To ask how to audition for any TV or film roles ?

[Happyspring123]

Probably pie in the sky , but how do I audition for any tv or film roles? Do not have any previous experience of industry, but would love to get into it . Is there any way in to audition? Thanks

[OnlineAlienator]

Get an agent

[Firstworddinosaur]

Lots of advice on this website if you're in the UK.

www.spotlight.com

[Sparklesocks]

I think normally you need an agent/rep to sign you and they organise them, unless the auditions are open call where they’re posted publicly and anyone can attend.

[ShatnersWig]

Go to drama school for three years, come out with a qualification, get an agent (hopefully) who will put you up for auditions which you compete against hundreds of others for.

[ShatnersWig]

Unless, yes, they are open. That happens very very rarely and the majority will still be professionally trained performers with experience.

[FlossieTeacakesFurCoat18]

Download the backstage app. Probably quite a few of the auditions on offer will have been posted by amateur / low budget film makers but you'll get experience. And ignore the boring naysayers

[idonthaveaclue123]

I’m a Performing Arts teacher and this would be what I would tell anyone asking me about this. Get a few drama classes behind you, then get experience as a extra and try to network with others their. Try websites such as starnow, castingcollective, extra-people or extras ni if your in Northern Ireland. Being a extra will build up your cv and if you decided to try for bigger roles only then get an agent as they take a cut of all paid jobs they get you. Good luck!

[ShatnersWig]

Flossie I may be a boring naysayer but I happen to work in the industry.

[ShatnersWig]

Performing arts teacher knows that hardly any extras ever get looked at for proper speaking roles. Casting directors want professionals with experience.

[Justonemorepancake]

You won't get an audition without an agent, however you can try for unpaid parts in student films? Often there are facebook groups where they post up auditions.

[Henrysmycat]

My DD is s child one, she’s done tv ads, a couple of films and now an amazon series.
Nothing would have happened without an agent and about 3 million casting calls.
She’s also at an acting school.
Good luck, it’s a tough industry.

[idonthaveaclue123]

I never said extras get speaking roles I said to get work as an a extra to build up a cv and then get an agent to get speaking roles

[Justonemorepancake]

An acting agent will not really consider extra work as experience on a CV as it requires no acting skills per se. And it would not be allowable as an entry on Spotlight. Speaking roles in student films would be more valuable and provide work towards a reel that you can approach agents with. If you are in London look at short courses at the Actor's Centre. Join a local am-dram group for practice.

[FineWordsForAPorcupine]

Depends why you want to do it - as a hobby, part time job for fun/extra cash, full time job that makes ends meet (just about) or to become rich and famous?

I'm also ex-industry and I can tell you that it is insanely competitive, dispiriting, at times impossible to get anywhere, and it will chew you up and spit you out without a backwards glance. It's easy to plug away at your "career" for ten years, then realise that you have sacrificed a decade of financial security, a career with transferable skills, the chance to get on the property ladder before your forties, etc in exchange for a few credits on some short films, the occasional tour and a few nice headshots.

It's also amazing fun and I wouldn't have changed it for anything. But if you think you could be happy doing ANYTHING else, I would advise you to go for that instead :)

[Justonemorepancake]

@FineWordsForAPorcupine, Amen.

[Justonemorepancake]

...bur as a hobby (am-dram, community choirs, work as an extra) it's fun and an ace way to build confidence and make new friends. So thoroughly recommend that!

[ShadyLady53]

Ex/Semi Industry here too and what Porcupine says is bang on.

Your best bet at the moment is via Mandy.com. Get some decent headshots (anything under £200 is usually a waste of time) and start submitting yourself for student/no paid films and fringe theatre. Try and build up a showreel via no or low paid work and then start approaching agents with your showreel, you can also invite agents and casting directors to good quality fringe shows. You’ll need a well edited showreel and voice reel and you will most likely need to shell out £1000 at least.

Remember you’ll be competing with well trained actors and those with lots of talent and experience for even those low or no pay jobs.

You absolutely shouldn’t do extra work with a view to side stepping into acting. The more you get known as an extra the less likely you are to get paid speaking roles. You should never include extra work on a CV or online profile.

It’s a very good idea to sign up for good acting classes, especially acting for tv classes. Again you may be able to build up your showreel that way.

Of course the better route is often Drama School if you get in. It doesn’t have to be a three year course, you could do a PG or MA. Even if you don’t get an agent immediately following showcase/graduation, you’d be allowed to join Spotlight and submit yourself for jobs.

Again it’s alot of £££ for Spotlight but you will not be taken seriously in the industry without it.

You should also join Casting Networks.

And be aware it’s not a glamorous industry at all no matter how successful you become. The highs soon wear off in my experience and when I was in high school playing amazing roles in am-dram I had more fun than treading the boards professionally or being on camera.

More often than not, I turn down professional opportunities these days and love having a “normal” job and a more stable life.

[Justonemorepancake]

Yes, not remotely glamorous. You need the hide of a sociopathic rhino, a relentless passion, talent, an almost impossible amount of luck and remember that it's really incompatible with family life, if you have one, so if you do get work then an ability to handle the mum guilt! And beware who you give your money to as there's a lot of people out there looking to take advantage.

[Movinghouseatlast]

Extra work does not lead to acting roles. Not ever.

Most actors go to an accredited drama school and then get an agent.

Some go to stage school, e.g. Anna Scher, and get into soaps. Like Martine McCutchean for example.

Some go to University and somehow magically start to get acting roles. This is usually people who have been to Oxford or Cambridge, and have been picked up by agents who saw them in university shows.

You get the odd model who gets picked up and starts to act.

Drama school, if you have the talent to get in and deep pockets to pay for it, is the main route to a career in the business. But even that is not guaranteed to work. You also need a lot of luck and a very thick skin.

Acting is hard work in every sense.

[ShadyLady53]

Justonemorepancake part of why I stopped pursuing it full time was because I knew I’d regret never becoming a mum. I’m 35 and very single so adopting alone is probably my only option and to be approved I knew I’d need savings, a stable income, a home of my own, a job that fitted around children...

And I realised that acting definitely wasn’t it 😂!

[Justonemorepancake]

@ShadyLady53 very true! Though now DS is at school, voice acting is proving an excellent option. Acting from home in pyjamas and workable around other more reliable jobs when starting out. So a return to acting after a long hiatus!

[Terriblyhurt32]

I work as an extra for fun and have also worked as a lead actress in South Asian drama serials . Shadylady and porcypine are spot on. Get yourself some good headshots. Good showered and voice feel and a good agent. Rest is pure luck. I'm lucky that I have made very good friends with some very well known directors in the film industry I want to work in. Im just working on my figure and have been guaranteed work when I'm ready x

[Terriblyhurt32]

I mean good show and voice reel lol

[ShadyLady53]

Not being goady as hippos advice is great but Mandy replaced casting call pro a couple of years back so if you struggle to find it that’s why.

Pancake Voice work is bloody awesome isn’t it?! So flexible and generally well paid.