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The Big Three: Questions from the Open Call

Writer's picture: Sarah CayceSarah Cayce

It was an honor to host another open call, this time benefitting Sarah's Circle, through my casting office. We saw over one hundred people and had to turn more than fifty away. There was such a huge turnout! Thank you so much to everyone who showed up and supported such a wonderful cause.

Lauren with Day One's haul
Lauren with Day One's haul

Because this callback was one that allowed for monologues, scenes, or for folks to ask us questions, we got the same questions a lot. To share the answers with you that so many asked us individually, here are the two biggest questions folks asked during the open call:


What do you wish every actor would do more of?

It's not a sexy answer, but it's true. For four consecutive years, my team at Compass Casting has pulled random projects to poll to see how many actors are following instructions. Simple instructions like:

  • Naming audition files so we can search _ProjectName and find every file for that project.

  • Sending in the correct file for the correct role or project.

  • Everything our clients have asked for in the slate


The list could get longer, but we tend to be quite lenient in my office. So lenient sometimes, that we end up spending hours and hours longer trying to get tapes from actors. When the vast majority are missing the mark this many years in a row, at at such a high rate, I wish I could beg actors to double and triple check the instructions.


Our clients will never see your tapes if we can't find you or when you send us auditions for other projects. We're here to help, but we can only do so much! If there's something that casting could do to make it easier, you know I'm always down to hear it!


What's my type?

What a wildly unfair question to ask a perfect stranger. It would be like asking what flavor a cake is when all you can see is the icing. I can guess that there's yellow cake under chocolate buttercream, but who's to know until we dig in. Trying to solve the mystery of your type in two hours, let alone two minutes, would be a huge ask.


If you're curious about your type, chatting with your teachers, your agent, and casting directors to give yourself language on how to promote yourself is key. Whatever it is you're selling, you (the product, CEO, and then some), it's your job to learn how to talk about it confidently.


While it's not an easy task, it's a necessity and not something you'll figure out immediately. Taking the time to try different roles out in classes, understanding what casting sees you as based on your submissions report, and introspection are all great ways to work out your type. If we can help you work out your type, you can chat with the Compass Casting team or book consultations with agents here at The Forge.


What kind of training are you looking for on resumés?


Every start cold reading! Cold reading is a great way to work quickly through your prep, figuring out what's important to you and forcing you to make decisions. Cold reading is excellent for short turnaround auditions, but it's also a great skill for when things change on set (as they always tend to do.)


If you're a Forge student, you have access to thousands of sides and can download a side, prep it for five minutes, and put it on tape. That's FREE training that you can do on your own - like morning push-ups. It's an easy way to stay sharp and free if you have sides.



Ask for help when you need it - we've got your back.


Good luck out there!


Sarah








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