It’s not surprising that this type of audition is becoming the most common one so quickly.
Honestly, I’m a little bit shocked that it didn’t happen a few years ago. It has been a long time coming and since there hasn’t been much resistance to this, it’s about to hit the point of no return.
I’m talking the self taped audition.
What comes to mind when you get a call from your agent telling you that you have to do one of these? I get emails from actors everyday.
Many want to know the latest tips and tricks they can use to stand out in audition and ultimately book more jobs.
While that’s certainly something you should devote time to, you have to notice where the industry is going and adapt.
In terms of casting, the industry is quickly moving towards the self taped audition, as the audition method of choice. It’s happening so fast that, the next generation of actors to enter the industry will find the traditional audition and casting approach somewhat unbelievable.
There is such momentum behind this, that it can’t be stopped. Even with its inherent flaws, here’s why the industry is adopting this so quickly and how you can be miles ahead of everyone else.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is treating the self taped audition as if it were a traditional one.
If you asked your agent, that’s probably what they would instruct you to do. The problem with this is that it is kind of like treating a stage performance as if it were an on camera performance.
Think about the difference that makes!
How do you act when you are on stage vs when you are in front of the camera?
Your vocal projection is much more important, your movements are bigger, and your facial expressions must be enhanced for the stage.
The same is true when you compare a self taped audition to a traditional (in person) audition, though to a lesser degree since you don’t typically audition in an auditorium).
After all, during a traditional audition the CD gets to meet you and see your performance come to life live and in person. Nothing beats the energy exchange that happens before a live audience (even it’s just the casting director and an assistant) and it’s one reason that seasoned actors return to the stage.
The trick to an effective self taped audition is to ensure that this energy exchange happens through the screen as well.
You do this by making sure that your environment adds to your performance instead of detracting from it.
So, when you are doing a self taped audition, make sure you are in a well lit room and preferably against a bare wall or at least one that isn’t cluttered.
Since your audition will likely be seen on a computer monitor, the lighting in the room is important.
Don’t overthink this and if you have a self taped audition coming up, don’t let it distract you either. You can accomplish adequate lighting with a just 3 lights.
One of them should be placed directly in front of you, and the other two should be placed to the left and to right, at approximately a 45 degree angle.
Do your best to minimize the shadows. A good way to do this is by placing the lights up high and shining them downward. Like I said, don’t overthink it. You also don’t have to invest in intricate lighting set ups either.
A couple of scoop lights and tripods can work wonders.
An easy hack to soften the light and minimize glare, is parchment paper. It doesn’t take well to glue, but paperclips will do the trick.
After you have your lighting set up and ensure that you can be adequately seen, it’s time to be heard.
Sound is a big “watchability” factor. It’s why studios go back and remaster films.
A simple lav mic from Amazon will take care of this for the purposes of your self taped audition. Corded ones can be about ten bucks, and since these auditions tend to not have much action, you can simply plug it into the camera or your phone and you’re set.
Cordless lav mics are just a few bucks more, work just as well, and are very convenient for times when you need to move around a bit.
If you take care of these 2 factors, you don’t have to invest in fancy camera equipment. Whatever smartphone you currently have will work well enough, since they shoot in HD quality anyway.
If you do this, not only will you will be seen and heard, you will have put more thought and effort into your self taped audition than 99.9999% of the other actors.
This will give you a distinct advantage. The reason that the industry is using the self taped audition as the new standard, is that it gives CDs to work through the first round of auditions much more efficiently.
They can watch several tapes, during the time when they would normally see 1 actor.
See it’s much easier to hit the skip button on a self taped audition than it is to cut someone off mid-sentence, while they are reading for a role in person, and ask them to leave.
If a CD has to struggle to hear the audio or has to squint to make out your facial expressions, the chances of them hitting the skip button on you is much higher.
So if you are one of just a handful of actors that is putting in this much thought and effort, the deck is totally stacked in your favor.
Since this is quickly becoming the standard for auditions, and if the odds are in favor, what could that mean for your acting career?
The goal then becomes to get as many of these auditions as possible. You do this by making yourself highly visible to the industry.
Just like they are looking for ways to make the audition process more efficient, they are also looking for ways to make finding new talent more efficient.
This means that your reputation and building your platform is more important than ever.
In the age of social media, when a YouTube video can fetch 10X more views than a prime time show and a viral Instagram post can instantly put you on the map, it’s simply not an option. Being on social media is an absolute requirement to build your career.
Getting off the starting line, so to speak, is the most difficult part of social media and that’s why I’ve created a way for you to get the ball rolling.
When you make yourself visible to the industry decision makers doors will open up for you. If they don’t know you they can’t hire you, so that’s half the battle.
They other half is making sure that what they know about you matches your goals and potential.
If your industry reputation is less than stellar, it will put you at a disadvantage and the industry starts to track it very early on in your career. Click here to give it a boost and give yourself a better chance at building a career that exceeds your wildest dreams.
After all, you and I share a common goal: we both want to…
See you at the top,
Scott