Auditioning help!?

Question

Ok so I'm enrolled in an acting school but i have to stop for like two mths or so due to personal issues, but I still want to audition for stuff even if i dont have an agent, I live around L.A. like two hours or so from there, and I want to know if there are any specific places I can go to audition for agents or commercials or anything that will boost my acting career to the next level?
I really need some really helpful answers, so pleeeease help :]

Please be very specific and be sure to explain everything because i am quite new to this.

Answer 1

I also have used the actors connection in the past and still do sometimes if there is a particular casting director or producer I want to meet. In NY the cost of those auditions is around $33 (don't quote me on that though) and they also have packages you can buy to get a discount.

The sessions consist of a 15 minute question and answer session with the casting director, agent or manager guest and then everyone leaves the room and you are given a number to come back in and audtion for that person. Everyone has approximately 5 minutes and no more. They are very strict. In that five minutes you hand over your headshot and résumé, do your read, monologue or whatever they have asked for, you have a chance for a quick chat and you're out!

Like nygal says, they also have a lot of specialty classes with casting directors, soap and prime-time casting directors, talent agents, on-cameral commercial classes, hosting and just about anything you can think of.

The advantage of this is that maybe the casting director will call you directly, but unless you make a big, big splash with them, it's more likely that an agent or manager will call you. If that happens, you'll be right back where you started: with an agent.

You also might want to check out some of these websites for castings:

www.actorsaccess.com
www.backstage.com
www.exploretalent.com
www.craigslist.com

actorsaccess is by far the best.

Good luck!

Tony
http://www.actingcareerstartup.com

Answer 2

The site does not appear to be up-to-date.

You can audition for casting directors at The Actors Connection in L.A.
Here is the website:

http://www.actorsconnection.com/seminars.html

I don't know the cost, it looks as if they have an E-mail address on the website.

Casting Directors and Talent Agents give seminars at A/C.

There is also an Actors Connection in NYC.

Answer 3

I am taking the liberty of giving this answer a title: "How I Ended Up an Actor in a Film by the Great Director John Cassavettes."

I was just 23 when I saw an advertisement in the newspaper. It said show up in formal evening were for an open call at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

I rented a tuxedo and showed up. There were at least 500 other men in tuxedos there, and at least 1000 women in beautiful gowns.

So, how to stand out? Simple! I looked for the best looking girl in the crowd and stood next to her. She was blonde with a great figure wearing a gorgeous light-blue gown that clung to every curve. That's called "director bait."

It wasn't long (only a few minutes) when a man approached the group of people I was standing with and asked us to follow him. I then saw a man who peered at us through his heavy eyebrows with sardonic grin on his face that was somehow welcoming and a bit intimidating at the same time. It was John Casavettes. He asked me my name, where I was from, and whether I would like to be in his film. We both laughed and I was hired. The whole group of us were hired, including Miss Slinky Gown.

I then met Peter Falk and Ben Gazzara, Gena Rowlands and Peter Bogdonovich (another great director). In all, I worked on the film for 23 days, played 6 different roles, and also got all the free doughnuts and coffee my little heart could bear. These people treated me as one of their own. The experience was wonderful.

When my work was concluded, the casting director told me that Mr Cassavettes would credit me in the film so I could get a Screen Actors Guild card.

Answer 4

Check out the local magazine stand and ask for a publication that lists open auditions; there are several. In the mean time keep sending out your head shots, body shots, cover letter, and resume to prospective agents. They can get you into more exclusive auditions then the open calls.

Answer 5

Get on to mandy.com They have casting calls listed coutry and city wise. you will also be able to access database of agencies. also some casting agents webiste frequently list casting calls. Good luck!