Double Your Callbacks

Twenty simple steps you can take to double your chances of getting called back.​

​Did you know that agents know in the first 20 seconds or less of meeting an actor whether they are going to represent that actor? And did you also know that Casting Directors have a sixth sense as to who's going to get a callback by how an actor walks into the room? Don't be one of the 75% of actors who don't get a second chance because of a silly mistake.

Here are a number of short tips to help you win over those with a critical eye.

​1. Look like a million bucks.

​You might think this is just a saying, but it's absolutely true. There is no way you are going to get a second chance if you walk in looking like a slob.  Nice, well-chosen clothes are a must if you want to have a successful acting career. In addition to wearing good clothes, make sure you have clear, smooth skin, appropriate makeup & presentable hair. You should ALWAYS come into an audition looking just like the headshot you sent in (though you don't have to be wearing the same outfit). Also, make sure that your hands are in good shape. No one likes to shake sweaty or extremely coarse hands.

​2. Don't chew gum when you come into an audition.

​Spit it out before entering the room, because chewing gum is impolite unless you brought enough for everybody. But do be sure your breath smells good. Bring some breath mints, and eat one right before entering. Remember that the whole point is to give the casting director or agent absolutely no reason to hold anything against you.

​3. When you enter, be sure to make eye contact.

​I can't tell you how many times I've had an actor come into an audition who wouldn't look me in the eye. It makes you appear untrustworthy and doesn't look professional. If you find it difficult to look someone in the eye when speaking to them, practice with your friends first.

​4. Walk with confidence, holding your head high and standing with good posture.

​Sit up straight and lean forward a bit when listening to others, as it shows you are interested in what they have to say. If you lean back and sit with bad posture, they will notice. Be confident but not cocky. There is a difference between walking confidently and walking with a swag. If you do the latter, you are sure to get a negative reaction. Let the casting director or agent know that you believe in your skills, but don't let them think you think you're better than everyone else.

​5. Don't shake hands in today's world unless they offer their hand first.

Germs and sickness makes everyone cautious these days. Therefore, be ready to shake the casting director or agent's hand if they offer it, but don't offer yours until they offer theirs. If you do and they weren't planning on shaking your hand, they might feel uncomfortable, and you've just given them a reason to dislike something about you.

​6. Never forget to bring a copy of the sides and plenty of copies of your resume, unless they expressly ask you not to.

​If you forget these things, you will seem irresponsible and not invested fully in their project. Be sure to also bring a copy of your acting reel on DVD and if you have one, a binder-style portfolio with photos just in case. Have all of these things ready to pull right out of your bag. If you sit spending a few minutes trying to find what is needed in your bag, it puts a sour taste in the casting director or agent's mouth.

​7. Invest in a good bag.

Speaking of bags, having a nice, brand name bag that is organized neatly and isn't dirty goes a long way in sending the message that you care about your career (and you're successful). If your bag looks like a piece of junk, you will be judged. Remember: even though we live in a world where people aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover, almost everyone still does. The honest and sad truth is that if you walk in with clothing or a bag that looks old and tattered or dirty, people will think you're irresponsible and don't care about what you do.

​8. Treat each of those 20 seconds like gold.

​Remember that you have a purpose while you're there, so be sure that you use your time well. Speak with purpose and be clear in what you have to say. No "um's," "whatever's," "like's," etc., as they make you look immature. Be polite, friendly, and confident.

9. Show your outgoing personality and answer their questions clearly.

People like to hear themselves talk, so the more you let them do the talking, the more they will like you. If you just sit there talking about yourself the whole time, they won't like you very much. But be sure to show your charisma and intelligence when they ask you a question. Research the company or production ahead of time so they can tell you did your homework. If they ask you a simple question and you don't know the answer, they will like you less. But be truthful in your responses, and if you truthfully don't know an answer, tell them so. Don't try to make things up because it can get really awkward if they catch you.

10. A brief, "Thank you for seeing me" when you leave is a great way to close the audition.

​Be sure to ask them when you can expect to hear back, because you have a right to know. It not only shows you're interested in their project, but you'll also get access to information that you otherwise might not have known.

11. Arrive 5-10 minutes early.

If you're even one minute late, it's over. You might as well not bother coming in because the immediate judgement will be, "Is this person going to show up on set late?" They'll be worried you will cause production budget overruns, and in my honest opinion, there is absolutely no reasonable excuse to show up to an audition (or any job interview) late. You knew the time and could have planned way ahead for something this important.

All that being said, there is one possible way you can recover from coming in late, and that is by apologizing profusely, telling them why you were late, and then following up by saying you take full responsibility for making a bad decision and not planning ahead. If you don't take responsibility and apologize, instead opting to blame other situations (no matter how dire), it will just look like you're unprofessional and don't want to take personal responsibility, which is a bad trait.

​12. Try looking the part.

This is something you'll want to test out. Many filmmakers and casting directors are impressed when actors come in dressed exactly as they think the character would dress. Doing this gets across two things: 1) You go above and beyond the call of duty, and 2) You already own the clothes they need so they won't have to rent clothing if they book you (this especially applies to things like cop uniforms and other specialty outfits). All this being said, some casting directors get turned off if you come in dressed exactly as the character. So it's a toss up, but I always recommend giving it a shot because when you think about it, what's the worst that could happen? They won't book you.

13. Ask questions during the audition; don't just talk about yourself.

By asking questions and showing interest in the production, you'll allow the casting director or filmmaker to talk about themselves and their role in the project. As mentioned briefly earlier, the more you let them do the talking, the more they'll like and remember you. Believe me when I say, the best way to be interesting is... to be interested. The more interested you are in them, the production, and their role in the project, the more interesting and engaging they'll find you, and chances are you'll get the callback.

​14. Ensure you have a clear U.S.P. for the production so they need to hire you.

U.S.P. stands for unique selling proposition, and is a well known marketing term. What is it that you specifically can offer the production? What makes you different than everyone else coming into the room? In many cases, the best way to stand out from the crowd and have a clearly defined U.S.P. is by showing the casting director that you specialize in the type of character they are looking for. Therefore, I strongly recommend you do your homework ahead of time and figure out what type of character they are casting for and create a page on your website all about you playing that character type.

Get some photos from other productions, or have a friend take a few stylized photos of you in-character. You can also customize your bio (and even reel if you're able to) so that it's focused on your experience playing that specific character type. Yes, I know it sounds like a lot of work, but once you create the page one time, you can keep re-using that page every time you go out on an audition for that type again. Plus you can just copy the page layout and modify the contents slightly for each new character type you want to audition for. The goal is to send out a customized headshot and webpage specific to the character you're auditioning for so it looks like you're an expert and can play the character better than anyone else. Now that's a clearly defined U.S.P. that will make you stand out!

15. Under-promise and over-deliver.

If you really want to stand out at the audition, make sure to do some research on the production ahead of time because it will give you some ideas of how you might be able to contribute to the production beyond just acting. Before you go into an important audition, think of at least two ways you'd be able to help the production beyond acting. Do you know someone who might be able to help them out with locations and special access, or do you know someone who works in distribution who you can connect the director to? For independent productions, directors and producers love to bring on actors who have more resources at their disposal than just their ability to act. What can you bring to the table that will surprise and delight them?

Important note: Do your homework. Don't just suggest things at random or you'll look desperate and it will come off as odd or inappropriate. Offer them something that they'll actually find useful.

​16. Keep your cover letter short and sweet, and include one unique note in it.

I can't tell you how many times actors have sent me emails with cover letters that are either non-existent or two pages long with no paragraph breaks. When someone goes out of their way to send me a very short, simple cover letter that covers why they are well-suited for the job, why they are excited to be a part of the production, and how they think they can help, I'm much more inclined to read it. Keep your cover letter no longer than 4-5 short sentences that are broken up into 2-3 paragraphs. Longer than this is too long (no really, I'm serious)!

Keep in mind that if you mention something unique and memorable in your cover letter and then bring that same thing up during your audition, the casting director might remember you from the cover letter. Doing this little trick increase your chances of being remembered later on.

17. Follow up after the audition.

You'd be surprised at how many actors forget to follow up after an audition is over. At the very least, following up gives you a chance to hear back as to why they didn't hire you, which is often even more important than finding out why they did hire you. Send a very short and simple 2-3 sentence note within 2-3 business days after the audition (or after they told you you would find out) to check in and say you were wondering if they had a chance to make a selection yet. Keep your email short, simple, and friendly. Use www.followupthen.com to easily remember to follow up with them in another 2 days if they don't respond to that email.

​18. Be sure to bring business cards with you.

When you're auditioning, you only have a short period of time with the casting director. It's imperative that you make as good of an impression as you can, and part of that comes down to simply handing them a high-quality, professional business card if they're open to it. It shows you're professional and you think ahead, and it's another way to get your name and headshot in front of them one last time before you leave. Get your business cards printed somewhere like www.vistaprint.com and if you want, you can even hire a freelancer to design you a custom card for $15 or $20 on a website like www.fiverr.com.

​19. Appreciate their criticism.

Have you ever received criticism and been annoyed by it? I know I have. But anyone giving your criticism, especially during an audition, is doing it because they hope it helps you change for the better. Even if you completely disagree with their criticism, pretend you are super appreciative of it because it will make them feel special and smart. The best way to get someone to like you is to make them feel good, and anything you can do to make the other person feel smart, special, appreciated, and happy is going to make them like you more, which is going to increase your chances of getting called back. So next time you're at an audition, thank them for providing you the feedback and say that you really like their ideas on direction for the scene Then perform it the new way and chances are, you'll have someone who strongly considers bringing you in again.

20. Make choices for your character before coming in.

This is possibly the most important way to get a callback - by making clear choices about your character before coming in to audition. You'd be surprised at how many actors don't make clear choices before coming in! You should ask the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How for every scene before you audition. The more specific you are with the choices you make, the better your performance will be. This is crucial, especially when you don't know how the director will want you to play the character. Remember, making the wrong choice is infinitely better than making no choice at all - the casting director will just give you feedback and you can try it differently. So next time you're about to go in for an audition, ask the following:

• Who am I (the character) as a person?
• When and Where is this scene taking place? Has something just happened that might influence my behavior?
• What am I trying to achieve in this scene overall and also moment to moment?
• Why am I trying to achieve this goal?
• How am I going to achieve it, and how will I change my tactics throughout the scene?

​This is probably the most important thing you can do if you want to have more success while auditioning.

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