You’ve booked your first job on a national commercial. Congratulations! Maybe it’s your first big job or even first time on a set—there’s no need to fear. You can have a fantastic experience. So what do you need to execute a TV commercial successfully?
1. Energy. Directors love energetic and enthusiastic commercial actors, so it’s essential to get enough sleep the night before your shoot. Not only will the make-up department prefer it, but you’ll be able to last hours on set (just in case you shoot overtime). You can get additional energy from eating highly nutritious foods! Make sure you are well fed before your scene starts filming, so you have enough energy to spare.
2. Personality. From the moment you step on set, make sure your personality and talent shines through. Be kind to everyone; cast, crew, and extras. Be overly cooperative—it takes teamwork to make the commercial a success.
3. Talent. You booked the job, because you are talented! Keep a humble confidence and trust the acting choices you made to book the job first in the first place. You are great!
4. Naturalness. Unless the director specifies otherwise, keep your performance very natural. A number of commercial directors are now going with less theatrical performances. By being natural, your performance will be more believable.
5. Good voice and diction. If you have booked a principal role with speaking lines, make sure we understand what you’re saying. Always say the product’s name very clearly and with genuine sincerity. If you’re required to talk loud or yell, you may be doing dozens of takes, so make sure you support your voice by breathing with your diaphragm. This way, you won’t strain your voice and it will be intact once filming is completed.
6. Spontaneity. Be prepared for anything and be willing to go with the flow. Expect the unexpected and be open-minded to any and all changes that may occur. They may switch you to another role, change locations, or cut some of your lines at the last minute; just have fun and enjoy the experience and you will be remembered as an actor who is great to work with.
7. Concentration. Stay focused. You’re here to work, so make sure you stay off of your phone as much as possible and stay present in the moment.
8. Take direction. Chances are the director gave you some adjustments in the callback room to see if you could take notes. Now that you’re at work, listen intently to the director. If something is unclear to you, bounce back the conversation with “Like this?” and give an example. The director will either say “yes” or will try to communicate the adjustment to you in a different manner.
9. Creativity (and the ability to use your imagination). Similar to spontaneity, also be prepared to tap into your creative juices. Often times, the director will have you improvise different lines and they’ll use whichever take he or she likes best. Use your imagination!
Way to book your first commercial! We look forward to seeing you!
Like this advice? Check out more from our Backstage Experts!
