Alecia Batson: Professional Auditionee

My name isn’t Frank

Last year I had the good fortune to work on a great commercial shoot, but never saw the commercial. It had been rumored that the spot would air only in a test market and, if successful, it would air in other markets. Well, I guess it has been successful! I saw it this evening out of the corner of my eye. It stars my friend Walter Mudu who makes for a great wedding planner. As for me, I’m the assistant carrying the flowers in the background. Though it’s not glamorous, recognizable screen time, it is work and I am grateful for it. As an aside, I would like to point out that my name … Continue reading »

Afternoon Concert 18

This past week I was fortunate to perform with friends Christian Coleman’s chamber work “fALATIMI” as part of Afternoon Concert 18 which was supported in part by a grant from the Brookline Commission for the Arts, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the Japanese Association of Greater Boston Women’s Group. Some may recall that this work is the soundtrack for short film Fate Scores and I had the good fortune to sing on the original recording. Below are a few of my favorite photos from the rehearsal and June 6 performance. … Continue reading »

An open letter to AT&T (or, How Not to Book an Audition)

Dear AT&T–

I must admit, I feel you scored a coup in 2007 when you cornered the U.S. market on iPhone accessibility, becoming the exclusive carrier of the device. Your growing AT&T Mobility brand expanded further with the addition of the iPhone 3G in 2008, but I must question your network’s ability to support the needs of rabid Apple iPhonatics. Now, I am not an iPhonatic per se, but I do depend on my iPhone to serve–at minimum–as a phone. Yesterday, it did not and the weaknesses in your service are severely harming my business style.

A casting associate … Continue reading »

A Study in Rejection

Recently I had opportunities to audition for two films being produced by youthful go-getters with promise. Each film was of interest to me and I was pleased to have been invited to audition for each to showcase my skills. The first began a bit wobbly but ended well. The second left me feeling terrible about my presentation but wanting the character more than ever. Somehow I managed to wrangle a callback out of that one. Despite the callback (which involved an interesting essay component) and the welcome chance to make improvements to my performance, I’m fairly certain I … Continue reading »

What to say? (or, May I?)

I’ll be working on a set tomorrow and in the detailed documentation I received late this afternoon, there is a “guideline” that has got me thinking. It reads:

I understand there is need to preserve on-set safety and security by not revealing shooting locations. I appreciate the need to ensure plot and screenplay uniqueness, as well as protect viable commercial interests, by safeguarding details of scenes and the storyline. And I grasp the desire to prevent untoward or undesired media coverage of the production, the production company and its employees in advance … Continue reading »

Universal Incongruous

The universe can be a baffling place. It never ceases to amaze me that I hardly ever hear from those auditions in which I feel most confident and yet I receive calls from those auditions I leave feeling bewildered and flop-like.

This weekend I had two film auditions. The first I left feeling happy but as though I hadn’t been given enough time with the script. The group running the audition was friendly-looking and organized with a plan, but the audition was conducted not unlike a visit to a medical clinic. I entered, was asked to sign in and complete a form, was handed the script and told … Continue reading »

Audition Diary

Dear Diary,

I’ve had some auditions this past week and I’m feeling confused about things.

Last Friday: I attended an audition for a major feature film that’s coming to town next month. It’s backed by a studio and has big-name stars attached to it. The parts I auditioned for are really tiny, but I’d like to get one. That way, at least I’d feel like the casting director likes me. This casting director hardly ever calls me in and I don’t know why. I’m great at keeping in touch and illustrating that I’m continuously working, so … Continue reading »