BFW: Senior Year Auditions | The Ultimate Guide

If you're reading this, you're probably new to the world of acting and auditioning for roles, even entry-level roles like being an extra. The jargon is confusing and you're really trying your best to keep up but you just don't get it.

You probably also tried to google your way to understanding this world of auditions and came up dry. Well, search no further. This is your ultimate guide to auditioning for Best Friends in the World: Senior Year.

HOW TO AUDITION FOR "BEST FRIENDS

IN THE WORLD: SENIOR YEAR"

Before we begin, here's a pre-step: Read the casting call here.

Read it and come back here because we'll break down what's written there.

What is a casting call? It is a call for actors. A document that states all the vital information you will need to know concerning the audition. It lists the roles that are available for you to choose from. It also states information about the production like which company is handling it, the shooting location, and whether the opportunity is paid or unpaid. Of course, there's also information on how and where to submit your audition.

If you still didn't read the casting call, go back and read it, otherwise, you're not ready to be an actor. There's a lot of reading involved in acting or you will be completely lost 100% of the time and you'll just end up asking REALLY ANNOYING questions. Read it. End of story.

Alright! Now that you know the specifics of the production, let's jump in!

STEP 1:

Decide if you can move to the shooting location or not. For this production, we need out-of-state/international actors to be able to transport themselves to the production location which is Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria. Some production companies choose to handle these costs, but we simply are not able to at this time. However, we can offer you accommodation, food and more when you get here.

If you can't travel down, this particular production is not for you. Thank you.

STEP 2:

This step is for all who have decided to make themselves available at the shooting location if selected. If you're one of them then we're so glad!

Here, you need to choose the character you want to play.

From the casting call, there's a wide range of roles for both males and female of different ages and ethnicities. Find which role you think you can execute best without any self-doubt. A role you can shine in and perform to the best of your ability.

If you're new to acting and you just want something small or just to be on the production set, you can choose to be an extra.

But who/what is an extra?

According to Wikipedia, a background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera, or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking or non-singing (silent) capacity, usually in the background (for example, in an audience or busy street scene).

In this production, we need LOTS and LOTS of students (about 300). We also need teachers, drivers, and other such smaller roles.

The great thing about the student and teachers in this particular production is that there are PLENTY SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES. So if you didn't find something among the listed roles and you really want to act, you can decide to either be a student or a teacher, depending on your age.

Can you audition for more than one role? YES. But not more than three and you must make separate audition videos for each character.

STEP 3:

THE MONOLOGUE (aka the most important step). What is this monologue thing you've been hearing? What does it even mean? Well, if you're too lazy to google it, here's a simplified definition that relates to this particular production:

"For your purposes, a monologue is a scene where only one character speaks. The other character listens. And here's the catch... you're going to imagine that other character standing in front of you."

This means you will be THE ONLY ONE in the video performing one role. No, you cannot act with your friend. No, you cannot act as more than one character. JUST YOU playing a single role.

A good resource you should definitely check out to better understand monologues is Ace Your Audition.

Now you know what a monologue is, for this production you need to select a monologue (or write one) that suits the role you have chosen.

If you've chosen to be an extra and you don't want much responsibility, please SKIP THIS STEP. But if you're hoping to say a few lines here and there, definitely do the monologue.

Now, which monologue should you use? Well, it depends on the role you've selected. Are you hoping to be Ms. Lucille, the no-nonsense, difficult-to-impress, hardly emotional class teacher? Then based on her description, you can already tell the type of things she could say. Select a monologue that brings out her character and personality.

Where can you get the monologue from? The internet! Some productions provide the lines you should use, but we are leaving this to you. Go online and search for free monologues. There are PLENTY resources. As we said, you can definitely write your own but this is risky as it could sound unprofessional. If you must write your own, make sure you memorize the lines. DO NOT FREESTYLE.

How do you record the monologue? You can simply place your phone camera on a stable surface in front of you and act to the camera. Make sure you record it in a quiet environment.

Still using Ms. Lucille as an example, will you need to dress up as Ms. Lucille and perform your monologue in a classroom setting? All that is left to you. The only thing we require is that the acting convinces us that you really are Ms. Lucille. THAT IS ALL.

How long should it be? Less than 2 minutes. If you read the Ace Your Audition article, you'd know that casting directors don't need more than 30 seconds to decide if you're a good fit or not.

You don't need a fancy camera or high-end equipment/environment. Make sure the lighting is bright. Face the light, don't back it so we can see your face. Make sure you look clean, neat, and presentable. Our impression of you matters a lot. Speak clearly and confidently. In order to do this, you must have memorized the words of your monologue extremely well. DO NOT read the words from a paper or your phone. On set, you won't be able to read the words, so you need to show us that you're able to handle the work.

This is the most important step, so don't leave out anything crucial.

STEP 4:

SUBMISSION. Now that you have an audition video, you're ready for submission. But first, make sure you have the other required documents.

For this production, we need a headshot or a clear photo of you. We also need your self-introduction (written or video). If you want to do a video introduction, it should be separate from your monologue video. The video should not be more than one minute, and the written introduction should not be more than 500 words. Make sure the self-introduction includes your full name, date of birth, and phone number. You can also add your CV/resumé if you have one but it is not mandatory.

---

You got everything?

• Headshot/photo

• Self-introduction (written/video)

• Audition video

Yes? Great. Now put it all in ONE email and send it to auditions@neptune3studios.com. Don't send it anywhere else. It won't be evaluated. The only auditions that will be considered at the ones sent to the provided address. Not Instagram or Facebook DMs, not any other email address. NONE. And it won't change just because you beg. This is the only way we can keep track of everything.

If your file is too large, for example with Gmail users, you could get a message saying your file has exceeded 25MB, reduce the file size using free apps like InShot or Videoshop. If you don't want to do that, you can upload your video to any file-sharing site like google drive or Dropbox and email the link to us with your headshot and self-introduction.

PLEASE SEND ONE EMAIL. Make sure your email has everything you need before you press send. That includes the SUBJECT of the email. Write your name and the character you are auditioning for in the subject space. For Example: Jane Doe - Ms. Lucille Audition.

Finally, how long will we need you on set? It is dependent on the role you audition for. If you need this information for school or work, indicate it in your email to us and we will let you know. Please note that we will only give this information to those who we are seriously considering for a role. But a general range will be JUNE - SEPTEMBER 2021.

STEP 5:

THE CALL BACK. This is when we inform those who were successful that they have been selected. Non-successful auditions will NOT receive a callback. We will start doing callbacks will start doing callbacks from June 13 to June 19, 2021.

Note: If you auditioned for a specific role but you don't mind being an extra if you don't get the role you auditioned for, please indicate so in your initial email to us.

WHEW. This is it. This is all you need to know. As always, read it thoroughly and if you have further questions then comment them below. But if you have friends who are so lost on this then please refer them to this. Also, if you sent it an audition and it was missing all the essential ingredients then feel free to send in the REAL one. We get it. You didn't know. But now you do.

---

Here's another blog post that can offer more information, so you can make sure you've covered all your bases: https://www.neptune3studios.com/post/bfw-senior-year-global-auditions

More resources are available on our social media pages, so follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Also, subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified when new content comes out. Stay blessed!