4 Things to Ask Yourself About Auditions

4 Things to Ask Yourself About Auditions

If something isn’t going well, it’s a good idea to take a step back and evaluate what’s happening.  Here are some things to ask yourself regarding your ability to deliver a great reading/performance under any circumstances.

1. Can you walk into a casting director’s office and feel relaxed and comfortable, no matter what’s happened before, and deliver a strong audition?
2. Can you handle a last minute audition and still get a call back or even book the part?
3. Can you bring depth and humor to a part and feel confident with your choices?
4. When on set, if things aren’t going well, can you adapt quickly without being thrown or upset?

If you answered “no” to any of the above, some fine-tuning may be in order to get you to the place you need and want to be in your auditions.

I was working with a wonderful actress who was preparing for the final rounds of auditions for a series lead.  It was a very exciting time, which came with some unexpected twists and turns.   The four actresses who were competing for the lead were all in the room when the others auditioned.  It was an unsettling experience to say the least.

So what do you do when something like that occurs?  Panic, feel demoralized, protest, or find a way to deal with the situation that allows you to bring what you want to the audition?

The actress who was my client, developed an insouciance (free from concern, worry or anxiety) to the whole experience and simply created the character in the audition as she wanted to and didn’t worry about the other’s interpretation of the part.  At the end what of seemed like endless rounds of auditioning for writer/producers, studio chiefs, and network execs, she won the day.  It was a great victory for her to have succeeded on her own terms.

She could have gotten into a lot of drama and stress that would have eaten up the creativity and composure that was needed to stay the course.  She had the skills, confidence, and tenacity to move through the process in a way that surprised even her.

If you need help to improve your work, then ask for it.  Get into action and address the areas you must to improve your auditions. Don’t stop until you’re the one getting the job.

Lynette McNeill

© 2015 Lynette McNeill Studios