Five Tips for a Successful Audition

When it comes to auditions, a lot of people think that they are just there to try out. Wrong! While it certainly is the case that you are going to an audition to try out for a part (whether in a movie, television series, stage production or something else), you are there to convince those that are casting the role that you are the one to choose. Here are five tips that will give you an upper hand against those you are vying with for the role.

Dress to Impress
Think of your audition as a job interview. After all, you are looking to land a job in a show of some sort. Whether the role is paying or not, you will be competing for the role against other people-- the same way that people compete for "real" jobs. Find out if there is a certain way that you are supposed to dress for the part. Sometimes, the casting director needs to see you in the character. Find out what the part is. Ask for a character description. Ask if there is a type of outfit that they would like you to wear. If the answer is "no", simply dress in a business casual outfit. You can always bring a change of clothes with you, if you'd like, so that you can offer to change into it if you aren't similarly dressed to those auditioning for the same part. Do your best to stay away from patterns. If you are doing a screen test or are being filmed for the audition, stay away from red, white and black. Iron your clothes before wearing them. Wear simple makeup if you are a woman. Make sure your hair is done nicely and sprayed into place.

Have a Good Headshot
A good headshot is an important tool for an aspiring actor. Heck, it is an important tool for any actor. Make sure your reproductions are quality on strong paper. Have your name printed in bold across the front, whether you have a border around your photo or not. Attach your resume is with two staples (one in top left and other in bottom right), facing outward on the back of your headshot. Look right into the camera in your headshot. Don't use "artsy" photos-- You want a headshot where you can see your full face, hair, and some of your neck and shoulders. Find a terrific, reputable photographer to take your headshots.

Create a Proper Resume
Having a proper resume on the back of your headshot is as important - if not more important - than the headshot itself. Learn the correct way to write an acting resume. List the skills that you do have, and don't fake anything. You will regret it if you are called upon to demonstrate the skills that you are lying about.

Have Respect
You are an actor trying out for a role. Be yourself when you walk in to the audition, and show the difference between who you are as a person and who you can be as the character that you are trying out for. Let the casting director see that you can act. Take the direction that the casting director gives you. Have respect for them as casting director: they have a job, and they have the power to cast or not to cast you. Be humble. Be appreciative. Listen.

Take Rejection (and Success) in Stride
Just because you don't land a role doesn't mean that you are a horrible actor and are never going to get anywhere. You may have had a fantastic audition, but are a brunette when they are looking for a blonde or are too tall for someone they wanted to be short. And just because you have landed a role doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to land every role that you audition for. Be gracious and humble, because you will be auditioning again once this job is over.

The entertainment industry is a very difficult industry to maintain a successful career. The path is long and winding with a lot of bumps along the way. Success in the entertainment industry can come with very big highs, and failure can come with very deep lows. Auditions are the stepping stone to getting where you want to be. Always remain pleasant during your auditions-- to your competitors, to the casting directors, even to the people that are signing you in. You never know where (or from whom) you are going to get your break.