What is an Open Call When Referring to Auditions (Showbiz Term of the Day)?

Open Call, Getty Images via @daylife

When we talk about acting and modeling auditions, it is important to know what it means if the audition is an Open Call. Today’s Showbiz Term of the Day is “Open Call.”

My daughter went to Open Calls a couple of times for shows such as America’s Most Talented Kid before we moved to LA. Those were not experiences I really wanted to repeat!

We arrived early in the morning for one particular Open Call. We sat in the waiting room with hundreds of other people, trying to pass the hours. We did not know that other people would arrive long before the open call time to get in line, so there were many people in front of us.

After waiting for many hours, my daughter was finally told she would go in next to audition. She was very exited. She warmed up, practiced, and got psyched and ready to go in.  The assistant came back, and my daughter stood to go in.  But then the casting assistant informed us that casting was going to take a lunch break, and that she would be first after lunch.

My 5-year-old daughter, who had been waiting happily and patiently for 5 or 6 hours, then started to cry. She had been all excited that she was next, and being told she’d have to wait some more was upsetting to her. She was hungry and tired, and we were not sure we even had time to get her lunch before they called her in!

Her Dad rushed off to pick up some lunch (along with hundreds of others). When he finally got back with food and my daughter eagerly took her first bite, smearing ketchup all over her face and hands, the casting assistant showed up to take her back to audition!  I quickly tried to wipe her hands and face, and she finished chewing that bite as we walked back for her audition.

She was not really at the top of her game when we went back to audition. Of course, that was not surprising, given how things had just gone. But she was a trooper and did her best, and I was very proud of her even though she was not selected for the show.

If you are not in the LA Area or NY Area or other areas where theatrical auditions (see  Do You Know What Theatrical Acting Auditions Are?) and commercial auditions (see What Happens When Your Child Is Auditioning for a Kid Commercial) are common, an Open Call may seem like the only way you can be seen by entertainment industry professionals.

So, “What Is an Open Call When Referring to Auditions?”

An Open Call (also referred to as an open casting call or open audition) is an acting audition or a modeling audition where anyone who wants to audition can show up and audition. An Open Call is much different from a typical scheduled acting audition.

Open Calls, also sometimes not so affectionately referred to as Cattle Calls, are common when it comes to many reality tv shows such as American Idol and Survivor.  Open calls are also sometimes held for movies and television shows where they want to search far and wide for the perfect actor or want to find new talent.  Open calls may also be used to increase the public’s interest in a particular tv show or movie, hopefully resulting in increased hype, anticipation, discussion, and viewing.

What Happens at an Open Call?

When an Open Call occurs, there is generally a call time (often in the morning) and people can show up to be seen between that time and the ending time. Sometimes no ending time is even provided. If the time runs out and casting is ready to leave, even if you show up fairly early in the day, it is possible that you will be turned away and not seen. Showing up does not guarantee that you will be seen.

Sometimes, if you have a talent agent or manager, you can be given preference over those without talent agents or managers and perhaps be given an appointment time. That sort of appointment time at an open call may or may not be strictly honored. It may, at least, get you seen before a number of others who arrived before you.

Casting is usually in a big rush at open casting calls, and you are often seen for a very short time and may not even finish performing or reading your lines before you are stopped and sent out. You are taken in, stand on your spot in front of the camera (if there is one), and you are told to go ahead. Then, just as quickly, you are typically released to leave (unless they want to see more of you or give you a callback).

Often, you will be taken back in a group of perhaps 8 to 10 or 15 people where what you are doing is explained to you. You probably have forms that you were given to fill out while you were waiting and you turn those in at that time. You also may have forms to sign agreeing that any footage taken of you at the audition can be shown and used for whatever purposes they see fit. If you don’t sign those, you may be not be allowed to attend.

Remember that there are no real rules where open calls are concerned, so you’ll never really know what to expect. But you can be pretty sure there will be a lot of people and a lot of waiting.

Chances of Booking a Job from an Open Call are Slim

Your chances of getting a job from an open call are extremely slim, so you have to realize that it may mean quite a lot of preparation and waiting for absolutely nothing. And for some, it may also mean hours of driving just to get to the location of the open call.

But on the other hand, you may be just what casting is looking for and you may get some attention. It can result, at least, in a second audition even if you don’t actually get the job/appearance on the show. At the very least, it is an opportunity to be seen by a big industry casting director.

If those odds don’t scare you away, and you find all the preparation, driving, and waiting around to be fun, there is certainly no harm in going to an open call.  Just don’t be discouraged if you go to one and nothing comes of it because that is certainly the most likely outcome.

Be Prepared if You Go to an Open Call

If you do decide to go to an open call, take some time to do the following:

1. Prepare very well for the audition. Get some coaching and other suggestions from an entertainment industry professional if possible to make sure you/your child are totally prepared and ready to put on a very memorable performance.
2. Be well rested before you go to the audition as it will probably be a long wait.
3. Try to get an assigned audition time if possible. If you have a talent agent or talent manager, see if they can do that for you. Don’t make a pest of yourself if that can’t be done, though.
4. Arrive at the audition before the posted start time. That will give you time to find parking and get in line, and the line might form quite a while before the actual audition time.
5. If you live far away, drive to the audition destination the day before and stay overnight if you have a place to stay or can afford a hotel room so that you can get to the audition early.
6. Bring a bag of snacks, water/juice, toys, change of clothes, comb/hairbrush, and lots of activities to fill the time while you wait.
7. Understand that you have a very brief time to catch someone’s attention and be prepared to really shine for a few brief moments. Start with a bang because you may get cut off before you get to the “good part.”
8. Keep in mind that people are watching you even while you are sitting in the waiting room. Bad stage parents will get pegged from the start and that could have a negative effect. Occasionally, you may get some attention for being that sort of parent, but that is not really the sort of attention you want for your child.
9. Don’t be rude or obnoxious to anyone you talk to even if you do get frustrated or jerked around.

Regular Casting Calls vs. Open Casting Calls

Some people seem to think that going to regular acting or modeling auditions is like going to an open call.  While for some auditions you may be competing with hundreds or even sometimes thousands of other actors/models, you usually wait no more than an hour to be seen by casting.  When you have a talent agent or manager or when you submit on a casting website, the auditions you attend will seldom be open calls.

For movie auditions and many other theatrical auditions, many people will be seen over the course of the auditions, but only a small number are usually called in to audition on the same day and close to the same time.  The waiting rooms are generally small and you rarely see more than 20 others auditioning there at the same time you are there. You will have a specific audition time, and you need to arrive at that time for your audition.

For some movie or tv auditions, you may be the only person in the waiting room, and sometimes you will be greeted and taken back to audition immediately upon arrival. You may almost wish you had a few minutes to review and gather your thoughts.  If you ask, the casting director will probably allow you a few minutes to prepare before you go back to audition.

For commercial auditions, there will typically be a larger number of people there to audition for the same commercial at about the same time, but probably not more than 30, but the auditions usually go pretty quickly. On some occasions, it may end up taking as long as two hours, but less than an hour is the norm.

For more on this and many other topics related to acting, be sure to subscribe to the Young Actors Newsletter and get a  free 12-part course on getting started in acting plus lots of other useful information.

To your success,

Debbie Sikkema