How to Make Audition Video

[Team]

Auditions are the only way a new actor gets noticed and selected. Hence it is a must to give proper ans professional auditions. And don’t lose heart if you don’t get selected. It wasn’t because you weren’t good but perhaps because someone else was more suited (for many different reasons) for the job, and sooner or later you, as an actor, will get selected as well. This brief guide works for male and female actors both.

Here are some basics on giving auditions for TV Commercials:
- Choose a well lit area of your house (or where-ever you are recording the audition).

- See if it is possible to get frontal light (meaning you stand facing a window or stand facing a light).

- Ensure it isn’t too loud. If you have windows you can shut them to prevent outside noise from ruining your hard work. You may want to temporarily switch off the fans and AC so there is little noise.

- Make sure your recording device (probably your phone) is recording picture and sound well, it’s not too dark and noisy, and the frame is levelled. As in the picture is straight and the camera is not tilted. Also record horizontally or “landscape”. Make sure your backdrop is clean and not too dirty, messy or distracting.

- Now start recording. Make sure you understand the brief. If there are any problems understand the brief ask your casting director. Prepare the scene mentally. Visualise yourself giving a great performance. Practice if you have to. This is your hands to get selected and spotted.

- Get into the role. Maybe it requires you to wear something special like a helmet or a cap or Indian clothes or a western suite or Corporate look, or a young father at home look. Read the script and use your judgement. Get into the act.

- Once you are ready, start (looking and facing into the camera) with introducing yourself, and give us your height. A typical introduction would be something like “Hi, my name is XYZ, I am X years old and my height is Y. I have / or not acted in this competitive brand in the lag two years. I am available on these dates (the dates the casting agency gave you)"

- Then give your profiles: show each of your profiles, looking straight ahead: left, straight into the lens and right profile. (Remember if you are showing your left or right profiles you must turn your body completely to left or right and even look straight ahead to left or right. This enables the director to see what your profiles look like.) you can now cut recording the video.

- Now you have to record the action and dialogue as mentioned in the test scene sent to you. Rehearse and when confident, start recording. Play back and if you don’t like it, delete this clip and record again. Keep tying until you like what you performed.

- You can now end with a small note “Thank you for the opportunity to audition for this role. I would love to take this part up”.

- If you have an app in your phone / laptop which helps you quickly connect these clips (introduction, the performance and the end thank you note) you may want to do that and then send it to your casting director.

There. That’s it. That’s how you audition.