- Learn to act, sing, and dance. It's especially important to get comfortable performing as this will prepare you for auditions.
- Reach out to the casting directors for big Disney Channel shows to get audition information.
- Make connections with agents that represent big Disney Channel stars. Try to sign with one (or at least their agency) to help you with booking auditions.
- If you don't audition through an agency, go to an open call audition. Prepare a 60 second monologue and a 30-60 second song and dance routine to showcase your talent.
Acquiring the Skills and Experience That Disney Looks for
Sign up for acting classes. The best way to learn the techniques you need in order to be the quality actor that Disney looks for is to take classes. Go for any opportunities you have to take classes and join clubs that focus on acting. Taking acting, improvisation, and musical theater classes will help you learn necessary skills and practice executing them. To start out, sign up for drama club at school.
Take singing lessons. While being a Disney Channel star is first and foremost about acting, you must also be able to sing well. For example, Raven Simone sang the theme song for “That’s So Raven,” the Disney Channel show that she starred in. Search online for singing lessons in your area and make sure to go with an instructor that has good reviews. Consider being in the chorus at school so that you can learn a little about singing without having to pay for private lessons.
Take dance classes. While it doesn’t carry quite as much weight as being able to act and sing, a basic level of dancing ability is necessary in order to be a Disney Channel star. Check out different dance studios in your area and go with the one that offers instruction on the widest variety of dance types. The more versatile you are as a creative performer, the better. Try dabbling in ballet, jazz, modern, and hip-hop. Take dance classes at your school if they’re available.
Participate in talent contests. Look online for any talent competitions that are going on in your area. Sign up and audition for any contests that you can. This may help you get used to the pressure of auditioning and help you learn how to perform with confidence. Additionally, if you make it far or even win a competition, you may become well-known in your community and/or become noticed by someone important.
Take advantage of all performance opportunities. Get as comfortable as you can on the stage by taking every opportunity you have to act. Audition for community, church, and school plays so that you can practice your skills and become a solid performer.
Put a portfolio together. Disney’s audition process is fast-paced, and casting directors are quick to weed out amateurs. If you want to be taken seriously, you’ll need to put a portfolio together that contains both a professional resume and professional headshots. Your resume should display all of your experience in an organized, attractive way and your headshots should be done by a professional photographer. If you can’t afford a professional photographer, consider asking a family member or friend who has a nice camera to take photos of you. Your resume should only be one page long and should list your most recent experience and accomplishments. Don't worry if you have limited experience—Disney is looking for the best, not the busiest. Attach your resume to the back of your headshot, or print it right onto the back of your picture. You will leave this behind after your audition. Remember, it's your calling card—it's how they will remember you, so make it the best representation of "you" that you can.
Gaining Connections to Disney Channel
Ask your guardian to help you reach out to casting directors. Go online and look up the information for each current Disney Channel TV show. Find out who the casting directors are for each show and write down their contact information. Write a brief email to each one where you introduce yourself and express that you’d love to audition for them. Make sure to include your resume and headshots in the email. Proofread the emails and have your guardian read over them and send them for you.
Hire a talent agent. Having an agent will help make others take you seriously in the same way that having a portfolio will. Additionally, it can give you good opportunities that you wouldn’t have otherwise. Talent agents have connections in the industry, which can help you get your foot in the door. They also manage your audition schedule so that you can focus solely on having great auditions. Try to sign with an agency that has Disney as a client. This will really help your chances of getting an audition with Disney. Go to pro.imdb.com/ and click “Start Free Trial” to get a temporarily free IMDbPro account. Go on Disney Channel actors’ pages and click “See Agencies and Managers” to find different agencies that work with Disney Channel stars. Have a guardian help you email your resume and headshots to them.
Talk to your guardian about moving to California. Disney channel’s headquarters is located in Burbank, California. Because of this, relocating to California could really help you get a leg up on the competition. If you live near Los Angeles, your likelihood of finding an agent who is affiliated with Disney is much higher. While you may not have much of a say in where you live, you can sit down with your guardian and politely ask them if moving is possible. Try saying something like, “I know it’s a huge change, but if we moved to Los Angeles, I might be able to take big steps towards my acting dreams. Do you think it would ever be possible to relocate our family there or somewhere that’s near there?” Many Disney Channel stars move to Los Angeles as soon as they get a role in a Disney Channel show.
Auditioning for Disney Channel
Audition through an agency. Another reason why having an agent is beneficial is because it may give you access to exclusive auditions. This is typically the best way to audition for Disney Channel because you won’t be competing against a huge number of people and you’ll have less to prove that you might at a bigger open audition. Ask your agent to get you any auditioning opportunity that they can for Disney.
Go to an open call audition for Disney Channel. Once in a while, Disney Channel’s casting directors will travel around the United States and hold open call auditions, where anyone within a certain age bracket can come and audition. Go to Disney Channel’s website and regularly check the “Open Casting Call” tab for information regarding upcoming open auditions.
Give a 60-second comedic monologue. Disney channel auditions typically include at least a 1-minute comedic monologue of your choice. Practice your monologue extensively beforehand so that you can play the role correctly and express emotion, instead of just reading words off of the page. Also, time yourself beforehand so that you don’t have to focus on staying within the time limit during your audition. Consider asking your drama teacher to help you select and practice your monologue so that your acting is as good as it can be for the audition. Ask someone to time your monologue for you when you practice it before your audition so that you can focus completely on acting.
Prepare to showcase your singing abilities in 30-60 seconds. If you’re auditioning for a part that involves some singing, decide on a short part of a song to sing during the audition that you think really shows off your singing ability. Go with a song that’s age-appropriate and sing a section that best displays your vocal range. You may not be asked to do this, but it’s great to be prepared just in case you are. If you aren’t sure what song to sing, ask your singing teacher if they can help you decide. You can also ask your teacher to help you practice perfecting your pitch and tone before your audition so that they’re on point during it.
Prepare a 30 or 60-second dance routine. Choreograph and practice a short dance routine to show to the casting directors if you’re auditioning for a part that involves both acting and dancing. While you might not be asked to dance, having a strong routine ready will likely impress the casting directors if they do ask you to. It’s a good idea to ask your dance instructor to help you with the choreography. You can also ask your teacher to watch your practice and help you polish the different movements within the routine.
Show your personality. You have a brief moment to make an impression on the casting directors, so avoid one-word answers. Try to put your nervousness aside and be yourself. Talk to the casting directors like you would talk to your friends so that they can quickly figure out what kind of personality you have. To stand out, make the script your own. The casting directors don’t want to see if you can copy a current Disney Channel star, they want to see if you have something fresh to bring to Disney Channel.
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