The right preparation for your acting audition

You woke up this morning, grabbed a bite, went out the door off to work, but, suddenly, you remembered you’ve spotted a little piece of paper under your door. So you decide to turn back and hope it’s not the electricity bill. You open the envelope and start reading. “We are happy to inform you that your application has been accepted and you may attend the audition for the movie.”

Get in shape for your acting audition

Before you do anything irrational, like quitting your job and throwing a big party, you should always read the rest of the mail. Acting auditions are not as easy as you may first think. Even though you’ve made it this far and you’ve won a battle, the war is far from being over...

In order to enter the acting audition, most participants will be required to prepare two short pieces of their own choice, each lasting no more than 2-3 minutes. During the mental preparation, you should always choose those pieces so they offer as much contrast as possible, therefore the judges will be able to assess your versatility. You should always choose roles in which you could be cast professionally at that point in your career and which show you off to your best advantage. Don’t attempt roles out of your current age range.

Physical preparation is also most important for a candidate. Besides the obvious physical appearance, which should include comfortable clothes (nothing too extravagant), also note that the judges will evaluate some other abilities. Your vocal control, for example. You should adjust your speech according to the role, paying attention to the tone and inflections of your voice, without using regional dialects, in case you have any. Physical control is also essential to an acting audition, and it is indicated by the ease and freedom of movement, and also use of physical attributes to enhance your character. But the most important ability of all is the honesty of the acting. This can be achieved thru concentrating on the role and a demonstration of a sense of truth, without forcing any emotions. So to speak, you must make everybody believe you, without over-acting.

With the lesson learned, you can now attend the audition. Before you proceed, you should just clear your mind from everything else and don’t mind the other competitors also wanting the job, be confident in yourself and leave your performance anxiety at home.