you don’t book an acting job, you’ll never know why. When an auditioner tells you, “We’ll let you know by Thursday”, it usually means, “If you don’t get a call by Thursday, you haven’t booked the job.” There are so many factors that go into why an actor doesn’t get a job. So many are out of your control. It could be something as simple as they decided to go with a brunette and you’re a blond, or a name actor is interested in the role, or you’re not what the writer envisioned. Whatever the case may be, if you gave a good audition, you will get a call for the next acting role that’s right for you, and that’s what really matters, building a career.

Do you find it hard to be an actor?

In my efforts to best help you achieve your acting goals, I have written a new e-book called Become an Actor : A Guidebook for Beginning Actors. I welcome you to click here to learn more about how the book can make a difference in your career.

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