What Happens When You Leave the Room?
YOU DID IT!
So you've sung your audition... Maybe it went well, maybe it didn't, maybe it went neither... But here we are at the end of it. Time to grab your book from the pianist, say "Thank you" and head out the door.
SAY THANK YOU TO THE PIANIST
Always, always say "Thank you" to the pianist. Even if they played a completely different song and played that different song poorly. Always say "Thank you". The pianist and the people behind the table know what's up, they know who was the person that made the mistakes. But saying thank you makes you look gracious and understanding that sometimes people just mess up. Hard.
When I mess up an audition I'm the first to say "I'm so sorry!" sometimes I'll just stop playing and we'll start over again. I have no shame when I mess up. I already have the job, and it's my job to make sure that you are able to do the best you can so that you can get the job. If that means that I need to stop and collect myself and restart, that's what I'll do. You also have the power to stop if you know the audition is going to go off the rails right from the top. There is no rule that says you can't go back over to the pianist and clarify things and give it a second chance. Just don't be rude. That's a pretty basic rule. Don't be rude. You'd be surprised how many rude people walk through the room everyday. We all have our shit that we're working through, your's isn't special, leave it outside. Be your best self in the room.
Time to get off my soap box. Sorry.
KNOW WHERE THE DOOR IS
Know where the door is when you leave the room. I've seen people try to walk into closets on their way out. Not sure how that happens, but be aware of your surroundings.
“They won’t let me smoke inside, but you can pee in Leo’s closet?”
I'm not kidding on this one. Know where you are in the room and where you need to go next. It's amazing how easily you can get flustered. Be aware.
A special note: The doors to the studios at Telsey + Co are particularly heavy. Be strong.
FINALLY OUT OF THE ROOM
Okay, so you're finally out of the room. What do you do next? If I were an auditioning actor I would immediately whip out my audition journal and make sure I make a note of everything that just happened. SaveMyAudition.com will shortly have a free PDF journal page that you can use to journal your auditions. I think it's smart to journal all of your auditions, it's important to be able to recall who was in the room, what you sang, what you wore, what feedback you got. You might start seeing a trend with certain songs sung in front of certain actors. Or the way a certain pianist plays a song that you can't stand. It can help inform what you do next. After you fill out your journal, go about your day. Don't linger on any audition you gave, know it's up to the fates now. Go, be at peace and live your life.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE ROOM WHEN YOU LEAVE
Not much. Usually the casting director will make a few notes on your headshot and move it to one of several piles, usually two. One pile means you move on to the next stage, the other means you don't. The reasons you are put into one pile or the other are mostly out of your control. Maybe you don't look right for the roles being cast. Maybe you don't have the right voice type. Maybe you don't fit in the costume. The reasons are endless as to which pile you end up in. We then move on to the next person walking into the room and start the process all over again. All day long.
If you are in a callback then the people behind the table have a little discussion about you and move you to one of the piles before moving on. It all tends to happen fast, but as the rounds go on the discussions become longer.
Maybe next week I'll write something funny. I don't know. Until then Every Audition Counts!
