Bring two or three printed headshots with your resume attached, your sides (even if you're off book), a silenced phone, water and a pen, and anything the instructions ask for. Leave weapons, big props and gifts at home. We asked 24 casting directors whether they still want hard copies: half said no, but the rest still like them, especially at callbacks, so carry them anyway.
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For an in-person film, TV or commercial audition, pack this:
And leave at home: weapons of any kind, big props, gifts for casting, and anyone who isn't needed in the building.
Fewer do, but bring them anyway. We asked 24 casting directors whether they still ask for hard copies. Twelve said no: offices like Victoria Burrows' and John Frank Levey's print what they need from the internet, and several, including David Newman and Kahleen Crawford, would rather save the paper. Eight still ask for or like them; Meg Morman loves a hard copy, Lisa Beach still prefers one, and Lisa Zambetti said indie projects rarely have the budget to print everyone's headshot. Four want them only at callbacks, producer sessions or network tests, when the director wants something to hold.
Even some who don't ask said to carry them. Kerry Barden called it your business card, and said commercial auditions still tend to want one. Our commercial casting expert agreed: you'll rarely be asked, but not having one looks unprepared. Actor Anthony Brandon Wong's tip is to check with your agent. And Ricki Maslar's reminder: keep your online headshots current, because that's what most offices now use.
Kym's standard for Los Angeles is an 8 by 10 inch print, usually portrait, from a file of at least 300 dpi. Matte photo paper is the most common choice and looks a little more professional than glossy, though it's personal preference. Print your resume on plain white paper, trim it to the same size, and attach it to the back of the photo so the two never separate. Formatting help is in acting resume format.
Yes. Kym says holding your sides is industry standard for almost every audition short of a network test. It reassures the room that a forgotten line won't stop the scene, it keeps the feeling that there's more to come once you've had time with the role, and it gives your hands something to do. Anthony Brandon Wong noted this is a US habit; in Australia and Canada actors are more often expected off book.
Holding the pages doesn't mean reading them. Know the scene well enough to keep your face up. For learning lines fast, see our line-learning guide.
As few as possible. We read 22 casting directors on props, and the phone was the one named most often: 13 said a phone is fine, partly because miming one looks silly. Anything you'd naturally carry, like a pen or a water bottle, is usually welcome too. Beyond that, David Newman put it simply: the minute we're looking at a prop, we're not looking at you.
If you do use something, practise with it. Seth Yanklewitz warned that anything you dig for in a bag will spill something you didn't want seen, and Josh Einsohn asked for phones to be switched fully off. Rachel Sutton keeps props in her office for scenes that need them, so don't haul your own.
No. Kym's answer is absolute: no real or fake weapons, because they alarm the waiting room, the building and the casting team, who can't check every one. Ricki Maslar said never bring a gun into her room, and Ronnie Yeskel has stopped an audition over one. Kerry Barden's only exception is warning the office first and getting a yes.
You don't need one. Use a pen for a knife, and for a gun, hold your hand or your rolled-up sides the way the character would hold the weapon. Lisa Zambetti suggested a two-handed grip if the character is law enforcement.
Suggest the character rather than wearing a costume. Anthony Brandon Wong's example: a suit and tie says detective without the full uniform. Arrive early enough to change shoes or add a layer; Kym swaps her ugg boots for heels in the building. For a callback, our commercial casting expert said you can almost never go wrong wearing the same outfit as the first audition. More in what to wear to an audition.
Gifts, for a start. Kym calls a present for casting at an audition an 80 percent no: it can look as if you think the audition isn't enough on its own. Leave the entourage too. Parents of young actors should wait outside or in the foyer, as Jess Orcsik told us, and friends only come along if your agent has asked for them for a group audition.
There's nothing to carry, but the same thinking applies. Have your sides printed, your slate ready, your outfit chosen and your phone silenced, and check the instructions for what to submit. Kit and setup are covered in self tape setup at home.
Printed headshots with your resume attached, your sides, a silenced phone, water, a pen, and anything the instructions ask for.
Bring one even if no one asks. Twelve of the 24 casting directors we asked no longer request hard copies, but others still like them, especially at callbacks and commercial auditions.
Two or three printed copies with your resume attached is plenty for most auditions and callbacks.
Yes. Holding your sides is standard at most auditions and reassures the room, even if you never look at them.
Keep it to what you would carry anyway, like a phone or a pen. Never bring a weapon, real or fake.
No. A gift at an audition can look as if you think your work is not enough on its own.
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