COLD READING ACTING AUDITIONS

In theater, an actor will often have a prepared monologue which he performs at every audition. He has spent many hours memorizing all the lines and perfecting his performance and is quite comfortable in the role. However, in a film or commercial audition, the actor is expected to perform from the script given to him... sometimes with almost no time for preparation. That's when cold reading comes in handy.

Cold reading is the art of auditioning with script in hand. Although script sides are supposed to be given to an actor at least 24 hours before the audition, sometimes you won't even see a script until you walk into the audition. This is why cold reading is such an important skill for actors wanting to work in commercials, film, and television.

• Learning To Cold Read
• Cold Reading In An Audition
• How To Hold A Cold Reading Script

A cold reading audition naturally goes much slower and feels more awkward than a normal scene. Don't worry about it. The Casting Director doesn't expect you to know the lines... she just wants to see what kind of personality you bring to the character.

You may be the greatest actor in the world, but without at least some proficiency in the art of cold reading, you'll never get past your first film audition. So include it in your training and you'll be able to improve your auditions and start booking jobs in no time!