10 Tips for Surviving a Bad Audition (2024)

FAQs

10 Tips for Surviving a Bad Audition? ›

Stay Positive and Remember the Good

So, try to think of each rejection as one more hill you've got to climb before you get to your destination. Keeping a positive mindset will help to eliminate the negativity from your next audition or interview, and this is a good thing.

Stay Positive and Remember the Good

So, try to think of each rejection as one more hill you've got to climb before you get to your destination. Keeping a positive mindset will help to eliminate the negativity from your next audition or interview, and this is a good thing.

Don't Call Your Agent

Not only is it a waste of your time, it's a waste of their time, which is time they could spend on getting you another audition! It also brings attention to the fact that you're not booking jobs, even when you think you're killing it! Just don't do it.

To improve your performance, be unselfconscious.

The fact that you maybe doing a lousy audition/ performance, or have fear of “what are my lines?” seem less threatening when you listen, breathe and be generous. Focusing on the present moment also forces you to stop overthinking.

Remember that everyone experiences bad auditions, even seasoned actors. Give yourself grace and recognize that it's a natural part of the process. Avoid dwelling on mistakes, and instead, focus on what you can learn from the experience.

Internalising your disappointment and sadness will only lead to feelings of worthlessness, so it's best not to try and dwell on it for too long. Talk to those around you about how you feel, cry if you need to, go on a fun night out. Express your emotion and give yourself the chance to move on and get over it.

That's okay! Listen quietly, letting them get all of their emotions out about the failure. Ask them to tell you how they feel, and let them talk as long as they need to. You can say something like "Tell me how you're feeling about it. I'm here to listen as long as you need me."

Don't panic if you didn't receive a callback. That doesn't necessarily mean you won't be cast—the director may simply feel they've seen enough of your performance and resume to make a casting decision. Or perhaps the callbacks are only for certain roles or ensembles rather than the full cast.

Here's a good audition tip: When you walk in the room, be confident. The human brain makes over 27 judgments about another person within seconds of meeting them. These judgements are based on your posture, body language, voice tone, breathing rate, eye contact, etc.

Crying is welcome in the audition room, she says, as long as “it's honest and it comes from a real place.” But the key is not to force it. “If the scene says you have to cry, and you can't evoke that emotion, then maybe that's not the [goal]. You just don't want to come off fake.

How do you deal with disappointment in an audition? ›

Internalising your disappointment and sadness will only lead to feelings of worthlessness, so it's best not to try and dwell on it for too long. Talk to those around you about how you feel, cry if you need to, go on a fun night out. Express your emotion and give yourself the chance to move on and get over it.

The answer is, whenever you feel like it. Some offers are worth the effort and some aren't. Though friends and advisors may tell you to take every gig that arises, or caution that you'll burn bridges by saying no to certain jobs, the choice is ultimately yours, and nobody has the right to criticize you for it.