Whether you want to have the audience in splits, tremble in fear, or shed a bucket full while you woo your love onscreen, your aim is to want to be a brilliant actor someday. With your animated expressions and charming personality, you have always been told “you have what it takes”, but you don’t hear the phone ringing for callbacks.
The only thing that separates the professionals from wannabe talent isn’t inspiration. It’s the preparation and execution of a good audition. Auditions are a part and parcel of any actor who wants to chart out a successful career in films. Auditioning for a movie can be a nerve-wracking experience especially the first few times and mainly due to the sheer amount of cut-throat competition that exists on such platforms.
Comfortable, Charismatic and Confident. To be a good actor is to command attention. As an actor, you need to be the most interesting person in the room. Confidence is an integral part of every audition process. This may sound quite easy but it takes heaps of practice. You are not going to get any sympathy points if you are fidgety, feeling unwell, or are just having a bad day. Your personal problems should be left at the door. Be professional because the moment you walk in, you are being judged.
Do not land up for an audition just because there is one. Find a role that suits you and you understand the character. Try and get whatever clues you can about the character from the script that has been provided to you.
Most auditions are very precise in nature so pay special attention to the guidelines that are mentioned. Do not hesitate to ask the audition contact or the agent for additional information.
In order to make a connection with your casting directors, you need to establish eye-contact which cannot be done if you haven’t memorized the material. Knowing the dialogue is important but making a connection with the audience is what will make the character come alive.
It doesn’t matter if you screwed up in delivering the dialogue. Take a deep breath. Gather your thoughts and move on to the next line.
An acting audition is a performance that needs to be memorable. This does not necessarily mean that if you were auditioning for a role in a Yash Raj film, you need not look like Shahrukh Khan from DDLJ. Wearing a costume or bringing props will make you look amateurish.
Casting is not an easy process and at the end of the day, the creative team is grumpy, tired and everyone wants to head home. The best audition slots are mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Avoid being the first or last audition of the day.
If this is your first audition as an actor, start with small, budget films and gather the feel of a film’s set before moving on to try for major, commercial projects.
Irrespective of whether you have an agent or a manager, you need to present your resume with pictures right before an audition. Now, sometimes this may not be necessary but do enough research for the film you are auditioning for in order to provide the right kind of headshots.
Make a short pause after you have finished your audition to signify that you are done. Give them a warm smile and exit with something simple like “thank you” and “nice meeting you”. Don’t linger around in the audition room and ask when the callback will be. This will only portray you as desperate. Don’t make excuses for yourself if you feel that the audition didn’t go too well.
Familiarising yourself with these tips on how to audition for a movie is your first step, but keep in mind working your way through the film industry will take time. With constant hard work, lots of patience and persistence, your efforts will pay off. Have fun while you are at it!