AUDITIONS - further advice (Auditions 2)

AUDITIONS 2
The FIRST ROUND OF AUDITIONS is to find the talent and to weed out those who do not have enough potential for radio acting.

WHAT TO DO for FIRST ROUND OF AUDITIONS - before the Studio auditions

STEP 1 - Advice and warning (framed for students and teachers - but adapt this for other productions).

1. You have to attract a wide range of possible actors for auditions. One or two possibles for every ten auditioned and you are doing well.

PRODUCER

2. Advertise widely. Lots of posters, e-mails, networking, contacting student societies. Design an eye-catching poster.

3. Do NOT restrict yourself to your friends!

4. Do NOT restrict yourself to students or others who are already stage actors. They are very welcome! But there is a lot more talent out there. And you will need this talent. You will be surprised - someone who has done no acting before this could become a marvellous radio actor.

5. Put time and energy into auditioning. Casting is 70% of radio drama. Give a range of audition times.

6. Don't attempt to cast the impossible. Adapt your script for what talent is out there. (In my drama department, we are mostly restricted to the 18-23 age group. We have to go outside when we cast older actors.)

7. Contact other drama groups out there in the community. They will have older actors too. You will have to develop relations with them and offer them production times to suit.

8. Some semi-professional actors are willing to act in your productions to get this credit onto their C.V.s. Find those contacts. Be enterprising! Contact film students and film production clubs, and find out how they cast. There are casting lists and internet sites you can get on to.

9. Be patient! You will audition people who are not good enough for radio acting. Be polite!

Be definite about rejecting auditionees. HERE IS A SAMPLE REJECTION LETTER.

10. Do not be attracted by looks. Close the curtains of the window between the cubicle and the Studio if necessary. I say - jokingly - to my students: 'This course is not a dating agency'.

11. Somebody who has starred on stage and is much admired for this may be just right for radio acting or could be a disaster. They could be a terrific presence on stage in a role that suits their looks. But vocally, they could be inexpressive. They could have little presence on radio.

TO AUDITIONS 1

TO AUDITIONS 3

This site is 'Radio Drama - directing, acting, technical, learning & teaching, researching, styles, genres'. See INDEX to navigate also. Complete curriculum of scripts, techniques (acting & directing & post-production & genre styles), advice, sound files - effects and atmoses (with no copyright and so free to use), detailed script commentaries, etc.

Academic material on this site is Alan Beck is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.

Learn about radio drama on this site along with my book - Beck, Alan, Radio Acting, London: A & C Black ISBN 0-7136-4631-4 Available on Amazon. CLICK HERE.

To the WELCOME PAGE for Alan Beck's sites. See more of Alan Beck's work.

Disclaimer

Any opinions expressed in this site are the personal opinions of the owner of the site. IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS, PLEASE EMAIL TO : [email protected]