There are loads of articles about finding casting calls, spotting red flags, or where to look. But once you've actually found a good, legit casting call, the kind that makes your stomach flip a bit with excitement, everything suddenly feels less clear. Do you apply straight away? Do you rewrite everything? Do you wait until you feel 'ready'?
I’ve got this wrong more times than I can count. What surprised me was realising that what you do after you find a casting call matters more than the call itself. The first rule I had to learn was not to apply immediately, even when the excitement kicks in.
Early on, I'd see a casting call or an acting audition I liked and rush the application within minutes. I thought speed was everything. Sometimes it is, but most of the time, rushing just meant sloppy decisions. Now, when I find a casting call that feels right, I pause. Not for hours. Just long enough to actually read it properly.
I ask myself: Can I genuinely give this the attention it deserves? If the answer is no, I wait until I can. A calm application beats a fast one almost every time.
This was a big shift for me. Instead of reading casting calls thinking 'How do I impress them?' I started reading them like a normal person on the other side of the screen.
Something shifted for me when I stopped trying to perform through my applications. Early on, I treated every casting call like a mini audition on the page. I overthought every sentence, tried to sound impressive, and crammed in anything that might make me seem more committed. The strange thing is, none of that helped.
Once I relaxed and focused on being clear instead of impressive, my responses got better. Not flashier, just easier to read. And weirdly, that's when I started feeling more confident too. Casting calls don't need you to be perfect or fascinating. They need you to be understandable, the same way they do with film extra jobs. They just need to know who you are, whether you fit, and whether you can follow instructions.
This one definitely bruised my ego. I used to throw everything into applications, every photo I had, extra details no one asked for, long explanations about why I loved acting and why this project mattered to me. I thought showing effort meant showing everything. In reality, it just made things messy.
Now, if a casting call asks for one photo, they get one photo. If they ask for a short note, I keep it short. Not because I don't care, but because following instructions is part of the job. Casting teams are busy, and clarity is a kindness. Some of the best responses I've had came from submissions that felt almost too simple when I sent them. Looking back, that was the point.
Another thing I had to unlearn was using the same 'application voice' for every casting call. Not every project wants enthusiasm bursting off the page. Some want calm, grounded, dependable. Others want warmth, personality, or energy. A low-budget short film run by a first-time director doesn't need the same tone as a commercial casting with a tight turnaround.
Once I started adjusting how I wrote depending on what the project actually was, things landed better. It stopped feeling like I was shouting into the void and more like I was responding to a real person on the other end.
This is still the hardest part for me. After I apply, I try not to hover. I don't keep checking my inbox every ten minutes. I don’t reread my submission looking for mistakes. (Or at least, I try not to.)
Casting calls aren't conversations. Most of the time, you won't hear back - not because you messed up, but because the casting moved fast, changed direction, or simply filled the role. Learning to apply and then mentally move on saved me a lot of unnecessary stress. It also helped me keep applying consistently instead of burning out after every silence.
The irony is that when you do hear back, that's when slowing down matters even more. Early on, I panicked when someone replied. I over-explained, over-apologised, and tried to cram enthusiasm into every sentence. Now I remind myself of something simple: they replied because something worked.
At that stage, clarity beats excitement. Clear availability. Straight answers. No overthinking. You don't need to resell yourself, you’re already through the door.
One thing no one really prepares you for is how emotionally jumpy casting calls can make you feel. Finding a great one can be energising. Hearing nothing back can feel oddly personal. Getting a reply weeks later can feel surreal.
I had to learn not to ride those highs and lows too hard. Casting calls aren't verdicts on your ability, they're logistical decisions happening under pressure, with incomplete information.
Once I stopped treating each one like the opportunity, I started enjoying the process more. And when something did come through, I was calmer, clearer, and better when it actually mattered.
Final Thought: Finding good casting calls is only half the work. What really changes things is learning how to respond calmly, clearly, and sustainably once you've found one. That's the part that keeps you going long-term, without burning out or second-guessing yourself constantly.
If casting calls are going to be part of your life, and they will be, learning what to do after you find them is what turns chaos into something manageable. For me, that was a big part of understanding how to become an actor in real terms, not just in theory.
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