WHAT IS AN AUDITION?

What is an audition? 

An audition is when you showcase the best of your ability and deliver the best that you possibly can to whoever is auditioning you for a specific role. Whether you are by yourself or in a group audition, you must try your best to showcase as much of yourself as a person as well as a performer towards whoever is auditioning you: you should show confidence, determination and flexibility when it comes to having to put yourself outside of your comfort zone and being open-minded. You have to live in the world of the character and commit to the given circumstances in your audition also.

Types of auditions

There are various types of auditions such as film, theatre, TV and radio.

FILM – Usually within a film audition, before the day of the audition, you would be given a character breakdown of the character you are auditioning for. Therefore, it would be useful to dress how you imagine the character to be like which increases chances of you getting the role. Other than getting a breakdown of the character, the screenplay would also be given which gives you the advantage to research the character. Furthermore, not all film auditions require you to do a monologue. For example, you may have to audition with someone else (duologue). Rachel McAdams is a perfect example of someone who auditioned with such emotion before she even got the role.

To view her audition, here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XfUUYK7Gkg

THEATRE – If you were to go to a theatre audition, the breakdown of your character would be given to your agent then told to you briefly. Therefore, doing background research on the character/play would benefit you when it comes to auditioning. Working in theatre involves mastering the ability to not only work different spaces but also to project your voice. It’s not primarily about the facial expressions you paint on your face when acting but it is also about the story your body tells when on stage. If you can project these skills within a theatre audition, you should be successful!

RADIO – When auditioning to be on radio, it’s usually for advertisements such as adverts for selling hand cream, a news report or reading a piece of text for a play that will be on the radio. Radio acting is not always shown through the style of a monologue. On the contrary, commercial style and performance work can be emphasized and demonstrated through radio.

TV – When auditing for a role on TV, looks tend to play a big part when directors are casting. What directors want is an actor/actress who matches the character description that they have created. When working on TV, you use your internal voice more as projecting your voice as loud as possible isn’t as necessary for TV like it is for theatre due to the mics TV use. Filming shots are not sequential meaning one day they could shoot Scene 1 act 7 then the next day Scene 4 act 2.

It is important when auditioning for roles to not only thoroughly work of what your character’s coming from and their journey but also to be able to put yourselves in that character’s shoes – empathy. Doing a monologue can be quite challenging as there is nobody else on stage that you are performing with to support you or rely on. However, this unit allows us to use our own initiative effectively to perform to the best of our ability.