Written for The Networker by Terry Berland @berlandcasting.
The one thing you should not focus on is booking the job. What you should focus on is being present.
If you are not present there are many hidden, not-so-obvious opportunities that will be missed. Many of these opportunities need time to germinate, take their course and circle back to you unexpectedly, sometimes taking twists and turns with the booking being the by-product.
Let’s start from when you are getting ready to leave your house for the audition. FOCUS ON FEELING BALANCED, POSITIVE AND GRATEFUL. This will give you a strong foundation for the day as things, not in your control, go not quite in the way you would like them to.
Walking Into The Reception area. BE AWARE OF AND FRIENDLY TO THE SESSION RUNNER. Don’t just rush in, sign in and ignore the people involved in this part of the process. The session runner is the person organizing the outside of the audition room. That person could very well be helping the casting director make selections when he/she is not running the outside of that room. In addition, that person might be running sessions working their way into being a casting director in the not too distant future. They will remember if you are a pleasant person or not. Even if this is not the case, it is better for who you are vibrationally to be nice to people, than not.
Entering the casting room: FEEL EMPOWERED AND PART OF THE PROCESS. It is very important to be in touch with what empowers you; what makes you feel good and connected, In commercials, the creative team is looking for choices in a performance. They are looking for someone who can make decisions and can express their opinions. You can call on your empowerment when you feel insecure about your decisions. You can also use your empowerment when anything in that room makes you feel insecure or nervous. Maybe there are more people in the room watching you than you expected or there are negative vibrations in the room from something else going on. Whatever it is, focus on what empowers you.
Leaving the casting room: Say goodbye and LEAVE FEELING GOOD. To get in touch with feeling good be thankful you know your technique, you had a moment to show your stuff and you have your freedom to leave and go on with the rest of your day.
Waiting for a call back and/or booking. SET YOUR LIFE UP WITH CREATIVE FULLMENT. The majority of your job is auditioning. Callbacks and bookings come in-between. Leave the audition and move on to other things in your life such as acting classes and projects you’ve created. Of course you need to know your technique, do your networking and read everything you can to gain knowledge. Check yourself out and make sure you are being present. Being present is being aware of yourself, the people around you and your surroundings. Who you are as a person is very important in attracting bookings.
If you want to sharpen up on your commercial acting technique, follow this link to Terry Berland’s Commercial Acting workshop.
