This is a guest post by Lauren Michaels.
If you want to be in Ninja Turtles (the Michael Bay reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise) or any of Michael Bay’s future blockbusters, here are some auditioning tips.
(NOTE: These tips are good for any major movie – we’re just using Mr. Bay as an example.)
DO: Use Proper Channels
Even if you’re just looking for a part as an extra, you’ll have to get in front of and get past a casting director. Adam already explained who they are and what they want, so know what they’re looking for and do your best to stand out in a positive way.
DON’T: Annoy the Webmaster
Think going to Michael Bay’s website and commenting or emailing will get you a screen test? It won’t and we quote:
We cannot accept unsolicited material (e.g. scripts, presents, videos, reels, etc.) intend to be received by or for Michael. And we CANNOT direct it to him or his production company. It is unsolicited material and legally we cannot accept it (much less send it to Michael). So, if you send something, the webmaster will simply delete it (MichaelBay.com).
DO: Play it Straight
Relatively unknown (at the time) actress Megan Fox told reporters at the Transformers press junket that she had “like eight different meetings over the span of maybe a month, a month and a half.” She had to convince Michael Bay, Stephen Spielberg and a myriad other film executives that she could shoulder the role.
Her audition tape was released and she didn’t resort to any overt gimmicks. Watch it here:
DON’T: Try Absurd Gimmicks or Publicity Stunts
When it was revealed Megan Fox would not be returning for the third Transformers film and Michael Bay would need to find a new leading lady, the internet went abuzz with serious and parody audition tapes.
Probably the most notable (or notorious) submission came from reality television and plastic-surgery expert, Heidi Montag. Heidi took to twitter and attempted to send this video of her saying, “this is for you, Michael Bay” and shooting some paper targets in hopeful consideration for a leading role in a major Hollywood blockbuster.
US Weekly reported in March 2012 that Bravo reality star Bethenny Frankel auditioned for a role in Michael Bay’s relatively low-budget film Pain and Gain.
The article said Frankel was in a park when she was approached by a casting director who didn’t realize who he’d asked to audition until she came into the office to read. An insider told the magazine that Bay was not present for the audition, but Frankel did receive and email lauding her performance at the audition.
Bay, on the other hand, had this to say on his official website about the incident:
A Miami casting firm was fired from Pain & Gain yesterday for their bad choice of a publicity stunt for auditioning a former cast member of The Real Housewives of New York City. This was a stunt concocted by them. This audition was never seen by me, nor would it ever be considered. I’m told the true embarrassment would come from the audition itself.
No matter how desperate you are to be noticed you never want to burn a bridge, so be careful!
BONUS: Parody Video
This is a delightful and good-natured parody of a terrible audition tape from the good folks at “Glee.” Learn and enjoy!
After studying film at UCLA, Lauren Michaels found that her second love, writing, allowed her to be both critic and harbinger of information. She now freelances for a variety of entertainment publications and is a regular at her local theater.
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