4 Tips for Submitting Acting Applications
AUDIO VERSION
When gathering materials to submit for casting calls, it’s important to understand what needs to be included in your acting applications. If you’re missing an essential piece or have included something “off the wall,” chances are your submission will get lost in the shuffle. There are some things you may not have considered when thinking about the materials you plan to pass along but are essential for making sure your package gets noticed. Here’s what you’ll want to include.
Your resume and headshot are, of course, essential pieces of your acting applications. In order to have a decent resume, though, you’ll need to have some credits under your belt. You don’t want to attach a mostly blank piece of paper with a line or two of work. If you’re struggling with creating an eye-catching list, consider anything you may have done that relates to the position for which you are applying. For example, if you have little acting-specific experience but were in sales for ten years, you could include this experience to demonstrate your leadership and interpersonal skills. As far as your headshot, you’ll want to select the best, professional shoulder-up pose you have. Never submit selfies, a photo with a busy background, or one that is completely unprofessional, like a shot you snapped from your last night out.
When submitting acting applications, you’ll also want to provide links or a demo reel showcasing samples of your work. Of course, any links to video footage you are sharing in order to get booked for a gig has to be high quality and demonstrative of your range. You’ll either want to upload your reel to a platform such as YouTube or Vimeo or include a Dropbox or Google Drive link. It’s likely you won’t be able to attach a large file to the actual submission form or email. You’ll also want to avoid posting your reel on social media and sharing your page. Not everyone has access to these platforms, and you may risk inadvertently sharing personal information.
Anything you choose to submit with your acting applications should include your full name and what the file is. For example: John Smith Headshot.jpg. This will avoid any confusion from the recipient’s end. Remember, casting directors can get hundreds – even thousands – of submissions for a project. They’re extremely busy and usually have a low tolerance for any materials that are too complicated to figure out. The easier you can make their job, the better chance you have of having your submission reviewed. If the CD mixes up files because they’re ambiguously named, they’ll probably just put your application aside.
When submitting acting applications, it’s essential to be detail oriented. You’ll also want to make sure everything you send is relevant and professional. If you forget to include something that is required, you won’t get a follow up communication asking for it, so you’ll want to get this right the first time. Gathering all the goods is the hardest part – once you have some experience with sending acting applications, you’ll get the hang of things!
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