Sets in the City

“It’s a TV show shooting in LA,” says the voicemail from my agent “I’ve sent you the sides, get yourself on tape as soon as”. Sitting in Camden I felt very far from California and I had the British ‘summer’ to thank for my stinking cold but I was so excited! Auditions come out of the blue and you have to be prepared for anything, what a wonderful way to escape… 

This character is a girl from a large Mexican family so I transported my imagination to sunnier climes. I have often played South American characters and love doing an accent. My mixed heritage lends itself well to these parts. Having family in Venezuela means that I have spent a lot of time in Central and South America and the Caribbean. I love the vibe and can easily fall into the Latin rhythm.

I continued my research by having a nose on IMDb to see if I could get any clues. I was slightly disheartened to read that the role I reading for appeared to have been cast already! In the past I have auditioned for parts that had more than likely already gone to a big name. But contrary to popular belief IMDb is not the gospel, it could * gasp * be wrong… and anyway… It’s not all bad. I get to read the script and have an opinion, make choices and commit to them. It’s an opportunity to show my work and it’s nice to be considered in the same league as top billing actresses. You never know the c.d. might keep me in mind for another part or for a future project. Half the battle is getting the meeting. The rest is up to me!

So off I trot to see the inimitable Andrew at Coptic Street Studios in London’s West End. I am a big fan of Drew’s and his state-of-the-art casting studio. He recorded my audition while reading the other characters lines in for me, all with a smile. Advances in technology mean that I can go up for jobs in Los Angeles or anywhere in the world without ever leaving home. However it’s a massive bonus to film your audition at a professional casting suite. The sound, lighting and quality of the recording all help you to feel relaxed and confident that you will be seen (and heard) for the job that you want!

With the best take chosen I set about sending my audition to Los Angeles. It is then I discovered another fantastic tool in the shape of letitcast.com. Let It Cast is a casting system used by leading productions (such as BBC, Kudos or in my case CBS) to enable talent to respond to casting calls by submitting the actual audition for the role and is entirely free. You self-film and upload where you want, there are clear guidelines and casting calls have everything you need to prepare; synopsis, character descriptions. . Let it Cast works with your agent but also lets you submit yourself for roles that match your profile. It is easy to use and the incredibly helpful staff go the extra mile to ensure you have a good experience. Their initial focus is on the professional acting community and an account is a huge asset to any working actor. I hope it continues to grow and help great actors get great work.

With my audition safely uploaded and archived on the Let It Cast site I can relax… Just in time for a call from a casting director with a request… Anna Stark is casting a TV commercial and is looking for a young black family man to appear in the advert with his partner and kids. Please send me an email [email protected] if you or someone you know fits that description. Also looking for an Asian man in his thirties who does Tai Chi and a female power walker in her late 30’s early 40’s… Good money if you get it! There is more info on my facebook profile, http://www.facebook.com/coralierose or follow me @cocolarose on twitter for updates… Good luck!

Please spread the word about castings and insider tips on my ‘Sets in the City’ blog here at TheHollywoodNews.com.