A few weeks ago I was auditioning for a commercial with a session runner that I have known for a long time and admire his understanding of auditioning and what it takes to be “good” in the room. I was the first person in after he gave the group explanation and we both noticed that one of the actors who was in the room for the explanation seemed to be distracted. We got on the subject of listening and being able to make the audition work for the actor.
He made a comment to me that the “distracted” actor is a really talented person and he has noticed that the past few times he has auditioned for him, he was not fully present. The session runner was expressing his frustration that this actor would not pull it together for a few minutes so he could make the most of his audition opportunity.
I know it is easy to get distracted and let your life bleed into your auditions, but it is to your benefit to practice focusing and paying attention anytime you are listening to a group explanation. I think it is important to know that we, “session runners” pay attention to how you perform in the room.
Also, before all casting sessions became digital, we would either not put you on tape or erase your performance if you were not up to par with the performances of other actors auditioning. Now that everything is digital, we record every performance, but now we have the ability to “hide” actors and their performances before we send out the link for the director and agency to view. That is just a fact of the business, like it or not, the casting directors reputation is on the line with every job he/she casts. This is a fickle business and is all about relationships, the next time you audition, take a moment to think about what kind of relationship you are creating…