I\u2019ve done a lot of auditions.\u00a0I\u2019ve been acting professionally for 30 years, performed on stage and screen in the UK, Ireland and Australia, and ran a theatre company in Melbourne for six years. I\u2019ve worked across multiple genres: drama, comedy, musical theatre, Shakespeare, sitcom, feature film, short film, TV, movie, soap opera \u2013 and I’ve had to audition for virtually all of those roles. Thanks to all this, I have some valuable experience when it comes to auditioning. Here are my top tools and tips for how you can approach auditions with confidence:<\/p>\n
The power dynamic in an audition room can feel like casting directors and producers are on a different level to actors, which is why I encourage you to start changing your mindset to think of it as a peer-to-peer relationship. Remember: they need you. From the casting team’s point of view, it’s a search for a solution to their casting problem, and that solution might be you.<\/p>\n
It’s important to trust casting directors. They’ll be working closely with a director to fulfil a vision they have. They\u2019ll be looking to serve the needs of the material, the production company and the director. If we\u2019re objective, we’ll see that most roles have been cast well, and the actor embodies the character in a way that no one else could. Not always, but often. So, if they’re asking you to audition, they see something in you that aligns with their vision of the character. Allow that to fuel your confidence.<\/p>\n
Auditions are probably the most high-pressure situation that an actor faces. Of course, there are other times when our stress levels are high, such as opening nights or our first day on set, but in order to get to that, we have to audition. The stakes are high because getting the job is so important to us, so the nerves kick in and the stress levels tend to go up.<\/p>\n
We get nervous because we’re vulnerable when auditioning. It can feel deeply personal for us actors. I often felt as if my entire value and self-worth were up for evaluation, but I’ve realised that’s problematic as it creates a win-lose paradigm. The idea that I must be the winner is a function of the ego, so it’s natural that we bring that because we want the role. A lot of the pressure we feel is about having to be the \u2018winner\u2019.<\/p>\n
In reality, you’re not going to get most of the auditions you do, which is why it’s really important to start shifting your thinking and viewing auditions as opportunities to perform. Commit to being really well prepared and having fun. You love acting, right? You wouldn’t do it if you didn’t, so think of every audition as a chance to do what you love.<\/p>\n
The good news is that you don’t need a lot of credits to be considered professional. Performing under pressure is what makes you a professional, and every actor who\u2019s gotten their first role has demonstrated a level of professionalism to get it.<\/p>\n
Casting directors, writers, producers and directors want to work with the highest level of professional talent available. A lot of actors make casting directors\u2019 jobs easy by not doing the preparation and allowing the nerves to overwhelm them as a result. You\u2019re aiming to make it hard for the casting director to ignore you, and easy for them to put you on their shortlist.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s been most frustrating for me personally was not necessarily the roles I didn’t get (although that’s disappointing for sure), but the auditions I didn’t work hard enough at preparing for. Because I wasn’t prepared, my work was affected, and I put myself out of the running. I promised myself that I’d never let a lack of preparation lose me a role again. While I don’t get the role most of the time, at least I know I’ve done my best.<\/p>\n
Do your preparation<\/a>\u00a0so you can approach auditions with confidence. Remember the five P\u2019s: Professional Preparation Prevents Poor Performance!<\/p>\n Read more about doing the\u00a0preparation work to create compelling characters<\/a>.<\/p>\n Confidence is the main currency in our industry. It means feeling sure of yourself and your abilities, but not feeling superior to others. It’s a quiet, inner knowledge that you’re capable.<\/p>\n This is such a precarious industry (with\u00a0a fair amount of rejection as standard<\/a>), so there are lots of opportunities for negativity to creep in. It’s important to know what that looks like so we can take measures to combat it.<\/p>\n Some of the negative feelings that can come up for us around auditions are insecurity, fear, uncertainty, and nervousness. Your inner critic and saboteur may also make an appearance. Learn\u00a0how to deal with imposter syndrome<\/a>\u00a0when it raises its head.<\/p>\n Now let\u2019s look at the positives. A confident person:<\/p>\n Confidence is the willingness to try things and fail, but know that you\u2019re still okay.<\/p>\n Here are some ways to build your confidence:<\/p>\n Read more about\u00a0how to reclaim confidence as an actor<\/a>.<\/p>\n In your audition, you want to make brave, considered choices about your character\u2019s life, and it\u2019s not always possible to do that if you\u2019re only focused on getting the role. You\u2019ve got to stay out of the outcomes mentally, as you\u2019re powerless over them. However, you are not powerless over your performance.<\/p>\n We are powerless over:<\/p>\n Things within our power are:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re getting called in to see the director, you ought to be confident that they see something in you that\u2019s right for the role, and they\u2019ve liked your offer. Here are some things to think about for the audition room, whether it\u2019s online or in person:<\/p>\n My personal view is that unless they have specifically asked, I would encourage you not to list your acting credits at this point. Talk about something from your life that is positive and exciting; an aspect of your life that you\u2019re enthusiastic about. Something that you care about that excites you, so it changes your personality and demeanour. They can then see who you are as a person and if you\u2019re somebody that they want to have around.<\/p>\n Consider these audition room don\u2019ts:<\/p>\n Consider these audition room do\u2019s:<\/p>\n This article was written from notes taken at Des Fleming\u2019s \u2018Confidence in Auditions\u2019 session at\u00a0Spotlight\u2019s Open House<\/a>. If you\u2019re a Spotlight member and would like to sign up for future events like this one, check your membership email settings to ensure you\u2019ve opted into receiving our newsletters.<\/em><\/p>\n Des Fleming has been acting professionally for 30 years on stage and screen in the UK, Ireland and Australia. He also teaches Acting for Camera at Mountview to undergrad and post-grad students. Des runs online workshops and a weekly in-person scene study class in London. You can follow Des Fleming on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0YouTube<\/a>. If you\u2019d like to find more about Des Fleming, his classes and workshops,\u00a0visit the website – Desflemingacting.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Top tips to help actors approach auditions and self-tapes with confidence. I\u2019ve done a lot of auditions.\u00a0I\u2019ve been acting professionally for 30 years, performed on stage and screen in the UK, Ireland and Australia, and ran a theatre company in Melbourne for six years. I\u2019ve worked across multiple genres: drama, comedy, musical theatre, Shakespeare, sitcom, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":3174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[72,84,71,47],"class_list":["post-2196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-essentials","tag-auditions","tag-open-house","tag-self-taping","tag-wellbeing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is confidence?<\/h3>\n
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How do you build confidence?<\/h3>\n
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\nEven if they\u2019re little things, knowing you can complete those successfully will build your confidence when it comes to completing more important tasks like succeeding in an audition.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>Setting these every day, week and month will help build you up to a larger vision. It also helps to keep you active and your craft alive.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>Practice self-tapes<\/a>, train and take classes. Work on your craft.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>Invest time in\u00a0preparing for auditions<\/a>\u00a0when they come along.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>Make choices about\u00a0creating your own work<\/a>. Get a group of your actor friends together and read a play. Film something. When I wasn\u2019t getting any auditions, I started making my own work. It has been so important for me to create a belief in myself as an artist and build my confidence. It has allowed me to walk into audition rooms as a fellow practitioner, and so I would encourage you, in whatever little way you can, to move out of your comfort zone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nFeeling powerful in your performance<\/h3>\n
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How to conduct yourself in the audition room<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/strong>Firstly, do your research on the people you\u2019re meeting and the show you\u2019re auditioning for.\u00a0Even if you don\u2019t use the research, having it to hand will make you more confident.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>You are your business, so how you present yourself is important. Remember that everything you do is an offer, and the quality of your acting offer is judged by everything else you offer \u2013 the way you move, the way you talk to them, the way you talk about yourself and your professionalism.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>How do you want them to feel about you? What impression do you want to make with your attitude, your posture, your demeanour, your greeting, your exit?<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>Don\u2019t treat them as an authority figure. Remember: peer-to-peer. We are all professionals.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>One question that can sometimes come up is,\u00a0\u201cWhat have you been up to?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
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