Contacting actors
To set up an audition, actors should be contacted by email (see sample email) and sent a copy of the script along with the role you would like them to read for. Five-to-seven actors per role. You should then follow-up with a phone call to make a personal connection and make sure there is no confusion about your expectations. Let them know what pages of the script you would like them to prepare for the audition.
Selecting sides for auditions
- Sides should ideally have two characters, but no more than three.
- The best sides give the actor a chance to act and react. Therefore, exposition is not a good choice.
- Do not choose scenes that are primarily action. If you must see an actor move, give them an improv that is directed (called out).
- Sides should be no more than two minutes, preferably closer to one minute.
- Sides may be from a script that is not your own if it contains similar characters and situations.
- Sides may be specifically written for audition purposes to satisfy the recommendations above. For example, if your character does not speak, you could write an interview of that character for sides. This is a good way to verbalize how a character is feeling. Or, think about if you were making your film into a longer form piece. What scenes do you wish you could write? Write them for sides!