How to nail Your Audition
How to Stand Out in an Audition
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hey guys what's up it's me cat and
welcome back to my channel if this is
your first time seeing my face hi my
name is Catherine Steele and I really
like musicals I'm kind of the unofficial
drama club president of the Internet
first we take over Broadway and then the
world if you love the Performing Arts
and /or world domination hit subscribe
but today we are going to be talking all
about how to stand out in an audition so
I've learned these tips as a working
actor as someone who has cast short
films I love musicals but my degree is
in television things I've learned from
behind the table at equity musical
theater auditions and some tips that
I've learned from some of the best
casting directors in the industry people
who cast shows for Nickelodeon Disney
Channel Netflix just to name a few
question of the day what's your next
audition for let us know in the comments
down below and if you're not prepping
for an audition why is that are you
taking time off to focus on school or
work are you already under contract for
a project or are you having trouble
finding auditions that fit you if you
answered that last one you're in luck
because today's video is sponsored by
backstage backstage is a great service
to help you find your next audition
personally my favorite thing about
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select your preferences backstage we'll
put together our list of all the
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down below huge thank you to backstage
for supporting the theater Thursday fan
left without any further ado let's jump
into the tips on how to stand out in an
audition my first piece of advice is to
wear something different not necessarily
something bright just different granted
you don't always know what other
auditioners are going to be wearing but
if you have kind of a general idea blame
something just a little bit different
can make you really memorable
I remember auditions for a production of
Jesus Christ Superstar where every girl
called back for Mary Magdalene was
wearing like a long boho kind of free
people ask dress and then one girl
didn't she was
Jeanne she was wearing boots still very
Mary Magdalene but a different take one
that worked with her and one that
immediately made her stand out another
great way to stand out in auditions is
to look for slightly more obscure
material let's say you're auditioning
for like your teen community theater
production of Shrek the musical if
you're looking at Shrek songs a lot of
people might audition with something
from like Beauty and the Beast
fairytale contemporary lush score so if
you think everyone else is going to pull
material from Beauty and the Beast don't
do Beauty and the Beast look somewhere
else
that could mean looking in like The
Little Mermaid score or going a
completely different direction like
Spamalot which is another great tip lean
into the comedy if you're auditioning
for something where you could go one of
two ways you can do a dramatic piece or
you could do a comedic piece 9 out of 10
times I would recommend going comedic
not only is it just generally easier to
be a crowd-pleaser over the comedy but
if you're really funny the team will
keep talking about your audition way
after you've left the room especially if
you're a younger performer almost every
single casting director that I've worked
with who casts especially for young
shows they are so sick of young people
performing really sad heavy material so
break out your funny bone that wasn't
funny another great way to stand out in
an audition is to make strong choices
let me explain because I feel like
that's the thing that everyone hears but
not a lot of people really understand
especially when it comes to newer
performers making a bold choice doesn't
mean screaming or crying or playing the
exact opposite of what the scene calls
for when you hear the phrase strong
choices or bold choices
what casting directors want to see our
decisions for instance let's say your
audition scene is you in the grocery
store with your mom and your line is to
list off some of the ice cream flavors
that you see so your line in the script
might just save strawberry mint chip
vanilla chocolate a strong choice is to
make decisions about how you feel about
those flavors maybe you're super sick of
strawberry ice cream but your mom loves
it so you're trying to convince her not
to get it and to get chocolate instead
maybe you don't care about ice cream
because your mom
been in the supermarket for two hours
when she said it was just gonna be 15
minutes and you're running late to hang
out with your friends
whatever it is make a choice just make
sure to make smart choices use the
script and other parts of your audition
scene to help inform you who this
character is and what the circumstances
are it's especially easy to do that if
you're auditioning for a pre-existing
work like a play or a musical because
you can find the script pretty much
anywhere
perfect segue into my next point stand
out by being prepared most actors aren't
able to see it because they're only in
the room for their own audition we can
immediately tell who prepared who knows
this material inside and out not just
the words but the emotions and the
meaning and the subtext who went home
and did the work it is so obvious it
drives me crazy when people don't do the
work this is the one part of the
audition process that you can control
you can't control if the casting team is
in a bad mood that day you can't control
if you're gonna have a bad hair day that
day you can control how much you prep
for this audition so give yourself the
best shot and prep a big part of that is
not rushing and I think that's kind of a
thing that a lot of people hear but
again don't really comprehend a lot of
people especially when they get nervous
tend to rush through their material they
don't take the comedic beats they don't
take the dramatic beats because you're
nervous you're running on adrenaline it
makes sense but preparing for your
audition can help you override your dumb
little lizard brain going I'm scared I'm
gonna throw up let's get out of here
take your time on those bits let the
landing stick try to make a human
connection with the panel I know that
that can be kind of scary especially if
you don't know anyone behind the table
but letting them see you as a human and
not just a number you're allowed to be
scared on the inside I'm always scared
on the inside but try your best to just
kind of present yourself as you this is
such an easy tip be professional be like
really professional this is especially
true if you're auditioning for like
youth community theater school theater
anything where young people are involved
go a step ahead be on time be quiet
bring a headshot and resume oh my
goodness I've heard from so many kids on
the internet who don't want to bring a
headshot and resume to an audition
because
don't want to seem stuck-up what no
always bring your headshot in resume
even if the audition doesn't require a
headshotted resume bring a headshot and
resume you won't look stuck-up you'll
look normal because that is what
normally is expected of you and if
that's not what's expected in that
setting then you will look very
professional so there you guys go those
are my tips on how to stand out in the
audition process if you're new here hit
subscribe be sure to check out backstage
and thank you again for sponsoring this
video I hope you guys are having a great
day I love you so so much break a leg
and I'll see you guys next time bye
[Music]
