Constantly going out for casting calls, you’ve surely had the experience where you nail your audition and you’re sure you scored the big role. But then the phonecall never comes and you’re left wondering what you could’ve done differently.

There isn’t an exact science to the casting process, but we’ve got some information to help ease your mind. As we’ve mentioned before, trying to be perfect and overthinking your audition process can be extremely detrimental to your sanity and your growth in this indsutry, but there are some pro tips out there that will help give you a more well-rounded point of view on how these things work.

We stumbled upon a fantastic focus piece on Actors Gym that highlights the 10 Things Casting Directors Want You To Know. They picked the brains of a few on-camera auditioning experts: Meredith Jacobson Marciano, founder of Amerifilm Casting; Peter Kelley, long-time casting director and coach; and Breanna Benjamin, a director, industry veteran, and President of the Creative Talent Company and let us peer into the world of what casting directors want. One of our favorite bits of advice:

Listen and react
“The camera loves to watch you listen,” says Peter Kelley. “Make the audition about the other person, even if the reader isn’t giving you much. Don’t check out or wait to act when it’s not your line.” Don’t be afraid to let what is happening sink in a little. “In real life you internalize things,” says Breanna Benjamin. “We like to see the actor think and respond. It isn’t a matter of clipping off the lines.”

Get it right the first time
You’re not coming to an on-camera audition to get coached. You are there to blow them away the first time. Come prepared (know who your character is, what you want, etc.) and blow them away. “Someone who just nails it is impressive,” says Meredith Jacobson Marciano. “Be on it.” The guys in charge might not think you deserve a second chance. “They will think that they just saw your best the first time you did it,” says Peter Kelley. “I’ve seen many theatre actors walk in, fire through a read and be shocked when the only response is: ‘Great! Thanks.’ That, in my experience, is common. Don’t be a second take actor.”

Take note and move forward! It’s always good to have an idea of what kind of casting situation you’re walking into and how you can be more prepared. Good luck!