Conquering Nerves
This course is great for beginner actors who want to build confidence and learn at their own pace. Short, focused lessons make it easy to pick up useful tips without feeling overwhelmed.
What you'll learn
This course is great for beginner actors who want to build confidence and learn at their own pace. Short, focused lessons make it easy to pick up useful tips without feeling overwhelmed. Covers all the basics you need to start feeling more relaxed and in control during auditions. Helps you understand what casting directors are really looking for, beyond just the performance.Gives you simple tools and techniques you can use right away to improve how you audition.
Sets you up with a strong foundation, so you can keep growing as an actor with every opportunity.
Course content
There’s nothing quite as nerve-wracking for an actor as stepping into the audition room.
While we can't erase nerves entirely, we can share insider tips gathered from countless actors we’ve seen walk through that very door.
In this lesson, you'll discover the first and most powerful step in gaining control over your nerves: mental preparation. That means preparing your thoughts, anticipating what you might ask, and setting the right tone before you step into the space. We'll give you one simple, effective method to help you begin this journey with confidence.
Nervous energy has a way of revealing itself—through shaky hands, rushed speech, or that all-too-familiar verbal overload.
In this lesson, you’ll learn:
- What conversation starters actually work in an audition setting
- How to engage with confidence without oversharing
- The 5 most common signs of nerves—and smart, subtle ways to hide them
You’ll leave this lesson with practical tools to start strong and stay grounded.
For many actors, audition day feels like doomsday. But what if it could feel like a celebration?
In this lesson, we take you through the actor’s full journey on audition day—from the moment you wake up to the second you walk out of the room. You’ll learn four simple steps to take control of your day, build momentum, and walk into your audition space feeling ready, calm, and in charge.
Building on the last lesson, we now shift focus to practical tools and preparation techniques that can make your audition experience not just manageable—but even enjoyable.
Yes, enjoyable.
Learn how understanding the project, the people in the room, and your own character choices can reduce fear, build confidence, and allow your natural talent to shine. You’ll also learn how to hold your own in casual audition room conversations without feeling overwhelmed or underprepared.
There’s one overlooked part of the audition process that can make or break your future opportunities.
When we invite you to audition, it’s not just about the role—it’s about you. We’re also evaluating what it would be like to work with you. How do you interact? Are you confident but humble? Are you present and engaged?
This lesson teaches you how to humanize the room, reduce the status imbalance between you and the casting team, and leave a lasting impression that extends beyond the character.
Having a strong point of view is powerful. But knowing when and how to express it is critical.
In this lesson, you’ll learn:
- The art of reading the room
- When to share your perspective—and when to hold back
- How to build a professional impression while staying authentic
Remember: how you handle the dynamics in the room can affect future opportunities far more than you realize.
Here’s the truth: the outcome of your audition doesn’t define you. But the way you audition just might.
In this final lesson, we explore how to shift your mindset away from “booking the job” and toward building a fulfilling acting journey. We’ll show you how to detach from outcomes, embrace the experience, and make every audition count—regardless of the result.
After all, your job is not to get the job.
Your job is to show up fully, share your work, and be remembered.
Course Description
Each lesson will explore two elements of Nerves - A realistic exercise you can do to dilute their impact, and also a symptom you can expect to surface, when you are faced with an important, career defining opportunity
your teacher
Greg Apps celebrates 52 years in the film industry this year. As an actor, he worked across stage, radio, television, and film, appearing in Sunday Too Far Away, Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, and Mad Dog Morgan alongside Denis Hopper. On stage, he played Brad in the original Australian production of The Rocky Horror Show—and claims his legs still look great in fishnets.
As a casting director, Greg has cast over 85 feature films, including Chopper, Romper Stomper, Mission Impossible II, and Knowing. He served on the Australian Film Institute Board for seven years and was named one of the 20 Most Influential People in the Australian Film Industry by IF Magazine in 2004. He was also the inaugural President of the Casting Guild of Australia.
A passionate educator, Greg has taught at NIDA, WAAPA, QUT, VCA, Flinders Uni, and more. He has pioneered a unique approach to actor self-tapes, blending digital tools, social media, and his deep expertise in acting, casting, and auditioning.
