3rd Times the Charm

Here it is! Post-Audition Review #3!

I don't think I have mentioned this before but I am relatively positive that this was my last time auditioning to be a Disney performer. The real purpose of doing the CP again is to use the program to network and get my name out there so hopefully I can get a PI and then a FT job with some sort of communication focus. Since my plan is to get a PI, I may end up extending my program, but I am hoping that I will eventually turn down the extension in favor of a PI. So basically this audition is the last chance I have to get into the performing side of entertainment.

So with that being said some of my previous really anxious posts might make more sense. Surprisingly though day of I wasn't freaking out.  I had some butterflies but that isn't bad and went away once I got there and started talking to people.

The full recap:

I woke up at 7:30 am so that I would have enough time to chill and get ready. I also wanted the extra time to stand around in hopes that my spine would compress some. I know that sounds totally ridiculous but you are taller when you first wake up and since I wanted to be as short as possible, I figured I would wake up and stand. Which I did. About the only time I sat that day was to drive to and from the audition location.

The audition location was only about 10 mins from my apartment so I left at 9:50 to get there for around 10. Check-ins start at 10:30 and the audition started at 11. Once I parked and got to the doors of the studio there were probably at least 30 people there. I am bad with visual estimates but there was definitely a good chunk of people already waiting. After some looking around I finally went up to the girl that I thought was probably Hillary, a girl I know from the FB group. Its turns out it was her (!!YAY!!). She came with 2 other girls she goes to school with (Molly and Kat) and I ended up staying with them the whole audition.

They led us into the audition room at I assume 10:30... I didn't look at my cell to check. The process was pretty much the same as the last 2 times I auditioned. They sat us down gave a kinda brief overview of the paperwork. Asked how many of us were there for the CP (most) and how many for Full Time/Part Time/Seasonal (15-20). The Casting Director (Gina) introduced herself and the choreographer (Marissa). They then handed out the application and pens. I knew going in that I didn't want to be #1 like I was last time so I took my time filling out the paper work. Since I am currently seasonal I got to check off that I was a current cast member which was a nice little change. Hillary, Kat, Molly, and I then got in line.  When I got to the front of the line I got my number (36), Gina looked at my application and saw that I was a current cast member. She has what I was and I told her I was an attendant at Hollywood Studios. She then asked me if I liked it, I responded I loved it, and then she took my picture.

Next up was getting measured by Marissa. Measuring this time around was a bit fancier than in the past. The last two times there was a strip of tape on the wall which had heights marked and they just stuck a ruler on the top of your head to measure you. This time around they had some fancy laser thing that they put on the top of your head, pressed a button and then you stepped away and it read the height from the floor to where the laser started. I of course thought short and was measured at "5 foot and some inches." That was Marissa's exact words, which I think are quite odd. Kat was measured at "5 foot 1 and some inches" so I know I was under 5'1 but I don't know exactly what I was measured at.

After getting measured everyone sat, stretched, and waited till everyone was checked in. There was a grand total of 88 people at the audition. From my previous experience in Austin auditions that is average. Once everyone was checked in and measured, Marissa got us all up and started the audition. The layout was the same as in the past, we are given scenarios for the animation portion and time to come up with what we are going to do and practice. Then she taught us the dance portion. It was 6 counts of 8 I believe. Counts 1 and 2 are pretty simple, 3 and 4 have more speed but the movements aren't really hard, then counts 5 and 6 are when the moves get more technical with the speed. The one thing I really appreciated about Marissa was that she went slow, not snails pace but not light lightening speed. After each bit she taught us we had a chance to do it one or two times. She also asked if we had questions every once in a while. Overall I think she was really great. After we learned the movement we then put the animations with the movements, did them a few times, and then she split us up into smaller groups so we would have enough room to do the whole thing together. The "whole thing" was animation, dance, animation, dance.  I ended up being in the first group to do the whole thing. After all of the groups (4 in total I think) practiced the whole thing we were sent into a smaller dance studio to wait for our turn to go perform for Gina.

While we waited, a lot of people practiced the dance. I practiced some but I also spent a good bit of time just trying to chill before the final audition. The room had so many people that were so hot that the mirrors started to fog up, the walls got kinda wet, and the floor (IMO) started to get a bit slippery. Totally gross. They took us in groups of 6 so I ended up auditioning with Hillary which was nice.

I can honestly say that this was the best Disney audition I have ever done. I really don't think there is anything I could have done better. I wasn't bad at the dance, but I am not dancer. I got the first part of the dance and then the more technical aspects I was alright. I went the right direction and generally did the right thing so it was as good as I could have made it. As for animations, I am so glad I took the time to practice the two days before. I know that I was big and expressive. I actually had someone say after I did the group practice "You were really great! Your movements were probably the best." That makes me feel good and I can only hope that Gina saw that too. I am really happy with my audition. No matter what happens I know that I did my best. The fact that my last shot was my best gives me so much peace. I can walk away happy.

So that is it for this post-audition entry. :) Gina said we should hear in 2-3 weeks and the "after steps" paper we got says within 4 weeks. Next week marks the end of the audition tour so hopefully 2 weeks is accurate. Fingers crossed I will hear some awesome news.

-M