Movie audition tips: How to land more acting jobs.

The differences between movie productions can vary. In this guide, we will breakdown the differences between indie productions and major budget feature films. The goal of this acting tutorial is to explain how producers look for actors to work on their respective projects.

In our previous guide, we discussed acting auditions for movies. We previously discussed how to find a talent agent, how to find a manager, where to find acting auditions, and how to start your acting career, in our previous guides.

Movie Audition Tips

Short Films and low-budget movies

Filmmakers work on mini-budget productions generally work with their close friends to produce the project. A casting director working on this is typically doing their work for free or as a favor to the producer. As a result, almost all the actors auditioning for a role in the project, typically have little experience or are looking for a way to expand their acting profile. Traditionally, actors self-submit for roles for the aforementioned projects. Talent agents and managers reject these productions as they do not usually get compensated for getting their talent to work on the project.

Low-Budget SAG-AFTRA Short Films and Feature Films

SAG-AFTRA Feature films and Short Films usually have a budget under $1 million. These projects allow for a casting director to cast relatively known actors for projects that will go straight to streaming services. Typically, one popular actor will be cast for the project with the remaining artists being unknown and aspiring talents.

Major budget SAG-AFTRA Feature Films

For SAG-AFTA feature films budgeted over $1 million, the producers are looking to cast bigger name actors to work on the project. The casting director will follow their traditional casting process by putting a list of roles and seeking submissions by talent agents, managers, and possibly open casting calls for smaller roles. Read our introductory guide to movie auditions to learn more.

For major supporting roles, a casting director is looking for talented actors who have a lot of experience, social media following, and will bring a return on investment on the project. It is harder for aspiring actors to land major roles in such projects as producers are seeking to build marketing around the cast, and do not want to take a risk on actors with little to no experience on major budget feature films.

Smaller roles, including day-player, and supporting roles, directors try to find unknown actors to move the storyline of the movie. A supporting actor’s job is now to be noticeable and grab the actor’s attention. Rather, a supporting actor will move the story along. That said, many actors have had their careers cemented by day player roles. For movies that are shot on location, which has become popular due to film incentives such as Georgia’s film tax credit, regional casting directors cast local actors for supporting roles.

Related tips for actors:

How You Can Learn How To Act Without Acting Classes

Acting auditions for movies explained – here is everything you need to know.

We previously discussed how to find a talent agent, how to find a manager, where to find acting auditions, and how to start your acting career, in our previous guides. In this acting tutorial, we will breakdown the details of auditions so that you can learn the ins and outs of the casting process.

All aspiring actors have to audition. Before Daniel Radcliffe became the face of the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise, the kid actor was confident in the audition, which helped him land a leading role in the Warner Bros. project.

Acting Auditions for Movies Explained

Step 1:

If a movie producer can get enough money and financing to start filmmaking for their project, one of the next steps is to hire a casting director. A casting director then receives a list of people the producer would like to work with, their budget, and other information to assist the casting director make a casting decision.

It is important to note; many producers find celebrities for their projects early on in the process. Casting celebrities makes it easier for producers to get financing for their project as A-list actors have a higher return-on-investment than unknown actors. It is often discussed by Hollywood casting directors, who often look at social media followers as a measurement as to rank actors for a particular acting role.

Step 2:

The casting director will then post roles for actors to audition. After receiving video auditions, casting directors make a list of actors who might be able to work on the project for each role in the script. The director and producer then work together to select the right actor for the project.

For leading roles, the casting director, producer, and filmmaker may meet with the interested actors, then discuss the project before making the final casting decision. But, this process is different for smaller roles. For these more minor roles, the casting director usually works independently, posting casting calls, reviewing auditions, and making choices based on the producer’s likes and dislikes.

Once the audition is released, talent agents and managers begin submitting actors for roles. Typically, within 24 hours, casting directors will receive thousands of submissions for one part.

The casting director may even receive emails, messages, and phone calls, from talent agents and managers pitching their talent for a speaking role. The point of the sales pitch is to sell an actor for the project.

Step 3:

Casting directors then select actors for a role by reviewing headshots and video auditions for the project. Each casting company has a different casting process.

For open casting calls, actors who are not represented by a talent agent or manager will have the ability to apply for a role they meet the criteria. That said, there are many scams in the film industry. Please review our guide on how to avoid acting audition scams here.

For the latest casting calls and audition opportunities, click here.

Related tips for actors:

How You Can Learn How To Act Without Acting Classes