A guide to winning over casting directors
Audition Materials
Just like your singing, it is important to put time and effort in the the materials.
Let’s go over the different aspects of your materials so that you can be sure present youself well to casting directors.
Headshots
old Style headshots are out
Just like the headshot, you want to make things as easy for the person reading it as possible. Many singers will try to re-invent the wheel to make their resume stand out, but never forget: It is your performance that will win you the job, not your resume. The resume is what they will see in a dimly lit auditorium, so make it clear, concise, and easy to read.
NOTE: There are a lot of How-To videos floating around the internet about resumes. Many of them are geared towards corporate jobs that have AI filtering systems in the hiring proccess and therefore focus on ‘keywords’. This is not as important in the opera world. They aren’t choosing just random applicants to hear. If you are there, they are already interested.
Headshots are important. They are often the very first impression a casting director gets of who you are. Let’s talk about the current taste in headshots, and what German casting directors find particularly appealing.
Casting directors are busy people who look at HUNDREDS of headshots. A simple, clean headshot where they can quickly see a nice picture of you is what they are looking for.
This is a good example of what German casting directors want to see. It’s use of direct positioning and simple outfit selection shows who she is with no distracting poses or angles. The goal is to show a nice picture of who you are. You don’t need anything else.
Resumes
Like your headshot, a resume should give the casting director a simple and concise overview of who you are as a musician. let’s get your resume looking good and with the right information.
Clear and Simple
Feel free to use the above resume as a template!