NYCastings – DirectSubmit

Auditions are a mysterious beast.

If you talk with any five casting directors, you’ll get five different takes on what makes a great audition: 

• It’s a job interview. Be professional.
• No, it’s more like joining a family. Be warm.
• No, it’s a sales pitch. Sell your product: you.
• No, it’s a group therapy encounter session. Connect.
• No, it’s something in between all of that: make a connection but keep your distance but sell your product but be professional but join the family…etc., etc.

And they wonder why actors are crazy.

The truth is everyone has a different brain, and a different set of experiences, and different emotional and mental filters with which we process the world. So we all view everything, including auditions, differently. 

But one thing that is anathema to every casting director you will ever encounter is predictability. 

Boring never sells.

But, you ask – faithful actor that you are who sticks to the script word for word as we were all taught –  how can we possibly combat boring? After all, we’re reading the same sides as a hundred other actors who are up for this part – how are we supposed to take these same words these CDs have heard dozens of times already and make them unpredictable? How to not be boring when you are being asked to do literally the exact same thing as everyone else?

Granted, this is not an easy tightwire act to pull off. This is some next level ninja stuff here. But if you can manage to subtly incorporate a few of the tricks below into your auditions, you’ll find CDs sitting up at attention more when you read, and you’ll find yourself shortlisted for roles more and more often. 

1. Honor The Script But Don’t Worship It

We are all taught in drama school or in acting classes that the script is sacrosanct. The words of the author are inviolable, and we must honor them. And all this is true. As a playwright, I can tell you, when we write words and put them in the script in a certain way, it is only after much deliberation and thought. A script isn’t something a playwright fires out over a weekend, not typically. So when an actor cavalierly takes liberties with your words – which you have slaved and sweated over – it’s a little disconcerting. Sometimes it works, and obviously sometimes mistakes happen, and sometimes they turn into wonderful improv moments. And that’s okay. But obviously what you DON’T want to do in your auditions is to mangle the words or make up your own words or use synonyms that are “close enough.” That screams “unprofessional and unprepared” to most CDs. What you should go for is the opposite: learn the words so well that you can play with them – the correct words – in unexpected ways. Keep the words, but fight the punctuation rather than be enslaved by it. The script is indeed sacrosanct, but you can think of it as the playwright’s draft of the character. Any actor worth his or her salt has massaged and coaxed and squeezed different nuances and meanings and shadings out of the words they were given in order to create memorable characters. One quick and dirty shortcut to this that’s particularly useful in auditions is to just ignore the punctuation. Or at least treat the punctuation as a broad guideline rather than an absolute. Anthony Hopkins is reputed to read a script 100 to 200 times before he starts rehearsals for a film. Imagine having the words so ingrained, so internalized that you can emphasize phrases and words in such a way that it’s unpredictable and runs counter to the straightforward way the lines read on the page at first glance. That alone will set you on a path different from the one that 99 percent of the actors who are up for this part are going to take.

2. There Can Be No Tension Without Pretension 

The use of the word “pretension” here doesn’t refer to someone pretending to be grander than they actually are. Rather, in this case we’re talking about the ways we disguise ourselves and our thoughts and our motives in real life, and using that in our acting. The big takeaway here is to avoid at all costs any kind of indicating. The CDs know the character, they know the scene, probably better than they ever wished. So you don’t need to indicate what the character is feeling, or what may be going on in his or her head, or where he or she is going, mentally or emotionally. Try instead creating tension in your outward appearance that is in opposition to where the character’s arc is taking him or her. If the script points rather obviously toward an angry outburst, try taking it way down instead of blowing the rafters off the audition room – because I guarantee that’s exactly what 99 percent of your competition is going to do. If your character is in the process of having his or her heart broken in the scene, try covering it with a smile or a laugh instead of dredging up tears. It’s a lot like playing drunk: remember that a REAL drunk person is trying NOT to reel and sway and stagger all over the place. The actual drunk is trying to hide his or her drunkenness. Same goes for lots of emotions. And in an audition, the obvious choice is not your friend. Granted there are certain parameters for any character, but within those broad outlines there is a wide open prairie on which you can romp and play and use your imagination. 

3. Pick Up The Pace

Remembering again that the CDs have seen this scene dozens of times already, you have no need to take massive pauses to ramp up to big emotional moments and really show them what the lines are making the character feel. The CD knows where it’s going; they’re with you. So get there, already. Think about how we talk in real life: nobody but the most massive bore in the world slows…down…and takes…massive pauses…for emphasis. You’re not William Shatner. He can get away with that; you can’t. In fact, it’s more than a useful exercise to get the lines down to the point where you can run an “Italian rehearsal” with yourself, saying the lines double speed. Pace doesn’t mean you aren’t connected with the piece. In fact, lots of CDs will thank you for reading faster, as it makes you seem so much more real, and less “actory.” 

The bottom line here is, yes, a deep, thoughtful, nuanced and emotionally embellished performance may very well be what ends up on screen or stage at the end of rehearsals. But for your audition, there is almost no CD in the world looking for something like that. 

They’re looking for something different, something interesting, something that grabs their attention. 

This isn’t carte blanche to run wild over the script and the author’s clear desires for the characters. No one’s going to buy Blanche Dubois as a feminist who secretly runs the household and rules supreme over Stanley Kowalski.

But if you want to stand out at auditions, get yourself out of the same rutted road that every other actor is going to walk: that road of the obvious choice. 

Take a path no one was expecting.

Ask anyone who acts: there is no better job in the world. Nowhere else do you get paid money to connect with the deepest, most intimate parts of yourself and express them in the safest way possible – via other characters.

We not only get to explore our own depths. We also get to dig deep into what it truly means to be a human walking among other humans. We get to utter words written by humankind’s finest minds and sharpest writers, and we get to not only speak them, we get to perform them.

Acting is part therapy, part literature class, part history lesson, and part friend-building exercise, each and every project we work on, and we are immensely lucky we get to do it.

Let’s see your Uncle Seymour the accountant say that about his job!

But even so, even with such a depth of passion built right into what we do, it sometimes happens that we lose touch with why we started down this wonderful, trying, difficult, but ultimately glorious and rewarding path in the first place. Sometimes we could all use a little refresher course in what it is we love about acting and why we want to do it. Here are a few things to keep in mind, and a few tricks to help you rekindle your passion, should you feel your acting turning into something less than a calling for whatever reason. 

1. Don’t Forget That Acting Truly Is the Greatest Job In the World!

The first step toward relighting that fire beneath your posterior when it comes to acting is simply to take a step back, take a deep breath, and remember that what we do is the envy of almost everyone in the world who isn’t able to do it. How many times have you heard sentiments along these lines at Thanksgiving Dinner with relatives, or at a party, or in a bar conversation: “Oh, you’re an actor! I wish I could do that!” It’s important to take a moment to remember for ourselves that we are truly, truly lucky people to possess the talents and the drive that we have, to have that special something within us that allows us to pursue this magnificent vocation. We share company with a millennia-old tradition among the human race that predates written history. We are connected by blood and sweat to an ancestral line who performed for one another around their cave fires before they could speak a word. That line is unbroken for thousands of years, and you should be proud you are part of it. Not to mention we get to do the same types of things as people like Ian McKellan, Meryl Streep, Robert DeNiro and Jessica Lange! It helps to take a moment to watch a favorite movie and remind yourself, “Hey, that’s what I do too!”

2. Time For a Date – With Yourself and Your Art

To better help yourself along the way to rekindling your passion for this tremendous art we are privileged to do, it’s a good idea to take yourself on an artistic date. You don’t have to get weird about it or anything – like, you don’t have to go buy yourself flowers or a box of candy or anything (unless you really want to!) But what you can do is go to the theater, or go to see a classic film – not on Netflix; a date with you is special enough to warrant a trip to the cinema, no? Or maybe go to a museum you’ve never visited, or even just take a sandwich to the park some afternoon when you have nothing else you have to do, along with a biography of some actor you admire, and let your mind wander. Step outside the treadmill of racing to auditions or rehearsals or performances even just for a little while, and allow yourself to be transported by the magic of the arts, with no commitments looming over your head, no ulterior motives or anything on your mind at all other than the sheer enjoyment of the magic that is art. It’s a great way to recharge and remind yourself why you love this stuff!

3. Do The Work 

One of the best ways to rekindle the joy of acting is to do some acting! Hit up a new class, get to an open mic night, check out an improv group – get yourself performing in some new, refreshing way. This is an especially useful way to break out of the slog that can sometimes come when we find we’ve been grinding away at auditions for a while, especially auditions for roles that may not be as meaty as we might like. Hey, we’ve all got to pay the bills. But there’s nothing like going through a few weeks of solid commercial auditions, or reading for roles like “Reporter #2” in a TV series, or “Panicky Background Idiot” for films of the week. That can sap the energy and joy from the most motivated actor. Just keep in mind that’s it’s better to have auditions than not to have them! No shame whatsoever in taking that kind of work when it comes along. But of course it’s not why we got into this thing in the first place. Remind yourself of that by getting out there and PLAYING again, doing some classes or student film roles or improv – stuff that has nothing to do with making a living and everything to do with having fun as an actor. You’ll find your next round of auditions to sell laundry detergent or Cheesy-Poofs to be much more energetic, lively and – dare I say it – fun! 

4. Hang With Some Brothers or Sisters in Arms

It’s really easy to get caught up in the daily grind of auditions and classes and end up feeling isolated. You can be sitting in a roomful of strangers or even semi-acquaintances waiting to read day after day and feel as alone as anyone. It can sometimes feel as though this fight is yours alone, and that can be draining, both in terms of energy and motivation. It helps to find a way to connect with your fellow actors once a week or so for a fun night of decompression and sharing of all the ups and downs we encounter, and to which we can all relate. Of course you should be regularly attending classes with your actor friends, but this idea is more about NOT working and just relaxing together for a change. And if you can make a special effort to do so outside of the electronic channels that occupy so much of our day-to-day lives, all the better. That is, if you absolutely have to set up a group chat in order to connect, so be it, but so much the better if you can arrange a weekly coffee afternoon or wine sharing evening or brunch with a group of actor friends. Banish all thought of networking or even working at all, and just decompress together on Sunday afternoon with a few of your like-minded weirdoes and you will thank yourself when you’re heading out to audition on Monday. 

5. And Now For Something Completely Different

As smart, creative, sensitive people, there is a real danger for actors in terms of artistic burnout if ALL we do with our creative energy is in pursuit of acting. Yes, you must be dedicated in order to succeed in this business; yes,you must constantly be working to improve your craft, and yes, that means a lot of work. It also means a certain type of single-mindedness. However, there’s something to be said for indirectly boosting your creativity by stepping outside of the acting box for a while in a creative sense. If you feel yourself hitting a wall when it comes to acting – losing the spark or the passion for it – one way to help bring it back is to focus your creativity on something completely different: pick up a new musical instrument, learn a new language, take a martial arts class, take a photography class or learn pottery or take up painting – anything to get those creative juices flowing in a tangential way apart from acting. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it really works! Activating your creativity in any way helps to activate it in all the ways in which you use it. 

Finally, make the time even in your busy schedule to remind yourself of why you do this. Write yourself a note and stick it to the bathroom mirror reminding yourself how special and how lucky you are to be an actor. Don’t be like Uncle Seymour the accountant – remind yourself that you are loved and you bring love to others when you perform. If we take the time to remind ourselves of these things, these vital aspects of the magic of acting, we can ensure that it is a joyful, rewarding experience for decades to come! 

So you’ve got a talented child with a budding aptitude for the stage and screen – first of all, congratulations! Your kid is one of a very, very lucky few who is embarking on a journey of a lifetime.

It’s a journey of a lifetime both in the sense that acting is something you can do almost literally from cradle to grave, but also in the sense that acting is a journey of discovery about the arts, about humanity and our history, about our fellow individual humans traveling this earth with us, and especially about ourselves, a journey that few people get to experience. 

Contrary to popular belief or what you might read about a handful of Hollywood stars in the tabloids, actors have the opportunity to become some of the best-adjusted, most self-aware, psychologically-balanced  and spiritually connected people you will ever meet, and any kid that gets the chance to start this journey at a tender age is doubly privileged. 

Now: having said that, we all know that acting is also a tough road from time to time. That’s no reason to shy away from helping your child find his or her way down the path, however! It’s just that you should be aware of the potential roadblocks and develop strategies to help your kid navigate them. 

Just as with any parent/child relationship, the role of the parent of the child actor is to nurture, teach and offer guidance. 

And one area where we find parents and kids having trouble is in maintaining the child actor’s confidence over the long haul. That can be a challenge even for the most experienced adult actor: hanging in there through the times when there aren’t as many gigs or even auditions can test your confidence in your abilities. And for a kid who is still developing the coping skills to feel confident in themselves without relying on outside judgments or approval for it that can be challenging. 

However there are some ways to help your kid actor grow into his abilities with a healthy confidence that will sustain him or her through a career that will, with a little luck, last a lifetime! 

1. Help Them Remember They Have Talent

In the wild, wild west of auditions, it’s sometimes easy to take “not getting cast” in a particular role to mean “rejection.” It’s hard enough for adult actors to learn to cope with this, but it’s an especially tricky path for the parent of a child actor to navigate. One place to start is by reminding your child that they are talented, continue to be talented, and will continue to be talented no matter what happens in each audition. It’s impossible to expect or even hope for landing each and every role an actor goes out for, and this is a great way to begin instilling that lesson, along with the lesson that what goes into a casting decision is far larger than what we the actor or the parent of the actor can see or fathom. There are things like hair, height, skin tone, the type of energy each actor brings, their smile and how one auditioner matches up with other actors that have already been cast. None of these really comes down to the actor’s talent in any way, and none of them are things that we can do anything about. So take the positive route, and remind that kid of their talent and how good they are, and remind them that even between auditions they remain just as talented!

2. Help Him Or Her Get Better!

What do we do with raw talent? We refine it and we make it better! If your child is feeling a little morose or discouraged after not getting cast for a particular role, what better time to explore taking a new class! The truth of the matter is, if your child is serious about pursuing acting, he or he should already constantly be in some kind of class or another. Just the simple act of standing up in an acting class and performing with the other kids there is a huge boost for the confidence of the child actor – and adult actor too! As with any skill, the more opportunities we have to use our acting, the better we get at it, and thus the more confident. That’s one aspect of the class-taking process. The other is of course learning new skills and refining them. A great place to start is with an on-camera audition class, one that simulates the process and will help to demystify it for your child. Again, the more often you do a thing, not only do you get better at it, you become more relaxed at doing it. Most reputable acting teachers and coaches will let parent and child audit a class before enrolling, so make sure both you and your kid have a good vibe about the teacher, and that it looks like the other kids are having fun! 

3. Work, Work, Work, Even If Its On Low- Or No-Pay Gigs

As parents of kids who are trying to be professional actors, that is get themselves in front of casting directors for roles in films, on commercials and on television shows, its too easy to get caught up in the notion that only those kinds of jobs have value, simply because they come with the most monetary value attached. We can sometimes find ourselves – parents of kid actors and adult actors alike – rejecting out of hand jobs on community theater projects, student films, and low-budget independent films because they are “a waste of time.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Every project you work on builds on the confidence of the actor, and that goes for kids as well as adults. And another thing, let’s not forget that in this day and age of interconnected everything and everybody, you never know who is going to see a clip of your kid playing a small role in a humble indy film and put in a call looking to cast him or her based on that alone. Also remember that some of the greatest modern filmmakers and actors of our time came out of indy projects; the great Wes Anderson (“Royal Tennebaums,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox”) got his start based on a 13-minute independent film called “Bottle Rocket” that he shot with a bunch of college buddies on a shoestring budget. Two of those college buddies? Then-unknown Luke and Owen Wilson. This isn’t to say that your child should accept every role offered, nor that you should sell them on every role as if it could be just a step away from superstardom. It’s just that it’s important to remember that acting is a process of growth that has nothing to do with what we get paid to do it, and that each actor travels along his own uniquely twisting, turning path. To think that the only way to get more talented is by working on paid, big-dollar acting gigs is a mistake. What’s more, community theater and indy projects are a great way for your kid to play something with a bit more meat on the bone than he or she is likely to get at this point in a big-budget commercial or film. Playing the lead or something close to it is a valuable experience and only makes you a better actor – even if the pay is in the form of free tickets for friends and relatives! 

4. Acting Can’t Be Everything

While it is important to remember that if your child is serious about pursuing acting, they must dedicate themselves to it, it’s equally important to remember that, especially for a kid, acting simply cannot be the ONLY thing they do. Make sure your child has plenty of other avenues to pursue fun and success – sports, martial arts, crafts, dancing, etc. – and you will find that each additional skill they develop ultimately will lend itself to their acting in the form of confidence. Also, we adult actors find that its often the outside aspects of our lives, the things we do and have experienced that have nothing to do directly with acting that most inform our acting choices and lend richness and texture to our performances. Same goes for kids. A well-rounded individual makes for a better actor, and it makes for a more confident actor as well.

5. Improv, Everywhere, Always  

If you haven’t done so already, get your kid involved in an improv class! There is nothing like the rush of adapting and adjusting to what’s happening around you on stage or on camera to build your confidence as an actor. And keep in mind, improv is a learned skill set. Helping your kid develop this aspect of his or her actor’s toolkit will take them a long way toward being a confident, healthy, happy actor for life!

With social media such a dominant part of everyone’s lives these days, it’s amazing that there are still actors who shy away from jumping into the game with both feet.

Not that there aren’t valid reasons for a certain caution when it comes to social media, in light of the revelations of Facebook’s playing fast and loose with user data through Cambridge Analytica over the course of the 2016 election cycle, and seemingly endless stories about hacks revealing user data from any number of sites.

However, those stories are the exception rather than the rule. And its in sites’ interest to plug those security holes quickly and efficiently or risk losing money. 

So as actors we’d be foolish not to try to leverage our social media accounts into as much exposure and potential work for ourselves as possible. It’s up to us to take full advantage of all the social media jungle has to offer – while still keeping our feet on the ground and our identities both on- and off-line secure.

To that end, perhaps it’s time for a refresher in how we can best utilize social media to further our careers and fulfill our artistic lives via networking with like-minded artists and professionals, while still remaining safe. Here are a few ideas!

1. Don’t Seek Validation

Often with actors there’s a tendency to use social media to seek out all the validation we may not get on a daily basis from making the grind of auditions and classes. The internet is a godsend when it comes to sharing information about our shows and events and trying to get butts in seats, as well as sharing our accomplishments. And while there’s nothing wrong with enjoying an upvote or a heart or a like or a re-tweet on a post or photo you’ve uploaded, if that’s what you LIVE for, that’s a problem. Far too many of us wind up getting it exactly backwards and getting sucked into thinking the hearts and likes are the actual POINT of it all, when nothing could be further from the truth. Social media is just a tool, one you can use to share your important events and join acting groups and find classes and auditions and so forth, but don’t let it become an obsession as so many do. Another note on validation: far too many actors have a metaphorical hole inside them labeled “validate me” that can never, ever be filled to their satisfaction. This is a problem that runs much deeper than social media of course, and one that we’re not going to fix here today. But it’s worth mentioning nonetheless in this context, simply because social media makes it so easy for predatory types to take advantage of the neediest among us. Cambridge Analytica isn’t the only entity out there seeking user info and trying to leverage it for its own nefarious purposes. Individuals to that sometimes too. Maintaining a healthy distance from, and relationship with your social media – that is, always remain cognizant that it is a tool for you to use, not a means of making you feel whole – will help keep you safe. Post your posts, like other people’s posts, get your name out there for auditions and jobs (right here at NYCastings.com for starters) and then put down your phone, close your laptop, and get yourself out to a class or work on memorizing a new monologue or head to an audition!

2. Don’t Compare

Another insidious trap of social media is getting caught up in comparing yourself to your peers. Hey, let’s face facts: actors can be a jealous bunch. Who hasn’t seen some fellow actor’s post about a role they landed or an award they won and thought, “THAT guy?!? Really? I could do so much better…” This is simply human nature. It can’t be helped to have passing thoughts like these from time to time. However, spending all your time obsessively poring over the social media feeds of everyone you went to theater school with or your circle of acting buddies who all wind up going to the same auditions wherever you live is a trap that can never make you happy. The thing is, even if you are the one to nail some awesome role and you momentarily allow yourself to feel superior and smug when you share it, there will always be another role or accolade to come along, and another and another. It’s not the “winning” or “losing” that’s the problem here, its the mindset beneath. We are all unique individuals and no two actors or people run the exact same race in the exact same way. Don’t let social media talk you into measuring your worth against others;  it can only end in heartbreak and bitterness.

3. Don’t Be An Attention Whore

This is related to the above two notes, but deserves its own category. Too many actors have taken the model of creating an online personality from the Kardashian school and believe that it’s acceptable to use social media to seek attention for the most ridiculous “achievements.” While it’s of course a huge boon to have the reach of social media these days and the potential to reach the eyeballs of millions of people in the industry, remember that they can see the good, the bad and the ugly, if that’s what you’re posting. While it’s great if your posts about some show or a video clip from an original short you made with friends gets a casting director to look you up, you also have the potential to turn people off and make them NOT call you based on something you post in your zeal to get all the attention from all the people. Also, for the love of god, don’t be a humble-bragger: “Oh my god! Three callbacks in one week! What if I get all three roles? I’m going to be sooooo busy! Haha!” Oh, shut it, Tiffany. Everyone knows what you’re doing. 

4. Put the Social Back in Social Media

Here’s the thing far too many actors forget about social media: the “social” part. That word implies a back and forth, a network, a feedback loop that is circular and doesn’t necessarily have you at the center. The feeds are not your soapbox or your personal DIY ad agency for getting your information out there and nothing else beyond that. No, in order to make the social media outlets work best for you, you’ve got to help them work for your friends and colleagues too. Celebrate the achievements of others, join their groups, reach out to people offering classes, seek out advice, offer advice, find people to collaborate with. The real trick to getting noticed on social media in actors’ circles is to not try too hard to be noticed. Helping others helps yourself by putting you firmly in the mix. As others take notice of your positivity and all the cool support you offer them, they will give you back the same. 

5. Do The Work

Finally, put the social into social media but aimed squarely at the professional side of things. The note above is more about peers, and yes, you never know who might know whom, so this is a very important aspect to cultivate. Perhaps equally important however is to do some leg work and set aside some time to actively seek out professional connections online as well. In the olden times, you used to have to pay hundreds of dollars for the privilege of attending networking events where you’d get the opportunity to stand around a mildew-smelling airport Hilton meeting room with several dozen other sweaty, uncomfortable-looking people in stick-on name tags, hoping Steven Spielberg might drift by at any moment. No such luck, generally speaking. However, these days, all that is mostly behind us, my brethren and sistren. Nowadays you can do more solid networking in an hour sitting at your computer in your pajamas than you could at a weekend mixer event like in the bad old days. Reach out to casting directors, agents, filmmakers, screenwriters, etc. As long as you keep it respectful and avoid being stalky, most people won’t mind. If they do, well, lesson learned and they likely won’t respond at all, nothing more. 

The bottom line is we have to make social media a regular part of our work as actors building our careers. If you do it judiciously and smart, you never know where online connections might lead! 

“What I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.” – Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills in “Taken” (2009)

When you’re just starting out as a small fish actor in a massive pond, you’ve always got to be on the lookout for some way to shine, some way to make a unique mark among the millions of other hungry actors like yourself. 

And we all have that one actor friend who is, shall we say, “gifted.” 

The actor with the special skill set just as particular as that of Liam Neeson in “Taken,” if perhaps not so lethal. 

This would be the actor you always see at the callbacks.

It’s also the actor you often see quickly rising up to the top of whatever pond he or she happens to be swimming in, and seeking out bigger lakes and oceans.

And when you think about it, special skills these days can be all you need to leverage your way into regular work – if not actual fame. Depending on how you define “special skills,” people from Hugh Jackman to Kim Kardashian got where they are today due to their special skills! 

Hugh for his ability to sing, dance, act and do on-set combat – you know, actor stuff – and Kim for her ability to…uh, well, to quote Joel McHale, she’s “famous for having a big ass and a sex tape.”

That apparently counts for a skill in this day and age. Who knew?

We’re by no means suggesting that the low-road Kardashian path to fame is in any way a recommended path. However, her story can be an opportunity for reflection on special skills. We all have them, but we don’t all use them to our best advantage. 

So what’s the best way to maximize your certain set of skills and parley them into a career? Here’s a few ideas.

1. Get To Work

Here’s hoping that you’re more prone to the Hugh Jackman route, that is, mastering skills one can perform in polite company. Here’s also hoping you’ve submitted your info here to NYCastings, the site where more agents and CDs go first when looking for talent! 

Now down to brass tacks on special skills: If there’s one thing you do NOT want to fudge on your acting resume, it’s the special skills section. Look, most people aren’t going to check up on whether you really played the lead in the senior production of “Bye Bye Birdie” at uni, but if you have “expert-level equestrian” on there and you get called in to read based on that, guess what? You better not be afraid of horses. Be honest in your self-assessment as you fill in this section. You do not want to get a reputation for not being able to live up to your “reputation.” If you’re applying for an office job and you exaggerate your MSWorks background a little, usually no one’s the wiser. But when it comes to acting and going out to read based on your special skills, your exacting honesty is everything.

2. Remember, They’re YOUR Skills, No One Else’s

Here’s the thing about your special skills: they are YOURS. They are unique to you, and no one else in the history of the world possesses them in quite the same configuration or with the same quirks and styles as you. Far too many up-and-coming actors get so caught up in trying to shoehorn themselves into every single gig that comes along that they forget this. When you’re looking to market yourself it’s important to remember, no matter how good an actor you are, ultimately who you’re marketing is you, the actual you. Instead of trying to cram yourself into every set of shoot requirements that comes along in the casting notices, focus instead on ways to put yourself out there with what you’ve already got. 

3. So What You Got?

Here’s where it’s time to get creative. Do you have a hearing-impaired sibling, and thus grew up with ASL? Were you on the swim team? Do you attend a capoeira class? Granted, some life-skills along these lines are more likely to come in handy than others. Being an avid scuba diver is somewhat more likely to come up on a casting notice than being able to make a great tuna casserole. But at the same time, it’s up to you – and it’s allowed – for you to get a little creative here. If you have studied a martial arts discipline for any length of time, for instance, it’s on you to really do some leg work and get that marketed. Join social media groups, post videos, network that particular area, always emphasizing that you’re an actor first. There’s no reason why something like that should be moldering in a corner of your resume waiting for someone to come across it. In this day and age when Marvel films drop seemingly more often than the clocks change, there are more roles going for people versed in stage combat than at any time in history. 

4. Where to Share 

First, in this epoch where the information coming at everyone is like the roar from a jet engine, it’s not good enough to post a couple videos of your latest class or competition to your YouTube channel and  simply wait around poolside for the Kardashians to call. If you’re going to go the special skills route, you’ve got to market that sucker relentlessly. You’ve got to get it into high volume in order to make an impact. The trick about marketing special skills is becoming “that actor who does martial arts,” and possesses a certain look. When the CDs and producers pass your name around between them without you having to lift a finger, that’s when you’ve done your job. 

5. Don’t Forget To Work On Standard Special Skills 

Remember our friend Hugh? Don’t forget the importance of expanding your range as a dancer/singer/fighter/actor. Take another class, learn to tango, pick up a free online course on a new dialect you’ve always toyed with but never really owned. Special skills are where it’s at, and the more – and the more better – yours are, the more you’ll help yourself in this oh-so competitive world!

If there’s one thing that becomes abundantly clear after you’ve been around the acting business for a while it’s that no two roads are identical.

Everyone from MFAs to people who stumbled into the business after giving a best-man speech at a wedding has the potential for greatness, and everyone, by definition, carves their own path. 

In fact, there are people who would argue that the more unique your journey, the better equipped you’ll be to adapt to whatever comes your way. 

Enter Susan Johnston, independent casting director and actor. She’s a lady with a reputation for putting out fires and saving people’s bacon when things go south as far as casting goes.

“I’m known as a rescue casting director,” she says “I’ll get a call at 11 at night saying, ‘can you get me someone?’ And I say yes because I can send it out in one click to 8,000 people. Those 8,000 people are from novices to Oscar winners, from agents to managers to owners of these online sites, and I’ll say ‘Do not share,’ so they know I’m pulling from that pool.”

But it wasn’t always this way. Johnston’s road was as long and winding as anyone’s. First of all, she had the tremendous luck to wind up in LA just at the height of the SAG strike. As a fresh-faced actor just off the bus from New England, what’s a new arrival to do if there’s no acting work? 

“I emailed everybody I knew back east and asked who they knew,” Johnston said. 

That search turned up casting director Renita Whited. And the work started coming in immediately, it just might not have been the kind of work you’d expect. 

“Renita called me at midnight that night, and asked if I could be on set the next morning at 6:30,” she said. “For Kid Rock’s video ‘American Badass.’ They really liked me on set. I was talent wrangler, and it was great, I put out a few fires. Then they called me the next day and said, can you come out again and play the ‘White Trash Woman?’ So one day I’m the talent wrangler, one day I’m the ‘White Trash Woman.’”

And while there were some questions about whether doing music videos is allowed under SAG rules during a strike – at the time Johnston was under the impression they were allowed. There is certainly no question that Johnston knows how to hustle up work. She’s been in a Bon Jovi video, done one each by Nickel Creek and Britney Spears, and numerous other projects, but these days she’s mostly put her acting days behind her.

“I tried keeping them separate for a really long time,” she says. “Because casting directors don’t really know casting directors unless they’re members of CSA, which I’m sure is a great organization. But I survived the 2008 economic crisis by working many different jobs.”

These days Johnston doesn’t do so much acting, rather she runs her own shop, Susan Johnston Casting. On June 17 she’s hosting a networking lounge where actors can drop off their headshots and get themselves on her email list, a valuable resource if you’re in the LA area. 

And if bringing physical headshots sounds old-fashioned, Johnston says its worth it, if you want results.

“I can’t tell you how many directors or talent I’ve pitched on projects, saying, ‘I know this person. If you want me to talk to them I will.’ I actually had an acting website tell me that’s kind of old school, having physical headshots. Why would you do that? And I said, because it works.”

When it comes to casting, Johnston likes to see a bit of self-sufficiency. Having made her way down her own rubble-strewn road, she’s the type of casting director who has a strong affinity for people who come walking in the door confident and professional.

“I want to see someone with their act together,” she says. “It’s a business. Leave your ego at the door, leave your stress that you’ve never been in this area before or you got the wrong time. I’m sorry if your dog died, but all that, we don’t need. I like someone who comes in and does their thing.

“My question is who are you? Are you going to have a meltdown because you couldn’t find a parking space?”

She also has some advice for how actors take notes. The key is to remember that directors are trying to get you to do something different, but that doesn’t mean you did badly the first time.

“The other thing that drives me nuts is when the director gives you a note, it doesn’t mean they didn’t like what you did,” she said. “More times than not it means they want to see if you can take direction. Most of the time that’s when an actor gets defensive. But that’s where you have to be able to roll with it. If they ask you to do it with a little more mustard, and you don’t know what mustard means, make mustard mean something to you, commit and do. Just go to it.” 

And Johnston had another note for actors, one that probably everyone of us is guilty of. 

“People should really hold the moment, and let us say cut,” she said. “Say the last line is ‘Do you want to go to dinner?’ So you hear the word dinner, and everybody starts looking at the casting director. No no no. Look at that person and look into their eyes to respond to your question, listening for the answer to your question, and you’re going to look brilliant. The hardest moments and the more brilliant moments are in the silence.”

As far as actors thinking about making the jump to LA, Johnston has nothing but encouragement – combined with a dose of reality.

“Wherever you are now, you are a big fish in a little pond,” she said. “Here you’re a tiny fish in the big ocean. Which means there’s a lot more competition, beyond your wildest expectations. That doesn’t mean you will not succeed, I just want you to know what you’re getting into.” 

http://susanjohnstoncasting.com/rsvp.html

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0426856/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

Let’s face facts: Being an actor is the best job in the world! Sure, there are challenges to the job, but even with all the hard work, auditions, late nights and early mornings on set, the classes, the memorization and even all the rejection, acting is the most fun you can have without getting arrested. And for it to be a job where you get paid money is more than any sane person should ask for!

The great news is that acting is getting easier than it has ever been — or at least looking for acting work is. For instance check out NYCasting’s audition opportunities – and self-submit today! There’s no better place to putting yourself in front of the widest range of casting directors and producers who are looking for actors today! 

One other new innovation almost all of these acting opportunities have in common is that you will need to self-tape at least once in order to be considered. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’re on point when it comes to your on-camera auditions, especially when you’re self-taping. Here are a few ways to make sure you’re giving them the best you’ve got every time you audition on camera!

1. Put On Your Director Hat

Whether you’re self-taping or preparing to go in for an on-camera audition, it’s vital you take some time to play director as well as actor. That means taking the time to really study yourself and what you look like on camera. One of the biggest mistakes actors make when it comes to self-taping is they’re often unprepared for the technical aspects of it. Every self-tape opportunity that comes along they act like it’s the first time they’ve ever heard of such a thing. They go into panic mode and flail around getting a rushed self-tape piece done and sent off.

And then they cross their fingers and hope for a phone call that’s never going to come.

Much like we do with the actual acting part, it’s a good idea to rehearse. At the very least take the time to look over other self-tape auditions you’ve done. Study what you look like on camera and work on any quirks you might be throwing out there – which you will often be unaware of! Bobbing your head in time to words you emphasize in your lines, blinking too much, or darting your eyes around are all very common tics – and they’re all very distracting.

As mortifying as it can be, you really need to watch yourself a lot in order to even know what you look like on camera. And then you need to watch yourself even more as you go about correcting it. The camera picks up on and vastly magnifies these tics – and we all have them! Don’t stress about them, nor should you feel as if you have to stay perfectly still. You want to aim for natural, of course. But as they say, knowing is half the battle, and that applies to knowing what you look like on camera.

2. Know What You’re Saying

No, really. It’s hard to overemphasize how important it is to really know not only your lines, but what lies beneath them, the true depth of what your character is trying to achieve. We all are aware of this, of course. But the fact remains we also have all at one time or another rushed it when it comes to thinking we’re truly off-book. This ties in with the first note above when it comes to self-taping: the tendency is to rush and record a self-tape before we’re really ready to give it our best.

And granted, there is almost always a time factor when it comes to sending in a self-tape audition. But sending in a piece before you’ve got it down solid is less than useless – you might not think CDs remember you out of the thousands of actors they see, but if you send in a few sloppy, under-prepared self-tapes you might find the offers to record new ones drying up.

So make sure you’re giving them your best! Here’s another place where we can use our training in and understanding of the importance of rehearsal to our advantage. That is to say, the more often you turn around self-tape pieces the better you’re going to get at it, and the faster you’ll get at memorizing and going deep on the material too. Recording a monologue or two to self-evaluate can’t hurt either as you work on getting better. After all, it should only take one to two minutes to knock out a monologue! The main thing to keep in mind is to recognize in yourself when you are truly ready to hit record on a self-audition, and to make sure you’ve got those lines internalized and that you’re fully embodying the character.

3. But Don’t Only Know One Way To Say It

The thing about rehearsing is that it is possible to over rehearse. Perhaps the biggest challenge in the actor’s life is learning to recognize that fine line and understanding how not to cross it. Knowing the words and the objectives they impart to your character is just that: it doesn’t imply that you’re going to say the words the same way every time, or use the same tactics to try to achieve those objectives.

It’s vital to be nimble mentally and emotionally, to be figuratively light on your feet when it comes to on-camera and self-tape auditions.

Think of the difference between a boxer and a wrestler: a wrestler is plodding, solid, low to the ground – he is the unmovable object.

A boxer, on the other hand dances around his opponent, he bobs and weaves and is constantly in motion as he seeks an opening for attack. The opponent, and the objective – which is beating him – doesn’t change. But the boxer’s approach to beating him is constantly in flux, in motion, and changing in the blink of an eye. Be like the boxer: be ready to adapt and to attack the objective from an endless variety of angles.

4. Be

That is, don’t act. Dovetailing with the note above, the way to really stand out on camera and especially in a self-tape audition is to show you’re fully engaged and of a piece with the scene you are playing. Yes, you are going into a character. But the more that character seems like a real person, the better the response is going to be. A big obstacle for less-experienced actors when it comes to self-taping and really any kind of on-camera auditions is managing to put aside the nerves and awareness of the camera. Again, practice is your friend here: the more time you can spend in front of the camera whether it be in self-taping monologues, performing scenes with your friends, creating your own work for YouTube or actually working on set, the more you’ll be able to forget about the camera and just be.

5. Ramp Up Into It

Another valuable tool is to always remember the moment before and the moment after. If you’re going to be reading a scene for a self-tape with an off-camera reader, take a few minutes to just converse with your reader in character before you start to record. Where were these people just before the scene? What were they doing or what might they have been talking about before getting to “the heat of the meat” in the real scene? You’ll be amazed at how much more genuine and sharp your reads will be if you take just a little extra time to do this!Killingitatyournextaudition

“When I did plays in high school and college, I never remember memorizing my lines…Before I had blocking, it was just text on a page. Once it became embodied, it was much easier.”
–Greta Gerwig (“Lady Bird”)

As actors we talk so much.

And so much of our talk is about talking. We talk about memorizing lines, getting off-book, finding our objectives and the various tactics we use to try to achieve them through our characters. And in all that talk, something often gets missed or at least put aside: What about the rest of us?

After all, actors aren’t just brains attached to vocal cords perched atop a spinal column. (How’s that for a vision of “Theater of the Future” in some sci-fi, dystopian nightmare?)

No, we are people playing people, and people have bodies that are constantly in motion. 

So let’s talk blocking. 

First of all a definition, just in case: blocking is the general term used to describe an actor’s physical movements when performing, whether it be on stage or on camera. 

A director will have you “cross” – literally walk across the space – toward or away from another actor, sit on the furniture, stand, fall down, put on a jacket, pick up a prop, etc. etc. All of this is your blocking. There are dozens of more specific, technical-ish terms breaking these moves down into more detail – for instance, instead of taking a straight path you might do a “banana right” (take a curved path) you might “cross up(stage)” or “cross down(stage)” of another actor, or be asked to “cheat out” (turn body and face more toward camera or the audience) when in a certain conversations.

Understanding how all of this works is important, and a quick search will show tons of resources out there breaking down the various terms stage managers and directors use to indicate blocking. 

But that’s just the mechanics of it. The importance of blocking to a play or a film goes much deeper than that; it’s so much more than just “stand over there, say this line, then cross to this spot.” 

In fact, the way characters move in scene is a vital part of the storytelling of the piece. Think for a moment about silent films: even between the cards that would pop up on screen with dialogue on them, the performers still managed to tell a story – without sound.

Thinking of your blocking in this light can be incredibly useful: remember that you are a storyteller at all times when you’re performing; just because it isn’t your line at the moment doesn’t mean the camera or the audience can’t see you. They still “hear” the story you’re telling even when you’re silent.

A person who is confident moves and carries themselves differently than a person who is nervous or insecure. A person who is PRETENDING to be confident moves differently from one who actually is confident. The way you get up from a chair, the speed with which you approach another character – all of these details matter to the story you’re trying to tell.

Don’t Be a Robot

One common mistake a lot of less-experienced actors make is they assume that since a director is ultimately responsible for setting their blocking, they have no agency over it. You can see this in countless high school and community theater plays: actors passively move from spot to spot, just as they were told to do, but lacking any purpose or drive or impetus to get them there. They are essentially on autopilot: “say these words, now go to this place, now say more words,” and so on and so on until the play finally, mercifully ends.

The audience can tell when this is happening. Know why? Because the characters in the play are meant to represent human beings, and the audience is made up of human beings too. So the falseness of movement that’s unmotivated or robotic – just doing as you’re told with no organic reason behind it – is really, really apparent. The audience may not always know WHY it seems wrong, but they know it seems wrong.

And while it’s true that the director and/or cinematographer will decide where you need to be in order to make a shot or a scene work, you still have to be involved. You are part of a collaboration, and you have a responsibility to give your character life. It’s perfectly acceptable and usually even encouraged by most directors for an actor to speak up if they  feel uncomfortable or false with a bit of blocking. That’s not to say you should automatically argue with every single little blocking choice. But if something feels weird to you as the actor playing the character, its going to look weird on stage or film. The director can often help you figure out a way to make it work. 

And look, it might come down to “I just need you to be over there at this point.” That’s the reality of acting, after all: it’s ultimately a simulation of life. But that still doesn’t let you off the hook! If you’re given an unalterable blocking direction like that, you still have to find a reason to carry it out. Make one up if you have to, but you’ve got to have a purpose or it reads to the audience like you are drifting. So…

Don’t Be a Drifter

As people and thus as actors our movements are informed by our desires, our objectives and the tactics we use to chase after them. Floating about shuffling your feet while having a conversation might be what happens from time to time, but even that is informed by desire: “I’m trying to spare you pain and thus avoiding telling you something,” for instance, or “I want to get away from you,” and that objective comes out in motions that are uncertain.

But most of the time the way we move illustrates what we want – or how we are trying to hide what we really want – in a stronger way. And here’s the thing: your CHARACTER can be uncertain. You the actor cannot. You have to know why you’re moving the way you’re moving and where, and execute it with intent and purpose.

A happily married couple moves around each other differently from an unhappily married couple. There is purpose and intent in these moves, if I either desire to be with you more than anything, or conversely can’t stand to be around you, I’m going to move differently. 

The bottom line is that, just as it’s your responsibility to learn your lines and show up on time, it’s your responsibility too to make sure that in your scene analysis you explore every aspect of how the lines and the character arc and your objectives inform your blocking. And that you get them ingrained so they’re as natural as your own movements. Take this extra step and you will be well on your way to creating a fully fleshed-out, rich, genuine and deep character that the audience will instantly get!

Learn More ShowBiz Terms!

When newer actors get work on films or television shows, there is sometimes a bit of a learning curve when it comes to delivering for the camera, especially doing multiple takes of the same scene.

There are so many factors that come into play beyond our simple viewpoint as actors. We’re usually focused on finding our marks and working with our scene partners on creating a genuine connection – as it should be of course! – that we sometimes can’t see the forest for the trees.

But if you want to take your acting to the next level, it’s important to keep in mind that there is a much, much bigger picture hovering over all of the work you’re doing down in the trenches. That’s a useful metaphor to begin to imagine the larger world you’re a part of: think of yourself the actor as grunt on the front lines. But try to imagine what the generals are seeing, and how you can make their jobs easier when it comes time to edit together a finished product. 

If you can learn some tricks to do just that, you’ll be able to vault your on-camera career ahead a few notches in the blink of an eye. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you want to make directors, cinematographers and editors happy, and ensure that your hard work ends up on the screen and not the cutting-room floor!

1. Don’t Change The Objective

There is so much that can change from take to take, differences that an audience might not be able to identify, but which nonetheless mark a particular scene as “The One” and leaves others in the dust. Something that you should never change however is your objective. Make sure you bring the same clear, playable objective to every single take or you’re asking for trouble. Think of it this way: for a given scene in a movie or television show to go longer than two minutes is a rarity. So it’s vital that what you bring to it is consistent, and crystal clear. If you’re still a little fuzzy on what exactly is meant by an objective, there are a couple of must-have books: Michael Shurtleff’s “Audition,” and “The Practical Handbook for the Actor,” written by a group of actors who worked with David Mamet and William Macy in developing a clear, coherent and simple checklist of ways to discover and act your objectives. In the meantime, a useful shorthand is to take Shurtleff’s phrase, “what you’re fighting for” in the scene to substitute for the word “objective.” This is what you want, what you’re doing here in the scene. And of course, any scene revolves around characters trying to get what they want. That part is inherent to the script, the arc of the story, and the arc of the individual character, so it doesn’t change. What can and does change from take to take on camera or from night to night on stage is what tactics you use to try to achieve it. This is where the “action” part of acting comes in – because that’s what we are doing after all: by ACTING we are performing an ACTION. There are numerous lists out there of “actable verbs” but here’s a handy PDF of a few to get you started. So just make sure that the verb you choose supports the objective your character is trying to achieve, but then feel free to plug in different verbs (actions) to play from take to take to keep it fresh. 

2. Blocking 

But no matter where your various tactics take you, whether you are “bullying,” “begging” or “cajoling” to try to get what you want, you simply can’t change your blocking. Too many younger actors when they get on set make the mistake of thinking freedom to act means freedom to move wherever you want. Remember that the space you see on the set isn’t really the space you get to work with. The actual space may be a huge, cavernous soundstage, but the space you are actually working within is what the camera sees, and what the director wants to show. So if you end up changing up your blocking as a result of going all Pacino in a particular take, it’s likely to wind up in the editor’s recycle bin. What’s more, when you’re working with a camera, crew, and other actors in that very tight, very limited space of the frame of the shot, you just don’t have the freedom to change a whole lot, physically speaking.

3. Eye line 

Now we’re getting into the nitty-gritty of thinking outside our actor’s box and looking at a production through the lens of an editor or director. Much the same as with blocking, your eye lines must remain consistent from take to take if it’s going to end up in the final cut. You are likely not the only actor in a scene, and even if you are, there are probably going to be multiple takes of you from various angles that are eventually going to be cut together to form a coherent whole. Any time your eye line shifts from one take to another it creates an inconsistency and renders one take or another unusable if it doesn’t match the others. Work with your director and your scene partner to discover what works best as far as your eye lines go over the course of the scene and stick with it. This doesn’t mean you have to be an automaton; just remember that cutting together several takes from several different camera angles is tricky enough as it is – if your gaze is all over the place from take to take it just won’t work. Another behind-the-camera trick that is useful to keep in mind is that the director and the editor aren’t automatons either, simply taking whatever the actors do and slapping it together to make a coherent time line. They are trained to guide the viewer’s eye to where they want him or her to look. The director and the editor have a pretty good idea of what’s important in the scene, and they are using the actors to tell the audience what that is. You changing your eyeline can blow that up and render a take unusable.

4. Props 

This relates to both the above notes and probably isn’t particularly surprising, but nonetheless it is a rule that gets violated a surprising amount of time: props must be used in the same way and in the same place in every single take. Don’t make your editor’s job harder by going all crazy and slinging your jacket over your left shoulder for one take when it’s been the right shoulder all along. The idea of all of this is to make it easy for them to look at using all your takes so they can use your best ones and show you in your best light. Don’t limit their palette. Lock these physical things in and then forget about them, because it’s time for that acting to really begin.

5. Emotion

One thing that’s often surprising is where you might go emotionally just from changing your tactics. And if you are open to receiving these new emotions – perhaps feelings you never even imagined stemming from that particular scene when you were rehearsing it – you can take yourself and your audience to surprising new places. Back to the tactic examples of “bullying,” “begging” or “cajoling.” Have you ever wanted something so bad it almost made you cry tears of frustration? That might occur if you hit “begging” just right. “Cajoling” can easily turn into a kind of seduction, can’t it? You might be surprised where a scene goes if you open up that avenue. And who hasn’t been surprised to see someone unexpectedly using “bullying” tactics at one time or another? All of these can create emotional colors and shades that are different from what you might expect, and different from take to take, but which nonetheless remain consistent with the overall piece and the scene. Take the improv imperative “yes and” to a whole new level with your emotions and see where it leads! 

And don’t forget, you have to get yourself in front of the camera first to show them what you’ve learned. Be sure to self-submit to NYCastings and get your face in front of the best in the business! 

It’s springtime, when a young actor’s fancy used to turn to thoughts of pursuing a career on one of the coasts. For some it was the lure of the glamour of LA: the Hollywood hills, the waves crashing on broad beaches; for others it was the draw of old New York: Shakespeare in the Park, the history of Broadway, and the iconic filming locations that sound a siren song.

These days however, for many a savvy and adventurous actor, that call comes with more of a southern twang.

Welcome to Y’allywood, y’all! Atlanta is a relatively new, but booming production hub that somehow still falls off the radar of actors – and doesn’t get the respect it deserves as a rival to LA and NYC.

In other words, if you’re an up-and-coming actor looking to take your career to the next level and find yourself plenty of opportunities to work, you might want to consider hitting up the 404!

What’s On?

Atlanta is the production home of numerous blockbuster series and films, and as every actor knows, success begets success. Starting with the breakout hit run of “The Walking Dead,” dozens of other production companies and studios saw the draw of shooting in Georgia. Given the tax breaks the state offers, the area’s diverse geography, and of course the massive talent pool to be found in Atlanta – a city of 450,000, but hub for the 9th largest metro area in the US with nearly 6 million people – setting up shop in Atlanta is a no-brainer for many production companies. 

Aside from “The Walking Dead,” Atlanta is home to “Stranger Things,” “McGyver,” and of course, Donald Glover’s Emmy-winning “Atlanta,” along with dozens more shows. That’s not even counting all the films that have shot or are shooting there, including “The Fast and the Furious 8,” “Baby Driver,” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp” along with tons of other Marvel films. We’re talking hundreds if not thousands of available roles every year for all levels of actors here.

Use Your Outside Voice 

And don’t forget about voiceover opportunities. If you’ve been thinking about expanding your palette from on-camera and stage work to voiceover, Atlanta might just be the perfect place to get started. While the industry is fully-fleshed out and has been rolling along for many years, heading south for voice work still means less competition than in New York and LA (although it is growing every day!) 

A great example of the Atlanta vibe is the breakout madness of “Archer” which somehow made the jump to the mainstream. But Adam Reed, the lunatic mind behind much of the animation style and writing came straight from Atlanta’s Williams Street studios, where most Adult Swim shows are produced. They have a constant stream of work for voice actors – especially those with quality comedic chops – on shows like “Black Dynamite,” “The Venture Brothers,” and “Rick and Morty.” Not all of those shows tape in Atlanta, but you could do worse than to be associated with the Williams Street brand if you want to get into voice work.

Firsthand Testimony

And it’s not just actors who love living and working in Atlanta. As a veteran casting director who went to school at UCLA and cut her teeth working her way up the casting ladder in LA, Cathy Reinking (“Fraser,” “Arrested Development”) has opinions about living and working the Peachtree City, where she’s been based for the past several years. Having spent many years in LA and also Denver, the author of “How to Book Acting Jobs in TV and Film” has a broad base from which to compare.

“It’s a perfect city for me,” Reinking said in a recent interview. “There’s culture, it’s diverse, I can live in the city and it’s affordable, people are nice, it’s clean–it’s like a perfect city. People here complain about the traffic, but it’s NOTHING compared to L.A.”

Okay I’m Convinced. Now What?

So your bags are packed, and you’re all set to hit the road and head to the old south to make your fortune in Hotlanta. Now you’re just wondering: how am I going to get started? 

Before You Leave…

First off all, don’t go anywhere before you check all the casting notices and self-submit right here at NYCastings! Don’t let the name fool you – NYCastings has all the latest audition notices and the best and brightest CDs, agents, directors and producers locked in and seeking talent across the country – including Atlanta. Wouldn’t it be nice to book a job or secure an interview with an Atlanta-based agent before you ever even get in your car to head south? 

Get Online

One great advantage of this modern age for the adventurous traveler is that you can do a whole lot more research on where you’re going before you ever get there. Not only looking for apartment rentals, area maps, and job prospects – you can also start building your network before you ever leave home, and help ensure yourself a smooth landing when you arrive. Get on social media and search for actor’s groups and casting agencies in Atlanta. Get on Twitter and follow Atlanta-based actors, CDs and agents. For sure check out CastingGA, and Big Picture Casting, as well as Cathy Reinking on Twitter. You never know where a simple email or an inquiry via direct message might lead! 

Once You Arrive

While it’s always stressful moving to a new city – finding a place to live, a new job, learning new roads and social mores and just adjusting to a whole new life – it’s also tremendously liberating, if you adopt the right mindest. This is a chance to metaphorically toss out all the old, dusty boxes in the basement of your life and start anew. Find yourself some classes and workshops, and get started on building yourself a new network of acting buddies.

Or, if money’s too tight at first to shell out for a solid class, that’s okay too. If there’s one thing people in the creative arts are constantly looking for its help. Volunteer at one of the many theaters in Atlanta’s burgeoning scene working as an usher in exchange for a free seat. Help out backstage with building sets or strike. Look for workshops and seminars on acting and auditioning, and make sure you hit all the industry nights and opening night receptions. There’s no opportunity for making friends quite like talking with an actor just coming off the stage with that successful opening-night buzz and a cocktail in hand! You’ll make all kinds of friends and potentially valuable business contacts at these kinds of events, even if you are a total newbie.

And remember, Facebook is your friend. There are countless FB groups for actors, scene study, performing improv groups, open mic nights – you name it. 

The bottom line is there’s never been a better time to jump into the Atlanta scene with both feet! Eat a peach and get Georgia on your mind, and you may well jumpstart your acting career in a big way!

We’re all aware of the great collaborations that seem to crop up again and again when it comes to acting, directing, and creating in general: Alfred Hitchcock and James Stewart, Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp.

And there’s good reason for that, beside the fact that they’re all talented and gifted creators. When you work with someone you’ve worked with many times before, there’s an unspoken language between you. There’s a shorthand that, while it may not replace normal language, at least allows you to get to where you need to go more quickly and efficiently. 

And while communication and collaboration between actor and director is of course vital to our success on any project, there’s another, often unsung creative you’re going to need to work with before you ever get signed on to meet a director, and that’s the casting director. 

It’s unfortunate that so many actors think of the CD (CD = Casting Director) as more of a hindrance, a roadblock to them getting work rather than a vital part of the work in themselves. A more useful mindset is to look at the CD as a partner, another creative just like yourself with whom you want to develop a working relationship and collaborate in order to create something: that something is the “you” that will get you cast.

And just like developing a working relationship with a director can lead to “repeat business” for an actor, so to is developing a working rapport with CDs. If you get hired by a CD once, great! Congratulations! But if you can go back to castings run by the same CD and increase your chances of getting hired by them over and over again, even better. Here’s how to ensure that you put your best foot forward with the CD, and give yourself the best chance of getting that call asking for you in particular to come in and read because they like what you bring to the table!

1. Be Prepared

The thing actors often forget about CDs is that they WANT TO HIRE YOU. Good casting directors aren’t sitting behind that table like sadistic imitations of Simon Cowell, bent on abusing and humiliating you, searching for reasons to reject you. If you are right for the gig, and the CD can get what they need to see from you to show to the rest of the production team, that means they get to go home! (Well, not literally, but believe me, each piece of the casting puzzle they fill in makes each subsequent piece that much easier to choose.) So, there’s nothing more frustrating for a CD who calls in an actor they’ve never met, but who seems to have the right look and experience level based on a headshot, a CV and a reel, only to find that when he or she arrives they are completely unprepared. They’re late, they haven’t done any research into the role or the piece, they haven’t even looked at the sides, much less worked out an action and an objective for their character. You might be the most amazing actor in the world, but if you can’t make simple preparations for an audition, what does that tell the CD about how you might prepare prior to being on set? 

2. Be Nice 

Just be nice, for goodness’ sake. Not only on set when the director is looking, not only in the audition room, but also when you’re off camera in the make-up trailer, or when you’re waiting to read. CDs are in a weird position: their reputation is staked entirely on YOUR reputation. Every time you book a gig you’re putting not only your own reputation as an actor on the line, but also that of the person who cast you. It’s a small business in many ways. If a CD sends out an actor one time who behaves like a jerk on set, most production teams and directors will let it slide. But if it happens a few times, that CD is going to be getting a call to discuss said jerky actor. Be the guy or girl they want to hire because they know you will show them in a good light.

3. Be a Yes-Man or Woman

If we can agree that you’re going to be using your acting skills in an audition, then we should also agree that it’s important to utilize the same set of tools we use in any acting project. When a CD works with an actor who is receptive to trying new things in the audition — painting with new colors, attacking the piece from a whole new angle, taking a deep breath and starting again from scratch – they can rest assured that when you’re on set you’ll be open to giving the director a multitude of options. And while you should be prepared when you go to an audition, you shouldn’t be locked in to one set of choices. Just as we approach acting on set or stage, show your CD an open, receptive, flexible attitude, because that’s the kind of actor they want to send out.  

4. Be Good And Get Better

Casting Directors know what you’ve got, but they also know when you’ve stepped up your game. Keep them guessing, keep them surprised to see some new aspect of your acting toolkit come out every time you read. This means keep taking classes, constantly expanding your comfort zone, and finding new and innovative ways to be creative. Every project you do informs every subsequent project; as performers we internalize every performance and incorporate them into ourselves to a lesser or greater degree. So in addition to taking formal classes – which we should all constantly be involved in – get up on stage at open mic nights, join an improv group, start an actors’ scene study group, or write and shoot a video short. CDs are excited to see actors who are excited about what they’re working on, and who are dedicated to improving their craft. (A bonus is that every one of these projects and classes involve other like-minded people, and you never know where your networking will lead!) 

5. Be In Touch   

As mentioned above, the acting business, even if you’re in a hub city like New York, LA or Atlanta, is really made up of a small, insular group of people. That’s why networking is so very important. If you’ve read for a CD a couple of times and you seem to be building a rapport with them, don’t be afraid to drop a note mentioning an upcoming gig or showcase you have going on. Don’t be afraid to check in with them if you change representation, or if you have other big news regarding your career. This is in no way a green light to harass or stalk CDs. But most of them will remind you that they’re human beings too. Reading an email takes a second; fielding a phone call takes two minutes. Advice varies on how far to carry this, whether friending someone on social media is fair game or not, but hey, everyone wants more Twitter followers, right? 

The bottom line is you have to treat your relationship with a CD in much the same way you treat your relationships with every other creative in the business. Casting directors aren’t the bad guy of the story – or alternatively the hero. They are simply another person working a job that allows them to celebrate their passion for this amazing human creation we call acting. Treat them as such!

“I can’t say I was unhappy as a child actor in films. I had a particularly wonderful time.”
–Roddy McDowell 

When speaking to adult actors, one of the most often repeated sentiments is to remind them that this is all about play. We “play” parts, we act in “plays,” in rehearsals directors will sometimes give you leeway to “just play” as you are creating a character or working a scene.

It’s a business where the most successful people never let go of that sense of joy, and discovery, and wonder that is childhood. 

How lucky, then, to have a kid who has discovered he or she enjoys acting at a young age! 

As every parent knows, kids are custom-built for play. And when that side of them is nurtured – along with imparting some small doses of technique and a bit of work – you as the parent can create a life-long love affair in your child for the joy of acting, and you can both have a great time while you’re at it. 

But of course we have to face the facts: this can be a demanding and stressful business. That’s why it’s vital that parents pay attention to how much their budding actor is actually enjoying themselves. And It’s up to the parent to do all they can to make sure that continues. 

Remember, this applies even to those kids who really love acting; even adult actors from time to time get bored or fed up waiting around to audition and would rather be outside playing in the park! Of course kids are going to feel that way sometimes. 

So with that in mind here are a few tips on how to make sure the kiddos are enjoying themselves as much as possible throughout the process.

1. Priorities

Life is all about priorities in a way: what value do we place on work versus home life, what value do we place on living in the city versus the suburbs, etc. It’s the same with kids in acting. Yes, we have to teach them discipline and skills and focus they will need on set or on stage, but we also have to remember they’re kids. Therefore, the overall priority when it comes to your kid’s life should always be on kid stuff. If every waking moment outside of school is devoted to acting classes, auditions, modeling sessions, rehearsals and performing, you’re setting the stage for a case of burn-out. Heck, it works that way with adults too! Make sure your budding talent has plenty of time and activities doing “normal” kid things: playing sports, having scheduled play dates with friends who aren’t necessarily actors, and even just unstructured free play time. Balance is super important in everyone’s life, especially when it comes to kids and their shorter attention spans.

2. Confidence

Success breeds confidence, and confidence breed success. With every positive acting experience, your child actor is going to be more relaxed, more eager, and more excited about the next opportunity that comes along. So make sure you’re doing all you can to help him or her build that confidence in their acting. Even if you aren’t an actor yourself, you can have a huge impact on their growth as an actor by making sure you get them in situations where they can succeed. Before enrolling your kid in a class, audit it yourself, and audit it with your child actor too. Make sure it looks like something that will fit his or her temperament, as well as skill set. Of course you want your child to learn and get better, but if you push too hard and throw them into a class that’s far too advanced for them, it can be devastating to a fledgling actors’ confidence and have long term effects. Same goes for making sure your kid is going out for appropriate parts that match his or her skill level. Sometimes agents – often with their hearts in the right place – will send kids out to read for roles on productions they’re just not ready for. A key skill for moms and dads to work on in themselves when it comes to nurturing their child actor is patience. We all develop at our own pace. Don’t feel like your kid has to go from zero to 60 right off the bat.

3. Supportive, Not Overprotective

You are of course your child actor’s go-to confidante for advice, critiques, suggestions – and comfort when it doesn’t go well. Nurturing is what it’s all about, and gentle nudges in the right direction to expand the child actor’s comfort zone. That said, it’s really easy to fall into the trap of being that stereotypical overprotective stage parent. You don’t want this, for you or your kid. That said, the short term effect of easing your child’s disappointment – say, by assuring them they SHOULD have gotten the role – may be tempting. Who doesn’t want their kid to be happy, or at least not sad? Still, don’t give in to your instinct to protect your child from all disappointment. The fact of the matter is rejection is a real, actual part of everyone’s life, not just actors. Auditioning and being told no is a great way to teach the concept of acceptance, and how to move on, and look forward to the next thing. Acting for kids is a valuable opportunity to impart this life lesson and help them develop coping skills that will serve them well no matter what they end up doing with their lives. It’s also important to let them know that their value as actors or as people does NOT hinge on whether they get a part. There will be many, many auditions, and they will be okay no matter what happens in any of them. There are plenty of adult actors who still don’t get this, so teach your children well!

4. Mix It Up

If there’s one thing the bouncing, babbling, boomeranging brain of a child is all about, it’s variety. There’s no reason in the world that any child actor should already be considered a “specialist” in any given skill set. This is ridiculous. And it’s often the product of over-stressed parents pushing too hard to create a Star rather than an actor. Let your kid take all kinds of classes, dance, voice, improv – everything under the sun in short. If Hugh Jackman had only focused on singing and dancing, he might never have landed the role of Wolverine. Remember that performing is a cumulative thing: all performing feeds all other performing. If your kid plays music in band, great! If they like to make videos with their friends, great! Nothing is a waste of time when it comes to acting.

5. Have Fun!

This one applies to the parent as well as the kid. They look to you to be a role model: if you roll into every audition grumpy because you’re going to be late for your dentist appointment or whatever, snapping at the PA who is trying to take headshots and resumes, well, you’re making an impression. Not only on the production team, and the other parents, but on your kid as well. Circle back to the first tip on this list and remember the sense of play that is vital to an actor’s success. It’s vital that your child sees that the business is all about play, and about fun, and that means you have to be in on the game as well! Enjoy this magical opportunity to have fun and play with your child on a level that most parents can only dream of, and you will create a happy, healthy child actor in the process!

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“It is our choices… that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”  –J.K.Rowling

“Making Choices” sounds like one of those dreadful performance/educational improv groups we used to have to sit through in high school. Do these things still exist? 

You’d have to attend a mandatory assembly and watch a group of hyperkinetic, annoyingly enthusiastic, spastically over-caffeinated college-aged (and beyond) “actors” trying to sound cool and hip, telling “the kids” all about not using drugs, or the dangers of circus clowns, or something like that. 

Here’s hoping that kind of horror and trauma has been removed from modern education.

Nevertheless, “making choices” is a phrase that comes up all too often in acting, so we should get used to it.

It’s also useful to remember it when auditioning, because the type of choices you make in the audition room can and will have a huge bearing on whether you book the role! Here’s how to make the right ones.

1. It’s Not Just The Acting

First of all, we should note that choices occur all the way through the audition process; it’s not just in the acting. We constantly make choices, and in auditioning there are smart choices and ones that aren’t so smart. 

• Be smart about what you wear – a good rule is to wear something evocative of the character but not so over-the-top that you couldn’t ride on public transportation without attracting notice.
• Be smart about your preparation – there is such a thing as over-rehearsing, but I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that under-rehearsing is much more common. Make the time to work the scene and the lines and find your objective with due diligence – or the role will go to an actor who does.
• Be smart about logistics – don’t go out on a bender the night before an important audition, and don’t be late. Ever. It should go without saying; it’s actually ridiculous that it still has to be said. But it still happens so very, very often.  

2. Don’t Choose What, Choose Who

We tend to think of the negative thoughts that run through our heads – and sometimes stop running and hang out there and set up camp – as if they were out of our control. We think of them as somehow alien, like little weird intruders from Somewhere Else that swoop in and attack our thought processes and confidence. And we are particularly vulnerable to these kinds of thoughts – am I good enough, will I say my lines correctly, am I too old/young/thin/fat/tall/short etc. – when we’re under stress, which is the definition of the audition! 

But no, they’re our thoughts, and since they’re ours, we have some say over how they should behave. While we can’t completely control random ideas that pop into our skulls, we can control whether we choose to focus on them or not. 

Take another look at the aforementioned negative thoughts: they’re all focused on what we think the CD and the casting team might want. That kind of thinking is a fool’s errand: you can never truly know what’s in someone else’s head, and trying to figure it out is a waste of your time and energy. Instead of obsessing on what the CD may or may not want, a better choice is to focus on WHO they want – and that person is you. You’ve been asked to audition, after all. You’ve been called in based on your headshot or previous work you’ve done or something you said at the cattle call audition. That means someone somewhere thinks that maybe you are who they need for this role. The character on paper is nothing without the right actor to inhabit it. Trying (always in vain) to “play a character right,” in such a way that you think the CD wants to see it will constrain you from letting your true self seep into the crevices and cracks of the character. So choose instead to focus your energy on how you will show them that you, in all your quirkiness and with your particular imagination and your particular energy going into it are the right version of this character. 

3. Be Obvious

You have so little time to show yourself in a typical audition. Some CDs will tell you that they make a decision about an actor within the first 10 to 15 seconds they’re in the room. With so much riding on showing them who you are in your unique take on the character, you have no choice but to really SHOW them. It’s on you to attack the read with a strong, visual choice that reads on camera whether or not you’re speaking. Subtlety and nuance will have to wait for when you’re on set working with the director. Right now, you have to choose and you have to choose strong, in terms of something they are going to see. A well thought-out, clever, and unique choice in the audition room is great, but if it’s not visually interesting or if it’s too subtle to read immediately, then it’s useless. 

4. But Don’t Be OBVIOUS…

The one place where you can allow yourself to look through the eyes of the casting team – just for a second! – is to consider what they’re seeing here all day long. Let’s say the role you’re reading for is “mafia enforcer.” Look around the waiting room and note how many near-copies of yourself are also waiting to read: you’re probably surrounded by lots of burly, imposing guys, with darker hair and a vaguely Mediterranean look. Sorry; that’s just the way it is, and it always shall be. But what you don’t want is to go into the audition room and deliver the lines in the same, tired stereotypical, obvious way all your scary new friends did before you. Here’s where trying out choices that aren’t so obvious are key. EVERYBODY at your mafiosi audition is going to do their best DeNiro or Pacino Italian-American New York accent, put on their best tough guy countenance, work on their best hooded-eye stare – just like all the others who read before them – and it’s going to bore the casting team to tears. 

But not you! While you’re preparing the night before the read, take the character descriptions, take what you know and what you can imagine about the character’s background, and take any stage directions regarding lines – and just play. Play around with them. Turn them on their head. Get weird with it. You never know what might emerge, some quirk to the character, some contradiction, some inner secret straining to get out. 

No actual human is 100 percent one thing. We’re all a bundle of contradictions and self-deception and mystery, even to ourselves. And as actors, our characters should be too. And believe me, if you can offer the casting team something that wasn’t the first second or third choice that every single other actor made going off the character description, you will wake them up and make them take notice of you!

Every one of us who is a professional or aspiring actor has had those auditions where we just felt off. You can do everything perfectly in technical terms – rehearse, get a good night’s sleep, get there early and be completely prepared – but nevertheless, it sometimes just doesn’t feel right.

And at times it’s hard to put your finger on exactly what the problem is; you just feel off-balance sometimes. 

It happens. But one great way to at least minimize the chances of having an audition like that is to learn how to take control of the room. 

 That’s easier said that done, of course! When you walk in to audition, you’re basically there to ask for a job. So when it comes to power dynamics, all of our cultural training tells us we are supposed to be passive, that we are inherently smaller than everyone else there. 

We are mentally trained to put ourselves in a position of begging.

So on the surface at least, it appears that the people behind the table have all the power, and thus you cede control to them from the first second you walk in, treating the casting team as if you were a puppy looking up at their master for instruction – waiting to be told you’re a good boy or girl.

This is a common error that many, many up-and-coming actors make. But it’s time to crush that training out and replace it with a new kind of training: training yourself  to take control. Here’s how!

1. Look Me In The Eye When You Say That

The first step in taking control of the audition room comes with the first step, literally. When you walk in to that room, from the very first second you must show yourself to be the calm, confident, prepared, professional that you are. That entails looking people in the eye, projecting your voice as you greet them, and smiling. If you have to do a little acting in order to convey that kind of confidence at first, so be it. But keep in mind that there is a powerful, important lesson to be learned here for every actor: you are not auditioning to be a puppet, to be controlled by the whims of your puppeteer/director. You are auditioning to be a creator, part of a creative team that will collaborate as equals in crafting something out of nothing. That is a tall order, and one that requires your input; a good creative team carries no dead weight. They WANT you to show that you know what you’re doing on your own, without a lot of hand-holding. And you can demonstrate that in the first few seconds you walk in. A good trick for confidently taking control of the room right off the bat is to flip the typical thinking: don’t focus on whatever level of discomfort or nervousness you might be feeling, hoping for someone nice behind the table to make you feel all safe and comfy before you read. Instead, think of it as your first job to make THEM comfortable. Remember, casting directors are just people too. Auditions are a weird, unnatural situation on both sides of the table; both of you are meeting a new person and sharing intimate, emotional moments together – as actors and CDs must do, over and over throughout their careers, and which gets easier over time. But let’s face it: it just isn’t natural. So a neat mental trick is to think of yourself as an emcee when you walk in: think of it as your job to warm up the room, to get everyone relaxed and ready to see your work. This isn’t to say you should launch into your five-minute set from Open Mic Night at the Chuckle Club. Just remember that confidence breeds confidence, and you want the CD to be confident in you before you ever even begin to read.

2. Gimme My Space, Man 

Tying in to self-confidence and taking control of the room is that you have to remember that when you walk in to the audition room, this is your space. Granted, it’s a strange way to think at first; the casting team is all posted up behind the table with their laptops and lattes, chatting away as they make their way through their work day. It sure looks like their space! But no, it’s true: when the actor walks in to the audition room, for your precious few minutes, this is your domain. You are the entire point of why that team is behind that table! Without you they’d be somewhere else. Stride in like that! Don’t be arrogant, or kick open the door or take off your shoes or anything. But as you do your greetings and small talk as outlined above, even then you can be demonstrating your confidence and control of the room. Move the chair where you want it while you chat; if there isn’t one out there already, ask for one. If you aren’t sure about some aspect of the scene or the character, ask! CDs would much rather read a curious, thoughtful actor who has worked the scene and given it some thought and is engaged to the point that they want to know more. That’s so, so much better than sitting through a stumbling, awkward read by an actor pretending to know more than he or she does because they were afraid to ask a question. Ask how to pronounce a name, or what a word means, or what an unclear reference in your lines is about. Not knowing and asking is not something to be ashamed of; on the contrary it shows the casting team that you’re serious about this. You’re not here to wing it. You’re the actor who has done your research and you’ve familiarized yourself with the material, and you’ve given this thing a fair amount of thought. Even these rudimentary steps toward getting to know a character and a piece demonstrate a lot of dedication to harried CDs who hate to waste their precious time on unprofessional actors who walk in completely cold. 

3. Tell Before You Show 

Once the greetings are done and you’ve gotten any clarifications you need, a great way to begin the transition into the actual read is to literally tell them what you’re about to do. First off, ask them where your frame is. If it’s a wide enough shot, you might, for instance, say something like: “Okay, well what I’d like to do is walk into frame from the left. I’m going work my way around the chair at first, and eventually sit, but I plan to get up again toward the climax. Does that work for you?” You’ve communicated to the camera operator a rough sketch so there won’t be any major surprises for them, and you’ve done so without too much specificity or seeming like an obsessive weirdo. Not only that, nine times out of ten, the CD will be, if not impressed, at least pleased that you’ve made some solid choices on how to approach the scene. And if your ideas don’t fit with what they’re looking for, well, so be it. Here’s your chance to begin collaborating! You now have an opportunity to show that you are an actor who can adjust on the fly and think on your feet. Here’s a great opportunity for a solid demo of an actor who knows how to give good “Yes, and…!” 

4. Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

Literally, “let the good times roll,” you can also apply this lovely New Orleans concept to taking control of auditioning – and to acting in general: have some fun! If you walk into the audition room as a scared little mouse, you are making the CD’s work excruciating. You are making it WORK for them, and they are going to be nothing but relieved when you finally exit. If, however, you are having fun, they are more likely to have fun too. When you act a part we call it “playing” a role. You can take control of the room and set the tone when you walk into audition simply by insisting on having fun – and a playful, engaged, fun spirit is always going to win out over one that’s terrified of making a mistake or looking foolish. We really are lucky people; we get to play for a living. Don’t be afraid to act like you enjoy it!

We all know the feeling. Every actor who has ever set foot on stage or stood in front of a camera, no matter how big a star they are, no matter how talented they are, every single one of us has or will at some point face it, that ugly, ugly word: rejection.

Even the word itself has an ugly sound, doesn’t it? That hard “j” sound followed so quickly by the crack of the “eck” sound. It’s like a mousetrap snapping shut. 

But here’s the thing about being rejected in the world of acting: you should learn to embrace it. And for younger actors, it’s important to embrace it early on, not only because it is simply a part of the process, but also because there are always valuable lessons to be learned. Here are few ways to turn around your  mindset on being rejected!

1. Developing a Sense of Perspective

Being rejected in the real world out there among the civilians is one thing. If your crush gives you that “Eww, I just smelled something awful” look when you finally break down and make your feelings known, that’s horrible, of course. But being rejected in the world of acting is actually something that can help you understand a variety of perspectives – which is in itself a useful tool for acting (hint, hint). Here’s the thing: you’re not seeing the whole picture. When you go to audition, you only see the world from inside your brain; you’re seeing the time you spent learning the sides, working the scene, developing an action and delving into the few vague outlines of a character you were given. What you’re not seeing when you walk into that audition room are the dozens or even hundreds of other actors this casting director has already seen. You’re not seeing the changing needs of the production, nor the inevitable infighting among the members of the production team over what direction to take the  piece and the individual characters. Oftentimes once one role gets cast, it means that the requirements for the other roles can change, sometimes drastically. Think about the insanely glorious (and often just plain insane) show “Legion” starring Dan Stevens of “Downton Abbey” fame. The role of his sidekick/muse/friend/monster Lenny, which has so brilliantly been inhabited by Aubrey Plaza, was originally written as a middle-aged man. Now, granted that is quite an unusual shift. But it illustrates that any production, even multi-million dollar, high-profile Marvel properties are still in a very fluid phase as they are being cast. 

The other piece of the perspective puzzle to keep in mind is that, if you are reading this, you are a professional, or you are striving to be. You are auditioning for professional-level roles in professional-level productions. That is something to be proud of, naturally; acting is a noble profession and we should all be grateful to be part of it. But what it also means is that the people making the decisions are also professionals. They have to do what they collectively think is best for the production. So getting rejected should never, and I mean NEVER be taken personally. Far too many less-experienced actors get caught up in whether CDs “like” them, or they spend endless hours obsessing over having “said the wrong thing,” or having told a dumb joke that fell flat in the audition room – as if that was the ONE THING that caused them not to get cast. It isn’t. It isn’t personal. It never is. You must develop a thicker skin, and a sense that this is a business, and in business some things work out, and some don’t. It’s not the end of the world, and it’s not always about you.

2. Statistical Anomaly 

The thing about being rejected in the world of acting is it’s not only common, it’s going to happen the MAJORITY of the time. Like, a BIG majority of the time. This is hard to understand sometimes, especially when you’re just getting started. But it’s even hard to keep in mind for veterans when it comes to that one role you REALLY want. But remember, there are veterans in the business who cite the figure of one in 20 for the average of getting cast versus auditions you go on. Some say one in 30 is more accurate. That means your average “score” for getting cast is far below even that of a terrible baseball player. It means you are a big success if you get cast even 5 percent of the time. That’s a baseball player hitting .050, for those of you keeping score at home! So if you are getting upset when you don’t get cast through two or three auditions in a row, you’re frankly treading on  delusional territory. You cannot get cast every time, or even every other time, not consistently. It just doesn’t work that way, not even if you are in a small market. Like they say in sales, each “no” gets you closer to that “yes.” The only failure is getting discouraged and giving up. Hold your head high, take the phone call telling you “no” with grace and class, express the hope that you will get to work with that production team at some point in the future, and get to work on your next audition. This is the job, in many ways. Get used to it, and find the joy and fun in every audition without getting too worked up about getting cast or not, because as a professional, there will always be another one right around the corner.

3. What Doesn’t Kill You…

…makes you stronger. You know that phrase. Your evil gym coach from 6^th grade yelled it while you were about to puke from running laps. Well, it may be trite, but it’s true: the more running you do, the better your lungs and legs develop, and thus the better you get at running. Going through adversity does make you stronger. That’s a crucial part of the audition equation that often slips between the cracks: every time you audition, you walk out of there – or you should – with a greater knowledge of auditioning, no matter the result. In fact, many veteran actors will tell you they learn MORE from the times they didn’t get cast than from the times they did. Not getting cast doesn’t mean you “failed” at the audition, not by a long shot. These things are determined by any number of factors and various opinions of various people. It’s just not on you most of the time, whether you get the role or not. What is on you, 100 percent, is how you prepare, how you present yourself, and how you deal with the experience afterward. To that end, an honest assessment is vital in order to process the audition. Whether alone or with a friend, go over what happened, what went right, what went wrong, and what you would do different. Taking notes right after you audition is a great way to put your thoughts and soaring emotions in some kind of order. Assess, take what you need from assessment – “I didn’t get enough sleep last night,” or “next time I’ll work harder on memorizing,” or “I didn’t feel 100 percent about my objective,” – and then put it away. And go prepare for your next audition, that much more in touch with yourself and what YOU need to do for you to nail it. These are the things you can control; forget about everything else.

4. Perseverance

Aside from the statistically insignificant handful of actors who were plucked out of obscurity to become huge stars, every successful actor will tell you that their success comes not primarily from talent or looks but from hard work. It takes patience, it takes dedication, and those qualities are hard to come by when all you want is to succeed RIGHT NOW. Of course you do! We all need and want to get to work on a million challenging and interesting projects right this very second because we love acting so much. But it’s important to remember that acting is a lifelong road, and one that you travel one step at a time. Those who succeed are those who understand that wherever they are, that’s right where they’re supposed to be. That’s because there is always something you can learn from that place and the people who surround you there. There is no shortcut; you just have to stick with it, take one step at a time, and turn up for the next audition, the next class, the next show or role. And slowly, but surely, you will build a career. Take risks, take chances and above all, be open to learning. If you do those things, you’ve already turned your rejections into success!

“I do not always know what I want, but I do know what I don’t want.” – Stanley Kubrick

As actors, we naturally spend a lot of time thinking about and preparing for auditions, as that is the most stressful part of the job for most of us. It’s also the first step, the gateway into the process of acting, of really doing the job, so of course it’s a natural focus. 

But let’s assume the best: you’ve gotten past the initial audition, you’ve gotten through one or two or more rounds of callbacks, and you’ve booked the role. Congrats! Now: how are you going to deal with a director you’ve likely never worked with before? What are you going to bring to the table to make your experience – and his or hers – the best one possible for all concerned? (And, not incidentally, make them remember you next time they have a project you might be right for – remember you in a GOOD way.)

Here are a few qualities that directors seek out in actors – and they feel lucky when they find all of them in one package!

1. Believe You Me…

The first thing the director wants to know is if he or she can believe you in the role. That is to say, can you bring a genuine air of a real person who seems to be experiencing the events depicted in the piece in a genuine way. Well, you say, that’s just acting, isn’t it? Well, yes and no. A big part of this discussion of what a director is looking for revolves around what you bring to the set or the rehearsal room right off the bat. For many actors just starting out, getting cast in a role is almost a setback in a weird way: once the elation wears off – and the mental counting of all the filthy lucre you’re going to bank – the less experienced actor can often find him or herself suffering from a whole new breed of self-doubt and insecurity before they even sign the contract. “Am I good enough? Will I screw up? What if they ask me to…” A million fantastical – and nonsensical – questions can assault your poor little mind, and this translates into uncertainty on set or in rehearsals. What the director wants to see is an actor who is comfortable in themselves, sure of themselves, and able to fully inhabit the character right away without a lot of coaxing. The director wants to see an actor who is not thinking about what they LOOK like in the role, but rather one who is already IN the role, at least in its early incarnation. It’s important to chase away that pre-insecurity by simply remembering one thing: they chose you. You are not only good enough, you are the ONLY one who will play this role in this production. Relax into it, learn the sides, research as much as you can – do your homework before you walk in the door and you will show them a believable, TRUE character right off the bat. And you will make your new director very happy.

2. Just Looking For a Little Understanding 

Another important quality in actors that saves directors tons of time, money and aggravation is an actor who understands the role. This applies not only to the obvious – see the note above about doing your homework. You should never walk onto a set or stage without already having a deep and profound understanding of the character you are to be playing. But in addition to the normal homework for the actor that we all already know about, it’s also important to understand the bigger picture. The big picture actor is one of those rare gems that directors cherish, because he or she possesses the intelligence and imagination and empathy to see exactly where he or she fits in. If you roll up onto a set  where you are contracted to play “Non-Speaking Friend #2” and spend tons of time slowing down the productions with questions about your objective and suggestions for the director about how best to frame you and show off your good side, you are likely to find yourself on the cutting room floor, if not out the door before they even start shooting “your” scene. Not only that, by not understanding that you are in a relatively simple support role and sucking up tons of time and energy, you are not only alienating the director, you’re alienating everyone else on set as well. This is not the kind of reputation you want to develop. Being tagged as a “difficult actor,” whether or not it is justified, is a label that can prove hard if not impossible to shake. No matter how big your role is, worrying about whether you personally are being shown in the best light or getting the most screen time or are in the front of the crowd violates one of the tenets of acting anyway: we’re supposed to be listening to and paying attention to others. That’s what acting is, not shoving your way to the front. 

3. Show Them That Soft, Soft Belly

When dogs roll over on their backs its not just because they know that belly rubs are in the offing. It’s an ancient sign of submission that goes all the way back to the wolves: by exposing the most vulnerable parts of themselves to an animal higher in the pecking order, they are signaling there will be no further aggression their part. Now, no one is asking you to be submissive to the director. But what every director is looking for is the actor who is unafraid of vulnerability, of showing his or her softest parts and most delicate emotions to the camera, the audience, and the other actors. If you walk in the door ready to bare your soul without a lot of prompting and begging, if you can immediately make yourself vulnerable with a natural confidence and comfort level right away, you are going to make directors fall in love with you – and possibly every one else too!

4. Collaboration is Key

Here’s a corollary to the above, or a reinforcement to help you really understand that vulnerability doesn’t mean behaving like a beaten dog: good directors aren’t looking for slaves or mindless robots to carry out their whims. They, like us, are artists looking to create something magical. And magic often comes from the cracks, from the spaces in between the minds and hearts of various artists, actors, directors, writers, cinematographers, etc. The actor who has the confidence to offer his or her own ideas and engage with the production and those working on it in a way that adds value to what is already on the table is someone who will make a name for him or herself. 

5. Confidence Man (Or Woman)

Above all, and intertwined among all the previous notes above, is confidence. You are a professional actor who has been selected due to your skills and your particular look and your particular energy and your unique…YOU. That’s why you are working on this particular project, and you should never forget that. The director who meets an actor who holds his or her head up, has a good idea of the character and how to access it, is confident in his or her skills, and who is ready to work together with the creative team to build something valuable and beautiful together is the most valuable actor of all. He or she is invaluable, actually, because you simply can’t put a price on making someone else’s job easy. And if you can make your director’s job easy as outlined above, you are going to make them happy, and that means you will be happy too, because you will book more work!

So you want you want to get started as an actor. First of all, congratulations! You are about to embark on joining a proud, mad, very exclusive club.

The good news is it’s easy to get started in acting – but there are some tips and tricks to smooth the way for you and make the path more stress-free and enjoyable. Here are a few ways to take your first steps into the weird, wonderful world of acting with confidence, grace, and the joy that is the heart of all good acting!

1. Baby Steps

Again, let’s start with congratulations! You’ve already taken an important first step by seeking out and reading NYCastings! There are tons of great tips and techniques on here, plus it’s a fantastic platform for getting your resume and headshot in front of the top agents and casting directors across the nation. But before doing anything it’s important to really understand what you’re getting into. Check out the theater and acting section of your local library or bookstore (I strongly recommend “The Practical Handbook For The Actor,” a slim but dense and to-the-point set of the concrete steps needed to analyze a scene and create an action for your character, developed by students of David Mamet and William Macy). Next, get yourself into an acting class – and plan on being in some kind of acting class at all times for the rest of your career. All the top actors will tell you that the learning process is never over when you’re committed to acting, so get that process started! Also, an acting class is a low-stress, low-commitment way to dip your toes in the water without getting in over your head right away. Get yourself some confidence with the nuts and bolts you will need as an actor: memorizing lines, working with a camera, auditioning, getting up on stage in front of people, giving yourself permission to be ridiculous without self-judgment or self-censoring – you’re going to need to get comfortable with all of these things to the point where they are second nature, so make sure you’ve at least got the inclination. It’s easy to be THEORETICALLY interested in acting; it sometimes turns out that it isn’t for everyone once they try it in practice. But finding out that it’s not really for you in a classroom is much better and cheaper than learning that in the middle of a show in front of an audience after you’ve spent hundreds of dollars on headshots! 

2. Networking

But no, you’re going to love it. There’s a true joy and connection actors find in the work, not only connecting with each other but with our audiences too. Once you’ve gotten a couple of classes under your belt and you have a basic understanding of what goes into memorizing lines, creating a character, and crafting a scene, it’s time to stretch your wings a bit and see what’s out there. You’ve already begun creating your network by joining a class, so it’s already possible you’ve gotten wind of some community theater productions in your area. If not, get looking on Facebook – searches on FB wherever you are turn up all kinds of groups that can benefit the budding actor: theater companies, productions, auditions, acting groups, etc. If there is a university nearby, check out their theater or film department for potential auditions for roles in stage productions and student films. You won’t get paid much, but the experience you gain doing shows and working on student films is invaluable. There are of course exceptions, but for the most part, everyone in the acting game got started doing community theater. No matter where you plan on taking your acting career – or even if it’s just a hobby for you – all roads lead through community theater. In fact, you can think of each community theater show you work on as a separate class. Each time you work with a new director, working on a new project, working with a different group of people, you are learning new things, or you should be. 

3. The Tools of the Trade

Around this time, you’ve probably been asked for a copy of your headshot. And now that you’ve been bitten by the acting bug like the rest of us, and you weren’t turned off by the actual work that goes into it, you can start thinking more about investing in the tools it takes to succeed in the business, and the headshot is the first and probably most important one you’re going to need. Now, good headshots are not cheap. But as with most things, you get what you pay for. So if you give your semi-literate cousin Billy Joe Bob ten bucks to snap some cell phone headshots of you when you’re out drinking one night, well, that’s not an investment that’s likely to pay off in huge dividends. The fact is, if you don’t have professional headshots, most casting directors and producers aren’t going to call you in to audition, simply because it looks amateurish. But if you’ve already gotten your feet wet and taken some classes and worked on a few small projects and you’ve found you want to pursue acting further, you’re going to have to pony up to package yourself as a professional, even if your resume is still a little thin at this point. The first thing to look into when it comes to headshots is a professional photographer, and not only that, a professional HEADSHOT photog. That’s because headshots are a very different beast from almost any other kind of photography. When you’re shopping around for a photog, check their portfolio – most professionals will have their work on their website. 

4. Get Out Of That Nest, Little Bird, And Fly

So by now you may have done a few auditions for community theater shows and student films, but it’s time to get yourself out there in a more professional setting. You’ve got your headshots, you’ve been working on the craft of acting in your classes, so you’ve got a handle on at least the basics. Now is the time to start auditioning and learning how to go about auditioning. You’ve already self-submitted to the top site on the web for casting directors and directors looking for talent, which is a great start. You can also find tons of auditions you can attend on your own, starting right here. Also, Facebook, for all the negative press it has gotten, is still the go-to spot for finding like-minded people, and there are always tons of auditions notices there. As your network expands and you meet more and more actors and other people in the business with varying degrees of experience, you’ve probably begun to hear people talking about their agents. At this point in your career, to pursue getting an agent is probably not the best use of your time. Keep in mind too, that agents who promise newbie actors the world and claim they will get you jobs even when you have little to no experience are not to be trusted. Professional agents trade on their reputation, so they won’t send someone out to read for a role unless they think the the actor has the chops to book the role. If an agent has a habit of sending out inexperienced actors who just aren’t ready, casting directors are going to stop taking his or her calls. So rather than chasing after an agent just now, what you should be doing is gaining that valuable experience and the skills you need in order to get an agent somewhere down the road. That means work, work, work. Take classes, do improv, and get yourself involved in your local community’s shows in whatever capacity it takes. Even working as crew or in the role of “Spear Carrier Number 2” will get you on that stage, immersed in the glorious world of acting. And if you’re open to it, it will teach you lessons about what it takes to be a professional actor. Once you’ve booked a lot of your own work and you have a resume that doesn’t look like an ad for a President’s Day White Sale, then it’s more likely you’ll get an agent to invite you in for an interview and perhaps an audition. 

One of the most important – and difficult – things to remember for new actors is patience. No matter how much better you are now than you were last year at this time, you still have room to improve. We all do. Take in the work that other actors in your community are doing, go see everything, watch all the movies, read all the books, and take all the classes, and slowly, gradually, you will see the avenues of acting opportunities available for you broaden and expand. And always remember: no matter what level you’re working at as an actor, you are part of a magical, exclusive and amazing club of people that covers the globe and dates back to 1500 BCE. You are helping to take that magic into the future – be proud and be joyful and be grateful you are a part of it, because not everyone can be!

“Self-consciousness is the enemy of all art, be it acting, writing, painting, or living itself, which is the greatest art of all.” – Ray Bradbury

It’s difficult to explain to one’s non-actor friends just what a weird tight-wire act we walk every time we go out to audition. 

Sure, most civilians will have some degree of appreciation for the difficulty of acting in general, saying things like, “How do you get up in front of people and DO that??” But asking for them to really understand what goes into it – and specifically into the audition process – is just not really in the cards. 

Much like bathing a cat, if you haven’t actually done it yourself, you just can’t know how stressful it is.

What’s so hard about auditions in particular as opposed to regular performances is that there is a set of balances we have to strike in order to hit the audition just right, balances that are in some ways in conflict with what we do in performance. 

But one of the biggest obstacles in auditioning is avoiding being a boring actor. 

Look, you’re great. Seriously. If you are making a go of it on whatever level as a working actor, you’ve already overcome 90 percent of the barriers that prevent most people from pursuing their dreams. 

But here’s the thing: if you are reading for a role at a casting, especially for a big project, you are the 10^th, or the 20^th, or maybe even the 100^th person to step into the audition room and read the same scene. Imagine yourself in that seat on the other side of the table hearing those Same. Lines. Yet. Again.  

That’s got to be your starting point when it comes to auditioning: how to separate yourself from the boring herd. Here are some things to think about, because nobody wants to be boring! 

1. Don’t Be Perfect

Okay, so you finally got that big chance. Your useless husk of an agent finally surprised you with a real audition for a real show or big-name studio film or a nationwide spot that could lead to even bigger things for you. (Or better yet, you bypassed the useless husk and self-submitted on NYCastings to find your dream role!) Now: what’s the first thing to pass through your mind? If you’re like most people, it’s something along the lines of “Oh god, I’ve got be perfect if I want to book this!” 

No. Perfection is the last thing you want, if you want to avoid a boring audition. 

Take a look around the waiting room next time you’re on an audition for a big role. You’re likely to see several dozen guys or girls who suspiciously look a whole lot like you, at least in general terms. If you’re the 20^th guy to walk in the audition room to read for the role of “Tightly-Wound Bank Robber #2” the last thing you want is to give a read just like everyone else did. That’s the trap of perfection: being so invested in nailing it that you lock yourself into a straitjacket: perfect lines, delivered perfectly within the perfect interpretation of the character in the most simple, obvious way to envision him or her. But “perfection” in the context of an audition often means boring, and “just like everyone else.” 

The thing about trying to be perfect is it puts your focus elsewhere, not on what you’re supposed to be thinking about and doing when acting. Your character is trying to achieve an objective, and if you the actor have muddled up your mind with what YOU, not the character, is trying to achieve – i.e. a perfect audition that is just EXACTLY right and just what (you think) the casting team wants to see – then you are not doing your job.

Look, when performing, as in life, everyone’s instinct is to avoid making mistakes. Making a mistake can throw you off, it makes you feel awkward and uncomfortable, and those feelings can trigger more mistakes. But when it comes to the audition, you’ve just go to let go of any lingering need for perfection. You’ve got to realize that the rigidity that comes from fear of failure is going to hold you back from showing them the depth and breadth of your particular talent and vibe. A pre-set series of “reactions” to lines your reader or scene partner says that you’ve built up in advance in an effort to achieve perfection are going to look just like what they are: fake, stiff, and awkward. So…

2. Rehearse But Don’t Over-Rehearse

Here’s one of those weird balance things mentioned above. You of course need to know your lines as best you can, but with a caveat: another perfection trap is feeling like you have to be off-book cold for any important audition. Most CDs will say that if you just got your sides the night before, for god’s sake hold them while you read and focus on the acting part rather than struggling to remember words. 

Your word-perfect accuracy in delivering your lines is far less important to casting than showing that you have a solid grasp on the character, a clear objective, and that you have made strong choices in how to try to achieve it. You’re here to act after all, not recite. Recitals are boring. What a CD wants to see is electricity, and electricity comes when you’re walking a tight-wire and you could fall off at any moment – that is to say, when the reader or another actor gives you a line that elicits something unexpected in you. That’s what CDs want to see: the unexpected, not something rehearsed and locked-down. It may be technically perfect, but if it’s to the point where there’s no life in it, you’re not going to impress anyone with your memorization skills.

3. Connect

Here’s another tricky balancing act: connecting, to both the material and the other actors. In film you get adequate rehearsal time from most directors, who are usually obsessed (in a good way) with bringing their baby to life the best way possible. In theater we rehearse a show for a minimum of three weeks, day in and day out, so connections develop organically. How the hell are you supposed to make a connection in the two to five minutes you get in the audition room? 

This is another aspect of the audition that relates to our openness and freedom to play – and with that, our freedom to fail. We’ve already established that perfect is boring – well it’s your lucky day! Humans – and likely any aliens or animals you might end up playing, too – are messy, confusing and imperfect. So the actor that hits that audition room with this in mind as opposed to a delusional desire to somehow “nail it” by delivering a perfect read exactly the way (they imagine) the CD wants to see it is going to read as more alive, and thus more connected to the material, to the other characters and actors in the scene, and even to the casting team as they watch. 

4. Trust – The Material And Your Instincts

Whatever we’re reading for, there are of course going to be certain choices that have already been made for us. But mostly these are the choices that are limited to nuts and bolts of the character: where and when he or she is, their age, their background both emotional and physical, etc. But within those parameters, it’s up to you to make not only strong choices, but also bold choices that are in keeping with the author’s intent but which are nevertheless still your own. This is where having some solid improv training under your belt can be a game-changer: the actor who can trust him or herself to go wherever their intellect and emotion are taking them at any given moment they’re engaged in a scene is going to electrify and arouse the interest of an audience, and by extension a casting team. The tricky part is getting yourself loose enough and confident enough to trust those flights of fancy wherever they lead, and to let your weird, wonderful, amazing self show through even under the pressure of the audition. 

The bottom line: if boring is the enemy, then the only possible way to fail is by being too fearful to let loose and give it your all!

“I’d love to be a diva. But I’d then have to send so many apology notes for my abhorrent behavior.”
–Amy Adams

We talk all the time about what we are striving toward as actors and performers, how to present our best face for auditions and how to remain positive as we overcome the trials and tribulations of this mad, mad profession. And constantly moving forward is of course the only way to live one’s life – certainly it’s the only way to get better at anything, especially acting.

But every now and then maybe it’s a good idea to talk instead about what NOT to do. Because in order to move forward, in order to learn, we also have to know what we’re moving AWAY from. Some actors simply don’t understand how widespread the consequences are when they show up on set unprepared to do the job. Here are a few ideas on how not to develop a reputation as a “bad” actor in this sense, along with some stories presented (anonymously) by people in the business.

1. It’s Not Terrible Acting, It’s Terrible Behavior

When we talk here about “bad actors,” let’s clarify: we’re not talking about the acting itself right now, but rather the behavior between takes or backstage. The actor who treats others badly isn’t necessarily a bad actor; the truth is, they’re a terrible person. It wouldn’t matter what field they were working in, they’re behaving badly. Here’s a story from a well-known NYC producer/director on the trials and tribulations of his early days starting out (names withheld for obvious reasons):

“I was working on this short film with a small budget, just $20,000. We ended up hiring this woman to play the lead based on her friendship with the director. First of all, she wasn’t really an actor, she was a host. She still works in the area today, and she’s great on-camera, hosting, reading news or whatever. But for this shoot – and keep in mind, this is before she had even a D-list, tiny slice of a very sad kind of celebrity – she got hired without auditioning because she knew the director. So, OK, fine, for the director, it’s your ass, right? But then this girl rolls in late every day – and she just didn’t even show up the first day of shooting! Someone had to go to her house and get her, and we didn’t start until like four or five hours late. She claimed she got the days mixed up, but whatever. So we’re talking thousands of dollars we’re paying the crew, the rent on the location – it just all snowballs into this huge nightmare. And then top it all off, she couldn’t even act once we finally got her in front of the camera! I guarantee there are still people around here talking about her and talking about that shoot to this day.” 

2. Sometimes The Actor Doesn’t F*&%ing Prepare

Bad behavior on set isn’t always deliberate, but it nonetheless has big consequences that ripple outward and affect far more people than most actors understand. They say actors are “a dime a dozen,” but you have to understand that you having a bad day can resonate and mean a bad day for a whole lot more people than you might have imagined. Going to set or to the theater means that, no matter what, the show must go on. Yes, we are people who have to be in close touch with our emotions in order to perform. But we must always, ALWAYS remember we are also professionals hired to do a damn job. Show up on set or at the theater early, and ready to work. No matter what’s going on in your life you must find a way to put it away in a box while you’re working, because you’re messing with other people’s lives –and their money – if you don’t. In other words, don’t be like this girl, a story related to me by someone who has worked extensively as a director but currently works in casting:

“My first ‘How-to’ video had a budget of $10,000 and it had a host. So we hired this girl who was great in the audition, but when it came time to shoot her scene, she showed up on set with red, puffy eyes from crying all night because her boyfriend had kicked her out of the house the night before. We tried and tried but we couldn’t make her look good because her face was so puffy. Not only that, she was still so upset the entire day that she couldn’t even get through her lines, at least not well. The shoot took us like five times as long as we’d planned for. Of course, re-scheduling the shoot date would have been the fix, but I was on an unmovable timeline with my editor and it had to be done that week. We used the best takes but it was far less than ideal. Made my whole video look bad because of it.”

This note on professionalism is important to hammer on a bit more, because you have to understand, people talk. If you show up unprepared, not knowing your lines, hungover and looking like hell, or just not into it, you’re not only screwing your own reputation, you’re screwing the reputations of everyone associated with you: your agent, the casting director who chose you, a friend in the biz who recommended you – they will all get a second look from the director and producer you disappointed with your lack of professionalism. Why? Because the two most valuable and premium things in this business are Time and Money, and actors who behave less than professionally cost productions both.

One email response to my query on bad actor behavior was short but kind of poignant: 

“As a casting director I’ve had casting clients hire one of my actors then bad things happened on set and they never hired me again. ”  – Atlanta-based casting director

I also received comments from CDs pointing out some actor mistakes that should be obvious to any actor who has been in the business for more than five minutes: actors who show up on set with a terrible sunburn, or with a radically different haircut than they had two days ago at the casting, actors who don’t know their lines, actors who can’t remember the lines once the camera is rolling, or who simply can’t act when it comes to being on camera and under the pressure of a real shoot. All of these cost productions time, money, and stress. Don’t be that guy/girl. 

3. Divas Are So Over

“I think the era of the diva actress is coming to an end.” –Amanda Seyfried

Oftentimes your acting could be spot-on, but if you behave like a diva on set, sorry, it’s not cute. Also, unlike some people seem to think, being a diva on set is not a prerequisite to someday being a star. You will not be remembered for your acting, you’ll be remembered for your behavior, and as you cost productions money, time, and headaches, you will find your future opportunities drying up. 

Look, acting as we all know is a highly demanding job that requires us to access strong emotions as we portray conflict on stage or on screen in such a way that it seems like real conflict happening to real people. In order to do that well you’ve got to go to some dark and upsetting places inside yourself form time to time. The problem for some actors is they don’t know how to turn off the conflict once the director yells “Cut” or the curtain has fallen. And some actors take those emotions out on the rest of the cast and crew. Really, let’s face facts: we could easily replace the word “diva” with the word “bitch,” am I right? In what workplace might it ever be acceptable to throw a soda at the head of a PA because it wasn’t diet? (A story related by a CD who sent this not-at-all famous, decidedly D-list actor to work on a film that might have been his first studio big break. The actor was fired the first day.) Where is it acceptable to scream at your boss – or your underlings – or storm off from your workplace and pout? 

The bottom line is: be aware that your behavior as an actor affects the bottom line of a production in a big way. Be a professional, treat other people you’re working with like professionals, and be respectful of the time and money that has been invested in you, and you will develop a reputation as someone directors and producers can rely on, not as a mental breakdown waiting to happen – or worse, a money and time vacuum. Be nice, show up ready to work and make everyone else’s life easier!

There is a great deal of mystery that goes into the process of acting, a great deal of unknowable connection and subjective emotions and hard-to-explain technique that can often be seen, but which are difficult to quantify.

All this, as actors, we should already know.

But then there’s casting. It’s a process that, like making laws, could be compared to making sausage: its messy, it’s ugly, and you probably don’t want to know how it’s done. 

Who among us hasn’t at one time or another walked out of a casting room thinking they nailed the role only to not even get a callback? It happens, and not just to you.  

Then there’s the opposite, more delightful (and rare) occurrence, when you walk out all glum and down due to your terrible audition, only to book the role – somehow.

In our struggle to understand and cope with the stress of auditioning, there are a lot of misconceptions about what really goes on behind closed doors once we’ve said our nervous goodbyes, tossed our sides in the trash and headed off to the next audition. Here are a few things to remember next time, to help keep it all in perspective.

1.The Decider?

One massive misunderstanding about the whole casting process that many actors suffer under is the notion that the casting director is the be-all, end-all decision maker. While it’s true that the casting director is an important component of the creative team, and no doubt has a challenging job – although according to many of them (not to mention people who work closely with them) it’s a job that will make you crazy. But it’s important to understand that the CD is hardly the only person deciding who gets cast and who doesn’t. It’s perhaps best to think of the CD as the gatekeeper, the point man or woman who controls the initial flood of hopefuls, and works with them in an effort to best present the actors to the rest of the team in a somewhat organized manner. This is why it’s vital, if you want to be a successful actor, to shed the tendency to put the CD on a pedestal and treat them as if they were some benevolent or cruel god come down to visit us mere mortals for a time, before plucking the lucky winners out of the crowd and carrying us up Mount Olympus to live out our lives among the gods being fed peeled grapes or some such thing. 

No. CDs are just regular people with regular jobs that happen to coincide with this strange and confusing and wonderful work of re-creating real life – just like us actors. The sooner you can start to treat them like normal people who are also looking to collaborate and help create something worthy, the better off you’ll be. If you have a cocktail or three with a CD and pick their brain a little, you’ll find out that far from merely sitting behind that table and passing judgment, a great deal of their time is actually taken up with organizing things for the other players in the decision-making process. That means mixing and matching various actors, organizing the potentials into groups where they best fit together in terms of age, height and other physical factors, and lots of other preparations that go into setting up the rest of the team that will ultimately decide who gets the role. What’s more, when you think about how complicated the process of organizing the casting of a big television show or movie might really be, it really gives you some perspective on why it’s so important to make the CD’s job as easy as possible. So ALWAYS bring your headshots when you audition! Lots of CDs still use their old-school “piles,” stacks of headshots for particular roles and in particular combinations using hard copy, so don’t make it harder on them to cast you!

2. Okay, So Who Actually Decides?

Well, here’s where the sausage is actually made, and most actors don’t get to see this aspect of the process. Much like in politics – and actual sausage-making – it’s probably best we don’t ever see it. Suffice to say that you are looking at a group of people, all with varying degrees of creativity and power, who all want to have some say in how a given project plays out. This means that the conflict we actors present on stage or on film is NOTHING compared to the potential conflict that can occur behind closed doors before the first actor has even been signed. To give you an idea, just check out the credits at the end of a film. There is of course the director and the casting director, we all know about them. But there are also the producers, the executive producers, the writers, creative directors, the finance people and agency owners who are involved in the decision-making process as well. And if you’re working on a commercial, you will also need to consider the ad agency creative team who wrote and sold the spot, and also the representatives of the company whose product or service you are going to be selling. They will all also have a say in the final decision as to who gets cast. 

If you grew up with siblings, and you ever had to share a toy or a puppy among yourselves, you can perhaps get some small notion of what this process is like. 

3. Putting the Puzzle Together

You may have heard some variation on the term “putting together a puzzle” when it comes to the casting process. This is apt, but not only in the way you might think about it. Most actors have some degree of understanding that in casting, for instance if Actor A has been selected for a role, then the casting team has to look for an Actor B who matches up well with him or her. If you cast a father role with a blond-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned 5’6” man, then casting a son role who is dark-eyed, dark-haired, olive-skinned and 6’4” probably won’t work. However these kinds of physical considerations are just the tip of the iceberg. There are a million other acting factors that go into it – temperament, experience level, chemistry between actors and with the director, etc. Then there are the considerations that most actors never think about, and which most of us might not even be aware of. Don’t forget that the creative team, when mixing and matching and considering this actor for a role over another one also have a big huge dollar sign hanging over the entire project. This is where things like union status and being affiliated with an agency can be a real factor. There are lots of newer production companies who are skittish about working with union actors, often simply because they’re unfamiliar with union rules and nervous about potential “extra” costs. Same when it comes to certain bigger name agencies – less experienced production teams, especially if they are working on a shoestring budget may shy away from even talking with certain actors when they see who represents them. 

Not only that, you have to keep in mind too that with every actor who does chosen, the big picture of the puzzle shifts and alters, meaning that the specific needs called for in filling in the rest of the pieces is going to change too. It’s entirely possible and perhaps even common that the initial breakdown you were sent on a particular role has completely changed top to bottom – or even been eliminated entirely! – over the course of the casting process, given the myriad of voices, desires, and requirements that go into choosing actors. 

None of this is meant to cast aspersions on anyone involved in the process. We’re all here to do a job, and ultimately that job is to create something, whether it’s a 30-second spot for floor wax or a film shortlisted for the Oscars. We all want the same thing: to make the best piece possible. It’s merely to say that the actor who never sees the inside of the sausage factory is in some ways better off, but they also have no way of understanding why or why not they might have been cast. 

Just know casting is a big, big thing, much bigger than that person behind the table peering at your headshot!