Hey there.

Fabulous performers.

Welcome back to casting actor's cast,

the podcast that helps you navigate the

wild world of auditions with confidence

and skill.

I'm Jeffrey Dreisbach, your casting

director, teacher and industry

cheerleader, here to give you the

inside scoop on what really goes down

in the audition room.

Now, recently, I had the pleasure

and the challenge

of sitting behind the table at both

equity course calls, eccs,

a, dancers and singers and equity

principal auditions epas.

Wow.

I saw some fantastic talent.

But I also noticed a few common habits

that could be holding performers back

from booking the job.

So let's break it out.

If you want to up your audition game,

stay tuned, because I'm about to share

some audition gold.

This is casting actor's cast.

Well, hello,

and welcome to today's episode of

casting actor's Cass.

As I said in the introduction, I'm

Geoffrey driesback.

I'm a casting partner with mccorkle

casting in New York.

How are you?

I hope you haven't a good day.

I'm looking forward to sharing my

experiences

in the eccs and epa audition room now

listen

today.

We're going to be covering dancers.

Next week, we're going to be covering

singers, and the following week we're

going to be covering the epa's

principal acting auditions.

So I wanted to let you know that you

may think, well, gosh, you know what?

I'm not a dancer, so this might not be

really helpful for me.

Please don't turn me off.

I don't want to be turned off because

here's the situation.

I think that there are really useful

tips for everybody,

just in terms of presence in the room,

just in terms of giving you some inside

information about what actually takes

place in the audition space.

So that's why I think you might find

this valuable.

And of course, you can tell I've had

more coffee than god ever intended.

And so I talk really, really fast.

So this is not going to be a long

involved podcast today.

I don't think anyway.

I'm just going to sort of let my mind

go and let's just see what happens.

This is that moment of the podcast

where I invite you to check outcasting

actors cast.

The website that's casting actor's cast

all one word dot com there's a bunch of

freebies.

There there's a form that says, dive

into the talent pool.

If you do that it's going to open up

some freebies.

One freeby is a book I'm doing voice

over work.

It's 100 page, free downloadable

called

conversation pieces out of the studio,

the voiceover workshop for professional

actors.

There's also a video available, casting

secrets, what they don't tell you.

But I'm going to tell you in this free,

twenty minute video

from yours, truly

just also playing a little ketchup on

some things.

And my shout out to my good friends and

actor's connection.

I hope you're doing well and looking

forward to continuing to do some work

with you.

And I also just wanted to let you know

that we're working on perhaps a live

with the help of actors connection.

And I'm getting really excited about

the timing of this, so that hopefully

stay tuned for that announcement that

should be coming up very, very shortly.

All right, I think we're ready.

We're going to jump into the subject at

hand.

Oh, finally, oh gosh, I always forget

this.

Please listen.

If you like what you hear to day.

Please tell your friends also.

Please leave me alike please share this

podcast, these potios, because I'm also

on YouTube.

You could also leave me a review.

It would be really helpful to me as I

continue to sort of push forward in the

entertainment education space.

I would really love to hear from you.

So thank you very much for that.

All right.

Now, that's enough.

First of all, ecc

dance calls.

So when you show up to an ecc dance

call, you need to check in with the

equity monitor, there's a monitor in

the room, and they get your name down.

Now listen, you can also sign in online

for the slots that are available for

that ecc.

So make sure that you do that.

But then when you do show up, you need

to check in, so your name will be on

the list, but your name could be added

to a list if you haven't had the

opportunity to sign up online.

At which point they give you a number,

and that's like, in the form of a

little, I don't know, it's just like a

badge kind of idea.

So hang on to that.

Because what happens at that point is

that the choreographer

and the casting director make the

decision on how many people they want

to come into the space, the audition

room,

and then they make the decision about

what is a useful number.

And so it might be, for example, 25.

And so one through 25 would be the

first group that comes into the

audition.

So it kind of makes sense.

But I also want to let you know that if

you're a non equity person,

and

if the casting director as well as the

choreography

determined that they're willing to see

non equity people,

as was the case when I was doing the

eccs for Barrington stage company,

doing Camelot, we wanted to see anybody

who might be interested in the

production.

And so yes, we said yes to those non

equity performers as well.

So I don't want to discourage those of

you who are not in the union, but I did

want to make it available that that is

an option between the casting director,

the choreographer and the other

creatives that might be there.

All right, so now you've got your

number, and you go into the room,

walking into the room,

listen your first impression.

That matters before you even dance, a

step,

listen, before you even

start

you're being evaluated.

So that means how you enter the room,

sets the tone.

My suggestion is that you stride in

with confidence, a relaxed smile and an

energy that says, I belong here,

please, please do yourself a favor and

avoid the awkward shuffle,

the over apologetic,

oh my god, what's happening.

I've seen that energy as well, or

I've seen this looking completely

terrified.

Listen, even if you're nervous, what I

have to tell you,

fake it till you make it.

You're a performer, own the space.

So walking into the room, putting your

bag down, or putting your belongings

wherever and being prepared, you

probably given a few minutes to

stretch.

Do what you can do to get yourself

settled and acclamated.

Oo, good word into the environment that

you just walk into.

Being comfortable in the space is very

important as well.

All right.

Moving on from there let's talk about

clothing.

I have some stuff to say about this.

I want you to consider dressing for the

role,

not for a rehearsal.

Your outfit

should be, in my opinion, a blend of

professional

movement, friendly and character

appropriate.

Beggy clothes.

Not great.

See, we need to see your body lines,

overly revealing, or costume.

You know what that's a?

Know,

find that sweet spot that shows off

your form while being appropriate for

the style of the show.

And oh my gosh, the shoes make sure

they are broken in and they're suited

for whatever the choreography is.

The choreography

choreographer might suggest bare feet,

or ballet shoes, or tap shoot,

whatever, whatever.

Make sure that you are prepared.

You know what?

The wrong shoes can really sabotage.

Even the best dancer, I saw that

firsthand.

Why we're on the subject of clothing?

It always is a bit of a surprise to me

to see

folks not being really, it seems

anyway, that they're not being very conscientious

about what they're wearing in the

audition space.

Yes, we want to see your body, but it

doesn't mean that we need to see a bear

midriff.

For example.

It doesn't mean to see, we need you in

your

Jim shorts from high school.

Necessarily that might not be a good

idea.

And guess what?

I saw all of that.

I saw all of that.

So please make sure it's the whole

package.

It's just not about your technique as a

good dancer, it's about the whole

package.

So keep that in mind.

All right, let's move on to what I call

the mirror dilemma.

It won't help you get cast

when it's time to perform the

combination,

stop dancing for the mirror and start

performing for the casting team.

My goodness, I can't tell you how many

times I see dancers still checking

themselves out in the mirror.

They're making sure they have the

steps.

Correctly

at that point we need to see you be

engaging

with us, not your reflection.

So if you're still relying on the

mirror,

it tells me that you haven't fully

internalized the choreography.

So it's important that you practice

breaking away from it early in the

audition process if you can.

That is a huge tip.

In fact, it went to the point in these

particular auditions where the

choreographer said, I am not really

that interested

in your result.

I really want to see your performance.

I really want to see your presentation.

So stop looking at the mirror.

I can tell you that that's the first

time I've heard a choreographer say

that in an audition.

And I thought, boy, that's really good

information.

That reliance on the mirror is useful

for classes, of course,

but you have to find a place or a

moment that says, ok, I am now in this project.

I'm now performing

the scene, the dance.

The moment that's

I think really useful.

So now let's move on from there.

Positioning in the room,

be seen,

but be smart.

You know, you've heard the phrase out

of side, out of mind.

It's so painfully true in dance

auditions.

If you're hiding in the back or letting

others block you, you're making it easy

for the panel to forget you.

However,

being front and center

when you don't fully know the

combination

that's also not a great choice.

So it's important to find a position

where you can be clearly seen.

That's important, but be strategic.

Make sure you have enough space to

execute movements fully and confidently.

So no accidents please.

In the dance combination learning

process,

also, along those same lines,

those 25 people are taught the

combination, and then oftentimes it's

broken down into, oh, maybe

seven or eight people at a time, just

so that they can get more comfortable,

get the combination in their head a

little bit more, which is usually what

happens.

It's at that point that we break it

down to just five at a time, or four at

a time.

Sometimes I've been in an audition room

where it's just three dancers doing the

combination at a time.

What strikes me is really funny

and not a good way,

is that sometimes those dancers are

given a position.

So what I did is I called out the

dancers in that numerical order,

starting stage left, moving stage

right.

So number 22, Rebecca here, number

four, pat ear.

Number five, Billy here.

And so when that happens,

there's a really important moment where

you need to make sure you're fully seen

by the entire team, that includes both

casting

as well as the choreographer.

Because the people on the end have a

tendency.

I'm not saying this is true all the

time, but I'm saying, have a tendency

to move a little too far away from each

other.

That makes it difficult for the

choreographer to focus on your work.

They have anywhere from three to five

people to observe

in that period of music.

And so being slightly closer together

in a safe way, of course,

that does really, really help.

So your spatial relationship to each

other as well as to the creative team becomes,

I think, really an important

consideration.

I just really helped you dancers out

there, make a, make a booking.

Please remember that.

So let's move on from there.

I think that there, the word comes down

in my mind in terms of a dance audition

to energy.

And there are at least two distinct

types of energy that I see there's the

energy while learning,

learning the choreography, learning the

steps, learning the combination,

and then there's energy while

performing.

There's a noticeable shift in energy

when dancers go from learning the combo

to performing it.

Now, some

performers, some dancers, seem to come

alive

while others seemed,

how do I say this drained?

They seem robotic.

Please do yourself a favor.

Keep your energy up throughout the

process.

If you look exhausted while learning

we'll assume you'll look exhausted in

the show.

Stay engaged.

Show us you can pick up choreography

quickly.

And then let us see that spark from the

very beginning when you're performing.

Number six, this is a 6th note I wrote

down, and I want to share this with you

because it's about mastering the

footwork first.

Learn the combination first, have your

learning head on.

Don't think that you need to perform,

don't practice your I'm onstage performing

mindset yet.

Just master the footwork first.

Think about where your arms are,

depending upon your technique,

depending upon your training, depend

upon the level of choreography, whether

it's extremely difficult or not, it's

really important that you start with

the feet, then the arms, then bring the

acting.

See, we love dancers who can bring

character into their movement.

But please, it should not be at the

expense of technique

if you're adding flair.

But your steps are pretty sloppy.

I saw this a lot.

It's sort of like, ok, even if I get my

feet wrong, I'm smiling and excited,

you know what?

You're drawing attention for the wrong

reason and for the wrong thing.

Please nail the footwork first.

Then layer in your personality.

Performance.

Quality and storytelling

are what we evaluate

in that final audition sequence.

I think it's important to think of it

like you're building a house.

You need a strong foundation

before you can

decorate.

Moving on from there.

You've probably heard this before,

but I can tell you, it always sort of

surprises me.

And that is,

have a headshot that looks like you in

the room.

You must look like you in the room.

Your headshot

should actually

resemble you.

So if you've dramatically changed your

look, for example, a different hair

color, or you've added some weight, or

you've aged a few years,

or you've decided that you're going to

grow some facial hair,

you know what?

I think you should update your headshot.

We reference them when we are watching

you dancing, because we put them right

on the floor,

spatially exactly where you are when we

watch those final

combinations.

And if you don't look like your photo,

I promise you we're going to struggle

to remember you after the audition is

over.

Does that make sense?

Of course it does.

Now I also understand

that hedgechats are expensive.

I get it, but it is such a valuable

tool.

If I told you

that your headshot

would increase your chances of getting

cast and booked

by thirty percent,

wouldn't you make that investment.

It's just about making sure that you're

easily recognizable

right then and there.

And I get this question a lot, and that

is, if I change my hairstyle

and have to get new pictures every

time, lab lab.

Blah.

You know what?

I understand the dilemma.

I understand the

situation.

And I understand that you like changing

up your look because you don't like to

have necessarily the same airstyle.

But if you're going to be pulling your

hair back as a dancer, why not have a dance

photo with

your hair back?

It just kind of makes sense.

Here's another tip that you, you might

not think this is a good idea, and

that's fine.

You can certainly ignore this

particular tip.

But you know what, when I see a dancer

wearing the same clothing in their

headshot that they're wearing right in

front of me,

believe it or not, there might not be a

direct association, but there is a

subliminal association with you,

the observer, meaning casting, and the

choreographer.

We are attracted

to that sort of

familiarity.

For lack of a better way to say it.

That's similar to acting auditions.

That's similar to singing auditions.

Now, I know that

might make your head explode, and you

might think that that's not useful, and

I appreciate that you might be thinking

that.

But please, at least consider it.

At least give it a thought that if

you've got a really nice

outfit that you wear in dance class,

but is also appropriate for an

audition, then maybe, just maybe a

headshot with that same clothing, with

that same hairstyle

would be really valuable

for you as an investment.

That's what I think.

All right.

So here's some final thoughts.

I think you should approach eccs

or dancing for singing as well.

As for acting with preparation,

with confidence

and the mindset that casting directors

want to cast you.

You don't have to win us over.

I want to say, that's what I'm looking

for.

I want to see you fit into the project.

That's what I want.

So stay focused.

Bring your best self into the room

and make us remember you for all the

right reasons,

not the wrong ones.

All right.

That's it for today's episode of

casting actor's cast.

Please subscribe.

Leave a review and visit.

Casting actor's cast dotcom for more

ah until next time.

Break a leg and keep smiling.

I'm Geoffrey drisback.

And this is casting

actor's