Reel PROs

Serving the Professional Actor
with Cold-Reading/Audition Skills Workshops

Reel PROs offers different kinds of classes, our most popular being the cold-reading/audition skills workshop. When you decide to attend such a workshop, we would like to make certain that you understand what this type of class does and does not provide, so there is no confusion over its purpose.

Our cold-reading/audition skills workshop consists of a program of approximately 2 1/2 hours, during which a maximum of 24 actors will have an opportunity to perform a scene with a limited time to rehearse. The reading will take place in front of the other actors and a guest instructor who is there to observe and educate. Often the guest instructor is a casting director, and will be at RP in order to bring you the benefit of their experience and knowledge. There will be a question and answer session and a focused time during which you will obtain feedback on the reading.

A cold-reading/audition skills workshop provides these benefits:

  • Training in, practice of, and feedback with respect to cold-reading/audition skills
  • Demystifying the audition process through insights and experiences offered by guests
  • Learning what industry guests look for in performances and translating that input into practical real-life use
  • Learning exactly what to expect when auditioning for a specific office so you're better prepared
  • Learning the "business" of acting
  • Using your workshop education to your agent/manager’s most powerful advantage when pitching you for a role (or when you self-submit)
  • Networking with and being supported by other actors and industry guests in an educational setting

Every time an actor takes the Reel PROs stage, they practice and train their auditioning skills: how they interact personally with the casting person; how they own the space; how they control their physicality, nerves, energy and vocal levels for the given environment; their professionalism, confidence and pleasantness — everything they do in an audition that affects their success. The cold-reading aspect of Reel PROs’ workshops hones their script analysis skills (the breaking down of a script for a character’s objectives and intentions) by focusing their time and energy on making strong and specific choices quickly. Actors who’ve mastered this skill have a significant leg up when asked in an audition to read additional scenes without ever having seen them before, or even perform a completely new role. Most importantly, if an actor is able to make strong, clear choices within the Reel PROs 15 minute cold-reading rehearsal period, imagine how much more layered their performance will be after a full day or more with a script!  

We like to have as guests those individuals who are actively working, as they are best in a position to provide feedback and answer your questions about the industry of today. It is also important to realize that actors are not auditioning in our workshops for a specific role a casting director may be currently casting. We do not procure or attempt to procure employment for actors. When we invite a casting director to attend a workshop, it is solely for their knowledge, experience, feedback, tips, insights and redirect. We do not attempt to determine for what roles a casting director is or will be seeking actors. We are not, in any regard, a representative of any production company.

It may be helpful for you to understand how actors may be hired, when deciding whether or not to attend a cold-reading workshop. There are many paths by which actors are hired for productions. These include:

  • Requests by the producer or director
  • Having been seen in another role, been previously cast by, or been previously known to the casting director
  • Referrals by others in the industry
  • Submission by an agent, manager, or teacher
  • Observing the actor in theatre, at industry events, and learning about an actor through other means (i.e., the Academy Players' Directory, published by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
  • Submission by the actor by post card, submission of headshot and resume by mail, online services or personal website, and other unsolicited submissions

Casting directors screen and audition actors for roles, but casting directors do not, generally, have the unilateral authority to hire actors. When a casting director needs to fill a role, and the casting director believes an actor might fit that role, the casting director will generally call that actor in for an audition. If the audition goes well, the casting director will usually bring the actor in for a callback with the producer and/or director of the project. Normally, these people combined will make the final casting decision.

It is very helpful to have an agent who can assist you in finding and negotiating the terms of any engagement which you may be offered. Agents do vary greatly in their effectiveness. We do not consult with actors as to what appropriate terms of employment may be.

We are proud of the fact that many workshop participants are currently successful working actors, or have gone on to become prominent in their field. We like to think that we contributed in some manner to that success. Most successful actors pursue engagements through several of the paths that are mentioned above. Many actors have succeeded without attending cold-reading workshops.

You are ultimately and inevitably responsible for deciding how to pursue your career as an actor. We hope this explanation will be of value to you in deciding how to do so.