Acting for Film

Acting for film is the holy grail. Where theatre is the soul of acting and its origin story in so
many senses, film – especially feature film – is where the gold standard of performance has been
taking place for the best part of a century. This guide is a step-by-step process from how to get
an audition through the preparation, performance and post production stages of working as an
actor in a feature film. I will say that by and large the process described here can be applied to
short films or TV/streaming productions as well. However for the ease of writing I am going to
be specifically referring to feature films for the context of this piece. Without further ado, let’s
get into it.

How to Get Feature Film Auditions 

Before we get stuck in to acting for film, we need to start from the very beginning… Unless you
are particularly fortunate, you are going to have to audition to land a role in a feature film. If
you’re reading this article, it’s unlikely that anyone is simply going to offer you the role and hire
you straight off the bat. Wouldn’t that be wonderful though? What a treat, what a dream!
Do you have an acting agent?
Okay so first things first, how to get a feature film audition. If you have an agent, they will be
the one to secure auditions for you. You will receive an email with details of the production,
material you need to prepare and instructions for the audition. Too easy, all you have to do is
follow instructions, and start your audition prep. 
That being said, not all agents are created equal. There is a definite, mysterious pecking order of
agents in your town. With the most established, best known ones getting more casting
opportunities than their counterparts. Long story short, you want to be with the best agent you
possibly can in order to maximise your chances of getting great opportunities. We have a full
article on how to go about getting an agent. 
Please note (because we do get asked at least once a month) StageMilk is NOT an acting agency.
We write articles and create content to help you get an agent, hell we even have an online scene
club where you can work on some material to approach agents with. We cannot book you gigs
though! PSA over!
Casting Billboards:
If you don’t have an agent there are a range of websites to check out that host auditions for
freelance actors. Here’s a list of the most reputable casting billboards out there:
 Casting Networks
 Backstage
 Mandy
 Actor’s Access
 Spotlight
 Starnow 
Note: these platforms are not all international, so you may need to do some research to find the
reputable casting sites in your country/city.
Some of these casting billboard require you to pay a monthly fee, and other’s don’t. Do your
research, and find out what the best platforms are in your region. It’s no use signing up to all of
them, if they’re not posting relevant opportunities for you in YOUR city.
It’s important to note that NOT all the listings on these pages are legit. It’s very important that
you trust your gut when dealing with the posters of these ads. Think of these pages like Craigslist
or Gumtree for acting jobs. Some of the people there are legit creatives making passion projects
with limited resources. Some of the people on there are bonafide creeps and charlatans being
awful. The only person who is going to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff here is you.
So interrogate each of these ads fully, check out peoples IMDB credits, see what they have done
in the past. If they’re telling you they worked with Tarantino on his last movie but you can’t find
them on the internet, I would be suspicious. 
Detective Work:
Your other option is to do some solid detective work, and send out cold emails to casting
directors to get feature film auditions. BUT make sure that you are acting in a professional
manner at all times. The internet is a wonderful, scary place – you can find information on
upcoming productions by being smart and with the help of some prior industry knowledge. Make
sure you’re always up to date on what’s happening in your local industry. What’s shooting right
now? What’s scheduled to shoot in your area coming up? Who are the major industry players?
Who casts big budget Feature Films in your city, who casts small budget feature films in your
city?

Hypothetical Scenario: Say for example, you live in Vancouver, and you know that the 7th
season of The 100 is scheduled to shoot in Vancouver in a couple months because you’ve done
your research on IMDB Pro (which we HIGHLY recommend getting) and The Hollywood
Reporter etc. Now, it won’t do you any good to email the network (CW), or the production
company (Alloy Entertainment) – neither of them are going to be able to help you get an
audition, and they will likely just ignore your email. If you have an agent, email your agent,
mention you’re interested in the show and the filmmakers, and that if any role comes up that’s
appropriate, to let you know and you’ll be happy to tape. If you don’t have an agent, you can
send an email to the casting director for The 100 in Vancouver – but, only if you’re absolutely
confident you can nail the audition, should you get one. You need to back yourself 1000% before
you start cold emailing casting directors, and know that your acting and your toolkit is the best it
can possibly be at this point in time. If you’re new to acting, have done 1 or 2 classes, and that’s
it – I would not recommend cold emailing anyone yet. You are not ready, and you risk making
a poor first impression.
For all of the above options, you undoubtedly need your acting toolkit in order and up to date.
You need an incredible headshot, a banging showreel and a CV. This industry rewards actors
who behave as professionals, who are always training and working on their craft and who have a
business mindset.

How to Audition for a Feature Film

Okay so you’ve done it, you have booked yourself an audition now it’s time to do the work.
There are a bunch of hacks to think about when it comes to auditioning for film. In fact I wrote
another article on what to expect here.
Learn Your Lines
But let’s get down to brass tacks – you need to be prepared, as prepared as you possibly can be
and the first step in that process is learning your lines. Folks, I can’t be specific enough about
this, you have to know your lines, you have to know the hell out of them. Here is the thing, when
you get into the audition room you are going to be stressed. In fact the stress activates the
amygdala, the flight or fight part of your brain. This can cause you to forget your lines, go blank
or just generally freak out. The only way to defeat this is to be so prepared you know your lines
even when you are scared and overwhelmed. 
Script Analysis
Once you have learnt your lines, do some in-depth script analysis. What is happening in this
scene? What does your character want? What is the essential action? By that I mean, what is
your character doing to get what they want? Keep this simple. A lot of actors get a script and try
and go for some gigantic, esoteric, ethereal concept to make an impression – I would avoid that
at all costs. Romeo, sitting outside Juliet’s balcony, wants her to come outside so he can see her
again. Then he wants to kiss her again. Juliet wants to know if the experience she had that night
was real and to figure out how she feels about this guy. Keep it real, keep it simple, keep it
achievable. 
We have in-depth articles on how to prepare for an audition and auditioning, so go and check
those out. Yes we really do have articles on everything!!
Let it go
The final part of this is really allowing yourself to discover it all as brand new and exciting in the
audition room. Allowing all of your preparation to live below the surface as you discover the life
in the scene moment to moment. Anything that feels planned, or rehearsed, or generated shows
up on camera. You have to learn it all, then let it all go and discover it as new when you hit the
audition room. The only thing that can help you do this is practice. Check out classes in your
area and if you can’t find any or prefer to work online, check out our online scene club.
Callbacks
It is highly unlikely that they will watch your audition and cast you in the film on the spot. It
does happen occasionally but what is far more likely is that they will ask you to come back and
do the scene again, sometimes with an actor they have already cast to see your chemistry
together, sometimes with the casting director or director of the project and even sometimes for a
completely different character to your original audition. Whatever it is, go with the flow, put
your best foot forward and remember hard work trumps all. If you work your backside off and
really prepare effectively, you will place yourself in a really good position. Additionally, be
prepared to throw out all your ideas and respond to the notes and ideas of the casting team in the
room. Sometimes they have access to the whole script, or the script has changed since you learnt
it. Sometimes they just want to see that you can take direction regardless of circumstances.

How to Prepare for a Feature Film Role

You did it! You did the callbacks and you smashed them out the park! Congratulations! You now
have a role in a feature film! So now what? How do you act for film, specifically?
Preparation my friend. Preparation. You should get to chat to the director, if you have a major or
supporting role, sitting down and grabbing a coffee with them either in person or over Zoom
could be a great idea. Talk through expectations, ideas and ask them for any thoughts or advice
they might have. Once you are on the same page, get down to work!
You need to prepare as hard if not harder for your shoot day as you did for the audition. It is vital
again that you know your lines, you know the heck out of them. And that you know your cues! I
have a friend working on a major US show at the moment who has complained of shooting being
held up by hours because an actor didn’t know their lines! Do not be that guy! Know ‘em into
the turf, then make sure you have life inside that. Give yourself every opportunity to find
discoveries in the text and be prepared to find that in every take!
Prepare well, and also be prepared for changes. Script changes can happen right up to the
moment you shoot, so be flexible, be calm, be early and stay late. Be the kind of actor that makes
production say ‘Oh them? Yeah they’re great! They know their stuff and they do great work!’