Commercials are a tricky thing. You go out on auditions...and go out and go out and go out and almost get one, then get “let go”, then go out and go out and go out...And it’s hard not to take it personally. That it really is like winning the lottery. Unless you’re ethnically ambiguous or have a pot belly and a mustache. For the rest of us, you just gotta hope that you happen to fit the look of what the ad agency is going for.
For the last spot I booked, I got the sides the day of, had two hours to memorize and another commercial on the west side that I had to get to before Progressive. And it was a tough script. Lots of lines and a “Who’s on First” parody. But I went in and got the call back. Then on the call back, when it was my turn to go in, I went up on the lines the first take and got a line wrong on the second take. I told the director that I was for sure going to get it on the third, and I did. But the point is, I walked out of that audition going, “well, there goes that one.”
But I booked it. As actors, we sometimes apply superstitions to the audition process. Like, the worst you think it goes or the least you care the more likely you are to book it. But if this is on the forefront of your mind and you’re consciously TRYING not to care it doesn’t work. It has to come from a genuine and truthful place. Also, I know that if I get put on hold for something I try and only tell two people, because more than that and the gods will take the hold away and give it to somebody else. For those of you not in the business, a “hold” is the last step before booking the part, and it generally means that it is either down to you and one or two other people or just you and they're making sure that everything is a “go” until they book you. Unfortunately you have no way of knowing which. I also have a lucky Jacket, but a lot of auditions don’t call for jacket wearing so I don’t get to apply it’s charms very often.
So without further ado, the Progressive spot.
I wore the Jacket for this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZapVQd4A2ZI
But I booked it. As actors, we sometimes apply superstitions to the audition process. Like, the worst you think it goes or the least you care the more likely you are to book it. But if this is on the forefront of your mind and you’re consciously TRYING not to care it doesn’t work. It has to come from a genuine and truthful place. Also, I know that if I get put on hold for something I try and only tell two people, because more than that and the gods will take the hold away and give it to somebody else. For those of you not in the business, a “hold” is the last step before booking the part, and it generally means that it is either down to you and one or two other people or just you and they're making sure that everything is a “go” until they book you. Unfortunately you have no way of knowing which. I also have a lucky Jacket, but a lot of auditions don’t call for jacket wearing so I don’t get to apply it’s charms very often.
So without further ado, the Progressive spot.
I wore the Jacket for this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZapVQd4A2ZI
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