Regrettably we’re rarely able to give individual feedback after most auditions, but the reasons why you were not successful are usually less to do with you being rubbish and more do with something like this:

The role has been cut
Film-making is a fluid process and sometimes we turn up for a casting session to be told that a certain role has disappeared or been merged with another character. Usually it’s to do with budget, the pacing of the story, or to make another role more attractive.

But you’ve been called in, spent time preparing your lines and developing the character, so we go ahead with the audition anyway. It’s never a waste of time – the fluid process could work in your favour – someone might drop out before filming or a new role created at a later date – so if you make a good impression, take direction and have prepared well you could be offered a different role. At the very least we’ll have noticed you and won’t hesitate to call you in again.

You have become physically wrong for the role
Again, during a fluid casting process someone else may have been cast in a role that has an impact on the role you have come to audition for. We may now require a different family resemblance, or you may look too similar another actor which could confuse an audience, or you might be much taller or shorter than our newly cast leading man. It’s important that we get the right mix of physical characteristics and sometimes that means you might miss out.

You’ve had the bad misfortune of following someone who blew the director away
This one is a particularly tough one to swallow but sometimes a director can get so excited about someone that they’ve just seen for a role that the following person isn’t able to make such a big impact. In the director’s head, the role is already cast and nothing we say or you do is going to change that. Again, we do database and keep note of every audition so if you’ve done a great job we will call you in for another project.

We got it wrong
Yes, it happens! Sometimes when we’ve not had a chance to properly discuss a role with a director we might bring in entirely the wrong type of person. The script may simply say NURSE or CASHIER or THUG or DRIVER so we call in who we think can fill the role and fit in with the rest of the cast, but the director sees it differently. And let’s be honest here – we probably won’t ever tell you that we messed up – but if you auditioned well and gave it your all we’ll make it up to you.

You were rubbish after all
Sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned. You keep forgetting your lines, you don’t understand what the director wants from you, you have a terrible cold on the day. Sometimes it’s just not meant to be. Everyone can have an off day, but as long as you tried your best, were professional and polite – you will get another chance on another project. Of course if you were impolite, unprepared, a pain in the waiting room…