Commercial Myths Busted
My face dropped when I walked in and discovered that the copy was not up on a card. So I clumsily improvised my way through the audition, since I hadn't memorized all the lines. More »

Do the Clothes Make the Actor?
While the advice "Dress to suggest" applies to theatrical auditions, it seems that you should "Go for it" when wardrobing for commercial auditions. More »

Bald Is Beautiful
There's little disagreement that less hair on top can be a very good thing when it comes to working in commercials. Unfortunately, it's an ego blow that some men find too much to take. More »

A Little Bit of This… A Little Bit of That…
As we head into the holiday season, here's a gift grab bag covering concerns that Back Stage readers have expressed to me either through letters or in person. More »

Online Electronic Submission Services
Until relatively recently, when a casting director had a gig, he or she had two options. More »

Striking It Rich?
"The talent's acting job is to convince the clients that they believe in and use the product and just happen to be an actor, rather than an actor playing a role." More »

10 Tips from Commercial Session Directors
Chet Nelson, Del Hunter-White, Gary Armstrong, Joy Lofton, Kirkland Moody, Mark Dalbis, Marvin Kruger, and Spencer Kramber are all session directors. Here is what they say separates the bookers from the rest. More »

Clean Slate
Follow these tips and your slate should grab the clients, ensuring they'll actually watch your audition. Seriously, do you think they take hours out of their day to watch every single audition? More »

Audition Confidence
"That's why I'm here," said my friend, laughing, as he scanned the lobby crammed with dozens of actors all vying for the same role in a Snuggles commercial. "I'm working out my family issues every time I audition." More »

Signing In, Signing Out
Last month, I offered a list of things actors do that annoy casting directors. The final item provoked the most heated discussion. More »

Ask and You May Receive
With so many elements of our lives in other people's hands-agents, casting directors, producers, directors-it's easy to feel as if we have little control over our careers. But there is one place we have much more control than we imagine: the audition room. More »

Intimate Acting
Just like fashion and car design, commercial styles have changed over the decades. And since 1953, the year of the first Screen Actors Guild commercials contract, actors have been adapting. More »

The Casting List You Never Want to Be On
If you're lucky and you've been around a while, you'll invariably know a few casting directors who've become fans and call you in for auditions all the time. But what happens when the love ends? 


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