You Booked It!! (Now What?)

Part 1 of a 2 part series to help actors who recently received a callback at our Showcase or are experiencing their first success in the industry.

As our annual Showcase ends and call-backs are submitted, the staff of The Actor’s Scene couldn’t be happier. This year each and every one of our students received a callback from one of our VIPs- making it the first year in TAS history with a 100% Showcase Callback rate!

Congratulations to our students and a huge shoutout to all of our talented coaches and devoted staff for all your hard work getting our students here!

With all the excitement and good news, it is tough not to get a bit caught up before realizing: now what?

This is the “booked it” moment. You’ve done the work, you’ve put yourself in front of the right people, and they wanted to see more of you, so…now what happens?

For those not in the know, to say you’ve “booked it” as an actor typically means you have got the job whether it be a commercial, TV, or film.

A Showcase in the acting world is a chance outside of your typical audition to show off your talents. This often comes after being in classes with a specific focus in mind. Here at The Actor’s Scene our Showcase is a chance for the students enrolled in our 32 week programs to show VIPs their acting talents. These VIPs include people from across the industry including agents, casting directors, managers, and even producers and directors. Each of these types of VIPs come to see a Showcase for different reasons which means that to say you’ve “booked it” after a Showcase can mean a very different thing than when you’ve “booked it” after an audition. So let’s break down You Booked It, Now What? Part 1: Showcases.

Agents/Managers

One of the biggest advantages of TAS’s Showcase is the potential to get an agent or manager. Typically to get represented by one of these types of people, you’ve got to submit to each agency and manager individually in hopes that one day they may need someone like you. With TAS’s Showcase, you are automatically seen by the top agents and managers in the Southeast, PLUS some from New York, Chicago, and L.A.

Booking a callback with an agent or manager means they are seriously considering adding you to their roster for a contracted relationship as they help you book work. This means they will most likely want to conduct an interview with you as well as see your callback video. Now the preparations begin!

Start with the agent or manager: be sure to know who they are, what company they are with, and if they would be representing you overall or for something specific (like just commercials). Is this a person/company you are excited and comfortable working with? IF you have callbacks from multiple agents, which one is your number one pick?

Then you need to prepare yourself. If they are asking for an interview or “meet and greet”, they want to get to know you and see if you are a good fit for them. Be prepared to answer questions about yourself, what you can offer them that makes you stand out, and what direction you want to go with this career. Consider questions like: Why do you like acting? Who is someone whose career inspires you? What are your specialties when it comes to acting? How did you come into this career? This is your chance to show them you are worth it so be ready!

Casting Directors/Professionals

You’re often told as an actor “it’s who you know”, but when it comes to casting it’s usually more important who knows you. That’s why booking a Showcase callback from casting is HUGE! It means they liked what you did and they want to see more of you! This is a chance to show them your range, your skills, and to sell them on your talent so they want to keep seeing you.

Now sometimes it won’t feel like booking a Showcase callback with casting did you much. They may just be adding you to a list for future projects which means it won’t feel as much like an immediate success as getting an agent interview. Since you may not hear anything directly from a Showcase casting callback this is a time you have to trust in your skills and remember: the more casting sees of your talent, the more they will have you on the brain for future projects.

Now sometimes booking a Showcase casting callback can be a direct booking. Listen to this awesome story from our Operations Director Elizabeth Alcaraz: “This year, one of our casting directors was casting for a commercial in LA. During the actual Showcase he sent us over a list of people he wanted to audition that week! That was an instant opportunity based off of a showcase performance.”

This goes to show that giving casting your best performance is worth it every. Single. Time.

Producers/Directors

Arguably one of the most exciting “booked it” results out of Showcase is getting a callback directly from a producer or director. This is the closest to what booking an audition feels like. So get yourself ready. For this you need to know who these people are: who is this director or producer? Who have they worked with previously? Have they done anything before? Look into what they have already done and watch their previous projects to help you understand their style.

While this is a rarity at a Showcase, it can happen and you should be prepared. Hear what Elizabeth has to say about this from last year: “Last year, one of our producers was creating a film where they had yet to find an actress for a specific role. He saw someone who fit the part, requested a direct audition- and she booked it!”

Booking a Showcase director/producer callback also means preparing for a new audition. This could mean that they send you new sides that you need to start working on OR you may need to be ready for a cold-read. Either way be as familiar with the project as you possibly can so that you are able to showcase yourself at your best.

Now we know what “booking it” via a Showcase looks like, what about when we “book it” in the context of a project? For that you will have to stay tuned for our next blog: “You Booked It, Now What? Pt. 2 Auditions and Projects. If you are looking to get into our Showcase check out the Showcase page on our website for more information AND check out our 32 week classes while you’re there. Perhaps you can join one and be a part of our Showcase 2027!

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!! (Now What?)