Ever found yourself wondering what you are doing wrong at auditions or what you can be doing better?
You show up to casting call after casting call and you do your best but you know that you are probably making mistakes but you really don’t know what they are since you are not getting callbacks or books.
If this sounds familiar to you, then it’s time to break free from the cycle so you can finally booking. What mistakes are you making?
From my experience as a casting director – and from conversations I’ve had with other casting directors – here are the biggest rookie audition mistakes you might be making:
You’re not asking enough questions to get clarity what is expected from your audition. I know it might feel intimidating to ask questions – or you might feel like you’re doing something wrong – but asking questions shows that you want to understand so you can do your best work. If after listening to an assistant’s instruction and reading the audition scenario sheet and if you don’t understand something or need clarification, don’t be afraid to ask!
You may be talking too fast, too loudly, or too softly. I get it – auditions can be an intimidating, so it can be easy to make these mistakes. When rehearsing practice talking slowly, or a little faster, louder or not projecting so much (whatever you have determined is your issue). Take a deep breath before you begin your audition and remind yourself just once which of these is your issue then focus on your connection to the material and the person you have chosen to speak to.
Many refuse to look at cue cards when needed. New actors often believe that they’ll do better if they have everything memorized, but don’t underestimate the power of nerves. Don’t be afraid to look at the cue cards – no one is going to penalize you for doing that! Know that most experienced actors use them when needed.
You don’t listen to or really hear the direction because you are too busy reminding yourself of what you planned to do or are figuring out how to do what you just heard from casting director. When you do this you are going to miss out on the next piece of direction and/or look like you are not listening. Not listening, is the casting director’s biggest pet peeve. I suggest you stay neutral, just listen, and if you don’t understand or miss something – ask.
Don’t give yourself a negative critique or make a negative comment out loud after you finish your audition. No matter how you think you did, never say negative self criticism out loud – because the casting directors or the clients, if they are there for the callback, might think of you as a problem or a negative person.
Free up your audition from these mistakes, and you should start seeing better results.