What should an acting cover letter say

The best phone number for me is and my email address is [email protected] Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing back. Sincerely, Robin Wright.

There is no personalization addressing the casting director by name and it's way too long! Finally, it's focused on her training and experience rather than the emotional side of WHY she wants to be in the production. If they want to know your experience they will look at your resume — remove most of that from your cover letter.

Using a cover letter like this can actively cause a casting director to NOT want to work with you:. Hello, I am submiing for the role of jennifer. It tells us nothing new and there are lots of spelling and grammar mistakes.

It also doesn't address anyone by name. This cover letter can help make up for a weak headshot and resume but certainly won't make up for bad acting in a reel :.

Mark Adle I believe you two know each other? I've trained with him for the past two years and have just completed my Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree in acting from NYU. This role truly stood out to me because I feel as though I've been living this character for the past few years of my own life — especially the part about the dog running away from home — unfortunately the same thing happened to me when I was younger and I was really torn up over it.

I know you're busy, so I won't take up anymore of your time — I've included my headshot, resume, and some footage below. Even if she doesn't look exactly the part, the fact that she has a personal connection and also owned three dogs like the main character could be enough to at least get Robin in the room for an audition assuming her attached footage shows she can act. Short, to the point, and draws a direct line between the needs of the role and a skill you have.

Some skills to consider highlighting include adaptability, improvisation, physical stamina, fluency in different languages or specific accents, martial arts skills, etc. That being said, ONLY highlight the most relevant skills or else your cover letter will start to get too long and the casting director will stop reading. Tell them why you are qualified for the role. You can show how the film or character matches your goals and brand, or even highlight experience you've had that is similar.

Be clear on which character or production you're submitting for. Sometimes casting directors can lose track of which productions actors are responding to if they're working on multiple projects at once, so make their life easy by letting them know what you're applying for. P roofread your cover letter.

Improper grammar and simple spelling mistakes can make you look careless, which might cause the person reading your cover letter to think you're the type of person who will also show up late. Keep it very short — ideally no more than 5 sentences altogether.

Too long and they won't read it! Do your homework. You can research the casting director's name on LinkedIn to see if they know anyone you know or if they've been involved in any productions you've also done theatrical shows — this is a great way to instantly stand out. Not doing your homework will cause the casting director to assume you're not interested in the production and it can also be a missed opportunity if you actually have something in common with the casting director.

Feel free to show your enthusiasm! Casting directors want to work with an actor who is just as excited about the production as they are, so don't be afraid to show them how much you'd love to be a part of it. If possible, show how the production connects with you on a personal level.

For example, if you grew up with a dog and the character is very close to a dog in the film, talk about how much you loved your dog and how you always missed him when he passed away. Here are a few tips to keep in mind directly from professional casting directors: Brette Goldstein "Make each cover letter specific.

Show empathy. Most agents and casting directors are overworked, underpaid, and understaffed, with very limited time. Who do we both know?

Ask for what you want, but within reason. Keep it short and sweet. We go through thousands of submissions and don't need to read your life story.

We move quickly. Do not exceed 3 sentences. I prefer casting notes on submissions that actors are right for on the submission platforms i. Actor's Access or Casting Networks, etc. Don't include things that will get your submission sent to the spam folder. Avoid including an HTML email signature, more than two attachments, and more than two links. The more attachments and links you include, the more likely your email will never get seen. Don't forget to follow up. I recommend using a free tool like Follow Up Then — you can BCC [email protected] and you'll get a reminder to follow up if you haven't heard back and were expecting to.

Alternatively, you can use Gmail Read Receipts — these tell you if your email has been opened or not but take note: Gmail Read Receipts can sometimes cause your email to go to spam, so if you don't see it was opened at all, you can try sending another copy of your email with the Read Receipts setting turned OFF. Never lie. When casting directors begin considering you seriously for a role, they'll double and triple check all the productions you mention on your resume and any experience you mention in your cover letter.

Because it can be hard to narrow down great actors, one way casting directors make their jobs easier is simply by looking for things you did wrong — such as lying on your cover letter — to help them weed you out.

It's best to talk about why you're so interested in the production and what you can do to help the production out — rather than focusing on your experience and why you're better than other actors. The more you focus on the production, the more likely they'll read through your entire cover letter. An actor cover letter allows you to improve on your resume by hitting hard on the desired requirements and showing why you're a perfect fit.

Most importantly, the following acting cover letter sample and tips will help you write a quality magnetic draft. I am a new actor in Jollywood interested in commercial, film and theatrical productions. I saw the acting call for different roles in the upcoming Hapzilla film posted on your website.

My friend Fried Johnson had recommended you highly and indicated you had worked together in the 'Walking Fuzzies' film. In mentioning he reminded me that your company had actually sponsored our school play in up to the federal level of which I was one of the casts. I also had a role in a film released in the noir thread of the Downtown Independent Performance Festival last week. Perhaps you should also know I will be taking a new role in four months' time in an off-Broadway theatrical production known as 'Jolly the Cat Fire'.

Most of them are mass-sent. Create your cover letter now Acting Cover Letter for a Resume— See more cover letter templates and create your cover letter here. Looking for some more inspiration? I would be happy to meet in person and present my acting skills in the audition. Sincerely, Luke Miles luke. Create my resume now. Rate my article: acting cover letter example.

Average: 4. Thank you for voting. Emilia Mucha. Emilia is a career expert sharing all kinds of job hunting advice. At Zety, she writes dedicated guides that help readers create job-winning resumes and cover letters.

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