Why Are Commercial Auditions Slower In The Summer?

Almost every actor in Hollywood has had a conversation with their agent or manager in the summertime where the actor complains that the number of auditions has been slow. The agent or manager will always reply by saying that it is slow this summer.

That answer translates to....It is slow every summer in Los Angeles.

It is certainly busy in the winter and early spring during pilot season. Auditions pick up again in the fall when episodic season begins. Thankfully, episodic season is not the only work opportunity in the fall.

Commercial casting increases towards the end of summer thanks to a number of factors:

• Christmas commercials increase in number as companies make their annual pitch for holiday dollars to be spent in their stores
• The increase in Christmas commercials also means an increase in modeling and catalog work as companies display the items they have for sale this holiday season
• Car commercials are big as automakers try to get rid of older models as well as introduce the autos for next year

Plus, the summer TV schedules on the major networks are mostly filled with reruns, games shows and reality TV shows. Many advertisers save their ad dollars for the fall when the majority of the scripted TV shows start their seasons. This means casting directors have more commercial work in the fall.

The important thing for actors to remember is that they are not doing anything wrong if they have a lack of commercial auditions in the summer. It is simply a slow time for actors in general.

Actors should enjoy the quiet time and work on personal projects that are important to them. If they get really lucky in the fall, they won't have any spare time to work on those passion projects.

This actor is staying busy with stand up comedy and stage plays.

Summer Casting Call Roundup From Hollywood

As I mentioned in an earlier post, there is plenty of acting work to be found in the time between pilot season and episodic season. Are you not sure what roles casting directors are looking to fill? For your convenience, here are some of the latest casting notices that grabbed my attention:

• Looking for males and females (20-50) to play very thin, drugged out heroin users. Must be emaciated thin. Need to submit a photo looking straight at the camera with no smiling. 
• Leading man (24-31) with the body of Chris Evans and the emotional maturity of Homer Simpson needed for romantic comedy about a bus driver in space.
• Do you have a smile that goes on for days? If so, submit now for the role of "Captain Smiles A Lot" in our new music video. Must be able to smile for hours without a break.
• Searching for attractive and well-spoken women between the ages of 18 and 35 with superior acting skills who know how to make a guy feel "special" in the romantic sense of the word. If you are able to pull off a convincing performance, we want to talk to you about a 1-minute video that will play as a "hook" on the homepage of our website.
• Male twins, 65-80, needed for film about love on the professional bridge players circuit. Must be well versed in the rules of playing bridge as well as how to cheat to win.
• Road trip movie in need of 3 oddball friend duos ranging from 35-52. Think "The Dream Team" meets "The Breakfast Club" with a dash of "The Truman Show".
• Think clowns are scary? Casting now for a low budget horror film about two clowns who refuse to stay dead and buried.
• Love metal music? Live your days as a gamer? New movie casting male lead to play a massage therapist who secretly wants to be a metal guitarist. To achieve his dream, he gets caught up in a community of fighting game fans.
• Casting for a music video about new love. Please specify the level of PDA you are comfortable with, if you want to audition with your significant other or if you would rather audition (and interact) with a stranger.
• Can you burp for a long period of time? If so, submit an audition tape of an extended length of burping. Feature film about a high stakes burping contest, as well as a romance between burping pros, is looking to cast in the next few weeks.

Do any of these parts sound like the perfect role for you? If so, you just might be a success in Hollywood!

This actor played a drunk wrestler earlier this week.