Auditions
I have decided to do a mind map with questions of what I want to find out about auditions.
How do I hear about auditions?
I am trying to find out more ways to find out about auditions. I will be looking at agents later on as I think that is a big way to find out information.
What the company are looking for?
Most companies know the kind of people they want to hire, whether it be tall/short, blonde/brunette etc. Unfortunately these characteristics the performer cannot change and I feel that castings should include these characteristics in there briefing as it would then eliminate performers who don't fit into that category.
Talent is also very important in this industry but if you do not look the part they wont hire you. This is also linked to Feedback.
Feedback
In auditions it may well be that you do not look the part but it maybe something your doing that the casting directors do not like. It could be technical like a triple pirouette was messy. If castings could tell us what they didn't like the performers could then improve on a particular move or style of dance. I do understand however that casting directors must see thousands of applicants for one job and they are far to busy to give everyone individual feedback.
Pre-audition
Some auditions are very last minute and sometimes only give you a day or less to prepare. This makes everything rushed as I have to make sure that I have packed all my dance shoes and made sure that the songs I am taking are well rehearsed. I have learnt now to leave all my relevant shoes in the same bag and have all my songs that I know very well in a folder so that if this does occur then it wont be such an issue.
Agents
How do I get an agent?
I have found that people with agents have invited to them to a showcase and have got an agent from there. I however am currently not in a show and I have no idea how to proceed to get one. I unfortunately do not have enough content to make a showreel as I know that some agents view them and then offer representation.
Which agents are good?
I have recently bought a copy of contacts, which has listed agents/photographers etc. It is useful as I have researched a few agencies and seen what sort of people are on their books. I didn't realise however that there were so many and am a bit lost of who to apply to.
How much do you give your agent?
I know that this varies a lot but I am trying to figure out if it is worth getting an agent. I know that I would get more auditions but if I then got a job and had to pay a lot to my agent Im not sure if its worth it.
On average how many auditions should they give you?
I know that this can very a lot as it depends on what jobs are available. I didn't get along with my previous agent as they didn't give me auditions that I wanted to do so I therefore dropped them. I don't really want this to happen again as I feel there need to be more communication with client and agent to ensure that everyone is happy.
Is it worth getting an agent?
My aim is to perform in musicals but I have found that most west end auditions are run through an agent and are not open. I am therefore considering getting an agent again as this is the field of work that I want to get myself into.
I have found that people with agents have invited to them to a showcase and have got an agent from there. I however am currently not in a show and I have no idea how to proceed to get one. I unfortunately do not have enough content to make a showreel as I know that some agents view them and then offer representation.
Which agents are good?
I have recently bought a copy of contacts, which has listed agents/photographers etc. It is useful as I have researched a few agencies and seen what sort of people are on their books. I didn't realise however that there were so many and am a bit lost of who to apply to.
How much do you give your agent?
I know that this varies a lot but I am trying to figure out if it is worth getting an agent. I know that I would get more auditions but if I then got a job and had to pay a lot to my agent Im not sure if its worth it.
On average how many auditions should they give you?
I know that this can very a lot as it depends on what jobs are available. I didn't get along with my previous agent as they didn't give me auditions that I wanted to do so I therefore dropped them. I don't really want this to happen again as I feel there need to be more communication with client and agent to ensure that everyone is happy.
Is it worth getting an agent?
My aim is to perform in musicals but I have found that most west end auditions are run through an agent and are not open. I am therefore considering getting an agent again as this is the field of work that I want to get myself into.
Self-Promotion
As I am trying to get into the business I thought that self-promotion would be a great way to make myself more know.
YouTube
I have recently created a youtube account: www.youtube.com/hollydanielsuk to help promote myself. I am hoping to post more stuff up but am currently not used to editing videos so it may take a while.
Soundcloud
I have found this the easiest to use as I can just record myself on my laptop and then post it online there and then. Unfortunately it is not as well know as youtube but I seem to have a lot of views so hopefully it will be beneficial time. www.soundcloud.com/holly_daniels
Advertising
I do think this is a great way of informing people where you are informing and along with Youtube could be a way of promoting myself. Although I do think it is hard as I am not performing in the same venue for a long time and it also costs to get posters/cards printed.
I have recently created a linkedin account: uk.linkedin.com/in/hollydanielsuk as I have heard various people get work from it.
Reality TV
TV is a great way to get yourself noticed. This way is a bit of a short cut as you only have to sing one song and millions of people are watching you. I wish that shows like 'I'd do anything' and 'over the rainbow' were coming back as that is the sort of thing I want to get into.
This looks great Holly! Looks like you have really thought about all angles of the performing world. I know that when I left college the whole thought of the unknown really played a part in my confidence and awareness. I think its good to really think about how you are going to get to your goal and this course will really help you get there. Certainly looking back at module 1 with the ideas of affiliation and connectivism may be worth looking at to how you can use networking to broaden your contacts.
ReplyDeleteI often found that making friends with people at auditions was a great way to build up a new set of contacts who may help you in the future and really research on agents. You need to be careful with some of them as I think they all now take a certain percentage of commission if they manage to gain you a contract as well as even taking it from a job you may find yourself. Always good to go with recommendation on that!
I look forward to seeing where your inquiry takes you!! x