What Are The Purposes For Commercial And Film Projects?
While both are indeed auditions for actors with the same process of getting possibly invited through applying to casting calls, both are distinct, with one focusing on primary corporate goals, while the other is more concerned with the artistic aspects of the acting craft.
A commercial audition's main aim is to find a performer who can succeed at convincingly delivering marketing messages about various types of brands and products. In the majority of cases, commercial acting performances are meant to be concise yet enduringly memorable, as they quickly have to capture as large an audience as possible attention and ideally result in influencing consumer behavior, such as prompting immediate action, or increasing their brand awareness.
Meanwhile, for film auditions, the search goes beyond just attracting the audience as it tries to find a fitting piece of the overall storytelling board of a movie project. Casting directors in this audition format are looking for a performer who can capture the audience for an extended period of time while fulfilling the artistic vision of the project’s creators rather than promoting the products of the employer. Unlike commercials, which are based on efficient planning according to the needs of the given moment and are relevant for brief periods, film project development is significantly more expensive and may last years before even getting to the point of conducting auditions for the acting roles.
The media in which commercials normally appear are the wide-reaching types, including television, social media, and other places where paid advertising video campaigns are being shown. Films are making their money from being shown with a generally more limited potential reach, typically from the box office in the movie theatres, or as a part of the income made by television and streaming platforms.
What Are The Preferred Casting Choices For Each?
Despite commercials not allowing actors to show their strengths in truly full display as their performance typically lasts just moments, it is also the very same reason why casting directors generally search for performers who give off memorable and authentic impressions from the very get-go. While it can differ from client to client, generally commercials need an individual that the broader target audience can also find relatable and natural.
The candidate of the commercial auditions must have the ability to deliver clear and convincing vocal performances, as the commercial might require them to deliver lines during it, or more commonly, as a voice-over. Similarly, expressive facial and physical movement skills are equally important for leaving a lasting impression on audiences over the course of a short period of time. For aspiring actors who wish to star in commercials, it is also important to be flexible, as this field of acting generally does not have a typecast approach to castings.
For film appearances, actors will have to deliver more depth within their execution, even if the role is not exactly a lead one, as their performance has to fittingly contribute to the overall vision and narrative of the movie projects. Unlike commercial roles, film roles require the actor to inhabit the respective role for an extended period of time commitment and have a deeper understanding of their character and the motivations it has. Of course, this means the actor looking to get cast in a film has to be ready to deliver quite a few dialogue lines, while also including appropriate emotional and physical range to the respective scene.
Regardless of the chosen field, both types of auditions will always expect their candidates to fit the listed requirements in the casting call, as well as highly appreciate punctuality, positive demeanor, and arriving for auditions prepared.
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Is The Required Level Of Preparations For Auditions The Same?
Speaking of preparations, if the casting call candidate ends up completing their initial goal and gets invited to the auditions, it is time to start preparing to step in front of the casting director. For each type of project, the preparation with respective materials will be significantly different.
Preparation for commercial auditions typically has quite a limited preparation time, if any at all, since in some cases the script might be given upon arrival for the event. More often, though, the script will be given to the candidates in advance, but still with short notice. This means the performers can significantly benefit from having prior experience with cold-reading. The reason for such short notice is also the fact that commercial audition scripts typically are concise due to specific time constraints those performances ultimately have, and structured in a way to showcase the candidate’s ability to deliver the respective type of message effectively. Due to not being a nuanced acting role, the factors that casting directors will primarily rate are the candidate’s pacing, clarity, and ability to convey emotions.
On the other hand, preparations for film auditions need a more in-depth approach, which is why, usually, candidates will receive their selected scenes from the script a couple of days in advance. Due to the potentially extended length of the performance, auditioning actors usually are allowed to hold the script in their hands while on the stage, though memorizing the script can help to bring the performance to life naturally instead of strictly focusing on reading. Actors in this field are also allowed to improvise and interpret scenes, while commercial scripts require sticking to the instructions given to the candidates.
Will The Audition Format And Process Itself Be Different As Well?
Candidates for roles in commercial auditions can expect a quick turnaround for their participation, as typically they may last just a few minutes for the individual candidates. This means each actor has a very brief period to leave a lasting impression on the casting directors in hopes to ultimately getting the gig. It is worth noting that for these types of projects, the final decision comes to many involved parties, including not only the casting staff but also the thoughts from management of media agencies, and the opinions of clients themselves.
Film auditioning length really depends on how major the part is that the actor is trying to get. It may take a few minutes, the same as auditioning for commercial gigs, or it can even take up to around 30 minutes. For bigger roles and projects, it is likely that before the final decision, there will be callbacks - invitations for the candidates chosen from the first auditioning round to return for another performance.
While both are similar in spirit, the bottom line remains that commercial auditions require actors to sell a product, while film auditions need actors to be a part of the story, and it should show in their performances.
