How to Book Commercials as an Actor in Florida
Commercials are the bread and butter for actors in Florida. From Miami to Orlando, commercials are being filmed constantly, and are a great opportunity for actors (new and more experienced) to get in front of a camera, get paid, and have tons of fun!
In fact, even if you want to end up as a film/TV actor, many agencies based in Florida will still need you to be prepared to go for commercial auditions since it’s such a huge market here!
But competition is fierce! So how can you, as the awesome Florida actor you are, have the best shot at booking commercials?
I have teamed up with one of Florida’s leading acting coaches in Orlando,
Shauna Bartel of CAST Studio Orlando, to get tips on how to book commercials.
Shauna has been in hundred of commercials, and knows basically everything there is to know about commercials. She has personal relationships with commercial casting directors, knows what is expected of you during your audition (and how to stand out!), and also knows what the director and client will expect from you on taping day.
Shauna teaches an incredibly effective commercial acting class in the Orlando area (In fact, once my teen daughter took her commercial acting class, she finally started getting call-backs, holds, and actually booking commercials - YAY!!), and has provided us with some incredible information here to get you going in the industry! Learn more about Shauna’s Commercial Acting Class in Orlando here - (I’m telling you - sign up - you will not regret it. Based on my experience, her class will get you to the next level!).
My job as your headshot photographer is to get you EXCELLENT commercial headshots that help you stand out as a professional in the industry. Shauna’s job is to prepare you for... well… everything else!
Now - on with our lesson - Tips and Insider Information About Booking Commercials!
Booking Commercials
by Shauna Bartel of CAST Studio
Commercials are fun and pay great money! Shooting commercials is relatively easy. Booking them can be hard.
A lot of people starting out don’t know what they don’t know. I booked my first commercial 40 years ago in Hollywood, CA and I definitely learned some of this the hard way. As an acting teacher, I strive to help my students learn the in’s and out’s of ‘The Biz’ and the auditioning process, so they don’t have to make the newbie mistakes themselves.
It’s important to know that these days the vast majority of auditioning is done by submitting self-tapes. Gone are the days when you walked into the audition room and the casting director was there to guide you through your audition. Now, your agent will submit you through an online service, such as CastingNetworks.com, Casting.com, or ActorsAccess.com. If you’re selected to audition, you’ll receive a notice through that online site. All of the necessary details will be included with the invitation.
Insider Tip: It is extremely important that you read ALL of the audition information as thoroughly as a detective looking for clues.
Before you accept or decline the audition:
Make sure that you’re available for the callback, fitting, and shoot dates.
Then read the description of the character and the entire casting notice. It is extremely important to follow all the instructions very carefully. That’s your first test. Can you take direction?
If you are being asked to slate your name, height, location, and that you are willing to work as a local hire to the shoot location, then you need to give them that information, in that order.
If they ask you to frame your shot in a close-up, a waist-up, or full body, frame it that way.
And if they ask you to label your files in a certain way or to upload them separately or all together, you need to do what they’re asking.
That’s the business part of things.
Beyond that, what separates the okay auditions from the ones that really stand out?
There’s a lot more competition now that we are all self-taping.
You are competing with actors from a larger area and the casting directors are receiving a lot of self-tapes. They watch these auditions and decide which ones will be presented to the clients. How do you make sure yours is one of them?
Let’s start with the slate.
A slate is the tape of you introducing yourself. However, it’s not just about providing the necessary information.
It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. This is your first impression.
Make sure to imagine reaching through the camera to talk to someone on the other side. The person viewing the tape should feel a connection to you from your slate alone.
It’s also important to know that the whole time the casting director, director, client, and creative team are watching your audition, they are trying to imagine you in their commercial. Help them with that task by dressing toward the role, not costuming, but wearing something that has a similar feel.
For example, if you’re going for a commercial set in the country, choose denim, plain t-shirts, or plaid over a more formal look. I once played a nun in a Nokia commercial and at the callback they put a towel over my hair so they could imagine just my face with a veil.
Insider Tip: Don’t wear anything distracting.
That includes jewelry that feels distracting. Simple jewelry is ok, as long as it’s appropriate for the audition.
I booked as an officer one time and at the shoot, the director was laughing about a girl who had auditioned for the role with dangling earrings. She might have done a good audition, but they were so distracted by the fact that an officer would never wear dangling earrings, that they didn’t even consider her.
Facial jewelry is rarely used in commercials
If you are asked a question as part of your slate, take the opportunity to connect with the auditioners.
Have fun with the question!
If they want to know about your favorite food or roller coaster or activity, they are trying to get a sense of your personality.
Does it fit with the role?
Will you be enjoyable to have on the set?
Are you confident?
Try to loosen up and connect genuinely. Generally an answer to a question like this will be about a minute.
Pay attention to the casting notice to see if they give you a time frame.
After the slate, you will usually be asked to do some actions. If there is no script, you will be asked to do an improv audition.
Very often this will involve reacting to something you’re seeing or experiencing.
Sometimes you’ll be asked to interact with imaginary people or someone off-camera. Try to make these performances as ‘grounded’ as possible. It’s generally about happy people having a great time, but don’t go over-the-top or fakey.
Do keep it positive. Remember it’s a commercial.
If it’s for Florida Tourism, the beach is beautiful and you’re having a great day together.
Don’t mention traffic, how crowded the beach is, the extreme heat, or your sunburn.
But also, you don’t want to mention the name of the ‘product’ in your improv. Meaning, you wouldn’t want to say, “I just love the Florida beaches! Or “I love shopping at Publix!” or “Eating at Sonny’s BBQ is the best!” That’s just cheesy. Your job in an unscripted improv audition is to make the scenario believable, not to sell the product with what you say.
Another thing to know about unscripted auditions is that usually the commercial itself will be shot without sound recording. There will be a voice-over or music added later. The on-camera actors will not be saying anything. So many times, the casting notice will say ‘no speaking’ or ‘minimal speaking’.
Your facial expressions are most important. You need to be able to show that you’re impressed, curious, discovering something new, surprised, concerned, embarrassed, excited, etc. Whatever the commercial calls for.
Inside Tip: Instead of focussing on your face, focus on what you’re looking at in order to keep your expressions real and organic.
The other kind of audition will be scripted.
Memorize your lines well and word-for-word.
In a commercial, the script has been carefully and precisely written and approved by the client. They are very particular about the words, more so than film scripts.
Don’t get creative or lazy about the words. Spend some time analyzing the script and make some choices that will bring the script to life.
Just like a film scene, the words alone are not enough. Ask yourself:
What’s going on in the scene?
What are the relationships?
Is there a joke?
What are you discovering during the scene?
If you are given 2 takes, make each one distinct by changing your choices.
I like to think of commercials as their own unique genre.
If you are already an actor, you can learn to take your film or theatre skills and apply them to this particular genre with some adjustments.
If you’re a beginning actor, commercials are a great way to get your feet wet because they aren’t as emotionally challenging as other forms of acting.
Either way, I love to help actors book commercials! If you’re interested in training with me, please visit CastStudioOrlando.com for details, sign-ups, and to contact me.