The Five Stages of Your Audition
Hey There, Actors! So, you've booked an audition, Mazel-tov! Whether it's an appointment or a general call, now is your chance to work your craft.
But once you've stopped bouncing around the room with glee, remember: You're a smart small business owner.
Buyers are about to see your product (you!).
You need to have a solid audition system so that product is presented in the best light.
To get you started, here are tips for each of the Five Stages of Your Audition.
Stage 1: Research Getting curious about the artistic team, the theatre/film company, the subject matter.
Tip: Enter the names of the artistic staff (director, composer, casting director) in LinkedIn or Facebook.
Odds are, you know someone who knows them and can give you insight to the person's preferences.
This casting director is obsessed with good shoes on women, this director wants you to give your slate as if you're already in the scene, this music director has a soft spot for Gershwin tunes, etc.
Stage 2: Preparation Reading the play/screenplay/copy, choosing appropriate material, working with a coach, memorization, checking the connections on your home VoiceOver studio.
Tip: Are you a morning or a night person? If you're petting your face around 9:00 pm, go to bed early and set your alarm to give yourself the required time in the morning.
If you function well at night and are a staggering lip-smacker in the morning, for goodness sakes, prepare the night before! Iron your audition outfit, make your lunch and put a post-it on your door reminding you to get it from the refrigerator, put your bag by the door and go through a checklist of its contents: music book, sides, union card, bottle of water, car keys, wallet, makeup, etc.
This way, you night people can wake up and do Coffee.
Shower.
Bag.
Go.
Stage 3: Outside the Room What to do at the audition space.
Checking in, Finding out who is in the room, final looks in the mirror, mental prep.
Tip: Answer this question for yourself.
Do you feed off the social energy in the waiting room or do you need solitary focus? Act accordingly.
If you're a solitary focus person and Chatty Kathy comes bouncing up to you with the latest gossip, you can politely say that you'd love to talk with her after you've both auditioned.
If she's professional, she'll respect that.
Stage 4: In the Room How you relate to the artistic team, the camera, the accompanist.
Where you put yourself in the space.
Tip: Take a moment to take in the audition space when you walk in.
You'll need to use your voice differently if it's cavernous or padded.
In a small space where you're right on top of the auditors, you probably want to go with acting choices of the lower volume variety.
Seek out the wires powering the camera and television monitor to avoid any unplanned prat-falls.
Stage 5: Follow-Up Filling out your audition log, giving yourself a small reward for a job well-done, Thank You Cards, Checking quality of home VoiceOver auditions before sending.
Tip: We recommend using Send Out Cards for follow-up because you can create a Thank You Card template for yourself, then you just fill in the information, click "send", and a hard copy of your card is sent without your having to go to the post office or struggle with printer issues.
Check out our Mailings: Faster Smarter Cheaper webinars for more on that.
For those of you who have yet to sign up for Send Out Cards, bring your Thank you card or postcard (with your picture and contact information in it!) and stamps with you.
Before you leave the audition space, you can write your expression of gratitude while the audition is fresh in your mind, put a stamp on it, and drop it in the nearest mailbox on your way out.
When you fine-tune your audition system, your artist is free to play.
Go Get 'Em! And as the phenomenal audition coach Tim Phillips says, "Audition for your career.
Not for the job.
"
But once you've stopped bouncing around the room with glee, remember: You're a smart small business owner.
Buyers are about to see your product (you!).
You need to have a solid audition system so that product is presented in the best light.
To get you started, here are tips for each of the Five Stages of Your Audition.
Stage 1: Research Getting curious about the artistic team, the theatre/film company, the subject matter.
Tip: Enter the names of the artistic staff (director, composer, casting director) in LinkedIn or Facebook.
Odds are, you know someone who knows them and can give you insight to the person's preferences.
This casting director is obsessed with good shoes on women, this director wants you to give your slate as if you're already in the scene, this music director has a soft spot for Gershwin tunes, etc.
Stage 2: Preparation Reading the play/screenplay/copy, choosing appropriate material, working with a coach, memorization, checking the connections on your home VoiceOver studio.
Tip: Are you a morning or a night person? If you're petting your face around 9:00 pm, go to bed early and set your alarm to give yourself the required time in the morning.
If you function well at night and are a staggering lip-smacker in the morning, for goodness sakes, prepare the night before! Iron your audition outfit, make your lunch and put a post-it on your door reminding you to get it from the refrigerator, put your bag by the door and go through a checklist of its contents: music book, sides, union card, bottle of water, car keys, wallet, makeup, etc.
This way, you night people can wake up and do Coffee.
Shower.
Bag.
Go.
Stage 3: Outside the Room What to do at the audition space.
Checking in, Finding out who is in the room, final looks in the mirror, mental prep.
Tip: Answer this question for yourself.
Do you feed off the social energy in the waiting room or do you need solitary focus? Act accordingly.
If you're a solitary focus person and Chatty Kathy comes bouncing up to you with the latest gossip, you can politely say that you'd love to talk with her after you've both auditioned.
If she's professional, she'll respect that.
Stage 4: In the Room How you relate to the artistic team, the camera, the accompanist.
Where you put yourself in the space.
Tip: Take a moment to take in the audition space when you walk in.
You'll need to use your voice differently if it's cavernous or padded.
In a small space where you're right on top of the auditors, you probably want to go with acting choices of the lower volume variety.
Seek out the wires powering the camera and television monitor to avoid any unplanned prat-falls.
Stage 5: Follow-Up Filling out your audition log, giving yourself a small reward for a job well-done, Thank You Cards, Checking quality of home VoiceOver auditions before sending.
Tip: We recommend using Send Out Cards for follow-up because you can create a Thank You Card template for yourself, then you just fill in the information, click "send", and a hard copy of your card is sent without your having to go to the post office or struggle with printer issues.
Check out our Mailings: Faster Smarter Cheaper webinars for more on that.
For those of you who have yet to sign up for Send Out Cards, bring your Thank you card or postcard (with your picture and contact information in it!) and stamps with you.
Before you leave the audition space, you can write your expression of gratitude while the audition is fresh in your mind, put a stamp on it, and drop it in the nearest mailbox on your way out.
When you fine-tune your audition system, your artist is free to play.
Go Get 'Em! And as the phenomenal audition coach Tim Phillips says, "Audition for your career.
Not for the job.
"
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