Over the years I have had people ask me about the process from the time I was submitted for a role to having the fortune of actually booking the role.  I decided to answer that question by describing my experience in one film I booked in early 2019 and attaching a video on this page showing the audition and the same scene as it appeared on television.

 

Several weeks before production began, the Casting Director for a TV film sent out notices to various talent agencies listing the roles available and inviting them to submit actors they feel would fit those roles.  My agency submitted my resumé, headshots, and whatever other information the Casting Director requested.   The Casting Director reviewed my submission and decided that I should audition for the part (Please note, not all submissions result in an audition).  In short, I survived the first hurdle…I won the audition!

 

My agency sent me three pages of the script (called “sides” in the business), along with directions on submitting a self-taped audition. 

 

I studied the sides, memorized the lines, and made choices on how to portray the part.

 

The audition was done in the convenience of my home by using a blank background (in this case, a green screen, which I do not recommend and no longer use), good lighting, and a camcorder (I now use my iPhone).  My wife was off screen and read for the other part.

 

I submitted my self-tape to the agency and promptly forgot about it.

 

A few weeks later, my wife and I were in California visiting family when I got a call from my agent that I had been requested for a callback.  This meant that the decision makers liked my audition and wanted to see more.

 

Rather than cut the trip short, I flew back to Tampa on a Tuesday and attended the callback audition on Wednesday, along with several other actors vying for the same role. I returned to California Thursday to continue our family visit.  On Thursday afternoon, I received a phone call from my agency that I was chosen and had booked the role! 

 

To use a well-worn cliché, the rest is history.