<p>Hello all. I’d like to ask for some advice for my son. He has done mostly plays and modeling and sings/plays guitars at open mic nights. Anyway, to cut to the chase, he has been invited to audition for the role of Puck’s younger brother on Glee. We can’t get him to California by tomorrow for the audition, so we will have to record and email it in.</p>
<p>He is comfortable slating for modeling jobs, but we have no idea how to set up the audition video. It’s supposed to be 16 bars of a song with him playing guitar then another song without the guitar. How should he introduce himself? Should he say anything about himself? How should he dress for it?</p>
<p>Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. We aim to get the video in as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Hi! Congrats to your son for getting them interested! Okay, so just make sure he’s comfortable with whatever he does. If shirt and tie seems comfortable, go with that. If a T shirt and jeans seems comfortable, go with that. Just make sure there is as little stress involved as possible. They can sense nervousness. Make him seem as confident as possible. Make the video straightforward, but unique at the same time. They like someone unique, but that can also follow orders.</p>
<p>I think I would also suggest a clean, simple background. Clutter can distract from the performance. Maybe a prop or two if needed, but otherwise a plain wall - something that he will POP off of preferably.</p>
<p>Since he is auditioning for a SPECIFIC role (Puck’s younger brother), he really should dress appropriately for the role. Especially since GLEE is set in contemporary times, so he will wear contemporary clothing, not a historical costume.</p>
<p>(Yes, this is a bit of an exception to the general rule of “don’t wear a costume to the audition”. In this case, since it is a specific role, for TV, and a contemporary setting, it is okay.)</p>
<p>If you have never done video auditioning before and have never attended any workshop how to do it, go to a professional coach in your area who can do videorecording, tell you what to wear, how to sit, how to move or not move in front of camera and can create a good quality file to send.</p>
<p>You have to deal with:
technical issues of emailing file, the right file format etc. Do you know what yousendit is?
quality issues of image and sound. Apart from having an appropriate equipment you have to stay in the frame all the time (one of the worst mistakes of amateur actors)
How to dress is the easiest part. You dress in some solid color (preferably green or blue) because it looks good on screen. Can be T-shirt. The main thing is hairdo and face, face has to be clearly visible, no annoying bangs covering eyes etc.</p>
<p>MoMom, my son recently did one of these for another TV show (he didn’t end up getting the part). If you can get a professional to do this for you, it will look better and will be much easier for you. I am not well off but considered it a worthwhile investment as I felt it would increase my son’s chances. My son has an agent who referred us to someone; he charged $100 or $150, I can’t remember. How did your son get invited to the audition? Does he have representation? If so, the agent should be referring you. If your son doesn’t have representation, you can still hire someone to do this for you. </p>
<p>If you do film it yourself, make sure the backdrop is clutter free and as blank as possible (a blank wall is best). Take your time to get the best shot you’re happy with. Do NOT do close ups of his face only. They want to see his whole body (usually they put this in the instructions). </p>
<p>They will probably judge fairly quickly - within seconds - whether he’s possible or not (the right or wrong look). So he should pay special attention to being as ‘in character’ as possible. Dressing the part would work well. </p>
<p>Thank you all. These are VERY helpful suggestions. I had bought him a black t-shirt, but perhaps we will switch to a blue or green one. I have also arranged with the broadcasting teacher at this high school (who has won numerous awards) to tape the audition and get it into email-able format. It will likely be at the voice coaches house since she will accompany on piano for one song. I am a bit concerned about clutter since her house if FULL of clutter. I hope to be able to tactfully suggest that some of it get removed or moved for the audition. I will discuss the “whole body” shots with the camera person - thanks for that suggestions!</p>
<p>My son does has representation. His agent submitted him through ActorsAccess. I know this is an incredible long shot, but I want to support him any way I can and not make novice mistakes. So, thanks so much for the input.</p>
<p>Should he say anything by way of introduction other than his name and the songs he will be performing?</p>
<p>On the clip - assume that any info attached to it disappeared. So if the person wants to get hold of your son - the info would all be there - on the clip.</p>