Confidence vs. Cockiness

Whether going out on a modeling audition or for an acting role, there’s one thing both auditions have in common if you want to succeed… confidence. Casting agents want to see you radiate self-confidence and shine from the inside out. I’m not talking about being the best-looking person in the room. I’m talking about attitude! Agents can walk down the street every day and see beautiful people, especially in LA. Even if the role you want requires you to be “Average Joe” or “Everyday Ethel,” success is more likely to happen when you have belief in yourself.

When casting a role, agents are looking for someone who isn’t afraid to stand out. Walk through that door with a smile on your face and a sure stride. Many times it’s just a matter of the interviewer taking your photo and recording as you say your name. No big deal, right? Wrong! They have to sort through hundreds of pictures and videos later so make yours memorable. Say your name with energy behind your voice. Smile and mean it. Let your inner confidence shine as you stare directly into the camera. You’ve got one shot so make it count.

If the audition involves a lot more than a picture and you flub it up, make the most of the situation. Don’t whine or beg or apologize for twenty minutes. Get up and do it again right if they’ll let you and if not, take it with humor and learn for next time. No one wants to hear how much you miss your girlfriend and can’t memorize lines or how your boyfriend cheated the night before. They want to see someone who is ready to work.

Here’s where a warning becomes helpful. Confidence and cockiness are two very different attitudes that are easily confused. Be sure to know the difference and choose the right one. Confidence is a positive quality. By definition it means, “great faith in oneself or oneʼs abilitiesSynonyms: aplomb, assurance, self-assurance, self-confidence, self-esteem.”

By contrast, an attitude some people mistake for confidence is cockiness. Again we go to the dictionary and find that cockiness is defined as: “heedless of the consequences : audacious b: done in haste without regard for consequences : Rash .”

No casting agent wants someone who is heedless of consequences or is too self-absorbed to work as a team. Think about the difference between the two when mentally preparing for an audition. If it were you hiring, what qualities would you hope to see? Self-esteem is a highly sought after personality trait. Egotism (cockiness) is not only unattractive but it usually puts an actor/model on the Don’t Call Again list.

Being yourself is always important; just try to be the best you possible. Show casting agents you have a unique inner light that will be enhanced by the camera and that you are responsible enough to take your audition seriously. Be ON TIME. Be Confident. Be hired!

Chris Fabregas

Casting Directors

A Casting Director (CD) is a person that is hired by the producers of a show, commercial, or print ad etc. to find talent for a project. Casting Directors are the people who agents will send photos and resumes to, and the actor (you) will audition for. It’s the Casting Director’s job to find the best possible talent out of thousands of actors and models submitted for each role. A CD wants you to do well so they look good as well. Usually, a good CD will walk you through the audition process so you do your best job.

If there’s a Casting Director that you’d like to meet with it’s a good idea to mail them your headshot and resume. It’s also a good idea to send postcards to the CD’s with your recent projects. I usually do this every couple months. It’s good to get your face out there on a regular basis, eventually the casting director will bring you in to audition for a part that’s right for you.

It’s possible to submit your photo and resume directly to a Casting Director if you know of a role being cast, however they usually only consider submissions by an agent or actors they already know. The best way to get to know a casting director is by auditioning for another role with that CD or you can set up an “interview” which is a tuff process with all the talent out there and everyone wanting to meet with them.

Extra Work for Brain Surgeons: A Hollywood OS Directory 24th Edition This is a great book with tons of information about casting directors and information for extra work. Also included are all the addresses and names of casting directors for the LA Soap Operas.


Chris Fabregas – http://www.cfab.tv/

Acting and Modeling Websites in LA - Find your Own Work

So you’ve packed up all your stuff and moved to L.A., the entertainment capitol of the world. You mailed out head shots and resumes to 50+ agents and managers and heard back from ummm…. maybe four. After meeting with the four agencies, you decide that maybe two are a good fit for you. Finally, after a long and thought-out process you have decided on the “Here For You 24/7 Agency.” Perfect, now you just have to sit back, relax and wait for all the auditions to come in. Only if it were that easy! Most agencies in the L.A. area have hundreds of talented people just like you on their roster. You need to be proactive and also be your own agent and manager. Remember, acting and modeling is like a sales job, you need to sell and market yourself. The more you submit yourself the more auditions you get, the more auditions the more bookings. There are some great websites in L.A. that you can use to submit yourself to castings. I am a member of all three and submit myself daily.
Here they are in no particular order…

http://www.lacasting.com/. Once you set up your account, you can view and submit yourself for audition notices. You can find principle and extra work in TV, Film, Commercials, Theater, Music Videos and more. This site can be pricey. The first picture you upload is $25. Each additional picture is $10. Make sure to upload a variety of looks and try to upload as many as you can at once. The next time you add a new photo you will have to pay the $25 fee for the first picture.

http://www.actorsaccess.com/ As a member of Actors Access you have the option of two memberships. 1) Pay as you go. Which means every time you submit yourself to a casting notice, you pay a $2 fee. Or, 2)You can pay for an annual membership. This is the route I went and most people I’ve spoken with agree this is the best option. For an annual fee of $68, you can submit yourself to unlimited castings. You also get a membership to http://www.showfax.com/ where you can download sides and other helpful resources.

Last but not least, http://www.nowcasting.com/. There are different membership levels that all have their own price range depending on your needs. I chose the basic package that is $9.99/Month. You can upload six pictures and also gain access to valuable resources.

One more site that I’ll mention is http://www.craigslist.org/. You can find great acting and modeling jobs under the Talent section as well as the TV/Film/Radio section. However, be cautious when submitting for these jobs. Although there are a lot of legit castings there can also be some crazy people that just want to waste your time. (Just what you need). Make sure you fully check out the company or casting director before your audition. I usually google them to find out as much info as I can before an audition. You can also try typing in the word scam after the company name, Ie. “Waste of Time, Inc. scam.” This way you can see if anyone else had a bad encounter with this company/casting director.
Just remember to stay positive and the more you submit the more auditions you’ll get.

Chris-http://www.cfab.tv/