What are the biggest mistakes people make when they walk into a commercial audition?
Brooke & Mary: Not listening and sensing the scene. So many times actors come in to audition and they are so nervous or excited that they completely miss any direction that is given to them. Acting is just as much about listening as it is about speaking your lines. Pay attention and get a sense of the copy, consider the brand, watch the temperament of the casting director, and listen to his or her direction and suggestions. What’s the most audacious choice an actor has made in your audition room that won him/her a commercial job? Brooke & Mary: Talented actors, many of whom have improvisation training, have sealed the deal with something additive to the copy when reading in an audition. That is why we recommend improvisation classes to all our students. Improv gives you the confidence to make daring choices and commit to them. To be sure, it’s a risk to go off the copy with an improvisation that an actor thinks improves his chances of getting the job, because they can fail. But without
