My first commercial audition: Part II

So I show up at the commercial audition feeling a bit out of place, partially because everyone else was white (can I say that?) and in their late 30s (wait a sec...have I been here before?). Like the print audition, it was kinda cattle call-ish: sign in, wait, have a Polaroid taken, wait, watch nervously as they call name after name and people disappear into the studio. Wait some more. Then they called several of us in and explained what the audition was going to be about: we were newscasters on location reporting a big story, and we had only one line--and would need to improvise the rest.

We went outside to sit (wait). Trying to be productive, I started checking the news on my PDAish phone, but then realized I had better prepare. 'Improvised' does not mean 'unprepared', so I came up with a few lines to use. A few minutes later:

"Sun..deep...Aaahu--"

"--yeah, that's me".

And in I went. The camera guy put a mic (prop) in my hand, went behind the camera, and then said the magic word: 'you'.

As soon as I finished (signing off with a sure-to-sound-different "This is Sundeep Ahuja, back to you John"), the camera guy did something I didn't expect.

He laughed.

I thanked him and went outside, only to be greeted by a "wow, that was fast" from the casting associate.

So that's what the camera guy was laughing about.

Never heard back, but at least I learned lessons I can apply in order to nail the next one:
1) Pay attention. How are others preparing. How long are auditions are going. How are people leaving the studio.
2) Be white and in my late 30s.