What “open” actually means
An open casting call is one you can answer yourself. No agent submits you. No manager forwards it. Nobody charges you for the privilege of being seen. You read it, you decide you are right for it, you apply.
That is the whole definition, and it is the one this board uses. Everything above is open in that sense — every notice here takes submissions directly from actors. Some are in-person sign-in calls. Some are self-tape. Some are a form and a photograph. What they share is that the door is not locked.
The audition by appointment is the other thing. Your agent gets a breakdown, submits you, and you are given a slot. That is most professional casting and there is nothing wrong with it — it is simply not what this page is about.
Is an open call worth it?
Early in a career, yes. You get access without representation, and a room full of people is still a room you are allowed into. You give up time, and you give up the advantage of being pre-selected — which is why open calls matter less once you have an agent submitting for you.
Five kinds of open call you will actually see
Equity principal and chorus calls
Actors' Equity contracts require producers to hold open auditions for principal and chorus roles. They are published, genuinely open, and non-union performers can often be seen after the union list is exhausted.
Theme park entertainment auditions
Theme parks run continuous, published audition calendars for park performers, character performers, singers, dancers and musicians. It is a standing hiring pipeline with dates and locations, not a one-off talent search.
Reality and unscripted casting
Unscripted television casts almost entirely through open submission. There is no agent gate because there is no acting requirement — competition shows, documentary series and lifestyle formats all run open calls.
Background and extras casting
Regional background casting offices hold open registration calls when a production comes to town. Getting on file with the office that serves your market matters more than any single call.
Independent and student films
Independent features, shorts and film school productions cast openly because they have no casting budget and no agent relationships. The pay is low or nothing, but the footage and the credit are real. For feature work, see open casting calls for movies.
What to bring, and how the day actually goes
Headshots and résumés
Bring more than you think you need, stapled back to back. Bring a pen as well — you will be filling in a size sheet or a sign-in card.
Arrive early
For a well-publicized call, hours early. Sign-in order usually determines the order you are seen, and at some calls the list closes before the advertised end time.
Dress as yourself, heightened
A clean, slightly heightened version of you that suggests the role without wearing a costume.
Know the material
If sides were published, know them. If they were not, have a short piece ready that you could do cold.
Expect it to be brief
Ninety seconds is normal. That is arithmetic, not a judgement. Be easy to work with, be quick, and leave a clean impression.
GotAuditions
Self-Tape Feedback
Send us the tape before you send it to casting. Get notes back.
How to tell a real open call from a scam
The single clearest rule: a legitimate open call never charges you to audition. Any call that asks for money at the door, requires you to buy photographs from a specific photographer, or requires you to enroll in a class before being seen, is selling something rather than casting something.
- A real call names the production or production company, and names the casting office running it.
- A real call publishes an address, a date and a window.
- A real call does not guarantee you anything. "Everyone who attends will be cast" is not a casting call.
- A real call does not need your bank details, your Social Security number or a deposit to hold your place.
If you are unsure about a specific notice, here is how to check whether a casting call is real, and here are the standards we apply to every notice.
Open call or appointment, the work in the room is the same. The difference is only who decided you could be in it — and at an open call, that person is you.