AUDITIONS - HOW DO THEY COME ABOUT?

The audition. The opportunity that all actors seek. That chance to stand in front of a casting director and demonstrate talent. To present why he should be the one to land that part. In a business filled with thousands of hopeful actors all wanting a shot at those auditions, how is it that a casting director makes their choices as to who will be seen? The answer is through the actor’s agent and/or manager. That is one of their jobs: to pitch or sell their clients to casting directors. To convince casting that the talent they want to send over is someone who will do a good job. But how do talent agents and managers find out about these jobs in the first place? Is it a ‘who you know’ sort of thing? Are the auditions posted on the internet? Is it by word of mouth? Well, there is some truth in all the above. In some cases, casting directors may want to work with only a select few agents of managers and will simply pick up the phone and tell them what they are looking for. This may result in immediate auditions or it may only be an invitation for the agent or manager to submit appropriate photos for casting to consider. But for the majority of movie, television and commercial projects going on, there are casting services which provide this information to the show business community.

Internet Casting:

The industry currently utilizes two internet casting sites:

BREAKDOWNS - although some commercial and print projects are offered, this site is primarily dedicated to the casting of feature films, television shows, movies of the week, documentaries, independent and short films.

LA CASTING - this site is mostly provided for the casting of commercials and/or print jobs.

The major casting portion of both sites are offered only to legitimate talent representatives and cannot be accessed legally by anyone else. Casting directors use these sites when they are seeking talent for a project they are working on. Talent representatives access these sites throughout the day and submit their clients from their own internet data base. The actor without representation may access these sites for more information. Click on the following links for access:

LA Casting

Breakdown Services

The days of the black and white head shot are over. Now, the industry standard for photos is color. Most actors have several color photos posted on each casting site showing a variety of 'looks' - hairstyles, wardrobe changes, etc. If the actor's agent or manager believes they have the appropriate talent for a project, they will 'select' that actor's photo from their internet data base to be seen by the casting director. Attached to the photo is information about the actor, including their resume, special skills, languages, training and access to the actor's other photos. The following is an example of what a typical Breakdown would look like. This however is not a real Breakdown, so don’t bother sending in your head shot. Matter of fact, all of the information in this Breakdown is completely made up.

FEBRUARY PICTURES
BOB BOB PRODUCTIONS
“THE COMPUTER BUG”

FEATURE FILM
DRAFT: NOVEMBER, 2007

Director: Boff Bob
Producer: Bobo Borro
Writer: Boris Bugo
Casting Directors: Betty Borro
Casting Associate: Billy Boffo

Start Date: Mid August
Location: Canada, Australia & LA

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS REQUESTED

You may also submit headshots via mail:
TO: Betty Borro Casting
1000 Star Struck St., Suite 222, Hollywood, Ca.

We are currently seeking the following talent:

(Jim Beach) 38 to 45, caucasian. Laid back account executive for a small software firm. A good provider for his family, but not overly ambitious.Strong comedy skills a must.
Think a younger Chevy Chase. (lead)

(Sue Beach) Late 30’s, early 40’s caucasian. First to leap out of bed in the morning, Sue can hardly contain her boundless energy. A confirmed health food addict and cook, Sue spends much of her time assisting others. Always ready to drop what she is doing and drive the kids somewhere. (lead)

[Jill Beach] 12 to 14 years old, Caucasian, the only daughter of Jim and Sue. A likable, very precocious girl whose greatest joy in life is creating her own computer games, and having her friends try and beat them. Jill is not easily angered, but is one tough cookie when necessary. She loves wearing clothes from the sixties and hanging out with like minded computer nuts…LEAD

(Roxanne) 12 to 14 years old, African American. Jill’s best friend. Athletic and strong minded. A great sense of humor. Always ready to pull a prank......LEAD

STORY LINE: Jill’s enthusiasm to create the world’s greatest computer game leads her on a search for some top secret and illegal software. While hacking into the Whiz Bang Global systems, she inadvertently downloads a real ‘bug’ which takes on a life of it’s own inside her computer.

As you can see, a typical Breakdown will list the name of the project, who is casting, when it will start, the location, writers and director and a brief story line. Also included is a breakdown or description of the characters they are looking for, including age, ethnicity and type. Casting is often very specific about only submitting those with strong credits, or those who have carried lead roles, or have performed numerous times in front of live audiences, or will state, “submit only your very, very best”.

These are the guide lines your talent representatives use in deciding who to submit. They do of course, ‘stretch’ these guide lines at times, submitting people who may not fit the Breakdown exactly, but with other factors considered could be a good candidate for the job.


The next step in the audition process is the submission. Your agent or manager will submit a photo and resume via the internet (and a DVD of previous work if applicable) to the casting director. All casting directors do not utilize the internet and prefer ‘hard copies’ of the actor’s photo and resume. Those who do will state so in the Breakdown.

After receiving the thousands of submission that pour into the office, the casting director and their assistants will go through them, deciding who they want to bring in for a reading. Very often a follow up call from the agent or manager is necessary to get casting to see the actor.

If the actor is represented by a good, well respected agent and/or manager, the odds are much better that he or she will be given more opportunities for auditions. Casting directors do not like to waste a lot of time. They prefer to work with people who have consistently sent them good talent over the years.

This should help clarify why it is important for the actor to take an active part in this business. In other words, the more ammunition your manager or agent has to work with, the more possibilities generated for auditions. Build those resumes, get that experience, get some training, do student films.....do those things suggested. If the actor wants to audition for national commercials and good roles in movies and television, he has to give his agent or manager something to help convince casting directors that he is talented enough to be seen.

People often forget that a talent representatives hands are often tied as to who is going to be sent on an audition. They receive many calls from casting directors who ask if they think a particular actor is ‘strong’ enough to carry a particular role. Agents and managers are usually very truthful about how talented their clients are. They should know their client’s strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else. Trying to squeeze someone in who is not ready for an audition can be harmful. The young actor especially may have a terrible experience and the casting director may not trust that agent or manager’s judgment in the future, or they may be very reluctant to see that actor for future roles.

In most cases your agent will call you the day before an audition. This will give you time to prepare your schedule and decide on wardrobe and to study lines. But this is not always the case, especially when things are very busy. It is quite normal to receive a call around 11 A.M. for an audition later that same day. Always be prepared. Don't leave things to chance or guesswork. Auditioning is what all the preparation has been leading up to.

'When the agent calls, the conversation will go something like this: "Hi, this is Kathryn from the Zany Talent Agency. We have an audition for you tomorrow afternoon. The product is ABC Cat Food and your call time is 4: 15. You'll be going to Pacific Casting at 1 Star Drive in Hollywood. The casting director is Mary Smith. The wardrobe is casual. This shoots in Northern California on or about the 12th of June." There may be more, there may be less. The agent may have been told there is a lot of dialogue to learn on this one. Repeat the information to the agent to be sure it is correct.

KEEPING FOCUSED AT AN AUDITION

A problem that many actors of all ages make during an audition is blindly following the lead or tone set by the casting director. Here’s an example:

Let’s say the audition scene calls for strong verbal emotion and a lot of physical animation. The part the casting director is reading with the actor calls for the same. But once the reading begins, the casting director reads his or her lines in a flat monotone manner, does not challenge the actor and does not offer any sense of urgency or timeliness to the reading. A smart actor will pick up on this right away and will carry on with full emotions and action blazing away. In other words, the smart actor is not influenced by the lack of involvement on the casting directors part. It’s an easy trap to fall into, especially for the younger actor and especially if not experienced. But a trap that has to be avoided.

Although some casting people will intentionally do a reading this way as a test, most of the time it happens simply through boredom and repetition. Imagine reading the same scene over and over and over, sometimes for several days. Another reason could be that the role you are reading for might have been cast earlier in the day and the casting director is seeing you as a courtesy. That’s all right. That is out of your hands. Even if that role has been cast, the actor’s job is to leave the best impression he or she can. Dazzle them. Make them think twice about giving that role to someone else or at least keep you in mind for other roles or other projects. The point is, if an actor runs into the ‘uninvolved’ casting director, then it falls completely on the shoulders of the actor to STAY IN CHARACTER, CONTINUE THE SCENE AS IF YOU ARE STANDING ON A SOUND STAGE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERAS AND READING WITH JACK NICHOLSON....or Bugs Bunny or Godzilla, somebody really important.

Another example. Often, the actor is required to read lines with another actor who is auditioning for another part in the film or commercial. As it sometimes turns out, the other actor may have little talent - bad improv skills, unfocused, poor reading, etc. Once again, do not be thrown off when confronted with this situation. Stay in character, keep moving forward, stay focused. Your audition will only be affected if you allow yourself to be thrown off.

There are some acting classes where this is practiced. The acting coach will often use a monotone voice or appear to be confused when working individually with the actor. It is good practice and something you might want to try at home. The term, ‘Keeping focused’ has several meanings. But the message here is simple: do not be thrown off by other activities going on in the audition room......telephones ringing, people talking in the back of the room, radios playing, someone stepping into the room unannounced or the uninvolved casting director.

The actor’s time with that casting director belongs to the actor. Make the best of it. Take the time and use it wisely


THE AGENT - MANAGER RELATIONSHIP

Personal managers and talent agents play an integral and significant role in the day to day affairs of the television and motion picture industry. Talent agencies are tightly linked with managers in a variety of ways; the least of which being that managers are a well proven source of new clients. A new client may be defined as brand new raw talent fresh off the street, or a veteran, established actor looking to make an agency change. Talent agents often call managers they work with and ask if they have new talent for them to see, or to inform the manager of a specific age bracket or type of actor they need to add to their talent list. The advantages to an agency and to the actor in this regard are numerous. In the first place, a good manager will have prescreened prospective talent and have that talent prepared and ready to go. From the actor’s perspective, the manager will have prescreened the agency by learning what a particular agencies true needs are. And if there are conflicting actors already on their list. A somewhat similar process takes place when a decision is made to switch from one agency to another. The manager will place calls or meet personally with various agencies to discuss possible meetings between agents and the actor. The manager’s job is to direct the talent to the best possible agency for that talent’s current needs. As the talent’s needs change, the agency selection is extremely important. Each talent should be signed with an agency that understands the goals of the individual. An example of this would be an established actor who wishes to do only certain types of acting jobs such as guest staring roles and movies, but has no desire to commit to a long term series. Some agents may not wish to represent an actor under those conditions. Others will be more open. Under this scenario the manager’s task to ensure that both the talent and the agent’s needs are understood.

Another factor which plays into the agent-manager relationship is the ‘behind the scenes’ activities which take place in an agency. Agents are, in many cases, always on the move. In other words, like any other work environment, an agent may be looking for a new job, looking for an upward move, being offered a more lucrative position or the chance to head an entire department. It is well known that Hollywood is a very small town. Word travels very fast. And because managers usually have many agent contacts and relationships within the business, it is not uncommon for managers to receive a phone call from an agency looking to fill a position and asking for recommendations or wanting information about an agent they may be considering. Managers often find themselves in the position of advising an agent on a career move, passing on important information regarding an agency they have worked with and even ‘selling’ an agent to an agency.

Symbiotic is an appropriate term to use in defining the manager-agent relationship. They share information, gossip, changes, gossip, rumors and gossip going on within the industry. And yes, it’s all true, they really do ‘do lunch’. And many of the stereotypical traits of language, attitude and emotion of show biz people are based at least somewhat in truth. Sometimes they do refer to each other in such syrupy endearments as ‘dear’ or ‘sweetheart’. But these relationships are how show business works on a day to day basis. And that holds true from the top to the bottom. An agent or manager can have the greatest talent in town, but if that same agent or manager has no connection to real people, that talent is almost irrelevant. The little tidbits they pick up in conversations are often relevant and helpful to their clients. Information which often leads to major decisions concerning the actors they represent. Things like: who was recently fired at Do-Dah Agency, or why the plug was pulled on a certain project, or which casting director is handling the new Disney project, or information about the background of a new theatrical agent, or who is hot and who is not and who is retiring, or who has just opened up his or her own agency, or who has switched from being an agent to a manager - or vise versa, or who has the better contact with a particular casting director. This information often leads to major decisions concerning the actors they represent.

When a manager is established as a respected professional, agents will rely on him to know exactly what the capabilities and short comings are of their mutual clients. Who can handle which role. Who has the best skills at a certain activity. Who can handle this or that type of dialogue. The agents will often rely on managers to make the decision as to whether an actor should be sent on certain auditions. The decisions the managers make are of course based on capabilities. But other factors to consider are: is this in the best interest of their client? Is the project worthy of the audition? Is this a good casting person to meet, even though the project is small or not a particularly good role?

Because of the much higher numbers of clients an agent usually represent, most agents gratefully leave the day to day operations of handling clients to the managers. From auditioning to scheduling to coaching to photos to training to promotion to financial advice to providing information to encouragement to hand holding and on and on. Ultimately, problems and their expected resolutions will land on the manager’s desk.

And because of the smaller number of clients managers represent, they have more time and incentive to pay close attention to their clients needs. As much as managers need to fulfill the expectations of the agents, this also works in reverse. Agents are very aware of the decision making power managers have regarding their clients and will work hard to meet their expectations. So, as you can see, agents and managers working hand in hand can be beneficial to their mutual clients. This of course does not hold true in all manager agent relationships. But for those who are established and have committed to long term business relationships, it is a given.

Concerning auditions . . . Managers and agents often compare daily audition lists with each other. This is advantageous to both sides. Agencies know that managers usually work with several agents and often know of projects going on that they are not aware of. The manager will usually share this information even though he or she may not have a client represented by that agency. The sharing works both ways. The agent may be able to inform the manager of a project which suits one of his clients signed with another agency. A quick phone call or two may result in another audition for that client. The combined goal of the manager and agent is to obtain suitable auditions for their mutual clients. The manner in which that is accomplished is usually irrelevant.........short of crashing an audition without a set time from the casting director. That’s known to happen, but is not encouraged.