Last year, I wrote a piece that offered tips for commercial actors but since then, I’ve felt that there was much more ground to cover than what I included. Working in commercials can be a hell of a lot of fun. Auditioning, on the other hand, can be a mystifying experience. Ultimately, there are many decision-makers and factors that contribute to who gets cast so all we can do is make sure we’re giving ourselves the best opportunity to book the job.
I’ve had a reasonably good run with commercials over the years, both in front of the camera and in voiceover. In that time, I’ve also made plenty of mistakes but it’s the successful moments that have been enough to keep me in the game.
The biggest lesson I’ve taken away from working in this sector is that in advertising, there are no hard and fast rules. It’s always best to be flexible. But here are a few things to consider next time you get a commercial audition.
The BriefWhat clothing is required? It’s important to be aware that in America, the expectation is that actors need to be quite literal (much more so than in other countries). If the audition is for one of Santa’s helpers, people will turn up in full costume.
Leave a Reply