by Jen Rudin
AUDITION STORIES
EPIC FAIL
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I will never forget my Annie callback for the 2012 Broadway revival. I was so pumped and excited to go in. When I did go in, I nailed my song, but from there, it all went downhill. They asked me to belt the ending of the song, but it was outside of my belting range. I cracked at least five times and I was totally humiliated. Then, they asked me to read Daddy Warbucks’s lines, which totally took me off guard. I walked out of the room and did not feel good about myself. I felt like they made a fool of me.
—ANONYMOUS,
age fourteen
Preparing the Audition Material
The most important resource an actor has for rehearsing a part is audition sides. Sides are unique pages taken out of a script in order to help the actor prepare for the audition. They are usually sent by the casting office to the actor or to his/her representative, or made available online at www.sidesexpress.com.
If you get only the audition sides for a part from your agent, ask if there’s a copy of the full script available. Sometimes we’re allowed to release the full script; other times we can’t. It varies from project to project. If it’s a published play, get a copy from a bookstore or your local library and read through it.
I’ve been in the audition room too many times when an actor walks in and says: “I just got the material last night. I didn’t have a chance to finish the play but I liked the few pages that I managed to read.” Lovely. You’ve just admitted to the audition room that you’re not only unprepared but inconsiderate as well. You’ve insulted the playwright because you clearly didn’t take the time to read their play.
Prepare the scenes that are required in the order they are listed. Follow all directions. Do scene 1 first, then scene 2. Don’t tell us that you want to start with scene 2. This is a huge red flag. The scenes are chosen in order of how we’d like to hear them—usually they progress in terms of emotions and story arc. They’re numbered in a specific order for a reason.
Try to memorize the scenes. It’s so refreshing when an actor knows the material off-book. But even if you’ve learned the scenes, do bring the script into the audition room with you. This shows us that you are not bound to your initial interpretation and are malleable and directable. Avoid reading lines from any electronic devices. Print your script pages. Invest in an affordable printer/scanner.
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An Audition Is Not an Acting Class
The easiest way to break down an audition scene is to ask some basic questions and then make clear acting choices.
•What’s the problem in the scene?
•What’s the solution?
•What does my character want?
•What does the grammar and punctuation say?
The writer has toiled to perfect the audition scenes, so respect the script and use the scene as a road map to guide your audition. Make a choice with your scenes. Remember, it’s just an audition, not life or death.
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The Politics of the Waiting Room
When you arrive in the waiting room, sign in with the monitor so we know you’re here, then find a seat. Since you’re a professional actor, think of each audition as a job interview. You have only one chance to make a good first impression. To stay focused and in the zone, consider wearing headphones and listening to quiet music. Leave your day behind you when you walk into the casting office. Be conscious of how you interact with the monitors and casting staff in the waiting room. If you’re considerate and kind, my assistant will mention it to me and help you move forward. Conversely, if you act like a jerk, she’ll tell me that, too. Because she’s a good assistant, she won’t want her boss to look like an idiot because of you.
There is nothing another actor can say to you in the waiting room that will make you feel good in that moment. We are by nature social, creative, and chatty people. I’m not insisting that you take an oath of silence in the waiting room. But be aware of your behavior. Be considerate of other people. Treat other people the way you would like to be treated. You may not think you’re distracting other actors, but when you chat them up, you’re subconsciously shifting their focus away from their audition material and killing their concentration.
Of course, no one’s perfect. All the scheduling and preparation you’ve done in advance can fall apart in an instant if traffic comes to a sudden standstill, your train breaks down, or you suddenly develop a migraine. The key is to try your best to arrive with your life together. But we’re all human. Things happen. If today’s audition didn’t go well, there will always be another one.
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Is Our Table Ready Yet?
The audition waiting room is just like hostessing at a restaurant. In both settings people are constantly coming up to you asking when it’s going to be their turn to be seated or their turn to be seen.
—MEGHAN FLAIM,
2013 summer intern for Jen Rudin Casting
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Flying In for Auditions
Unless you work for an airline, it takes time, effort, and money to fly to a major city for an audition. Choose wisely when deciding to spend money on a flight. Is it your dream role? Did you send in a tape and get called to a larger city for a callback? If so, go ahead: cash in those miles and book a flight. If you are flying in, avoid flying the same day as the audition or taking a red-eye flight the night before. Too much can go wrong. Better to land the day before the audition so you can get up the next day and hit the ground running.
Leave Your Baggage at the Door
Over the years, I’ve seen actors come into the audition with all kinds of baggage, both physical and emotional. One of the best things you can to do to prepare for an audition is to be as organized as possible. Leave the messy binders and overflowing tote bags outside. No one wants to hear about the delays on the FDR or the weird man who meowed at you on the subway. We all traveled to get to the audition. Smile and do your best. Then pick up your bags at baggage claim and get on with your day.
Have a Cup of Coffee and Find Your Personality
I’ve often had important meetings scheduled for later in the afternoon—not at all my ideal time of day. When an afternoon meeting confirms, I always follow my mother’s advice: “Have a cup of coffee and find your personality.” Whether that means a literal cup of coffee just before the meeting, a Snickers bar, or running in place on the sidewalk to get your adrenaline going, figure out what you need to do to arrive at your scheduled appointment time with your personality intact. Whatever else happened that day, leave it at the door and walk into your audition with a positive attitude, a big smile, and a whole lot of confidence!
JEN’S LAST WORD
The casting director’s job is to help you get the job. Do a great audition. Then leave the room, forget about the audition, put on your raincoat, and get on with the rest of your day. If you’ve done the best you can, the rest is out of your hands.
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CHAPTER FOUR
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PILOT SEASON PANIC
AUDITIONING FOR TV AND FILM
It’s 1985 and I’m at the final callback for an ABC series called Growing Pains. They’re looking to replace the actress who played Carol Seaver in the pilot episode. My starting salary’s been negotiated at $5,000 an episode. If I get the role, my mother and I will move to Los Angeles and my father will stay in New York with my sister, Eve. At the final hour, Tracey Gold gets the role. She’s already done the series Goodnight, Beantown and has many more TV credits than me. I’m crushed when I don’t get the part, but I force myself to watch the show each week for the next seven years.
Initial Research for Film and TV Auditions
If you’re interested in pursuing television and film roles—and what actor isn’t?—your first step is to start watching a lot of TV and going to the movies.
Have an informed opinion about your favorite actors and why you like their work. Think about your favorite current long-running shows on televis
ion. We’re consistently loyal to the shows we love and we root for the actors every week in our living room. We’re mesmerized by their story arcs. We feel like they’re our friends.
Thanks to technology, we can watch media on all our devices. I subscribe to Hulu Plus and Netflix, and enjoy watching my favorite shows from the various networks’ apps anytime on my iPad. I also DVR every new show at least once to check out the actors and stories, then make decisions on which shows I will watch regularly. Do your research. I cannot overstate the importance of this!
Single-Camera Comedy versus Multicamera Comedy
When preparing for a TV audition, know the type of show you’re auditioning for. The information can be found on the casting breakdown or by asking your agent or the casting office. A one-hour drama (The West Wing, Grey’s Anatomy) differs from a half-hour comedy (Modern Family, Two and a Half Men). Some half hours are multicamera (Cheers, Friends). Some are single camera (30 Rock, The Office). Feature films are often produced by studios (Warner Bros., New Line, 20th Century Fox), but sometimes are independently produced. Know the kind of TV show or film you are auditioning for.
In a single-camera comedy, each shot is filmed individually. For a 30 Rock scene that cuts back and forth between Liz Lemon and Tracy Jordan, the camera will shoot Tina Fey’s lines separately from Tracy Morgan’s, and then the shots will be edited together later into a single scene.
Multicamera comedies do things the “old-timey” way. Sometimes they are filmed in front of a live studio audience, with few interruptions, while a handful of cameras tape the action. Often there’s a laugh track and a familiar setup/punch line formula.
AUDITION STORIES
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The Audition That Changed My Life
The audition that changed my life was for the ABC TV series The Neighbors. I auditioned for it and didn’t hear anything for a bit. But then, they called me out to California for a screen test! I was so excited! It was my first screen test and my first time in California. It took a few days, which felt like forever, but I finally got the call: my agent telling me I got the part! Sadly, after the table read they decided that I looked too much older than the boy playing opposite me, so they had to let me go. Though not a great outcome, I was able to see the bright side of the experience. I finally got to do a screen test for ABC, I made it to California, and best of all, I have kept in touch with the writer of the show, who was always very supportive of me and is a really great guy. The situation was a good learning experience in how to handle the disappointments that can come in this business.
—TYLER BACKER,
age eleven
Camera Framing for TV and Film Auditions
When you audition for TV or film, the camera frames you from the shoulders up. Imagine a small box around your face. That’s your camera frame. Because it is so close, the camera sees and picks up everything you do. The camera either likes you or it doesn’t. Some actors look great, while others fall into the “camera adds ten pounds” category.
Take an on-camera class that meets for a few weeks so you can get used to coming in and working. If you’re brilliant one week, you may not be the next. It’s important to assess what works for you and what doesn’t. When I teach on-camera classes, I always e-mail actors their clips so they can see how they look on camera and watch their progression as the class goes on. You won’t know what you look like or what habitual tics you display on camera until you see yourself on tape. You must do this in advance of coming in for your real audition. An audition is not the place to experiment with new acting styles or TV acting techniques. Work all that out in a good on-camera class ahead of time so you are ready to come in and focus on giving a great audition. Check my website (www.jenrudin.com) to find out more about my on-camera classes and workshops.
ASK THE
ACTOR
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What’s the difference between acting onstage versus acting for film and TV?
Onstage, you have to project your voice and make sure the people in the last row experience your performance. On TV, if I raise my eyebrow and they add in some underscoring music, I’ve just had an acting moment.
—DENNIS BOUTSIKARIS
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AGENT’S
CORNER
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What words come to mind to describe pilot season?
Hell. Agony. Insanity. Exciting. Grueling. Frenzied. Barbaric. High-energy. Fast-paced. Hectic. Long hours. A mad scramble. High intensity. Pressured. Exhausting. Stress. Survival of the fittest. Organized chaos. Anything can happen.
Pilot Season
Pilot season. Two words that make casting directors, agents, managers, and actors go immediately into overdrive.
Each summer, the major American broadcast television networks receive about five hundred brief elevator pitches for new shows from writers and producers. In the fall, each network requests scripts for about seventy pitches and, the following January, orders about twenty pilot episodes. Actors come to Los Angeles from all over the United States and around the world to audition for them between January and March. By spring, actors are cast and production crews assembled to produce the pilots.
Network pilots (CBS, NBC, ABC) are shot in March and April. Then, in May, at the upfronts,* the networks announce which pilots they will be picking up to turn into series and which of the shows already on the air they are renewing. Cable networks produce pilots year round, so the same timeline does not apply to them.
Welcome to pilot season!
Getting cast in a television pilot is one of the most stressful and exciting experiences for the actor, the agent, and the casting director, though it can often be heartbreaking as well. There’s a huge committee of people deciding your fate and a lot of money at stake.
Pilot season is, in a word, thrilling. The busy and hectic pace makes for long hours for everyone. Often the race is on to make offers to “names” (recognized actors or other celebrities), but then we must have backup choices if the name actor passes. Roles often change gender, ethnicity, and age, sometimes right in the middle of a casting session. Casting actors for a pilot is a crazy mix of timing, availability, and talent. There’s no formula, and every pilot season has different casting trends. Patience and flexibility are key. We don’t always know who is right for the role. Then, when we least expect it, an actor will come in and bring the character to life. It takes only one actor, but the search can sometimes feel endless.
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Don’t Be That Obnoxious Film Guy
In the middle of a hectic day of pilot season auditions, an actor was about to start his first audition scene. I said: “The pacing of this show is very much like The West Wing.” He interrupted me: “I don’t watch TV. I’m more of a film actor.” Really? That’s nice. But this is a TV audition. All prepared actors should understand contemporary TV references. Ditto for film. Your job is to watch TV and films. Do your homework. Become an expert on the genres. Don’t be pretentious, be educated. Next, please.
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Getting into the Room
In order to get seen for a pilot, your first step as an actor is to get into the room for an audition. This does not happen overnight. An actor must have relationships with casting directors. Be smart and do your networking in the fall, in advance of pilot season, and keep in touch with the people you’ve made connections with as pilot season draws near. Pilot season is hardly the time for me to meet new actors, unless I’m trying to cast a children’s role or doing a focused search for a specific ethnicity.
Hopefully your agent will submit you and I’ll give them an appointment time for you. Then it’s up to you to prepare!
From behind the camera taping actress Penny McNamee during pilot season, 2013.
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Respect the Punctuation in the Script
By the time you get the audition scenes, the writer has perfected the script and then gotten approval on the scenes from the network and studio. The script is your road map. Use
it to guide you. Respect the words.
Following is a sample script from a pilot. I’ve circled punctuation. If there’s an exclamation point, the writer put it there for a reason. Same with ellipses and question marks. I have also highlighted the character’s lines and actions. Take a look.
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Being an Audition Reader at a Casting Session
I often use actors whom I know and trust as audition readers in my auditions. They are usually actors I’ve auditioned over the years who have become acquaintances or friends. It’s great for the actor who’s auditioning, because they have a scene partner to feed them the other lines in the scene. For the actors who are audition readers, it’s a great way to get to know a casting director, and you get to spend the day watching other actors’ auditions. Many aspects of the audition process get demystified, in the best possible way. Many tell me that spending a few hours as an audition reader is like taking a master class in audition technique.
