Step 6: How To Arrive To Your Audition Like A Pro

This is Step 6 in My 10 Steps To Start Your Acting Career in Los Angeles – For International Students

Getting to an audition in LA can be a hassle. This post is about eliminating any stress factors that merely getting to your audition can imply. Don’t let traffic, forgetting to bring your headshot, a hangover or actors trying to be nice  in the waiting room  ruin your flow. You don’t want these things to throw you off after all your preparation for the role.

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How To Arrive To Your Audition like A Pro

– Do NOT party the night before. No matter if the audition time is at 10am or 2pm.

– Look up how long the drive is/bus takes and plan accordingly. Take into account if it is during rush hour.

– Plan for another 20 minutes once you have arrived to find parking, get inside the building, sign in and prepare yourself. If you want to find free parking like I do, add another 10 min. 

 – Bring your own sides. But check for any last minute changes on the sides there.

– Have only your headshot, resume and sides ready in your hands. You don’t want to waste time rummaging through your bag inside the audition room.  

– In the audition waiting area, don’t talk to other actors. Don’t check your phone. Focus on your character. Run the lines  a few more times just to have them fresh.

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Bonus: Inside the Audition Room

– Be prepared to slate to the camera: Introduce yourself like you would when you meet a new person, but to the camera. Add which character you are auditioning for.

– When you are done, they might want to run it again with adjustments. Listen carefully to their notes and repeat back, i.e. “So let me get it right, this time you want me to say it like I’m telling a secret”. Perfect. 

-When the audition is over, don’t show how you feel about your performance. Just be positive, say thank you and exit the room quickly.  Don’t linger. Don’t worry about shaking hands, it’s not standard practice. 

 

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Well done!

Now relax and go on with your day. It’s not about booking the audition but about booking the room. If you feel you did a great audition but don’t hear from then, know there are tons of other factors that apply. Maybe the producer’s daughter got it, maybe you are too short, too tall, too ethnic, not ethnic enough… it’s crazy but true. This is the only industry where it is ok to discriminate based on looks. Just laugh and get used to it.

 

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In my next post, I will go more into detail in Step 7: How To Prepare For Your Character.

Please don’t hesitate to comment or ask questions.

Cheers,