You’ve updated your profile, prepared your materials, made sure your media is ready to view, trained, taken acting classes, and even secured representation. So, what comes next?
Before you submit (or are submitted) for auditions, it helps to understand what other actors are doing to get called in. Knowing where to look and which auditions are available to you is key.
We sat down with actor Milton Lopes, best known for MobLand (Paramount+), We Were The Lucky Ones (Hulu), A Christmas Number One (Genesius Pictures), and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Marvel).
Speaking with us from the U.K., Milton discusses the auditions available to him today, how actors can improve their chances of booking more auditions, and how online self-tape courses helped him prepare to work under pressure.
Key Insights
- Target the auditions that actually fit you. Then focus your submissions on roles where casting can quickly see the match.
- You don’t need an agent to start getting auditions. Self-submit consistently through casting platforms and open calls, keep your profile and materials current, and set alerts so you can respond quickly to new opportunities.
- Keep improving your headshots, résumé, reel, and skills while building genuine industry relationships. As Milton puts it, focus on “booking the room, not the role.”
What Kind of Auditions Are Actually Available to You Right Now?
Auditions typically fall into specific categories, and early in your career, it’s important to understand where you fit and where you want to grow.
Identify your unique features and skills, even if they seem simple – whether that’s your appearance, a specific ability, or experience performing a particular role, such as playing Nora in A Doll’s House at drama school.
The auditions available to you right now may not always require professional acting experience, especially through open casting calls.
Projects like student films, background work, short films, and indie productions are often great places to build experience. These opportunities are frequently more accessible to emerging actors, particularly if you are not yet part of a union or represented by an agency.
Milton invested significant time and money into developing his craft before certain audition opportunities became available to him. After signing with an agency specializing in TV and film, he began being shortlisted for regular and recurring roles.
“The feedback I get when shortlisted is great, but I truly focus on booking the room, not the role. Now I have a handful of casting directors who keep asking me to tape for other roles,” he shared.
Where Auditions Are Actually Posted and How to Find Them
Casting directors upload breakdowns for productions looking for actors, outlining project details and audition requirements.
With a free membership, Casting Networks allows users to add two free photos, one video, one audio file, and create an artist profile. You can browse the listings and respond to requests sent directly.
Upgrading to a paid membership gives you access to additional features, including auditions, Role Tracker, Talent Scout, and the ability to customize your personal profile link.
Once you’ve signed up, keep your profile updated. Include links to your website and social media accounts, and create a complete media page showcasing your work.
If you’re new to the platform, use filters to find auditions that match your experience and profile. For actors without representation, self-submission is one of the most effective ways to discover opportunities.
How to Submit Yourself for Roles Without an Agent
A common misconception about getting auditions is that you need an agent or manager. Many actors have built their careers through self-submission, applying for roles through casting platforms, open casting calls, direct outreach to casting directors, and social media opportunities.
An agent can provide access to a wider range of auditions, but self-submitting remains an important skill for every actor.
Create a consistent workflow by dedicating one to two hours a day, two or three days a week, to searching and applying for roles.
Make sure your profile is complete and up to date, including your résumé, headshots, and media page. It’s also useful to create a cover letter template that can be adapted for each submission. This saves time while allowing you to highlight why you are suited for a specific role.
Auditions are posted regularly, so having a routine helps you stay organized and avoid missing opportunities. Set up email alerts based on your filters, allowing you to respond quickly when new roles become available.
You may not be right for one role, but you could be exactly what they’re looking for next.
What Agents and Managers Actually Do for Your Audition Access
Pursuing representation is a great step when you’re ready to progress, but it isn’t something that should be treated as a requirement, especially when you’re starting out.
When the time comes, it’s important to understand that agents can expand the range of auditions available to you. They often have access to opportunities directly from casting offices and can submit you to casting directors with whom they have established relationships.
Agents may also access breakdowns through industry platforms at a level that is not available to actors through standard membership.
Milton continues to work towards the goals he has established with his agent, evaluating each audition opportunity together and considering the potential benefits.
“Even when things are slow, [my agent] always keeps a positive mindset, and when I get a recall, he gets really excited, which rubs off on me, making me enjoy the process,” he shares.
Before seeking representation, focus on building credits and experience. Many agencies prefer to meet actors who already have some professional work behind them.
The right agent should support and help guide your career goals. If you’re still figuring out your direction, continue self-submitting and developing your craft. Once you have a clearer plan, you’ll be able to approach representation meetings with confidence and purpose.
How to Build Relationships That Lead to Auditions Over Time
Networking can sound intimidating, but it’s really about building genuine professional relationships, creating connections, and becoming part of a creative community.
It’s not only about meeting casting directors or producers. Milton recommends taking classes based on your interests, whether that’s theatre, screen acting, or another area of performance. These environments allow you to meet like-minded creatives who may be developing projects of their own.
Being proactive helps you build visibility within the industry. Attend workshops, support friends in performances and screenings, and stay connected to the creative world in ways that feel natural to you.
As your confidence grows, keep agents and casting directors updated on your progress.
“By doing this, I managed to establish a relationship with several casting directors,” Milton says. “One of them has invited me for an audition every year for the last eight years.”
By staying creatively active and maintaining professional relationships, you can create opportunities that may lead to auditions over time.
Why You’re Not Getting Called In and What to Fix First
It can be difficult to know exactly why you aren’t getting called in, but there are several factors you can control. Your materials may not accurately represent the type of actor you are, you may be submitting for roles that don’t align with your casting profile, or your résumé may need improvement.
Materials
Start with your headshots. Do they look like you? Are they recent? Are you using the strongest image as your main profile photo?
Small adjustments can make a difference. Consider updating your headshots or changing your primary image, then track how your submissions perform over the following months.
Resume
Your résumé should be clear, easy to read, and organized with headings for different credit types.
If a lack of professional credits is limiting your opportunities, consider what relevant experience you can include. Credits from acting classes, drama school productions, workshops, or training programs can demonstrate your experience when clearly labeled.
Make sure you include skills you genuinely have and can perform confidently. Accents, musical abilities, physical skills, or unique talents such as juggling or circus skills can help casting understand what you bring to a role.
Formatting also matters. Strong experience can be overlooked if your résumé is difficult to read.
Reel
Casting teams often want to see actors perform on screen, which makes having a reel an important tool.
If you don’t have footage from previous projects, you can create a self-tape using a scene or monologue and clearly label the material. As your career develops, continue replacing these clips with professional work.
If your reel is the area holding you back, consider investing in professional support from companies such as Reelarc to help strengthen your materials.
Submissions
Are you submitting for the right roles?
This can be challenging because actors naturally want to believe they can play anything. While versatility is valuable, casting directors need to quickly understand where you fit.
Identifying your type is not about limiting yourself – it’s about presenting yourself clearly. Consider your age range, ethnicity, physicality, and the roles you naturally fit.
By focusing your submissions on roles that align with your profile, you increase your chances of getting called in.
Milton once went an entire year without a single audition, which led him to feel like he was cursed, before opportunities began appearing again.
During that time, he focused on strengthening the basics, learning new skills for his résumé, and continuing to develop creatively.
If you’re not getting called in, return to the foundations and review what you can change. You may never know exactly why you weren’t selected, but improving the areas within your control will help you move forward.
Conclusion
After nearly 20 years working in the industry, Milton received an audition to self-tape for MobLand. A week later, he was signing a contract, shaving his head, and having tattoos applied by the makeup team. He had only 13 hours to prepare for the audition and three days to submit due to other commitments.
His story is one of many like it, and yours could be the next. Getting an audition is only the beginning of a much longer preparation process. Despite already having major on-screen credits, Milton continues to take self-tape courses that help him prepare under pressure, and encourages other actors to do the same.
“Prepare as much as possible so you can bring your A-game when that audition comes, because it will come.”
Finding auditions takes commitment, but so does being ready when the opportunity arrives. Stay focused, continue developing your skills, and keep submitting.
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