Callback for Open Call
Hey, looking for some advice/knowledge as a beginner actor.
So I'm pretty young, have wanted to professionally act all my life but my parents forbid it. Without saying much, I recently submitted myself to an open call as a series regular in a TV show on a huge network and within four days I received a callback. This was through Actors Access, and I have never been represented or professionally auditioned in anything before. That being said, I fit the type cast extremely well, and I'm aware of that, and I'm the age range of the character. Additionally, I'm a pretty naturally strong actor so despite not having a solid background/good lighting or anything, I still got the callback.
I know that's a privilege in of itself, I also know upwards of tens of thousands of kids self-submitted for the role I was called back for so I'm grateful. However, I know it's pretty rare to be booked immediately with no experience, but I'm still wondering if there is a chance, and how to be productive moving forward.
I have a few questions for experienced actors/people who might have gone through something similar that I did.
1- How long tends to be the wait between a callback for a TV show series regular role (production filming in July) and the next step, which would be a producers session/chemistry read/second callback? It's been exactly a week since I did that zoom live callback, which doesn't show good for me, but then again the actual callback was two days before the official self tape deadline, and I received the message a week before the self tape deadline meaning I'm wondering if there may be possibly accounting for more people to callback first. (wishful thinking, I'm aware).
2-Although its impossible to read what a casting director thinks during a callback, are there good signs to look out for? For instance, in my audition I was watched by the casting director, casting associate, and casting assistant, and they stayed on with me for around 16 minutes (but I had technical difficulties at the start). I also made the casting director (comedy casting director of 33 years) laugh at one of my line deliveries, so that was nice, I think. And we did 2 takes of 2 different scenes, both in which they asked me to adjust something and told me it was a good adjustment. I'm wondering if these experiences I had are pretty standard and they are just being nice, or I did impress them (even if not booking). It was friendly, I didn't feel like they were disinterested, and so I'm just wondering if there is any way to interpret it. One thing though is that the casting director kind of quickly said "thanks for submitting to the open call, and have a good night" at the end when leaving, and I'm not sure if that's because they had another person to meet up with directly after, or they just wanted to cut the time with me.
3- Where to go from here?
I really want to get signed with an agent but without parental guidance, it's tough. I also would like to know if there would be any way to increase my chances for booking this role, but I know most advice is to just forget about it. I kind of want to ask the casting associate for the recordings they took of me when I was performing in the callback from a self-improvement standpoint, but I'm not sure she'd oblige.
I think, understanding the fact I got a callback this huge without lighting, a proper background, any experience, or an agent, proves I do have potential. And I have drive that can back that up. I'm wondering how to break through because I don't intend on doing small productions for the rest of my life and want to achieve big things from the point I am at right now. What can I do right now to level up my chances of becoming greater and pushing myself out there to the world?
Thank you for any advice, I really appreciate anyone's help. I know this is an industry that brings you down but I truly don't care, I'm going to be something because it's the only thing I plan on fighting for for the rest of my life. Thank you.