commercial castings

[harry2]

When I go to them they seem pretty random and the ones I have been to you dont do very much.. So I Was wondering if anyone had any tips etc as they ask so many people, or does it go down to if you fit a particular look? Are there any sites/blogs on specifically commericials castings I would love to go for a wyndsors ad with melanie sykes!

[pg]

In my experience it can vary quite a lot. Some casting directors seem to call in hundreds of people and then do little more than take a photo; more rewardingly, in some instances there may be a really terrific script to deliver and you may get helpful and imaginative direction and spend 20 minutes or more with the CD (though more often it's more like 3 minutes!). I think you can prepare for them by treating them as seriously as you would any other audition: be bold and lively and pay careful attention to what you are asked to do. Make sure you cheat any actions well enough for the camera to be able to see you (and especially your eyes, if this is appropriate). When all is said and done though, you can do the most brilliant audition and your "look" or voice just won't be quite what is wanted. Commercial castings are a lottery so I think you just have to do them and then forget them.

Castweb often carries castings for commercials but if you are with an agent there's not a lot of point in paying extra for Castweb as the agent will almost certainly get all of these and more. There's probably not a lot of point hankering after a particular commercial as there's not much you can do to influence the advertising agency's ideas!

[Irishdancer]

Its def the look they want for adverts 19 year old has done 45 adverts and youngest ds over 20 they both look like each other only diff is colouring one dark one fair but looking at a lot of adverts there are lots of children who look very like my 2 boys so they are just lucky to have the right look. When going for drama, adverts dont count as every cd and direector know that even if u have been in lots of adverts its because u have the right look dose not mean that u are any better actor than any one else adverts have lots of money to spend so have the time to shoot lots of times untill they get what they want. Adverts are good for the money side of things the only adverts that mean any thing are the BT and the likes where they have a family and do lots of adverts then u can show off yr acting skills. If you are lucky or may be not so lucky to get a big advert that is on all the time then its like the kiss of death as after that no one wants to use u, both my boys have had that Persol and Smarties it took them 2 years to get any work after that, one wanted to use them as every one would think about the last advert if they advertised another product I was told that by a advertising agency when I asked why my son was not getting any work after Persil advert, best adverts to do are the ones that are one and off in a very quickly or u are not too featured.

[harry2]

Thats great info guys, I Suppose then you are lucky to even get seen! It seems to border on modeling really as some people from modeling agencies were at one and this was one that required more acting.

[mathsmum]

irishdancer - yes, we know a young girl in exactly that been-in-a-big-ad-so-don't-want-to-use-her position at the moment