In recent times, fiction production in Spain has undergone a new revolution of considerable importance for industry professionals. This revolution has been possible thanks to the development and commercialization of digital VOD (Video on Demand) platforms that have made it possible for products filmed and created in Spain to be consumed by international viewers.
One of these platforms is Netflix. For the acting sector, this evolution means the expansion of the labor market to a level never known before, so the possibilities to work as an actor or actress increase exponentially, as well as the probabilities of working in a prestigious series.
Photography: shooting at the ESAEM Degree in Dramatic and Performing Arts.
However, to succeed in becoming an actor or actress in productions aired on Netflix you need to know how to get it. Many actors and actresses wonder how to get access to a Netflix audition that will enable them to work in one or many of their blockbusters. To keep you up to date, we will offer you the best tips in this article.
Is it possible to become an actor or actress for Netflix?
Becoming an actor or actress for Netflix is possible as long as you have the necessary qualities and have acquired the most suitable training. Sometimes you have the qualities, but knowing how to bring them out and deliver a quality performance is almost impossible if you don’t have someone to guide you in doing so.
To become a Netflix actor or actress, it is necessary to find a school that provides training in order to make the most of your talent. Acquiring a good technique to interpret in front of the camera is very important.
What do you need to audition for a Netflix production?
Let’s go step by step. The first thing is to receive a performing arts education that includes audiovisual interpretation. Look for the best school with teachers who have worked in professional productions. Not only will you receive theoretical classes, but you will be able to train in front of the camera playing characters. The school must also have the necessary technical equipment to be able to practice recording the students’ performance in front of the camera so that they can look and correct themselves on screen.
Photography: shooting at the ESAEM Degree in Dramatic and Performing Arts.
Contacting production companies that broadcast their series on Netflix being an actor or actress is not an easy thing to do, especially because the casting department of these companies usually has a lot of performers trying to break into the industry. The casting directors of these production companies usually have such a stack of emails, calls, invitations to plays, etc. that it is very difficult for them to focus their attention on one of these proposals.
But this is not an impediment to be able to access auditions for series that air on Netflix. There are several ways that casting directors use to audition actors and actresses needed in these productions, so performers just have to pay attention to which of these ways they can approach.
On the one hand, they can turn to agents. One way to access the market could be to look for a good agent or agency. They also contact drama schools, and some even request audiovisual material from students who have the profile of the characters they are looking for. This material is usually an on-camera presentation to see the energy of the actor or actress without interpreting, and a video interpreting the off-print sent by the production company. In the sequence, what they are looking for is to see if the actor or actress is able to make the character credible.
Photography: shooting at the ESAEM Degree in Dramatic and Performing Arts.
If you are enrolled in a school and you are called for a camera audition, prepare yourself to the fullest, because it may be for one of these series.
Production companies working with Netflix
To find out how to be a Netflix actor or actress, it is a good idea to know the Spanish production companies that broadcast their series for the platform. Each production company summons its own castings for its series, and Spain is currently producing some of the most watched series internationally. Below, do not lose detail of the production companies that can introduce you as an actor or actress:
Vancouver Media. It is the producer responsible for “La casa de papel”, “El embarcadero” or “Sky Rojo“. Specifically, “La casa de papel” broke the world audience record with the launch of its fourth season during the lockdown. Vancouver Media is currently pre-producing and creating more series for the platform.
Zeta Ficción TV. Its flagship series on the platform is the unbeatable youth series “Élite”. The first season obtained more than 127 million views worldwide, making it the most successful fiction among Netflix’s international productions (excluding the U.S. market).
Photography: shooting of the series “Toy Boy” choreographed by ESAEM professor Fidel Buika.
Shot by Shot. In addition to series such as “Valeria”, it is responsible for “Toy Boy”, number 1 in the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, India and 12 other countries. Starring the Malaga-born Jesús Mosquera, it is filmed in Malaga, and has a collaboration agreement with ESAEM. In addition to having actors and actresses who are students of the school, the protagonists of the series rehearse in our classrooms. ESAEM choreographer Fidel Buika is also the choreographer for this super production.
Filmax. In addition to being a distributor, Filmax is producing the series “Feria”, a fantastic thriller shot in the vicinity of Malaga. By the creators of “Élite”, “Física o Química” and “Sin tetas no hay paraíso”, its premiere is scheduled for the end of the year, and has one of ESAEM’s undergraduate students in the main cast.
Alea Media and Mediaset. These producers joined forces for the filming of the series “Vivir sin permiso” which, although it premiered on Tele5, Netflix aired its ending earlier. It is a clear example of how television networks are also moving in the market to launch their series through the platform, due to the distribution possibilities it offers, never known before.
Where can you audition for Netflix?
To get access to one of the auditions for series that air on Netflix, younger actors and actresses have the advantage that they do not always need to have an agent. In addition, young people profiles are in great demand. Series such as “Elite” make up their casts with performers who have not turned 20 yet or are over 20 but not quite 26.
Photography: shooting at the ESAEM Degree in Dramatic and Performing Arts.
Auditions for Netflix series are usually held at the headquarters of the production company of the series, or in offices or spaces that the platform or the production company rents for this purpose. But it is normal that these face-to-face auditions are the final ones. Several video auditions must be passed beforehand. They usually ask for an on-camera presentation and an interpreted sequence with an offprint of the series that they send by email. This method is called self tape because the actor or actress records themselves.
Calls to record these self tapes are usually sent to agents or even to some drama schools.
Do you want to be a Netflix star?
With the evolution of audiovisual technologies, the media and the way of consuming the products of this industry have also undergone changes. Even if years ago the most exported and influential fiction stories for Spanish viewers were those coming from Hollywood, today this cultural imperialism is being modified in some aspects. In fact, for younger generations, a star from the Netflix platform could be considered a model equivalent to those Hollywood movie stars from just over a decade ago.
We wanted to offer this brief clarification in connection with a concept that we consider essential to bring up in order to invite reflection. Although some young people believe that their only goal is to become a Netflix star, perhaps what they are really looking for is to become good actors or actresses in the audiovisual format in order to have access to work in the highest quality productions, such as those broadcast on this platform.
Photography: shooting at the ESAEM Degree in Dramatic and Performing Arts.
To access to work in these super productions the requirement is to become a good actor or actress capable of developing their best acting qualities in front of a camera. If that is your real goal, in drama schools you will find the training to achieve it.
The subjects in which the interpretation in front of the camera is worked are essential, so the school you choose must be equipped with cameras, monitors and the necessary technical material, since to perfect the audiovisual acting is essential to look at yourself in order to correct with the teacher the technique that you are acquiring class by class.
The important thing is to prepare yourself to be able to reach a good level, and above all to enjoy the process.
To achieve this, ESAEM can help you, since it has a teaching team with professional experience in both audiovisual and theatrical formats, and high quality technical equipment. Our experience with the production companies that work for the platform has been very positive, from shootings in which our students have worked, to other artistic collaborations. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us! www.esaem.com
