The Worst Part Of Auditioning:
Rejection

Auditioning certainly increases your chances of getting work, but auditioning a lot can help even more, but you must be aware of one thing. You’ve probably heard many times, but I'll tell you again anyway. It’s important to have thick skin in this business. Rejection is part of the game and you must learn to handle it. If you don't, it can be your worst enemy and it will be a long and hard road for you.

No Call-backs!!

I remember a specific period when I had just started going up before casting directors the last time I was in New York, that after about twelve auditions and castings and not getting one callback, I realized I needed to do something different. I realized I should probably take an on-camera commercial class. While some actors tell me that twelve outings without a callback is common, I still began to wonder if there was something I could do to better my chances. I thought I should take a good hard look at what I’m doing to prepare myself for, what I’m doing during auditions and see if there wasn’t something I needed to change; something to do more of or something that I should stop doing altogether.

At any rate, I thought to myself that given the results I was getting, I had two choices. Either I continue to do what I was doing and continue to get the same results or change and try to get the results I was looking for. I decided on the latter. I searched inside myself and talked with other actors and career coaches for some audition tips.

Analyzing What’s Working and What’s Not

To analyze your situation and to have a great monitoring tool and great information about acting career management, it is necessary to keep good records. I used Leslie Becker’s book The Organized Actor to keep track of all my activities as an actor. In her book are pages in which you can log everything about an audition, such as role, location, name of CD's office, time, wardrobe necessary, materials to prepare, comments, as well as a few audition tips. I used this tool faithfully and periodically go back and analyze my situation. It’s great, because you have all your information in one place.

One of the things I looked at, were the roles for which my agent submitted me. I looked at this because sometimes at auditions I felt out of place or not right for the part they were casting. I also thought about my ability to improvise and decided I needed to work on that. However, I was already enrolled in other classes and had many other things going on, so I opted not to take an improv class right away. Instead I looked at other things I could improve on.

In the seminars at the Actors Connection a year ago, I was up in front of commercial casting directors; they complimented me on my read but gave me some audition tips and sent me on my way. They told me to be more natural and a little less "over the top." They said the read of the commercial copy should be very conversational, like I’m talking to my friends. They said this is because of the effect reality TV has on everything.

Feedback From Casting Directors

Commercials today are often about real people and not some actor or spokesperson, as was the case many years ago. I reflected back on those auditions of the previous year for which I was not called back and tried to remember if I was conversational and natural. I decided that that was something I needed to be conscious of.

I'm sure you've guessed by now that I am very determined. I sometimes walk around my house while doing something and say to myself, “I’m gonna make it! I’m gonna get what I want!” I would say this several times a day. Every time I went in for an audition, I would tell myself, “You have to book this!” In this first analytical phase, I wondered if my behavior was too aggressive. What you bring to a scene can help you make it more real, and certain emotions can influence how the scene comes off. I wondered if feeling that I needed to succeed at all cost was hindering my chances of booking the job. I decided I needed to relax.

Some Good Advice

To help me with that, I followed the advice of my acting teacher and read Zen in the Art of Archery Zen in the Art of Archery I immediately understood why I should read it. She, too, saw in me this desire to succeed at everything I do, and while that can be a healthy attitude, it's not good if it’s too much and comes out as aggression or over-the-top determination while I’m acting.

Get There Early!

Finally, I decided that I needed to arrive at the auditions earlier than I had been, get dressed (in ninety-degree heat, it is almost impossible to arrive at the audition without being drenched in sweat, so I always took clothes with me and changed there), get the copy, really master it, and then sign in at my call time. Maybe that would help me to relax even more.

Finding Consolation

One day I talked to another actor, Clark Beasley, whom I had met about a month prior and run into again at a voice-over audition. (You often see the same faces at auditions!) I was feeling down that day, and fortunately I ran into him. Even though we had met before, we never really talked much. We spoke for a half hour, and he gave me a pep talk, telling me that when he started out, it was the same for him and that one-day things will just start to click. “You’ll see,” he said.

The section that follows in the book Acting Career Start-Up: Four Key Factors For Success is called A Helluva Week in which I talk about how things dramatically changed the very next week after I had made the adjustments I made. I got callbacks, got put on hold for a couple of projects and booked two jobs!

The Definition Of Insanity

If you’re not getting the results you want in whatever area of your life, just remember what the definition of insanity is: “Continue to do the same things and expect different results.”, a saying I heard from a Hollywood Acting Coach named Bernard Hiller , the great motivator, in a class I took with him a couple of years ago.

Keep your head up, stay positive and good things will happen!

Where To Get Good Casting Infomation

Now, after all that, have a look at where you can get some really good audtioning and casting information: NY Castings There is also Actors Access, which is very good as well. These are the two casting websites I like the most and from which I have had the most response. Aside from the good quality and updated information they provide and the user-friendly sites the provide us with, there is one major difference. Actors Access is free to use and NY Castings has a cost associated with it. Also they both send you notices daily that tell you when there are roles being cast.

Check them out and see for yourself. I highly recommend both.

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Video Special Report!:



The Top 10 Reasons Why
Most Aspiring Actors Never Make It!

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Hi Tony
I would like to thank you for helping me with the monologue question I asked in October 2007. I went to the auditions for a Drama course and I am happy to say that I have been accepted as a first-year student at the Tshwane University of Technology. Please keep on sending me those newsletters and let me know where I can find books that will help me in my acting career. Thank you once more. Have a blessed day.
Sincerely
Edward Thaba -South Africa

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Hi,
I was wondering if there is anything established like actingstartup.com in the U.K. because you are amazing and I have learned loads...
Thank You.
Nadine., Newcastle, UK

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Dear Anthony,
Just wanted to thank you for bringing me in to [audition for the video], meet you and chat this Saturday. I was really excited to hear about your working on actingcareerstartup.com and even took a look at it today - it's awesome! You are very well-spoken, knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and it shows through the work that you do! I hope our paths in the industry will cross again and really enjoyed meeting you. Thanks, again and best wishes with your very important work!
Warmly,
Gretchen, NY, NY

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Hey Tony, thanks for the info, yours by far is the most useful, I am 30 years old, and I myself always (secretly) wanted to be an actress, but I never knew where to begin, so thank you. You have given me hope!
Ana C., Tampa, FL

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Hi, I’m John.
You answered a question for me about two weeks ago about how to write my cover letters…I want you to know your advice was helpful. I got called in for a part as an extra in my first movie! It’s not big, but it’s my first one! Thanks for your help!
John, San Diego, CA