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The Essentials

Image credit: WaveBreakMedia / Shutterstock

Advice from casting directors and other industry professionals on how to get more acting auditions.

Auditions are an unavoidable step on the road to success in the entertainment industry, with the potential to provide you with valuable new connections and launch your career as an actor. However, they can also leave you feeling frustrated and demoralised if you feel like they’re not leading to much success.

At the Spotlight Prize 2024, we asked various industry professionals for their top tips for getting more auditions. Here’s what they had to say:

 

1. Network Everywhere

Relationship building is extremely important in the entertainment industry. To get noticed, you need to cast your net far and wide and that means taking every possible opportunity to meet and introduce yourself to the people whose opinions matter most.

Agent Phil Mennell of Gavin Barker Associates had this to say: “Try your best to market yourself and to get out there to have conversations, not only with agents, but with producers [and] directors. There’s so much competition out there that people need to know who you are fundamentally.”

2. Present Yourself Appropriately

Keep your headshots up to date and be sure to present yourself in a polished and confident manner at all times. Casting Director Tree Petts elaborated on the importance of good visuals:

“With your Spotlight headshot, don’t [include your midriff]. Have [breastbone upwards only]. I get 48 thumbnails on a page, and I need to be able to see you. There is so much competition. It’s a tough industry and you have to kind of know that going into it.”

3. Embrace Your Individuality

There’s always more to a person than their raw acting ability and casting directors recognise this. Your unique quirks, style and perspective could be what makes you stand out from the crowd and leave a lasting impression. So it’s important to be confident and nurture your own individuality – to break the mould, explore your passions, develop hobbies and stay curious about the world around you.

Sarah Hjort from Michelle Braidman Associates recommends: “Just keep looking at your CV. Keep looking at whether you’ve got up-to-date headshots, whether you’ve got an up-to-date showreel. Keep looking at your skills. It could be that you have done skydiving and that’s exactly what they need. It could be that you are an expert ping pong player and that’s what they need. If you’ve got something that you’re gifted at, work on it because you never know when it’s going to be useful.”

4. Have Other Options

Casting Director Rachel Freck highlighted the importance of being versatile and keeping other avenues open in your life:

“Have more than one string to your bow. It’s a really tough profession. And as an actor, it’s something you have no control over. Even for us as casting directors, sometimes it can be frustrating because not always the best actor gets the job. 

There’s a lot of politics and a lot of people in positions of power that you have to bring with you on a journey. So, if you can have another string to your bow that brings you joy that you have control over, I think it frees up your response to whether you get an audition or not.”

5. Be Resilient

Learning to embrace rejection as a natural part of the process can be a really important skill. Being resilient means not letting it get to you, staying focused on the positives of each audition experience and never giving up. 

If you can persistently maintain your passion and drive to succeed despite setbacks, you’ll be well on your way to developing what it takes to land those all-important roles.

Livvie Johnson from Middleweek Newton Talent Management drove this point home: “Keep going. So, many times, you can see people who’ve done it for a couple of years and then something amazing comes up. So just keep believing in yourself.”

 

Take a look at our website for more audition tips and advice, including:

Audition Preparation:

More Audition Tips and Advice: