Fixing a Bad Audition While It's Happening
- Jeffrey Dreisbach
- Jul 24
- 2 min read
Episode #376
Fixing a Bad Audition While It’s Happening
Air Date:
“Ever feel an audition slipping through your fingers—but you're still in the room? Don’t panic—today on Casting Actors Cast, I’m giving you the tools to reset in real time. It’s not about perfection—it’s about recovery. This episode is your one-minute audition rescue kit… and it starts right now.”
1. Relatable Moment shared with the audience
2. Recognizing the Spiral in Real Time
Physical signs: short breath, tension, shaky voice, going too fast
Mental signs: self-critique mid-performance, panic, “I already blew it” thought loop
Acknowledge it without feeding it—name it silently and reset focus
3. The One-Minute Reset Technique
Breakdown of a real-time recovery process:
Stop (Micro pause—break eye contact, reset posture, breathe)
Breathe (One conscious inhale + exhale to settle the nervous system)
Reconnect (Look at the reader/scene partner and re-anchor into the want of the scene)
Adjust (If needed, ask: “May I take that again?” with confidence, or simply pick up naturally)
Trust (Let go of the inner critic—keep moving forward)
4. What NOT to Do During a Flub
Apologize excessively
Make a joke to cover your nerves
Rush to “fix it” without reconnecting
Break character unless it’s part of the reset (and done with intent)
5. Mindset Tools: Turn a Flub Into Fuel
Directors notice presence more than perfection
A reset moment can show professionalism, not weakness
The bold actor isn’t the one who never stumbles—it’s the one who recovers gracefully
Reframing: “This is my moment to surprise them with how I handle pressure.”
6. Practice Makes Recovery Easier
Build “reset reps” into self-tape practice
Run scenes where you intentionally mess up and keep going
Practice recovering from interruption or distraction
Confidence grows when you prove you can recover
7. Final Takeaway & Close
“A great audition isn’t flawless—it’s fearless.”
Encourage the actor to see mistakes as momentum, not a stop sign
End challenge: “In your next audition, if something goes sideways—smile internally and say, ‘Here’s my reset moment.’ Then show them who you are.”
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