Don't let the fear of failure keep you from auditioning?

Don't let the fear of failure keep you from auditioning?

Its often amazes me that so many actors go to so few auditions , so what gives after all auditions are how you get work?

I have long since come to the conclusion that actors clearly do not enjoy the audition process required to secure acting jobs. And it seems that most actually despise going in to audition for casting directors. This sentiment is widely felt throughout the acting world, from unknown aspiring performers to well established recognizable faces who have gone through the casting process many times.

The reality is that like a traditional job seeker ,actors have to go to casting calls in order to get work.So why do so many actors hate the audition process ?

One reason according to Alan Baltes of AB Media Publishing LLC which publishes the "Actors Resource Guides" may surprise a lot of people outside of the entertainment industry.... casting directors are almost always bad actors. This fact was brought up by the actors in my study (which will), air on Showtime as part of an upcoming 2015 documentary about movie star's road to fame. When an actor is reading lines in an audition, the casting director rarely delivers their lines with anything that the actor can use as far as "listen and react". The actor is forced to simply imagine that the casting directors lines were delivered in a "real" way.

In defense of casting directors, they are in a situation where they have to audition hundreds or even thousands of actors over the course of casting a feature film or television show , which can be an arduous process .Having been on the other side of the table its not easy to give your best performance effort for every single reading.

Another reason for actors indisposition for the process is the same reason that non-actors often dislike interviewing for regular jobs. The audition puts you on-the-spot and and its all down to a minute or so to perform.

There is also the so called , "first impression" factor that can be stressful. People do not like being judged and often take rejection very personal. Due to time pressure casting directors can be a bit harsh when they dismiss you.

Sometimes an individual may really need that job for financial reasons and creates an added, "the pressure is on"..

So it can be excruciating process for many performers, but it is the only thing that works. .The reality for most actors is more auditions equal a greater chance of landing work.

To make the process less painful and open the door to more talent some casting directors are now beginning to accept videotaped auditions in lieu of coming in to their office and read with them. But the vast majority of initial auditions remain to be held the traditional way.

To sharpen your audition skills , I suggest the obvious ,practice by going to more auditions ,yes a lot more, Like anything else practice ,practice ,practice . You may not learn to love it but you will become a seasoned professional , getting used to the process , knowing what to except and making lots of contacts .

Taking a cold-reading workshop and studying other audition techniques is of utmost importance if you want to minimize the pain.

And most importantly please stop taking rejection personal . The casting director has specific parameters as to what they are looking for and they are under pressure to meet deadlines and perform . If you don't make the cut blame the parameters ,not yourself . To coin a phrase from the Godfather , its just business ,nothing personal