You Booked It!! (Part 2: Auditions & Projects)

Part 2 of a 2 part series to help actors who have gone through the traditional audition process and booked their first project.

Any actor can tell you that the words we are all waiting to hear are “you booked it”. Meaning that, after all your hard work on prepping, auditioning, and giving a stellar callback, you got the gig! While your first step should definitely be to celebrate (Yay, you!), what in the world do you do next? Fortunately for you, we specialize in this topic at The Actor’s Scene, and are here to guide you in You Booked It, Now What? Part 2: Auditions and Projects.

Know Your Details:

There is a lot of information surrounding a day of filming and it’s your responsibility to have it all correct. One of the best and easiest places to start is knowing your details. I’m talking all the basic information you will need for the day or days of your shoot, plus knowing who will be on set. Ask yourself questions like these:

–When are you filming?

-How long or how many days will you be on set?

-Is there travel involved and are you responsible for getting there yourself?

-Are they putting you in a hotel or do you need to book one?

-Do you have a day job or classes you need to take off from?

-Do you need to get your house plants, pets, or children taken care of while you film?

-Will you need to provide your own makeup/hair/costuming, or do they provide those for you?

-Who are you working with and what other work have they done?

-What production company is this with?

Starting with these details ensures you know exactly where you are going and when you will be needed so you don’t miss anything. It also gives you the chance to prep yourself differently for being on set. Check out what Coach Linda does when she books: “The first thing I do to prepare for a new booking is adjusting my calendar, eat extra clean (for a fresh face), abstain from alcohol which I primarily do anyways as it can make you look weathered down and tired.”

Paying attention to the basic details and adjusting your day to day life to accommodate filming will have you ready to be on set like the professional you are. Once you have your calendar updated and your details listed out it’s time for play by getting to know your character.

Know Your Character:

“I personally try to understand the story and how my character fits so I can best serve my cast mates and director.” -Coach Samuel Salary

Coach Sam gets it. Once you’ve got the basic details down it’s time to familiarize yourself with the script and your character. Check out how Coach Maddie starts each booking: “The first thing I do to prepare for a booking is read the script over and over again. Each read through familiarizes me more with the lines, but I also notice new things each time. I start by reading for the plot, then for character details, then for subtext, and keep reading over and over again letting my imagination run wild.”

I LOVE this because discovering your character is not just about reading your character’s lines, but also about reading all the lines! You can learn many little details can about your character and the world of the story by just reading the script multiple times. Make time to do this and take notes of who your character is, who the other characters are, and what the world your character lives in is like.

The repetition of reading it over and over again will also naturally help with your line memorization. Memorization is a HUGE part of this process and having a good memorization tactic can really help.

Let’s see what Coach Nyah does in her process:

“I always emphasize the importance of truly knowing what you’re saying, before trying to memorize. Really sit with your script, if it allows. I use the kinesthetic process (writing by hand)”-Coach Nyah Bass

This is great because Nyah is showing us that, 1. There are different methods for memorization (listening, reading, writing your lines). But also that, 2. Memorization is nothing if you don’t know why you’re saying it. You should know why your character says this in this moment. Understanding your character will help you connect to your lines in a way that just memorizing never will.

This is also the time to figure out your character’s physicalities. I personally love this phase because it’s all about playing. Play with how they walk, how they hold themselves, what their facial expressions are, what their tics are, how their voice sounds. Begin with what you had for your character during the audition/callback process, then dive deeper. Getting a bit physical while practicing lines is a trick that helps you not only learn who your character is and what their lines are, but also helps you not get to set on one way of saying or doing the lines. This is a good thing because you never know when things will have to change on set. A.K.A. it’s important to know when to let go.

Know When to Let Go:

After all your hard work and preparation, it’s time to take a note from Elsa and “let it go”. Not of everything of course, but let go of your stress and trust yourself. You did the work, you know the character, you know your lines, so now that you’re on set you can just have fun!

Coach Linda is familiar with this:

“Unless I’m given new material, I don’t really run the lines much as I already know it and I need to keep it loose so I can adjust to any changes quickly. In other words, know your lines well but don’t hardwire them to where you cannot change them on the spot.”-Coach Linda Meadows

Sometimes lines will change. Sometimes how you’ve prepped a line doesn’t work with how your co-star delivers theirs. Sometimes the director will want to see you change your performance in a moment. All these things and more can/will happen on set. Meaning it is your job to be prepared to change up what you’re doing and be able to let go of what you’ve so carefully prepared.

Like all parts of this industry, it can seem like a lot. But just remember: you did it! You booked the gig which means they like you and they want you! As long as you do the work, you will crush it on set. Now if you’re still feeling overwhelmed or need extra guidance, please do not stress because we at TAS have got you! All of our Private and Career Coaches would love to book a session with you to help guide you through it all. Set up an appointment today (LINK) and get yourself confident to walk onto set. Also, be sure to check out our upcoming Open House to take a tour of our studio and learn more about your options (Open House information HERE).

Ready to get started? Reach out today!

TASFRONTDESK@GMAIL.COM

770-904-6646

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About The Author

Kirsten Krehbiel

Kirsten Krehbiel is an Atlanta based actress, director, and writer who enjoys bringing people new truths through the art of storytelling. She has a love of acting both on camera and on stage, having been lucky enough to be a part of incredible productions in both worlds. Kirsten joined the TAS team in 2020 as a coach, a job she loves because it lets her watch first hand as students grow and gain self confidence as actors. When she is not creating or coaching, you can find Kirsten hanging out with her grumpy cat on their back porch.

You Booked It!! (Part 2: Auditions & Projects)