Stagecoach Blog

Preparation is key

1. Always be prepared. “That means being used to the camera, making eye contact and being personable,” says Tarquin.

2. Don’t be fazed by the competition. “For the average advert, there could have been between 3,000 and 5,000 submissions, so if you’ve made it to the audition, you’re now on a list of maybe 50 to 75 kids. You’ve done amazingly to get to this point. Remember, there will be other children there who may look or sound similar.

to you, and maybe have the same skill set as you. Take it in your stride.”
3. Memorise any script. “Learn it back to front and inside out. Then, when they’re filming your audition, you’re looking up, looking alive and animated. If you’re looking down to read, you look like you’re asleep.”

Tarquin Shaw-Young FEAA. "If you’ve made it to the audition, you’ve already done really well".

4. Arrive early. “Often, you’ll be given a script when you arrive. If you’re early, you’ll have time to read it, hopefully memorise it and, also, you won’t have been rushing in or be late with two minutes to spare and no time to calm yourself down to go in and do your best. So, give yourself plenty of time to get there.”

5. It’s all about personality. “The people checking you in may well be a casting assistant or even the casting director. You want them to think, ‘Oh, they seem really nice’. There are no second chances in an audition. Walk up and say, ‘Hello, my name is.…’ And when you leave, even if you don’t think you’ve done great, say, ‘Thank you very much. It’s been really lovely to meet you and I look forward to hearing from you.’ Manners go a long way.”

Memorise the script so you don’t have to look down

Which monologue?
“Find something different,” says Tarquin. “Casting agents, producers and so on, have all heard the majority of monologues doing the rounds, so avoid Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which they’ve heard too often. There are a lot of independent monologues out there or write your own. Using your own words can be calming and, if you’ve written it yourself, no one will know if you make a mistake. It’s much better to see something that’s you than an imitation of someone else.”
• “Choose something that’s suitable for your age range.”
• “Don’t do something in an accent unless you’ve been asked to.”
• “Pick something that reflects who you are.”
• “Don’t choose anything with swearing.”
• “Something light-hearted is better than something deep and intense, unless you’ve been told otherwise.”


Which song?
• “For songs, avoid pop or mainstream songs and don’t imitate a pop singer’s style.”
• “Choose a song that hits its stride right away and shows your vocal range from beginning to end. You don’t want a slow burn.”
• “Songs from musicals are a good choice.”

Try not to be fazed by the competition

Agency update
It’s been situation normal at the Agency over the summer and into the autumn – in other words, Very Busy! They’ve been casting for feature films, TV series, adverts, musicals, events and internet videos, like the Kwik Fit safety one (see pages 6-7 of Young Performer). The Agency is also thrilled to have cast the lead, Solomon Gordon, in Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver, a big Warner Bros film due
to hit the silver screen next spring.

Join!
Interested in joining the Stagecoach Talent Agency? Visit our website to find out all about it!

Getting used to being filmed is great preparation