Passage III

So You Want to Be in Show Business

[1]

The actors who perform in television commercials are some of the most fortunate people in show business. But their faces aren't as well known as are most movie actors'. Television commercials are big business. The average two-minute national commercial has a shooting budget greater than budgets for some movies. A performer could live for a year on the wages earned from a single commercial.

[2]

As a result, the competition for roles in commercials have been fierce. A casting company will typically audition hundreds of people for one or two roles. Each role requires a certain physical type. So, while auditioning, performers tend to possess the same general physical characteristics.

[3]

Although casting decisions are usually based on a performer's appearance, auditions are tension-filled and abrupt. Large groups of business types or athletic types or beach types assemble in a studio's lobby. After a seemingly endless wait, each performer takes a turn in front of the camera. Meanwhile, the performer smiles, states his or her name, and then leaves the room. The entire screen test lasts about forty-five seconds!

[4]

Performers in Hollywood and New York compare commercial auditions to a day at the beach. The average performer is casting in only a tiny proportion of the commercials auditioning for. Although performers are picked for one commercial a year, they're considered lucky.

[5]

The frustrations of being a commercial actor are enormous. For the patient, persistent, and lucky performer, though, the financial rewards more than compensate for the many disappointments. Performers are paid, roughly: $600 per day of shooting. However, the real money again comes in the form of "residuals": performers are paid each time their commercial airs on television. More than $50,000 could be earned by a commercial if a performer runs for a year. Not bad for two days' work!(43)