Yesterday afternoon I auditioned for a commercial spot for a well-known, regional grocery chain. The call was for women–”real people”–of all types. Even pregnant women were specifically sought. I think the spot(s) that will be produced are a continuation of a campaign currently running, in which “real people” showcase their “real lives”, illustrating how shopping at this particular grocery store fits into and improves their lifestyles. It’s really capitalizing on the “word-of-mouth” brand.

It’s hard to know what kind of talent the ad client seeks at auditions like these. They themselves may not even know (other than the fact they seek women). Clearly they have solicited professional actors for the spots, yet they want the spots to be natural-looking. While in the waiting area, we were given specific instruction to be our true selves, not to act, and that headshots were neither needed nor wanted. There was no copy to prepare. And, in fact, once in the audition room, it was much more like an interview. … Read more »