What Is a Callback After an Acting Audition? (Showbiz Term of the Day)

Acting Audition Callback

There is a chance that your child will get “a callback” after an acting audition if that acting audition goes well and your child is right for the part. When your child gets a callback for an acting audition for the very first time, you may not know exactly what that means.

My daughter got a callback after her second acting audition, and after the initial excitement was over, I realized I really did not know what that meant or what to do. I had to call her agent back a couple of times and ask lots of questions.

Since I knew very little about showbiz when we first got started, whenever we did something new, I had lots of questions.  And I was embarrassed to have to ask so many questions.

On the other hand, I knew it was important to find out everything I could about her first acting audition callback to make sure we did what we needed to do.

So, in case you are wondering exactly, “What Is a Callback After an Acting Audition?”

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How Do You Create Videos of Acting Auditions to Submit to Casting Directors?

Video of Acting Auditions for Film or TV

My daughter just got an audition request from a casting director where the acting auditions must be submitted on video. This is for a theatrical audition (see “Do You Know What Theatrical Acting Auditions Are“  for more on this topic)  for a feature film.

We’ve created a number of videos of acting auditions since we’ve been in Los Angeles. It is a little more work than just showing up in person for the audition, but there are some advantages.

Creating videos of acting auditions is fairly common for actors not living in the LA area.  It is less common for most of us in the LA area, though it seems like it has become more common lately. So many projects are being filmed in places other than LA these days.

We’ve created videos of acting auditions in various ways when they’ve been requested.  We’ve created videos of acting auditions ourselves, had friends help us create them, paid acting coaches and teachers to create them for us, and gone into a small studio to have them created.

If you pay someone to do it for you, it can be expensive, but the quality of the resulting video is likely to be quite good.

Some of our friends are good at creating audition videos at home. If you have a friend who has good equipment and is into creating videos,  they might be willing to do it for you for free.

With a little practice and some decent equipment, you can create good videos of acting auditions yourself.

So, what choices do you have when submitting videos of acting auditions?  Should you create your own audition videos? Or should you pay someone to create an audition video for you? You really have to weigh the pros and cons.

If you’ve gotten a request to submit an audition video, you are probably wondering “How Do You Create Videos of Acting Auditions to Submit to Casting Directors?”

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Who Gets the Breakdowns for Acting Auditions for Big Movie and TV Roles?

TV/Film, Acting Auditions

Yet another thing I was confused about after I came to Los Angeles was the term breakdowns.  When my daughter’s manager called to tell us about her acting auditions, often he’d say he was reading the description of the character from the breakdown.

The only breakdowns I’d heard about before that were those related to a person’s emotional state that typically resulted in hospitalization in a psychiatric facility.  And obviously that was not what he was referring to.

Perhaps you’ve heard people talking about the breakdowns for acting auditions and wondered about exactly what a breakdown is.  And, even more, you’ve probably wondered how to get the breakdowns for acting auditions yourself, so you can find out about all the best acting auditions.

So, exactly “What is a breakdown?” And ” Who Gets the Breakdowns for Acting Auditions for Big Movie and TV Roles?”

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Do You Know What Theatrical Acting Auditions Are?

Theatrical Acting Auditions (Film/TV)

When you hear the term theatrical auditions, what kind of acting auditions do you think that means?

You probably think of theatrical as defined by Mirriam-Webster – “of or relating to the theater or the presentation of plays.” So theatrical acting auditions should be auditions for theatre or for a play. Right?

I know when I first came to L.A., that is what I thought when I heard of theatrical acting auditions.

But in Los Angeles, when you hear the term theatrical audition, it is typically not referring to an audition for theatre.

So, what is a theatrical audition in Los Angeles?

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What Should You Do When Acting Auditions Don’t Go Well?

Like a Mouse at Acting Auditions, by Greenfield via Flickr

One of my daughter’s very first theatrical acting auditions in L.A. was actually in the director’s house. This was NOT typical for acting auditions. But this was an independent project for a children’s educational video.

The Best-Laid Plans …  (for acting auditions)

The day before the acting audition, I used mapquest to get directions, drove there to make sure I could find it, and got everything ready for the audition. I went over a few directions with my daughter, reminding her to just do her best and to have fun. There were no sides (lines), so there was not much preparation to do. She already had songs ready to sing.

We got up, got ready, and left quite early so we’d arrive on time (like all the books I’d read suggested).

We got there 45 minutes early since there was almost no traffic at 8:45 am on Saturday.  I drove around the block a few times, and then we waited in the car for a little while before we went to the door.

We were still about 25 minutes early, but I thought it would be okay to go on to the door since other kids were probably there auditioning.

Of Mice and Men .. (meet my daughter and the director) Often Go Awry (– Robert Burns)

I rang the bell, and after a little while we were greeted by a rather disheveled man. He seemed flustered and looked like he had just gotten out of bed.

I was embarrassed for obviously arriving too early, and he seemed embarrassed as well. I apologized for being so early and asked if we should come back in a few minutes.

But he invited us into his living room and talked to the two of us together. This was not what we expected, but I’m sure it was due to the acting audition being in his home.

My daughter acted like a little mouse, looking at me for encouragement after each question he asked and talking barely above a whisper. When he asked her what she wanted to sing, she just looked at me.  This behavior was so NOT typical for my daughter who always enjoyed talking and performing for adults.

I knew she was not accustomed to having me in the room during auditions, so I asked if I could sit out on the porch where I could still see and hear her.  She did speak up after I left the room, but at that point, I knew it was a little too late. Needless to say, she did not get that part.

This  just goes to show that with kids and auditions, no matter how prepared you try to be, you never really know what to expect. You also never know how your child will react in a particular situation, and you have absolutely no control over it.

To Make Matters Worse

When we left, I asked my daughter about why she had behaved that way. I’m sure all my questioning only upset her. I was upset about arriving too early and confused about why she had not been her typical self.  I was also worried about what her talent agent and talent manager would say.

Looking back on that audition and many other acting auditions that my daughter had, I realized that my behavior was not only not helping my daughter, but it was hurting her. I thought by questioning her and trying to figure out everything that she did wrong, I could help fix it for next time.

So, what should you do when your child’s acting auditions don’t go well?

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What Do Casting Directors Look for in Disney Channel Auditions?

Just about all children and teens seem interested in Disney Channel auditions. They may not be actors or singers or dancers or even be interested in being actors or singers or dancers, but they still really want to be on Disney Channel.

You may be wondering how casting directors decide who to invite in for Disney movie auditions or Disney Channel Auditions. You probably also wonder how they go about selecting the actors for High School Musical movies and the many Disney Channel shows that you know and love.

Would you like to know what Disney Channel casting directors actually have to say on the topic of Disney Movie and Disney Channel auditions?

I just found this interesting video of Judy Taylor (VP of Casting & Talent Relations for the Disney Channel) giving her views on Disney Channel auditions (on YouTube from Backstage.com) and wanted to share it with you. She is discussing how some of High School Musical’s stars got their jobs with Disney and what Disney casting directors look for in their talent. 

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What Happens at Movie Auditions for Kids?

Universal Studios via Wikipedia Movie Auditions for Kids

It is a little unnerving going to movie auditions for kids, especially at first.

I was particularly nervous when my daughter and I went to her first few movie auditions for kids in Hollywood. I still find it stressful, even after going to quite a few of them.

I remember going to one of my daughter’s first film auditions on the Universal Studios lot. After I’d found the right gate to enter into Universal Studios and the right parking lot, we still had to find the audition.

Getting Lost Before an Audition is Not a Good Thing!

The guard at the gate just pointed to where we needed to go. After we parked and exited through what must have been the wrong door out of the parking garage, I was completely turned around.

We walked around in the hot sun for what seemed like an eternity (thanks to my poor sense of direction) before we finally found the building and room for the audition.  I really knew we were in trouble when I saw the tram for the Universal Studios Lot tour go by!

I tried to stay calm, but running late for an audition for a lead role in a major motion picture really upset me, especially since we’d arrived at the gate 30 minutes early. My daughter’s mouth was dry from all the running around, and she was looking tired and wilted from the heat.

Avoid Distractions if You Can

As we stepped into the room, we immediately saw Elle Fanning (Dakota Fanning’s sister) and her mother sitting on the sofa in the waiting room. Being a big fan of “Daddy Daycare,” my daughter immediately recognized her and started excitedly whispering to me about her.

I signed  my daughter in quickly and took her out into the hall to go over her sides (lines). She was so excited about seeing Elle Fanning that she could barely focus. I thought taking her out into the hall would help her focus and give her the chance to go over her lines.

I’d learned from the very beginning that it was best to avoid distractions right before an audition, particularly before a theatrical audition (an audition for film or tv).

Unfortunately, our unintentional Universal Studios Lot tour and seeing a well-known child actor were too much distraction before a film audition.

Since there were only three or four kids signed in ahead of my daughter, we went back into the waiting room quickly. I did not want the casting director searching for us. Elle had already gone in for her audition, and I sat and chatted quietly with her mother, who is also from the Southeast (Atlanta).

I’m not sure exactly what happened when my daughter went in for her audition a few moments later since we can’t watch or listen. I just know she did not book the role. But neither did Elle, and neither did hundreds of other little girls who auditioned for it. Only one got that part.

So, that leads us to the topic of this post, “What Happens at Movie Auditions for Kids?”

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What Happens When Your Child Is Auditioning for a Kid Commercial?

Auditioning in Hollywood, Image via Wikipedia

I remember the first time my daughter was going to be auditioning for a kid commercial in L.A. She had auditioned for commercials in the  Southeast, but I knew auditioning for a kid commercial in L.A. would be different, just like everything else in L.A.

Her first L.A. commercial audition was down in Hollywood, so driving to the commercial audition and finding the exact location was stressful enough. (See Will You Like Driving Your Child to Acting Auditions? for more on this topic.) Then I had to find legal parking within a reasonable distance from the audition location,which is not usually an easy task either.

After parking, we walked to the audition, crossing busy streets along the way. I carried a case with headshots and resumes, the audition details, and other necessary information, along with a hair brush and accessories, snacks, water, and a few games and activities. I held my young daughter tightly by the hand.

I really did not know what to expect or what to do when we arrived at the commercial audition. Her talent manager had given me a few quick tips, but he certainly did not cover any details.

The whole process of auditioning for a kid commercial did not get much easier until we’d gone to at least four or five commercial auditions.  While no two commercial auditions are exactly the same, there are many similarities.  So after you go to a few of them, you do get the basic drill down, and it becomes much less stressful and more fun.

So, What Typically Happens When Your Child Is Auditioning for a Kid Commercial?

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