Q&A for How to Audition

The first thing to do is ask yourself why and if you are willing to sacrifice and work really hard to possibly achieve your dream. If you're sure you want to become an actor badly enough to move someplace like L.A. or New York, get ready to handle the business part of it. Save some money before you move, and if you're going to LA, make sure your car works. Also, know that fine acting schools aren't limited to those two cities! There's many places you can go to get more training.

It's really important to stay hydrated. Some people get a lot of relief by steaming where you hop in a hot shower or stand over a steaming pot. So if you just finished an audition and you have half an hour before your next one, you can steam for a few minutes. Sleeping with a humidifier on may help as well.

If you have more than one audition in a day, or you have multiple auditions back-to-back over a couple days, I wouldn't sing your heart out. You may not get every audition, but you might blow your voice out after 1-2 auditions if you're giving it everything you've got. Do your best to take a break in between sessions so you can rest your voice.

They are not social or confident enough. The key to an audition is being friendly and confident. If you are nervous, do not show it, it only makes the director think you might have stage fright, which is never good.

Give the directors an honest resume, and don't stress if you don't have much to put on it. Remember to be professional when you enter and exit, and don't worry if you don't get much feedback from the directors.

If it is an acting audition, you should generally get a script.

If you're auditioning in front of other people who are also auditioning, remember that they are all here for the same reason as you are. They're probably just as nervous for their audition as you are and probably aren't paying attention to you. If you're performing for an audience, take deep breaths. It won't be the end of the world if you make a mistake, recover and keep going. Finally, the most important thing is to be confident!

Try it all! Give this monologue everything you've got. Look around, pace around, and do whatever you feel fits.

No, because the casting people want to see more of what you can do instead of just speaking into the camera. You are acting, not giving a speech.

Ask your professor these questions, especially the one about the date and time of the auditions. If you're uncomfortable asking for audition tips from an instructor, seek out other students who have taken the class and ask them. Some general advice: warm up your voice, wear something comfortable, and practice everything you know!

Not unless you want a big role with lots of lines and solos.

Keep calm. It's quite embarrassing for an actor to burst into tears during an audition. Practice multiple times in the mirror but don't get so overworked that you are stressed. Drink tea on the day of audition to relax your body and throat.

A nervous audition is never the best representation of your talent, so work to calm yourself down. Take deep breaths and focus on the audition at hand. Always remember that even if this audition goes south, there will be other opportunities for you!

They usually have you memorize a dance and run through it, so really just stretch and stay hydrated.

The best thing to do is get a manager who can help you out with finding auditions. They can also sometimes pay for your fare to get to places where the audition is taking place.

Usually, when you join an agency, they will sign you up for auditions and the agent that you are working with should get you any materials you need.

Sometimes casting directors will ask you to send in an audition video for something far away, but it might be better to focus on finding auditions in and around your area.

Start with some scales. After you have warmed up, you should probably focus on some sight reading, as they may go over that as well. In the end, you might want to prepare a song or, if they have assigned you one, practice that.

Stand out. Everyone else wants a part just as much or more than you - think about what the other actors would say, and take a different approach.

Tell yourself how amazing you are. Stay hydrated, and take deep, calming breaths. Imagine that there is nobody there but you, and let your talent take you away.

You might not know what character you will be auditioning for when you walk into the audition room. From my experience, you read who they tell you to read. It helps tremendously if you have read the play you will be auditioning for before you walk into the audition room. It also depends on the type of audition since some auditions are targeted towards a specific character.

YouTube has lots of examples, along with tips and tricks about auditioning.

When it's the day of the audition, make sure to eat a good breakfast. A cup of tea could also help calm you down. When you are waiting for an audition, have a glass of water, take deep breaths and rehearse your material in your head.