The narrator reflects on their early acting experience that unexpectedly led to a role in the low-budget film "Stuntgirl." Despite the challenges and recovery after stunts, the project was rewarding. A connection from this film resulted in a new opportunity for their next project, "Cavegirls," planned for March 2025.
I had an audition a while back for a Kevin Bacon series. The audition was for a show called The Bondsman and Erica Arvold was the casting director. I ended up with a check avail. It was my second audition with Erica, so I was pretty happy to get the email. I didn't end up … Continue reading What It Means to “Book the Room” as an Actor
The author felt insecure about their appearance after watching one of their acting auditions, magnifying perceived flaws. However, an actor friend and an instructor offered perspective, the latter showing a video of acclaimed actor Willem Dafoe discussing his own self-perceived flaws. This helped the author to focus more on acting rather than personal insecurities.
In the past fortnight, the author landed two feature film roles simply with a reel, underscoring a reel's ability to secure auditions and work. An actor's reel—a one to two-minute video compilation of their best performances—can be self-made, professionally created, or compiled from project footage, offering various price points and timelines.
Posting for casting calls portrays actors as amateurs and isn't a viable strategy. Instead, platforms like Actor’s Access, Backstage, Casting Networks and Facebook Groups are recommended for finding auditions. Networking and having professional links also save time while applying. The actor should be willing to do the legwork and sift through possibilities.
If you’re getting frustrated about not booking any roles in acting. Just remember: Out of thousands of applicants, if you get an audition, you’re in the top 3% Out of all the 50 to 100 people who got an audition, if you get a callback, you’re in the top less than 1%. The average actor … Continue reading Frustration
Acting can be frustrating due to infrequent role bookings. Remember, getting an audition places you in the top 3% of applicants, and a callback puts you in the top 1%. The average actor books only 1-3 roles per 50 auditions. Repeated auditions from the same casting director show appreciation for your skills, indicating potential future opportunities.
The author, an actor, explains why they choose not to memorize lines for auditions. Reasons include short turnaround times for auditions, high volume of auditions per week, length of monologues, and the distraction of line-recalling hindering their acting performance. The actor uses a TelePrompTer app for assistance during auditions.
Simon Shih 