Modeling & Acting Auditions & Casting 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'cold reading' in an acting audition?
- Performing sides or script you receive with little or no preparation time (Correct answer)
- Auditioning without any emotional expression
- Reading stage directions aloud during a performance
- Performing a memorized monologue without notes
Correct answer: Performing sides or script you receive with little or no preparation time
A cold reading is when an actor receives new material — sides or scenes — and must perform it with minimal preparation, testing adaptability and instincts.
Question 2: What are 'sides' in an acting audition?
- Excerpts from a script given to actors to prepare for an audition (Correct answer)
- The actor's headshot and resume packet
- Stage directions printed on the margins of a script
- Pages from the actor's monologue book
Correct answer: Excerpts from a script given to actors to prepare for an audition
Sides are specific pages or scenes from a script that are given to auditioning actors to prepare and perform, rather than the full script.
Question 3: What does it mean when an actor receives a 'callback'?
- The casting director wants to see the actor again for further consideration (Correct answer)
- The actor's agent calls to confirm booking
- The director phones the actor personally to offer a role
- The studio calls to negotiate the final contract
Correct answer: The casting director wants to see the actor again for further consideration
A callback is an invitation to audition again, indicating the casting team is seriously considering the actor for the role after an initial audition.
Question 4: What is an 'open call' audition?
- An audition open to anyone without a prior appointment or agent submission (Correct answer)
- An audition broadcasted live online
- A final callback where roles are officially offered
- An audition for non-speaking background roles only
Correct answer: An audition open to anyone without a prior appointment or agent submission
An open call allows any performer, with or without an agent, to audition by showing up during specified hours without a prior appointment.
Question 5: What is a 'self-tape audition'?
- An audition submitted via video recording filmed by the actor at home (Correct answer)
- An audition recorded by the casting director during a callback
- A screen test filmed at a professional studio
- A live virtual audition conducted over video call
Correct answer: An audition submitted via video recording filmed by the actor at home
A self-tape audition requires the actor to film their own performance at home and submit the video digitally, allowing casting directors to review hundreds of submissions efficiently.
Question 6: What does 'type casting' mean in the entertainment industry?
- Repeatedly casting an actor in similar roles based on their appearance or past performances (Correct answer)
- Casting actors using a specific software system
- Holding auditions by category or character type
- Assigning roles based strictly on union membership
Correct answer: Repeatedly casting an actor in similar roles based on their appearance or past performances
Typecasting occurs when an actor is repeatedly hired for the same type of role because their appearance or public persona fits a specific character archetype.
Modeling & Acting Auditions & Casting 1
What is a 'cold reading' in an acting audition?