8 Tips to Help You Land a Successful Movie Audition
How to Audition for a Movie
Knowing how to audition for a movie is the first step to land your dream role in production and kickstart your acting career fabulously. Nailing the audition is tricky because hundreds and sometimes even thousands of people compete for the same position.
When it comes to knowing how to audition for a movie, take steps to distinguish yourself as an excellent candidate in front of the casting manager. Stand out from the crowd by showcasing your unique talent, staying poise and acting with professionalism. Here are few must-follow steps you should never miss to win the audition and land the role successfully
1. Give Importance to Makeup
Dressing up is extremely important for auditions and dressing the part is crucial. Know what part you are auditioning for and dress accordingly, giving importance to pleasing looks. You might play the role of a crying girl, but it does not mean you have to look dull and sad. Learn to cry with waterproof mascara like film stars, looking your best no matter what. Keep in mind you are the salesperson or the face of the visual shot who must be bearable to look at, even if you are acting as an accident victim.
2. Be Confident
Confidence is an essential asset for an actor and every person in visual media. Experienced actors own the stage they enter with their charm, poise and effortless elegance.
Do not consider yourself as an upcoming star or a person desperate to land a role. Believe you already landed the role, are the star of the show and act confidently, greeting everyone on the set, performing your role perfectly and observing others to improve yourself.
Do not get nervous or mess up several times, as it will irritate the casting manager who sees several candidates throughout the day. Own your mistakes with a simple sorry and perform well the second time without getting nervous again and wasting others’ time.
3. Improvise While Acting
If you take acting lessons or classes, improvising lessons will quickly teach you how to transform into a character. You should be ready to work in unexpected situations and heed to sudden requests. Changing from a queen's mentality into a maid's mentality in a split second must be possible within short notice. Often, casting managers ask you to perform a different role than the one they called you to perform to assess your talent. They deal with multiple companies and might use you in other production requirements if you are adaptable.
4. Open Casting Calls
Open casting calls require you to act with another person when working in a commercial play or film. It is important to sync with the other person and enthrall the audience with your chemistry. The entire unit checks whether you two look good together, and you must try your best to perform at par with the other actor.
Maintain eye contact, smile or cry based on the role and be friendly towards them. Often, your cheerfulness and confidence will become contagious, setting the stage for success. Landing open casting calls and working well with other actors is significant for every upcoming actor.
5. Union Membership and Keeping in Touch
It is always better to start acting from the local areas, like your college or school acting clubs, local productions shooting commercials, student films or documentaries and proceeding to big cities. Enrolling in acting classes and continuing to work with small productions will help you gain experience and work your way up to register with the union.
Being a member of the Screen Actors Guild — SAG or American Federation of TV and Recording Arts — AFTRA is pricey and hard to achieve. But, it adds credibility to your skill and makes you stand out among the other auditioning candidates. It also helps you get decent pay and other benefits like health insurance and work with big companies.
Keep in touch with the casting managers and ensure you send your best videotapes and photos to them regularly. Keep them brief and impressive as they do not have enough time to go through lengthy performances. Keep sending them your best front and side profile picture dressed in various attires.
6. Kids TV Commercial Casting
When you work your way up from local productions, aim to get auditions for commercials next. Kids TV commercial casting is the ultimate next step as it has abundant requirements. Think about who you loved as a kid and check why you liked them and try to imitate the look.
Mingle with modern kids and learn whether they like your look, about the current trend and who they love. Integrate the qualities of that character in your acting audition. Try to look like them and dress like them, creating a sense of familiarity and maintaining your special touch, which will help win the audition easily.
7. Disney Auditions
If you are famous in kids TV commercials, casting managers will help you land various high-profile Disney auditions. Disney movies, ads and short films involving human actors often select people who look like their animation characters. Dress in bright colors, look like the character you are auditioning for and maintain a take-it-easy attitude, which the children love.
Brush off your minor mistakes and other small inconveniences with a smile, showing you are always happy at heart. No casting manager wants to sign up a nervous or angry princess or a weeping beauty. Be yourself and showcase your singing and dancing talent without feeling shy while you improvise on the script. A professional casting manager says that your voice, attitude and appearance matter more than your acting skill in Disney auditions.
8. Movie Auditions
Movie auditions are the ultimate aim of every aspiring actor. There is only one way to kill it — be yourself, showcase excellent talent by transforming into the character and believe in yourself. Movie auditions require you to give your 100% to prove you are the only best fit for the role. Practice constantly in the home, be ready for last-minute script changes, deliver your lines with emotion and prevent overacting. Be cooperative and prepared to take lots of rejections as it is a part of the trade.
