How to Stay Alive During Acting Casting Calls

On Becoming an Actress or Actor

Acting casting calls are the open auditions where pretty much anyone who knows about the audition can show up and tryout. Many a girl and boy have been to these autitions but where are they now? These interviews are also often referred to as cattle calls because of the “herding” of actors through the process.

Movies and TV Bookings

For movies and television shows, producers hold open acting casting calls to fill the ranks of extras and supporting players. Most of the featured actors are found through agents and managers. It’s a standard on Broadway that every show and musical that comes to the theatre has an open acting casting call. This means that an unknown star could be found? Is that star you?

Be Prepared for Your Interview or Open Calls

As with any audition, you need to be prepared for every acting casting call. This means knowing what you are trying out for. That might seem like an obvious point but there are a lot of non-professionals out there who show up just because it is an open call.

Should You Join SAG ?

The decision as to whether to apply for a Screen Actors Guild membership is entirely up to you and won't really be coverd in this report. You can find more info about SAG here.

Every casting notice will tell you exactly what the show is all about. Will you need to sing and dance? Will you need to present a specific monologue? Are the producers looking for a particular type? In other words if they are looking for a blonde surfer dude type and you’re a clean cut military type why would you go to that acting casting call?

Yes, you might have strong talents and abilities but that is not what they are looking for and you don’t want to waste the producers’ time.

Develop a Strong Picture Portfolio

You also have to be prepared when interviewed as an actor or actress by making sure that your picture portfolio including headshots and resume are up to date. Another obvious point that many actors don’t seem to grasp is having a photo that looks like the person who is showing up for the audition. You may not be the highest paid in the industry but you can certainly portray yourself as a professonal. actor or actress. Of course there are some exceptions to bringing your photos.

For instance, your picture might be of you clean shaven but you now have a beard. That works because at least a producer or director can see what you look like both ways. This is where knowing the requirements for the part pays off. For instance, if your picture has you in a beard they might have selected that “look” and if you show up clean shaven, you’re not giving them what they expected.

It’s a minor point but something to be aware of. It you go back and forth between beards or scruff and clean shaven, have both versions of your picture. This also applies to women in terms of radically changing your hairstyle and color.

Teenagers, Male and Female Actors Alike Should be Conscious of the Competition

When you show up for any acting casting call, chances are you won’t be alone. Don’t let the size of crowd intimidate you. You will be given your chance to shine. Being early allows you not to feel rushed or frantic.

More Tips for Acting like a Professional

When you enter into the room where the producers, directors and cast directors are waiting make eye contact with everyone, be personable and listen carefully for what they might ask of you. Don’t let your nerves do you in.

If you are serious about your acting career then you should treat the acting casting calls as part of your daily business routine. Successfully navigating through these types of auditions gets easier with experience.

Be yourself, be personable, and be there! Put yourself in front of as many directors in your niche as possible. Bottom line, the more acting casting calls you go on the stronger you’ll become and the better chance of a real entertainment career.

Mistakes To Avoid At Auditions - If you haven't, most likely you will make some or all of them. However, if you prepare you can avoid many which may prove to be costly to your acting career.

Do You Know How To Find Hollywood Auditions And Open Calls? - You will when you read these six steps to finding jobs with Nickelodeon or other Hollywood studios. Work in Hollywood is not rocket science but you do need to create a system for finding open calls for parts.

Bob Pardue Photography