About two weeks ago, I bought a copy of “Backstage” Newspaper. The issue was called, “The Audition Issue”. The entire publication was dedicated to auditioning!
Most of the newspaper covered various casting directors (CD’s) giving advice about auditioning for Theatre, Film/Television, and Commercial. Here in LA, its very difficult to nail the-100% correct way to book roles. The entertainment industry; no matter if you want to be an Actor, Singer, Dancer, Writer, Producer, Director, Lawyer, etc is all so very tricky to break into. Having direct advice from seasoned CD’s in my finger tips, I felt was priceless!
If you follow my website and other social media, you know that I am auditioning a lot. To backtrack a moment, I have been on auditions for Kayak.com, Best Buy, Walmart, Nike, and more. This is a journey! And purchasing “Backstage” I felt would help me along the way.
Lots of us here in LA, who aspire to be a successful actor, sometimes forget all the resources around us. There are networking seminars with top industry professionals that are 100% FREE to us, student films that can help us build acting reels, acting workshops with major TV/Film CD’s, and so much more. I think that many of us forget about all these resources because of how difficult it is to simply live here in LA. With all that said, I felt like “Backstage” would be a great tool (this edition mostly) to help me in my auditions.
As I was reading through the newspaper, I though I would share some of the interesting parts here on my site.
One of the CD’s in one of the articles stated that “They have a few days. So you go in and if you’re not right, you go home and move on to the next one”.
They were speaking about the time that it takes to find and book a role for a commercial. When I read this I felt confirmed and relieved at the same time. Why confirmed? Well, I already knew this was how things happened, through working with NBC’s OUTSOURCED, and doing so much background work on TV shows and random commercials. Relieved, was what concerned me the most. Relieved simply because reading this means that I could stop thinking over and over about my last audition. When it came down to it, after 3-4 days past from my audition... I didn’t get the role. The last part of the above quote “...move on to the next”. So powerful in itself! Just move on. Stop harping on this audition and immediately focus on the next one. Once I finish my audition I need to begin shifting my focus on the next audition, acting workshop, song that I want to start writing, or whatever creative thing is next. But forget about the last audition. If its meant to be, Ill get it. And if not, there will be so many more.
“Don’t let it go to your [DAMN] head”! Now this part of the paper was SPOT ON! This is so true. Exactly how it feels in this industry! Your agent gets you an audition, thats exciting in itself! Then its time to prepare for the audition. You do your necessary preparations-hoping to GOD that you are doing it right. But whats right? Time after time, I hear industry pro’s mention that often times CD’s don’t really have any idea what they are looking for, for a role. That, when they see it they will know. You can imagine the pressure that alone puts on you. haha.
After the audition is over, thats AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT STORY. I often find myself wondering so much. “How many 100’s of people have they seen for the same role as you? How many times have they seen everyone repeat the same lines as you? How many people have they seen add the same “unique” twist as you?” You get my point? Its difficult to find a way to set yourself apart from everyone else. And you only had a few minutes to do it.
After walking out of the audition room, you are bombarded with thought after thought. “I could have done this better. I should have done this. What if... that was easy... that was really weird...” and on, and on, and on, and on... HOW IN THE WORLD AM I GOING TO DO THIS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE? AHHHHHHHHH! Phew... the best part is, its all possible.
I read so much in this edition, “...audition and move on”. Giving an audition a second thought is pointless, UNLESS it is done in the right way. Its one thing to evaluate how you did, and another thing to harp on the audition over and over. Which leads right into the last thing that I wanted to talk about. What should I do to evaluate my audition?
Which makes perfect reason for the above photo. After my auditions I have started to ask myself these questions, 1. What worked? 2. Why did each of these things work? 3. What could have worked better? 4. Why could have each have worked better? 5. What am I going to do for the next time? Reading these I was thinking to myself, “whoa... this really give you a specific thought process for evaluating auditions”. I also remember thinking to myself, that this info is so valuable. I am blessed to be reading it.
I would say this, in response to this entire issue of Backstage. We have so many resources here in LA that so many around this country do not. Us entertainers should work at utilizing these resources more often. Our ability to learn and grow as actors, singers, dancers, writers, and etc are more then we know. It takes being creative. It requires the will to think out side of the box about how you can learn something new. I did so simply by reading a $3 newspaper. I challenge all my friends here and not local to use what is around you and so easily accessible to grow in your own path!
Here are a few links to some of these resources.
Backstage
Casting Networks
Great points, Kevin...no matter what industry one is in!
ReplyDeleteI love the point about moving on to the next...it allows you to put your focus on moving and that creates momentum. It also frees you to trust that what is right will come to you in the exact perfect timing by the perfect means!
Thanks for the great application. This was a great post, and you should do more like it (meaning where you analyze an experience and share a lesson that's applicable to everyone).
Love reading your blog even though I'm not in entertainment. Keep up the great work and keep walking into your success. You deserve every bit of it.
Thank you very much for the comment Steve. Its nice to see that this side of blogging is appriecated. Thanks again!
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