Scare Acting 101: Top 10 tips to a great Scare Actor Audition
Auditioning for a scare actor position at your favorite haunt is exciting but can also be an anxiety producing experience. Having nerves before an audition is perfectly normal, even for experienced pros. The best way to avoid the nerves is to be prepared. I've compiled a list of suggestions that will help increase your odds of getting the part with the least amount of stress.
1. Dress appropriately - Seems like a basic idea, but for a scare actor audition it can be critical to dress appropriately. Most auditions will have you moving around and clothing that is restrictive can really work against you. Wear clothing and shoes that are comfortable and allow you to have a full range of movement.
3. Show up Prepared - When you see the job position posted for the haunt, read it carefully and make sure to bring whatever materials they request. It could be something as simple as valid photo ID or a favorite prop to use in the audition. Whatever they request, bring it. At the very least it will show them that you take the role seriously and are willing to follow simple instructions.
4. Be honest - Everyone has a "first job" and most people go into an interview with no experience in the job they are applying for. If this is your situation, be honest about it. Many haunts like (if not prefer) to find some fresh new people that they can train, so it might actually work in your favor.
Kenneth Leary is the author of the Practical and Theatrical Scare Actor Blog. He has worked in in the haunt industry since 2012 and is a year round student of scare acting and haunting in general. The purpose of this blog is to help others benefit from his research and experience in a humorous and informative way. He can be contacted at ken_leary@outlook.com for questions and comments. He doesn't get paid for this, so he's not a total douche yet and will be happy to talk to you.
1. Dress appropriately - Seems like a basic idea, but for a scare actor audition it can be critical to dress appropriately. Most auditions will have you moving around and clothing that is restrictive can really work against you. Wear clothing and shoes that are comfortable and allow you to have a full range of movement.
A lot of people will show up to auditions in costume, which is typically fine because it shows enthusiasm. But you probably shouldn't do it unless they specifically ask for it. Plus you don't want to go overboard and give the impression that you would creep out your fellow scare actors more than you scare the guests.
Save the scares for the audition, you're not going impress anyone wearing a Jason mask while you're filling out paperwork.
2. Be on your best behavior - From the moment you set foot on the property consider that anyone you talk to may be your new boss. The person handing you your application might very well be the owner, not the person interviewing you or running the auditions. I've seen more than a few people get passed over for a role when someone overheard them saying something rude or disparaging to someone else.
I don't get it, I even told them my character has an original backstory.
2. Be on your best behavior - From the moment you set foot on the property consider that anyone you talk to may be your new boss. The person handing you your application might very well be the owner, not the person interviewing you or running the auditions. I've seen more than a few people get passed over for a role when someone overheard them saying something rude or disparaging to someone else.
Actual footage from an audition, he was not hired.
Also, maybe not mention how hard you were partying the night before the interview.
3. Show up Prepared - When you see the job position posted for the haunt, read it carefully and make sure to bring whatever materials they request. It could be something as simple as valid photo ID or a favorite prop to use in the audition. Whatever they request, bring it. At the very least it will show them that you take the role seriously and are willing to follow simple instructions.
4. Be honest - Everyone has a "first job" and most people go into an interview with no experience in the job they are applying for. If this is your situation, be honest about it. Many haunts like (if not prefer) to find some fresh new people that they can train, so it might actually work in your favor.
Being honest is advice people should follow all the time, and many do, but when you're trying to get a job it's really easy to oversell your abilities simply to try to impress the interviewer in hopes of landing the job. Keep in mind also that the haunt community is much tighter knit than many people realize. It might take all of two minutes to make a call or message their friend at another haunt to verify your story.
5. Don't overshare - One of my favorite tactics when talking to a potential suitor of my daughters to ask him to tell me about himself. Then I sit there in silence and show no emotion while he talks. You get the standard responses after a minute or two, five minutes in and he is getting nervous and starts to ramble, ten minutes in and you're hearing his confession about pulling a girls pig tails at recess when he was in kindergarten.
Interviewers can use this technique too. Give a good, clear, honest answer when you are asked a question and wrap it up. Even saying something on the lines of "that's all I have to say about that" is a good que that you are done. When your mind says "I should stop talking now" you should trust it.
6. Expect a wait - Most haunts only have a few days to interview dozens and sometimes hundreds of scare actors trying out for positions. They can't always get through everyone quickly so you may find that you're waiting a while.
Try to be patient, they will get to you. Make sure your plans for the day include time for the wait.
7. Be available - Make sure you can be available for the nights and hours that the haunt will be operating. This is a job, even if it's a lot of fun, so don't expect them to work around your schedule.
5. Don't overshare - One of my favorite tactics when talking to a potential suitor of my daughters to ask him to tell me about himself. Then I sit there in silence and show no emotion while he talks. You get the standard responses after a minute or two, five minutes in and he is getting nervous and starts to ramble, ten minutes in and you're hearing his confession about pulling a girls pig tails at recess when he was in kindergarten.
Interviewers can use this technique too. Give a good, clear, honest answer when you are asked a question and wrap it up. Even saying something on the lines of "that's all I have to say about that" is a good que that you are done. When your mind says "I should stop talking now" you should trust it.
Did I just say that out loud?
Try to be patient, they will get to you. Make sure your plans for the day include time for the wait.
7. Be available - Make sure you can be available for the nights and hours that the haunt will be operating. This is a job, even if it's a lot of fun, so don't expect them to work around your schedule.
Yes, there are some situations where you will have to miss a night, that's just how life works. But if you go in with a laundry list of "this night is the Nickleback concert" and "I can't work until after 9pm these nights" then you probably shouldn't be doing it in the first place. Just like any job, haunts want employees that they can count on.
8. Have reliable transportation - Just like any job, having reliable transportation is important. There are very few things owners want to deal with less than a person who can't show up to work because they don't have a ride. And honestly trying to bum a ride home from your coworkers isn't typically appreciated either.
If you don't have a car, get an Uber or Lyft. Otherwise you might be told not to bother coming in for the rest of the season.
9. Listen to direction - You might feel that you are the definitive last word on exactly how your character should look, act or even walk. While that is good in terms of character development, it's not good for an audition. The Director might want you to change things up a little bit because they have a certain role in mind for you, or it might be for them to simply determine if you can follow directions and adapt to their corrections.
10. Be open to different roles - It's pretty common for certain roles to be more popular than others. If a haunt has an icon, everybody wants that job. Problem is, that role has almost always been cast before auditions even start. Auditioning for a haunt acting position means you're audition for "a" position.
I've had people sit in front of me and tell me that they are going to audition for a specific role or character, and that's it. Problem was, we didn't even have that character in our haunt. Guess who didn't get hired?
If you want to be a scare actor, sometimes you have to start in a role you didn't want. Doing a great job at that part will likely get you called back the next year, and your chances on getting a specific role that you want will go up significantly.
In Conclusion - If you've never been a scare actor before, I simply can't encourage you enough to try it out. It is hard work but it is also a lot of fun. You might become addicted like the rest of us. Just maybe skip the majestic spider web costume.
8. Have reliable transportation - Just like any job, having reliable transportation is important. There are very few things owners want to deal with less than a person who can't show up to work because they don't have a ride. And honestly trying to bum a ride home from your coworkers isn't typically appreciated either.
This is a hard no, 0/10 would not recommend
If you don't have a car, get an Uber or Lyft. Otherwise you might be told not to bother coming in for the rest of the season.
9. Listen to direction - You might feel that you are the definitive last word on exactly how your character should look, act or even walk. While that is good in terms of character development, it's not good for an audition. The Director might want you to change things up a little bit because they have a certain role in mind for you, or it might be for them to simply determine if you can follow directions and adapt to their corrections.
10. Be open to different roles - It's pretty common for certain roles to be more popular than others. If a haunt has an icon, everybody wants that job. Problem is, that role has almost always been cast before auditions even start. Auditioning for a haunt acting position means you're audition for "a" position.
I've had people sit in front of me and tell me that they are going to audition for a specific role or character, and that's it. Problem was, we didn't even have that character in our haunt. Guess who didn't get hired?
I am a majestic spider web
If you want to be a scare actor, sometimes you have to start in a role you didn't want. Doing a great job at that part will likely get you called back the next year, and your chances on getting a specific role that you want will go up significantly.
In Conclusion - If you've never been a scare actor before, I simply can't encourage you enough to try it out. It is hard work but it is also a lot of fun. You might become addicted like the rest of us. Just maybe skip the majestic spider web costume.
Comments
Post a Comment