Acting Auditions:
How to Prepare for Professional Stage, Musical Theater, TV/Film, Commercial, & New Media Acting Auditions

It would be great if there was just one way to audition for all the pro acting platforms, from stage to new media -- unfortunately, they are ALL different.

Auditions are the protected gateway to a vast majority of all professional acting opportunities. There are some great actors out there that nobody will ever see because they don't know HOW to audition.

Knowing How to Audition is part talent, part technique, and part politics.

Fortunately, acting audition skills can be learned. And, a working actor knows that it is just as important to master their audition skills and techniques, as it is to master their on-stage or on-camera acting techniques.

An Audition is NOT just a brief performance, it is a collection of learned and highly practiced social, political, and technical performance skills.

What follows are a few pieces of audition advice for each of the major pro acting platforms. Check back often as we will be adding more tips all the time.

Stage Acting Auditions:

Stage Acting Audition Tip #1: The primary attribute the auditioners will be looking for is your ability to 'fill the hall' with your presence. 'Stage Presence' is not just nice to have, it's a requirement.

Stage Acting Audition Tip #2: Always have at least two theater monologues memorized, that you can use for the specific type of show or theater company you are auditioning for. For instance, if you are auditioning for a Shakespeare rep company, you should probably have a couple Shakespearean monologues ready to go. Try to find (or edit) monologues that are less than 3 minutes in length.

Musical Theater Auditions:

Musical Theater Audition Tip #1: Musical precision and dynamic range underlies each casting decision, for every part in the show, singers, dancers, and actors.

Musical Theater Audition Tip #2: You should have parts of at least 4 songs from similar musicals ready to perform, including the piano music for the accompanist. At least one of these should show a singing range similar to the part you want to be considered for. Sometimes they are VERY specific about how much of a song they want to hear, like "just give me the best 16 bars."

Voice Acting Auditions:

Voice Acting Audition Tip #1: Many directors for animated features and short animated films close their eyes during auditions. They are actually overlaying the character drawing they have in their mind with the character qualities in your vocal performance.

Voice Acting Audition Tip #2: Even though many, if not most, auditions for voice acting roles are conducted by submitting audio files, some auditions are actually conducted in person, so that the directors can 'visualize' you in the part. Many times, when a voice actor records the audio for an animated part, the producers also capture video of the actor's performance, so that animation artists can perfectly reproduce mouth and other facial expressions in the final animated character.

Voice Over Commercial Auditions:

Voice Over Commercial Audition Tip #1: Many voice overs are cast by the ad agency, and they are looking not only for great character abilities, but also for vocal uniqueness, precision and the ability to immediately modify your performance for time.

Voice Over Commercial Audition Tip #2: You should create a great "audition reel" of sample commercials -- ones you've done, if possible -- taking the best 10-15 seconds from each, rather than playing the entire commercial. These should demo your character range, and show a variety of styles and tempos.

On-Camera TV/Film Acting Auditions:

On-Camera TV/Film Acting Audition Tip #1: Make sure you understand and have practiced camera performance techniques, and be sure to find out where the framing of the shot will be and how you will be miked for the audition.

On-Camera TV/Film Acting Audition Tip #2: Always ask the camera person where you are being cut for the shot they are taking. You'd look dumb (and inexperienced) doing gestures that are completely out of frame if they are cutting you in a close-up.

On-Camera Commercial Acting Auditions:

On-Camera Commercial Acting Audition Tip #1: Your headshot is the most important part of your audition. Most actors are eliminated because of how they look in their headshot. Make sure yours is great. And remember, there's a reason why commercial directors call the product the hero.

On-Camera Commercial Acting Audition Tip #2: Make sure you know how to perfectly pronounce the name of the product, and the product company. If you had never heard the word "Nutrogena" before, how would you pronounce it?

New Media (YouTube, etc.) Acting Auditions:

New Media Audition Tip #1: This a very valuable tool for all on-camera auditions: Make sure you have a cool acting reel, showing you in quick snippets in a variety of different scenes.

New Media Audition Tip #2: See if you can find out something about the style or genre of the show -- is it a wacky comedy, an introspective drama, a kids' show, a fantasy? This will help you use the best acting techniques for the audition.

We will be adding much more info on Acting Auditions over the coming weeks, so be sure to check back often.

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