The audition: the single most important part of the beginning actor's road to success. Every actor thinks "All I need to do is get in the door...." and paradise will be at hand. yet the nuts and bolts of auditioning is a mysterious and complicated thing. Many actors spend as much time thinking about their outfit and their demeanor as they do about the work they're about to do.
What follows are some practical tips to demystify the audition process. In the weeks to come, I'll add to this page, but for now we'll deal with the simplest aspect of the process, and for many the most confusing (nothing in acting is simple), the question of what to wear.
I spoke to three casting directors in New York (a tv casting director, a tv/film CD and a theatre/film CD) and asked for some general suggestions. All of them felt that actors spent far too much time obsessing over what to wear. in the audition. However they did have some comments about things they'd seen and some mistakes they'd felt people had made in choosing to wear them. I've organized it into quotes responding to certain questions or beliefs on what to wear.
- Should I dress like the character?
- Should I wear white or black?
- Practical tips on shoes.
- Skirts or pants? What's a woman to do?
- Is there an audition uniform?
Should I dress like the character?
Whether it's Shakespeare or David E Kelley, everyone wants to know how much they should dress like the character. All the casting directors I spoke to agreed that one should try to dress appropriately, but not go overboard.
"You're not a costume designer, it should just be appropriate, especially if you're going on tape. You need to think towards the character."
"Never costume yourself, help yourself. Accent what you're trying to play. For example for Chekov wear a tie or a closed shirt to help. And for those sorts of roles a woman would be stupid to wear pants. "
"If you're playing a businessman or lawyer, you should wear a suit or at least a tie, not a workshirt and boots."
Simple always seems to be best, and overthinking (or sometimes not thinking at all about) the outfit tells a lot about your choices as an actor.
"A woman came in wearing more make-up than anyone would ever wear on a stage and a cocktail dress, I mean what is she dressed for?"
"I was casting a movie (a period piece) and a woman came in with spike heels and a miniskirt. I was like "What? What are you thinking? You've already made a judgement and it's not a good one. "
"Bike shorts aren't going to do it for Frank Galati in a period piece. We think "What is he trying to tell us?"
"They'll come in a lab-coat (for a doctor), it telegraphs they're just starting out. "
Should I wear white or black (or stripes or....)?
This one is a lot simpler. It's only relevant when you're going on tape for something, and even then it depends.
"It's not true that you shouldn't wear white, it all depends on the backdrop."
"We say no black or white because of the background we use and some people avoid white because of bright lights, it can wash you out on tape."
Some practical tips on shoes.
"Men should never wear loafers: They don't stay on your feet. Women shouldn't wear high heels, because if the room has a carpet you're going to have trouble walking."
Skirts or pants, what's a woman to do?
Everyone agreed that women have a much more difficult time with wardrobe than men do, for obvious reasons. Every single one said it was important for a woman to wear something flattering, but to also have an objective idea of what really flatters. Ask a friend for example.
"There's no rule per se for pants or skirts for a woman. But think about it. If you've got bad legs, don't show them."
"Women should wear something that's flattering. Whatever that means. It's just an outfit that looks good."
"It does help to show off your body, but tastefully not (my suggested word) slutty."
is there an audition uniform? After all this what should I wear?
Sometimes you'll hear a lot, especially in fashion but also in acting, about the 'uniform' or what everyone seems to be wearing to auditions these days. It's helpful to us in the sense that one can sometimes come up with a simple, repeatable outfit that will work in a variety of settings.
"Guys for whatever reason have been wearing the black jeans and bluish shirt. Next year it'll be different."
"They have to go shopping for at least one good outfit and it is harder for women than for men. For men Khaki's and a T-shirt if the role calls for you to show some body, otherwise a dress or sports shirt is just fine."
"Just follow the styles today"
MORE TO COME!!
