3 Audition Recommendations to Help You Become the Next Flo

A working actor can prosper when booking a commercial, but the audition room can be very puzzling. As a Northwestern student specializing in Theatre and Integrated Marketing Communications, I have found two articles that will benefit you in your next commercial audition. 

How to Nail Your Next Commercial Audition by Jamie Irvine, a writer for Backstage.com, demystifies the audition room and provides insight into what casting directors are thinking. In Irvine's experience, she has found that being specific about clothing and knowing your colors will help bring your personality and archetype to life, but you have to be able to play the part you dressed for. Irvine touches on the importance of moments immediately before and after the audition; the waiting room is a great tool to come alive and express yourself by being aware of your surroundings. Once the audition is over, there's no reason to overthink what you just did because even your mistake might've made a strong impression. 

Source: Progressive Corporation

My Worst Moment: When Paul Scheer Realized Trying to Stand on Your Head Won't Get You the Part, by Nina Metz from the Chicago Tribune, looks at renown actor Paul Scheer's experience in an audition for a Twix commercial. Scheer was in his early 20s and felt like commercial auditions were high stakes because he might "hit the jackpot." Scheer felt pressure to stand out and make a dent, so he took inspiration from Robin Williams' audition for 'Happy Days' where he was on his head the whole audition. Scheer relied so heavily on trying to be memorable and do his two-line audition upside-down on a chair that he bombed the whole thing. 

Based on these two articles and my experience at Northwestern University and as a working actor, I have developed a few key tips to use when preparing for your next commercial audition. 

• Embrace Your Mistake. Making a mistake can be a good thing that shows the casting director something organic and natural, but don’t actively try to make a mistake.

• Use Your Archetype. Be aware of the types you are consistently called in for and make sure you can play those. Commercials rely on archetypes.

• Be Memorable, Naturally. It’s important to make strong choices in an audition to standout, but don’t force an unnecessary choice in a commercial audition where you might only have five seconds of screen time.

As actors, we must not be scared by the audition room but instead discover how to own the space. 

Julian Larach is a senior at Northwestern University studying theatre and integrated marketing communications. You can get in touch with Julian via LinkedIn or Twitter.