How to Audition for Anything

Mar 18

A common saying in the acting business is “your job isn’t booking the role, your job is auditioning”, and it’s true. You’ll spend more time auditioning for projects than you will working on projects. Working as an actor is a numbers game and the more you audition, the higher your chances of getting into the booth, on set, or on the stage.

As a result, proper auditioning technique is crucial for your success as an actor. As I promised in my “Top 10 Habits for Voice Actors” post, I’ll walk you through the audition techniques I’ve developed over years of being a working voice actor, as well as some of the lessons I’ve learned from casting my own projects.

Before you can start your job as a professional auditioner, you need to know where to find auditions. There are a few universal places that you can start checking, such as Twitter (using the hashtag #castingcall), Facebook groups for the mediums you’re interested in (such as Audio Drama Auditions) and free online services such as Casting Call Club. Some local markets will have their own platforms available, such as Vancouver Actor’s Guide’s audition board. If audiobooks are something that interests you, then you can search Audible’s Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) for open titles (though high quality auditions have been on the decline on that platform due to the #audiblegate scandal). You can also check audiobook producer’s websites or newsletters for open auditions, such as Fireside Horror, Pink Flamingo Productions, or e-Audio Productions.

I don’t recommend starting on platforms such as Voices123 or Voices.com, as these sites charge actors money to audition for projects. While you’re learning how to act and audition, these platforms are just going to waste money that would be better spent on coaching and classes. When you’re confident that your auditioning skills are sharp, then it may be worth trying a Pay to Play (P2P) website.

If you have an agent, keep searching for your own auditions! Often agents simply don’t have time to find every casting call available in your market, so when you find some interesting ones, pass them on to your agent. Oftentimes they’ll be able to submit a few people on their roster to the project, which builds up further goodwill between you and your agent (even if you don’t book the part). Not just that, it lets your agent know that you are driven and excited to work, so they’ll be more driven and excited to help you. Or, if the production company behind the project is problematic or well known in the industry as trouble, your agent may be able to warn you and their other clients.

Once you’ve found projects you want to audition for, it’s time to put the work in. Since your job is auditioning, you need to treat the audition script as if you’re already getting paid. Take it seriously. Spend time exploring it.

Start by doing research on the project, the client (if there is one), the production company, and any names mentioned in the breakdown. If it’s a television show, try to find an episode to watch, or at least a few scenes. If it’s for a video game, find out who the developer is, what their previous games were, and if there are any Let’s Plays or cutscenes on YouTube. This will help you determine the appropriate tone, energy, and pace of the audition.

Then you can do your scene and character prep, using the techniques you’ve been learning in your acting classes (you have been taking acting classes, haven’t you?). I won’t go into scene and character prep in this post, but I will reiterate that you need to treat the audition as if you’ve already booked the part and will be getting paid for it. Really commit to the prep. If it requires a unique character print, spend some time picking the right voice - one that’s sustainable over a long recording day. Don’t audition with a voice you can’t sustain!

The last step I recommend is to pick a specific skill you want to experiment with or refine. For example, for the audition for a commercial I booked last year I decided to focus on refining my speaking speed. The commercial had a 30 second limit, so I practiced bringing all my enthusiasm and energy into a spot that properly fit that limit. It was a great learning experience for me, as it helped me get a sense of what 30 seconds feels like while speaking.

You can practice different character voices or accents, your posture and breathing, movement within the camera frame, your scene breakdown technique, emotional connection, whatever skill you think you could be better at. Think of some of the critiques you’ve received from acting coaches and teachers and try to incorporate their notes into these auditions.

Sometimes, it may be worth working on an audition with a coach. Obviously this can get very expensive if you do it for every audition, so I recommend doing this semi-frequently. Every 1-2 months, hire a coach to help you one-on-one with an audition you’re really excited or nervous about. I’ve booked coaching sessions for important projects I’ve really wanted to work on, a medium I’ve never acted in before, when I haven’t had a clear idea about how to approach the audition itself, or if it’s just been a while since I’ve worked with a coach. The coach can help you prep the audition, tap into the emotional truth of the moment, and give you concrete feedback that’s specific to the project’s medium and industry. You can become a much stronger actor with just these simple, one-on-one sessions, especially if you keep practicing the techniques you worked on in your session on other auditions.

Lessons From the Other Side of the Casting Table

Every casting call has what’s called a “breakdown”, where the casting director outlines several important pieces of information about the project, the role, and the submission process. It is very important you read and understand the entire breakdown. Breakdowns outline file naming requirements, slating requirements, character descriptions, audition deadlines, production dates, and special considerations and requests from the client or casting director. In most cases, if an actor’s audition does not meet the breakdown requirements, casting won’t even consider the audition because it means the actor cannot follow directions and could be difficult to work with.

Casting directors (CDs) often receive hundreds of submissions for each role, and that number only goes up the more accessible acting becomes due to electronic submissions. As a result, CDs spend roughly 3.5 seconds listening to each audition. When casting my own projects, I’ve passed on people after as little as 1 second. This can be for myriad reasons, but it’s usually because of three things: horrible (and I mean horrible) audio quality, bad (and I mean bad) acting, and the actor’s vibe doesn’t fit the character, regardless of their ability as an actor. This last point is very subjective and is something you don’t have any control over. But you can control your audition’s quality and your acting ability, so focus on that and you’ll greatly increase your chances of CDs finding you worth casting.

It might be discouraging to spend hours on a single audition only to know that casting will only spend 3.5 seconds on that audition. However, you can’t predict if casting is going to listen to your whole audition, so assume they will. If you think of the audition as an opportunity to practice a specific skill, it will never be a waste of your time.

I have attended several casting director workshops over the years and something I’ve heard over and over again is that casting directors only remember actors who are really good or really rude. This gives you so much opportunity to grow and develop your skills so these casting directors can watch you become really good.

Be courteous, gracious, and grateful for the chance to play with these characters and projects, even if it’s only for a short time. Discover new ways to push and stretch your skills to keep the audition process fresh and interesting. Find joy in the auditioning process and then, you’ll start booking.

So, to summarize:

Find open casting calls on public platforms such as Twitter or Facebook groups
Learn where your local market posts casting calls
Don’t use Pay to Play services (such as Voice123 or Voices.com) until you’re sure your auditioning and acting skills are ready
Tell your agent about casting calls you find
Treat the audition as if you’ve already booked the role. Research everything you can about the project to be sure you understand the tone.
Select a skill you would like to work on during each audition
Every 1-2 months, do a one-on-one session with a coach you trust to help with a specific audition
Read and understand the entire casting breakdown
While casting directors may not listen to your whole submission, you can’t be sure. Assume they’ll listen to the whole thing and stay committed for the whole audition script
Casting directors receive hundreds of submissions per role, so they’ll likely only remember people who are really good or really rude. You have nothing to lose when submitting for projects you aren’t ready for, as long as you use those auditions as an opportunity to grow

Do you have any audition rituals or techniques that have helped you? Let me know in the comments!

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About Me

Larissa is a professional audiobook narrator, voice over artist, and actor. With her home recording studio in Vancouver, B.C., she is able to spend her time doing what she loves most - becoming a conduit for stories that resonate with us.