Commercial Audition Advice for Actors
Looking to break in? Casting directors Ellen Jacoby of Miami and Los Angeles–based Stuart Stone, author of the book “The Keys to Commercial Acting,” can help. They know a thing or two about what works—and what doesn’t—in the commercial casting room.
- Put the product first. “When you’re casting a commercial, you become a part of the product, so you’re not just selling yourself,” says Jacoby. “The product is No. 1, we have to believe you like the product.”
- Get comfortable with the fourth wall. “A lot of times, you’re talking right to the camera. You have to be able to create that space.”
- Practice on products you love. “To be believable in a commercial, actors should take a product they use every day that they know and love and do a commercial for their product. That’s when you’re being real, because you use it! Then transpose that into the product that you’re doing.”
- Dress appropriately. “You should never wear black or white in front of the camera. It’s not great for your face. No geometric prints. Dress according to what you’re going out for. An upscale dinner guest at an upscale restaurant, we don’t expect you to be in jeans. Directors and producers recognize that. We show them a whole lot of people, and they’re looking first at all the stills, and then they click on the video. If you don’t look right, they won’t even click to see your video.”
- When you get the job, know your place on set. “You don’t want to go and get behind the [directors, writers and producers] that are there and get in their way and try to chum up to them,” Stone warns. “You become an annoyance. They’ve got work to do. If they’re in their own little area with their monitor watching what’s going on and you’re over there trying to schmooze them, it’s a hindrance. The ideal way is to always stay in camera view of the director, just off to the side, because then they can call you at the last minute. Always make sure that you check with a second A.D. before you leave the set, because he’s responsible for you as an actor. First and foremost, your second A.D. needs to be your contact throughout the whole job.”
#commercial #audition
2 people like this
I thought auditioning for commercials was the same as auditioning for movies and shows, Tammy Hunt. Excellent advice! Thanks for sharing it!
1 person likes this
Oh yes Maurice commercials are a whole different animal. There's workshops just on commercial audition.