Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • Services
    • Aircheck for Actors
    • Demo Reels
    • Audition Prep/Self-Tape Reader
    • Website Design
    • Mailing Labels
    • Contribute
    • Industry Links
    • Advertise
    Daily Actor
    • Acting Tips
      • Actors on Acting
      • Advice Columns
      • Acting Quotes
      • Audition Tapes
      • How To Become An Actor
      • How to Memorize Lines
    • Monologues
      • Monologues from Plays
      • Monologues from Movies
      • Monologues from Musicals
      • Comedic Monologues
      • Dramatic Monologues
      • One Minute Monologues
      • Monologues for Women
      • Monologues for Men
      • Monologues for Teens
      • Monologues for Kids
      • All Monologues
    • Acting Resources
      • Acting Resume
        • Acting Resume Template
      • Acting Classes
        • Los Angeles Acting Classes
        • Las Vegas Acting Classes
        • San Diego Acting Classes
      • Acting Schools and Colleges
        • Los Angeles
        • New York
        • BFA Acting Schools
      • Casting Websites
      • Headshot Photographers
        • Los Angeles
        • New York City
        • Headshot Printing
      • Acting Techniques
        • What is Method Acting?
      • Stage Directions
      • Demo Reels: Everything You Need to Know
    • Interviews
      Featured

      Interview: Jeremy Davis on Playing Olaf in ‘Frozen’, Costume Mishaps and Making the Role His Own

      January 19, 2023
      Recent

      Interview: Jeremy Davis on Playing Olaf in ‘Frozen’, Costume Mishaps and Making the Role His Own

      January 19, 2023

      Interview: Casting Director Kim Coleman on ‘Five Days at Memorial’, Self-Tape Tips and Portraying Real People

      January 11, 2023

      Interview: David Christopher Wells on His Role in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, Being an Understudy and Getting His MFA

      December 27, 2022
    • Actor Blogs
    • Reviews
      • Movies
      • Theater
      • Books
      • Products
    • Actor Services
      • Airchecks
      • Demo Reels
      • Website Design
      • Mailing Labels
    Daily Actor
    Home » Acting Advice Columns » Hold the Phone: Tips and Tricks on Using Your Phone in an Audition
    Acting Advice Columns

    Hold the Phone: Tips and Tricks on Using Your Phone in an Audition

    Guest PostBy Guest PostMarch 16, 2016Updated:September 16, 2018No Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Share
    Tweet
    Pin

    Using a cell phone in your audition

    Film and TV auditions sometimes call for you to talk on the phone. This action alone can derail an audition and throw you off. So what should you do if your audition sides include talking on the phone?

    I’m not a fan of miming in auditions because it opens up a whole new can of worms. To begin with, if you’re an excellent mime, your audition becomes about your fantastic miming abilities instead of what’s going on in the scene. If you’re a terrible mime, no one will understand what the heck you’re doing.

    In most cases, miming is flat out distracting to your auditors because it breaks the illusion that what they are witnessing is real. The longer you can maintain that illusion, the stronger your audition.

    Years ago, before every human being on the planet had a cell phone, actors would either mime or ignore the phone all together in their audition scenes.

    Thanks to technology, things have changed. A cell phone is the most common item people carry. So folks expect you to have your phone close at hand, even in an audition.

    The simplest and most effective way to handle a phone conversation in an audition is to just use your cell. It won’t seem out of place, and most importantly you won’t break the illusion for your auditioners.

    Here are a few important tips when using your cell phone in an audition:

    Make sure it’s off before you walk into the room.

    If you’re using it in your scene double check because trust me, if your phone hasn’t rang all day it will ring just as you’re using it.

    Handle the phone like you would in real life.

    I’ve seen actors do some of the weirdest stuff with cell phones in auditions and it totally breaks the illusion you’ve worked so hard to create. For example, if you are calling someone in your scene, actually dial the number. If the character you are calling is a close friend or family member, put them on speed dial. Your auditioners will get it.

    Don’t use the phone as a multi-purpose prop.

    If you have a conversation on your phone early in a scene, don’t turn it into a television remote control or an Alien zapper later in the audition (even though we all know there’s an app for that).

    Rehearse using your phone before your audition.

    In my class series, Audition Game Pro, the most important part of the audition technique is to test your game. Do you need to wear pants with pockets? Will you pull your cell out of your backpack or purse? Don’t find out your idea doesn’t work when you’re in the audition room! Work those details out beforehand. That way you’ll be free to focus on what’s really important, your acting.

    Don’t let the small detail of a phone call throw you off your game! Follow these simple tips and you’ll shine like the rock star you are in your next audition.

    About Wendy Davis: Wendy starred for 7 seasons on Lifetime’s Army Wives. Founder of Acting Pros, she created the proven audition-technique, Audition Game Pro. Get more free acting tools and marketing tips at www.actingpros.com. Learn from the pros. Be a pro.

    Related

    Share
    Tweet
    Pin
    Previous ArticleWatch: A Conversation with Saoirse Ronan of ‘Brooklyn’
    Next Article ‘Billions’ Star Maggie Siff Both “Shocked” and “Excited” by New Role

    Related Posts

    The 6 Keys To Getting Headshots That Work For You, Not Against You

    January 5, 2023

    How to Keep a Casting Director’s Attention

    March 18, 2022

    How Highly Sensitive People Can Achieve WILD Success Without Sacrifice

    February 10, 2022
    Add A Comment

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Popular Pages
    Become An Actor | Acting Tips | Acting Quotes
    Acting Resume | Resume Template
    Headshot Photographers
    Los Angeles | New York
    Print Your Headshots
    Acting Schools & Colleges
    Los Angeles | New York
    Monologues
    Movies | Plays | Comedic | Dramatic
    Men | Women | Teens | Kids
    • Contact
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Resource Listings
    • Write A Column
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy

    Disclaimer: Daily Actor at times uses affiliate links to sites like Amazon.com, Masterclass, streaming services, and others. Affiliate links provides compensation to Daily Actor which helps us remain online, giving you the resources and information actors like you are looking for.

    Daily Actor Facebook Daily Actor Twitter Daily Actor Instagram Daily Actor Pinterest Daily Actor YouTube Page
    © 2023 Daily Actor

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.