Kimberly Huie has been a very lucky girl.  Born in Jamaica, Kimberly migrated to Canada as a child and later lived briefly in Paris, France.  Since completing her training at New York’s Circle in the Square she has worked consistently in both Canada and the US.  Kimberly can currently be seen in the independent feature film Passenger Side starring Adam Scott and Joel Bissonnette.  Select Film and TV credits include Grey’s Anatomy, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, GSpot, Beautiful People, Never Get Outta the Boat, and Andromeda.  Among Kimberly’s extensive list of commercials are spots for Vons/Pavillions, Hyundai, Marshalls, Hallmark, Jaguar, VW, Swiffer, Comcast, and a campaign for Nescafe.  The highlight was working up close and personal with the back end of an elephant for Citicard.  Kimberly credits some of her success to her improv training with the Lembeck Family Workshop.

Recently Kimberly expanded the scope of her achievements by producing and production designing CHICK, the web series.

“I’ve just always been lucky.”

That’s what I’d always say when asked for advice about booking commercials.

And that’s pretty much what I believed.  Commercials were a crapshoot.  They’re searching for a ‘look’ and you’re either what they’re looking for, or you’re not.

From the very first days of my career I was lucky enough to always book several national commercials every year.  I didn’t really examine or explore how or why this was happening and just accepted that I was one of the lucky ones.  Don’t get me wrong, I was extremely grateful for my good fortune with commercials, I just didn’t believe there was a magic formula you could follow to consistently book them.

And then my luck changed.  Not for the better.

Determined to turn things back around, I could not accept that this was how things were going to be from now on.  I put the same active focus into commercial auditions that I did with theatrical auditions.  Frankly every project should be approached with the same level of professional commitment, but it wasn’t until I consciously did this that I broke down the very simple super objective of commercials: sell the product.  And if you’ve stopped to watch commercials instead of fast forwarding through them (oh the joys of Tivo and DVRs) you’ve noticed there are a multitude of target audiences and as many means of appealing to them.  Sometimes it’s about a straight up pitch, sometimes we’re seduced with humor and sometimes we’re swept away in a mini movie.  How do we actors navigate all that?

Knowing your super objective is the key to putting all the puzzle pieces together.  The pieces begin with the breakdown of the character, the storyboards and script.

Remember, selling the product is the ultimate goal of the ad agency and the client; it informs how they look at you and how they evaluate your audition.  They are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to put their best face forward.  Their image is on the line and they want to see that you embody that image.  It can be either a physical look or an attitude.  We are a society that deals with archetypes and prototypes and commercial casting has its own list of “types”.

Know your type.  You can’t play the role if you don’t know who the character is.  As actors we like to think we can play any character but in commercials that range is markedly diminished.  Thirty seconds isn’t a lot of time to develop character, the audience must identify the players immediately.  Their ability to relate to the quirky girl or the funny hipster helps them identify with the electronic device being pitched so that the next time they’re at the mall that’s the product that’s going to jump out at them.

Regarding image, don’t be fooled by the ubiquitous ‘casual’ to define all categories these days.  An actor’s everyday casual is not the casual of Proctor and Gamble.  The concern isn’t really about comfort.  Usually when Casting defines the wardrobe as casual what they really mean is approachable, friendly, and reassuring. Knowing how to decipher the directives from Casting is easier once you take in all the information available.  The casual look of a soccer mom in a mini van is different from a girls night out.  The car shopping couple has a different look or energy from the Valentine’s Day card couple.  Knowing your type can inform how funky, trendy, conservative or fashionable your wardrobe choices can be within the vast landscape of ‘casual’.

Now you’ve identified the character or ‘type’ what next?  How do you ensure the decision makers identify YOU with their product?

To thoroughly break down a scene we need to read the whole play or script.  You are looking for information that will inform the action of the scene but might not necessarily be found in the scene.  The same is true of commercials.  Look at all the information you’re given that will inform what you do for your audition.  The product is obviously the biggest clue.  Then there is the character breakdown you were given by your agent along with any wardrobe stipulations.  Once you arrive at the casting there is the explanation given by the person running the session.

Everyone is working together to help the clients find the perfect talent for their spot.  Casting is bringing in people they think the director will like.  Your audition, in a small way, is a reflection on them. They want to look good.  They want you to look good.  They are there to help you.  If they’re not running the session themselves, they’ve given specific direction to the people running it.  Listen to the notes they’re giving.  If they are telling you to keep your reactions small and real, they’re making a point to steer you away from the typical commercial high energy reaction.  Sometimes they’ll tell you that energy is exactly what the client/director is looking for; food commercials like Chilis and Olive Garden are fans of the over-the-top “oh my god I’m having the best time with my friends” energy.  Of course the trick is to look ‘natural’ doing it.  If they tell you to bite and smile, that’s what they want to see.  They don’t want to see you bite, experience the flavor and then smile because you’ve decided you like it.  If they want to see all that they would have told you that.  And of course sometimes you’ll do what they asked and then they’ll have you do it again with an adjustment.  Make sure you make the adjustment, this shows them you can take direction.  Careful listening can give you the biggest clues about how to give a great audition.

And last but not least is how you deal with the copy.  While it is a SAG rule that copy be written out on a board in the audition room, do not rely on this.  Take the time to get familiar with the copy.  These days sides are available online prior to the audition; use every advantage at your disposal.   If you can’t get the sides beforehand, get there early.  This is especially key when the copy is wordy and full of information that doesn’t really reflect how we actually speak; you know, like when we’re telling our best friend about our struggles with fibromyalgia or our gastric issues.  If you’re not concentrating on the awkward lines you’re better able to sell your likeability and charm, which is key in those commercials.  Simply put, looking awkward when talking about awkward situations doesn’t boost sales or confidence in a product.

Here’s an example of a spot that illustrates how all these pieces fit together:

You’ve been called in for a credit card spot.  You’re a dad on a safari with the family.  There’s no copy.  That’s the information your agent gives you.  Now you could turn up in full khakis ready to conquer the Serenghetti, but look at the information you’ve been given… you’re a dad with your family of young children.  Family vacations are rarely depicted as hunting expeditions, at least in commercials.  Credit cards are pitching their reliability and rewards programs.  A reliable, dependable family man, that’s what they’re looking for.

At the audition you see the copy.  The family went to a wild animal preserve, they were having a great time and then an elephant sat on their car.  They had earned enough rewards with their credit card to not worry about paying for the repairs.  Casting tells you they’re seeing you in groups, so they’re going to wait for some kids to get there, even though you and the ‘mom’ are there and ready to go.  So, the clues you’re given are they want to see a dad having fun and interacting with his family; the credit card rewards program is the hero of the spot; it’s a happy ending story. The damage to the car is a non-issue, the product (in this case the credit card) saved the day.  Remember the credit card doesn’t want it’s image associated with something negative.  The best reaction to the elephant approaching the car is to reassure the family because that echoes the qualities of the product.  Remember to engage with the kids positively, the director is taking note of which actors are comfortable and tolerant with kids… for the job you’re going to have to spend a lot of hours with them.  In a car.  The actor who booked the job hit all those beats, and in a comedic way.

Sometimes at the audition there is no copy but it’s a group scenario and you’ll be given a scene to improvise.  Do yourself a favor and if you’ve never studied improv, take at least one improve class in your life as an actor so you know the guidelines.  Improv is a great skill to hone and will serve you well in all aspects of acting.  And it can save an audition from being a complete and utter train wreck.  There are some that think the objective of group auditioning is to dominate the crowd so you are the only one noticed on the tape.  You might be the only one who registers in your group but they might not even take note of your group because there was no ‘group’ scene.  There’s a reason they’ve set up a group dynamic; that’s what they want to see.  Learn how to play well with others!  Sometimes the dynamic between a group of actors books the entire group the job.  I know, I’ve experienced it first hand.

Last but not least is the audition that entails nothing more than slate, profile and simple question.  Easy enough right?  But even the simplest things can get horribly botched.  My only note here is to keep it simple.  Simple and friendly.  When they ask you what you like to do in your spare time it’s not a contest to see who is the most off the wall adventurer.  Share something you really enjoy doing and telling people about, you’ll have enough natural passion to get their attention.

These are some of the things I’ve learned about being in the room over the past 14 years.  But there was one big thing I learned about getting into the room.

When things initially slowed down for me I assumed it was just a dry spell but when I talked with my agents I discovered that they had been submitting me as much as ever but I just wasn’t being called into auditions.  We all know that you can’t book the job if you can’t get in the room.  If casting doesn’t think you’ve got the right look for the product you won’t get in the room.  This is why your headshot matters.  My reps and I discovered that while my photo was great as an 8 x 10 it wasn’t as captivating as a thumbnail jpeg in online submissions.  I had a big vivacious smile on my face that everyone found engaging and friendly, but when the picture was shrunken down all my features were compressed and distorted.  Today almost all submissions are made online. Be thorough when choosing your headshot: it should look great blown up but should also catch the eye when scrolling down a page of submissions.  This applies specifically to your primary headshot, the one that will come up on your profile page of LA Casting or Breakdown Services.  Make sure it’s representative of you and the category in which you are most submitted.  You can post additional shots on these sites for a fee so don’t worry about not being able to show everything in one headshot.  First get their attention; if they want to see more they will look for it.

The other key thing with photos is making sure that you honor your category.  The first set of new pictures I brought in to my agents didn’t make the cut.  They were great pictures, I looked like a leading lady; I looked the way I wanted to be seen, strong and sexy.  But they didn’t look like someone you’d see using a Swiffer or going to Ace Hardware; sly smiles and cleavage did not work in the young mom category. Clean hair, warm smiles and polo tops are the order of the day for casual moms and this is a major category for me.  Sometimes the breakdown will specify “cool mom” and then I know I can have a bit more fun and be a bit more me with my wardrobe choices.  But since my super objective is to book the job, I take all the information at hand to give the director and client exactly what they need to achieve their super objective.