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Zoom Audition

Virtual Casting Tips

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Virtual Casting is a whole different ballgame.

By now, y’all know how to use Zoom. You have a great self-tape set-up. You’ve studied audition technique and feel rooted in your acting abilities and experience.

Put ALLLLLLLLLL of those things together, add a bit of on-the-fly-do-it-yourself IT work and you have Virtual Casting.

Virtual Casting is stressful. For you, for Casting, for your roommate or partner who are desperately trying to help you fix whatever has gone wrong in the middle of your session… it’s a whole new skillset and we’re all on the learning curve together. (Remember, Casting wants you to succeed!)

In an effort to help alleviate some of the anxiety around this stuff, I’ve put together a LONG-ASS list of tips for you to reference as you practice Virtual Casting.

 

1. PRACTICE BEFORE YOU HAVE A REAL VIRTUAL SESSION! You will be so glad you did.

    • Important: you can practice and be totally “ready” (mentally, technologically,) and things will STILL go wrong, (mostly technically, but those tech problems will make your audition nerves come roaring out of hiding.) Tech issues are simply the rules of the internet. Expect them.
    • Know that when these things go wrong, there are contingencies: maybe a phone call to talk notes before you self-tape, rescheduling your virtual appt on a different platform, etc. Don’t panic. You won’t lose the opportunity just because you’re having tech problems.

2. WIFI/INTERNET ISSUES ARE COMMON. Do yourself a favor and place yourself near your router (or plug in) for your virtual session. Test your internet speed in different areas of your home to see if there is an ideal location.

    • If you live with someone, kindly ask them to go for a walk or sit quietly and read a book while you are having your virtual session so you can have the full bandwidth. (If they’re scrolling through twitter or checking email it won’t hurt your speed too much, but if they’re watching Netflix or streaming videos, you’re screwed.)

3. PLACE YOUR COMPUTER OR TABLET AT EYE-LEVEL, WHETHER YOU ARE SITTING OR STANDING. I’d recommend using a computer or tablet for the session because the screen is bigger, making it easier for you to see the people with whom you’re speaking/reading. It can be harder to adjust the height of your larger devices so plan to not move it. Instead, you may need to adjust your energy, depending on the scene.

    • Remember: eye level device = fewer chins/nose hairs. (You can thank me later.)

4. CLEAN YOUR LENS BEFOREHAND! I know you’re all getting good at doing this on your phones before you self-tape, but make sure you do it on your computer. (That thing is DIR-TY.) Add streaming and layers of internet to that dirty lens and it is REAL hard to see you.

5. LIGHT: Our computer cameras aren’t as great as our phones. Use the lighting set up that you use for your self-tapes. It will help the camera eye open up more and give you a clearer/sharper look.

    • Ideally you do your virtual casting session in your self-tape space because it’s set-up with a plain BG, good light, quiet, etc. Just make sure the internet speed is up-to-par there. (See above.)

6. FRAME: Avoid the instinct to step back/away from your computer to give yourself more space. It’s already hard to see you with these computer cams, streaming issues, etc. Don’t make your face even tinier in the frame than necessary. Aim for the same frame as your self-tapes (about mid-bust or clavicle to just above your head.)

7. SOUND: Have your earbuds/AirPods handy. You may want to try doing your scene without them for the “look” but they may be the exact tool you need to mitigate the major sound issues (ambience, echo, low volume, etc.) Have them at arm’s length or just plan to use them.

    • Ambient noise exists and for the most part you can’t do anything about it. If your dog barks in the next room or an ambulance drives by or or or… it’s fine. Virtual casting will never be perfect (a lot of in-person audition scenarios aren’t perfect either, let’s be real.) As long as you’ve taken the precautions of tucking yourself into a quiet space, asking your partners/housemates/kids to keep their voices down, etc. then you’ve done the best you can. All good.

8. THERE’S INTERNET “ECHO” (hearing ourselves through your speakers, often fixed when you put on earbuds) AND ROOM ECHO. Room echo can be managed by surrounding your space with items that soak up sound (furniture, pillows, etc.)

9. EYELINE: Before you start, ask where they’d like your eyeline. Ideally you‘d look at the reader, but they may want you to look into or near the camera to better see you. Scoot your reader’s box to the top of your screen so they’re as close to the camera as possible. Win-win (hopefully.)

10. If the session is on Zoom, pin the reader and then go to your picture box, click the three dots in the upper-right hand corner and choose “HIDE SELF-VIEW” (You’re welcome.)

    • An excellent lo-fi solution if you are struggling to find that option is just to grab a little sticky note and put it up over your box so you aren’t watching yourself.

11. TURN NOTIFICATIONS OFF or put your devices on Do Not Disturb (airplane mode is ok but you have to turn your WiFi off on your phone otherwise it’ll still ring.) Those dings and rings that come in on your computer are UNBELIEVABLY loud on Zoom. Also, if you’re recording separately on your phone and a call comes in, it will stop the recording. (See #15 for more on this.)

12. EVERY VIDEO CONFERENCING PLATFORM IS DIFFERENT. Y’all know Zoom by now but have you tried Google Meetings, Microsoft Teams, WeAudition, WebEX, GoToMeeting, Eco-Cast Live, etc? If your virtual session is on a platform that’s new to you, make sure you check it out in advance… You might need to download an app or use a certain browser or create a free profile. Don’t discover these things a minute or two before your appointment time, (stress city!)

    • Every Zoom issue I’ve ever had was solely because I needed to update my app. Make sure you have the most current version of whichever system you’re using.

13. SIGN ON TO YOUR SESSION A FEW MINUTES EARLY. If we’re running ahead of schedule, we’ll be glad to see you pop into the waiting room. It also alleviates a LOT of stress on our end to see you in the virtual waiting room.

14. NO VIRTUAL BACKGROUNDS. (I bet you thought that goes without saying, but I’m going to leave it here as a reminder juuuuuust in case.) Fight the urge to pop one up. They’re unbelievably distracting.

15. SET A BACK-UP RECORDING. This is the best way to alleviate your Virtual Casting-related anxiety. Sh*t will unquestionably go wrong (on your end, on their end,) and there is no bigger bummer than thinking you may have had a really great take and the director saying “oh no! You froze there for a second!”

Do your heart a favor and place a phone or camera as close to your computer lens as possible (ie JUST behind the screen.) Start recording right before you start the session. You do not need to play/cheat to it or start/stop the recording. Let it run and end the recording once you hang up – it is simply a BACK-UP. Even if you never need the recording, you will feel so much less stress knowing you’re covered if they say “we think that was good, it was just really glitchy.”

    • If you forget to set a back-up recording and there’s some obvious glitchiness, plan to self-tape as soon as you can with the notes you were just given.

16. IF IT’S A CALLBACK, YOU MIGHT GET NOTES AHEAD OF TIME. OR NOT. Sometimes we say, “we’ll just chat/play when we get on.” Sometimes we just want to see you do it live and don’t have any specific notes.

    • If you’re getting a CB, it’s because we like what you did in your initial tape. If we want to run a take before giving notes, aim for what got you the callback. Doesn’t have to be exact, obviously. You’re not a robot. But those choices are a good jumping-off point.

17. BE FULLY IN YOUR BODY. Remember: even though we’re seeing you from the chest up, you should still feel your toes, breath should still come from your diaphragm, etc. If you’re in your head, we can see it, (always, but especially in self-tapes/virtual casting where the camera is close.)

 

And that, my friends, is the tip of the iceberg.

Virtual Casting WILL get easier. It’s new, it’s weird and the anxiety we feel around it is compounded with the stress we feel living in America in 2020. It’s a lot. But this situation is doable. And if a little effort and newness/weirdness means you can get back to set sooner, then we can all buck up and figure it out together.

Start here. And for the love of all things, START PRACTICING.

 

Self-Tape

Five Common Self-Tape Mistakes (and how to fix them!)

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Hey Actors! When it comes to self-tapes, these are some of the more common issues we see, (and how you can avoid them!):

#1: EYE LINE

It’s easy to overthink where you should be looking when creating self-tapes of car scenes or working on a scene with multiple characters, but the easiest solution is to keep it simple. We (and the camera) need to see your face. You can acknowledge the entrance of another character by looking slightly off camera/to the opposite side of the camera, and then bring your eye line back to the reader. For car scenes, keep your face forward and engage with the reader in the moments when you feel you would’ve turned sideways to look at them. If you’re not looking at/engaging with your reader, your performance will start to feel one-sided. Always bring your eye line back to the person who is in the room with you.

#2: FANCY EDITING TRICKS

Title cards, cross fades, fade in/out, 4K are all not necessary. Casting Directors don’t use them… you don’t have to either. If we need to edit your tape, those fancy-looking tools can make it difficult for us to find a clean cut. They also add to your file size (significantly.) If you’re wondering why it takes forever to upload your tape, this could be why. Keep it simple with hard cuts and a slate instead of a title card.

#3: FLAT ENERGY

“Doing less” because the proximity of the camera makes you feel like you can be small is a trap into which MOST actors fall. However, your energy will come across as completely flat if you’re not projecting it past that device to your reader. If there is an energetic void between you and your reader, we will sense it in your self-tape.

#4: SPENDING OODLES OF TIME ON A SELF-TAPE

If you’ve done your prep and are as ready to audition as you would be if you went in for a live read, then your self-tape shouldn’t take long. Do not do more than three takes before you watch it back to see if you have it. (You probably do.) If nothing else, you will be able to see EXACTLY what you’re aiming for in the 4th Any more than that, the performance will start to dissolve. If you spend hours on your self-tape, you’ll either end up sending one of your very first takes or you will send a take where we can see your choices coming a mile away. (Also: preserve your relationship with your reader and be efficient with your time.)

#5: IGNORING DIRECTIONS FROM CASTING

This. Happens. CONSTANTLY. Be one of the actors we admire for their professionalism and follow directions, (and for the love of all that is holy, adhere to deadlines!) Also, we put important performance notes in our self-tape requests. Look there before you read through your sides for extra context and notes.

 

All of these things are easy traps to fall into because of timing, technical issues, trying to “stand out”… but when it comes to self-tapes, all Casting wants is for them to look like an audition that took place in our office.

Keep things simple, focus on your prep and read the notes from Casting.

Welcome to the Audition Room

Casting Directors are on your side (seriously.)

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CASTING LOVES YOU!

I like to include this hashtag in my social media posts because there seems to be an underlying sense that Casting Directors are an enemy of the actor. Truth time: outside of your family, we are your BIGGEST supporters.

The audition room (virtual or live) can be an intimidating place. Sometimes the CD isn’t always warm and fluffy, but that does not diminish the fact that Casting wants you to succeed.

With that in mind, here are TEN things to remember about us kindly Casting folks:

1. We WANT you to be “the one.” If you are invited to read, whether it be in person or via self-tape, we are envisioning you as a real option for that role. Nothing is more satisfying to a Casting Director than an actor who absolutely nails an audition/redirect, because it validates our creative genius [brushes dust off shoulders] and it means our work on that role is done.

2. We’ve selected you out of THOUSANDS of submissions. If you’ve made it in to the audition room, we already like you. (See #1.) We’ve culled down our choices from hundreds or thousands down to very few. We have to be a fan to give you one of those coveted spots. Walk into the room (or tape) with the confidence of knowing that Casting digs your work.

3. We have bad days, too. There are many aspects to a Casting Director’s job, and (shockingly) not all of them are fun. Beyond being creative and engaging with actors in the audition room, we are also up against crazy deadlines, we have producers/directors/executives all of whom might have a differing opinion on a character, we are constantly needing information from or in tough negotiations with reps, and on top of that, we are human beings with our own personal shit. Forgive us if we aren’t overly friendly when you walk into the room. We’ve got a lot on our plates.

4. If we request a self-tape instead of a live audition, it doesn’t make us any less interested in you. There are only so many hours in the day to read people and watch tapes. As such, we don’t throw out self-tape requests willy-nilly. If your rep doesn’t get you in live, but DOES get you a self-tape request, it means that we are interested to see your take on the role. Take it as a good sign (see #2.)

5. We all enjoy and appreciate actors. There is no way you can get into casting without loving actors. We love what you are capable of, and we love that you are fearless in pursuit of truth and beauty. We may not always be able to match your abundant energy, but that doesn’t mean we dislike being around you.

6. If we’re passionate about an actor for a role, we will work our BUTTS off until everyone else sees it, too. I’ve edited reels, spent hours looking for and ripping additional footage, put together photo collages, re-read actors multiple times to get an EXACT take… And I’m sure every Casting Director you meet will have similar stories of the hurdles they’ve jumped to get an actor hired.

7. If we aren’t in the room for your read, assume there’s a good reason. Casting Directors are constantly being pulled in 18 different directions at once. We’ve got conference calls, and emails, and deals in process, and self-tapes coming in, and oh yeah, sometimes we need to use the restroom. Also, occasionally, we just need a break from the audition room. If it’s your turn to read and the CD steps out and has a member of their staff read you instead, it is by no means a sign of disrespect or disinterest. We do this because we trust our staff to guide you, and we trust you to be make strong choices, and to be open-minded and professional. We will gladly watch your tape after the session.

8. If you only get one take, don’t assume it’s because we hated what you did. Hey, guess what? Sometimes you nail it on the first take. Sometimes we find you very interesting, but just not right. Both of these are reasons why we might not have you read a scene again.

9. When you are in our audition room, Casting is not your parents/therapists/spouses/acting coaches. We may adore you and even be real/social friends, but when you come to audition, we want to see you work. We are there to guide you through the material, not coach you on career obstacles or coddle you when you mess up. Remember, we have crazy deadlines and likely a waiting room full of people. We care about you, but when you’re in our room, we want to keep things (warmly) professional.

10. Do good work, and we will find you. These days, because there are so many mediums (TV, film, shorts, web series, theatre, etc.) actors are always seem concerned that they will never be seen or discovered. If you are doing strong, exciting work, then somehow, someway, we will see it. If you build it, we will come. Every time.

Pilot Season Anxiety - Where are my auditions?

Pilot Season Anxiety: Where Are My Auditions??

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Pilot season is in full swing.

You’re reading the trades every day, seeing what’s been picked up and drooling over the auditions that are surely coming your way ANY SECOND. Or maybe they’ll come tomorrow. Or you know, it’s Friday at 6pm, so they will probably call on Monday. Ok, it’s Monday at noon, and you’re refreshing your email every five seconds, waiting for word of an audition, ANY audition… WHERE ARE MY AUDITIONS?!?!

You get the picture.

It’s easy to go a little bananas during pilot season. You know that this is the time of year that auditions rain down like manna from heaven. And you hear about your fellow actors and how they’re getting three auditions per day, (and complaining about it, to be sure.) You also know that you’re good enough to compete against any of them, so why aren’t you getting out?

There could be a few reasons, but first, I guarantee that it’s not because your reps aren’t submitting or pitching you. They’re submitting and pitching their brains out. (Remember, if you don’t make money, they don’t. Pilot season is just as important for them as it is for you.) They often call and email to pitch, even when casting specifically tells them not to, and at all hours of the day. All. Hours. Of. The. Day. I promise you, they are trying their damnedest to get you an opportunity on as many pilots as possible.

So here are a few other road blocks that may be keeping you from getting a series regular audition:

1. Your materials just aren’t up to par:

Your reel is old and/or doesn’t show you off that well. You have 20 headshots up on your profile, and we can’t tell which of them are current, (and maybe none of them truly portray who you are.) Your website is impossible for us to navigate through to find what we need. You’re using a self-tape in place of a reel, and unfortunately, it’s just not compelling material. If we are unfamiliar with you and none of these things are working in your favor, the audition gods will not smile upon you.

2. Casting doesn’t think you’re right for the character or world:

Based on the breakdown, you believe that you are clearly SO RIGHT for this particular role, and somehow you still can’t get an audition. Remember, trust Casting. We know this project intimately. We are also serving this script, these producers’ collective vision, and this network’s commercial and artistic desires. We have a VERY good idea of who and what we need. We may adore you, but if you’re not right for whatever reason, we’re not going to waste your time or ours. (Mind you, things change quickly during pilot season. So while you could be “not right” on Monday, by Friday, you’re exactly what we need. Or vice versa. See #5 for more on this.)

3. Timing:

Your rep may have called and/or emailed to pitch you RIGHT when we got caught up in a session/conference call/meeting/bathroom break/other deadline, and their pitch got lost in an avalanche of message slips or a deluge of emails that we can’t bring ourselves to look at until the next morning, when inevitably, something else pulls our attention and another day goes by without us seeing their pitch. It’s not because we don’t like you or your rep, it’s because there are literally 8,000 other things that have to happen at that exact moment. (Don’t worry: your reps will continue to call and email until we look at their pitches.)

4. Timing again:

We’ve actually already selected you as someone we want to read, but we can only see so many people in a day, and your appointment will go out when our uber-talented, but overworked/underpaid staff can find a slot for you. Be patient.

5. Casting SAID they would read you, but the role you are most right for is being offered out/is changing/is no longer a regular:

If an offer is out for a role, we try not to read people simultaneously (particularly if it looks like the offer person is engaging.) We will only audition that role if we are in a time crunch (or the offer person is unlikely to be interested,) and we need to have another great option. If a character is changing or sides are about to change or the prods have MENTIONED that they THINK they MIGHT want to change the character or sides, then we put a pause on that role and focus our attention on everything else. This will put people in a bit of limbo, but I promise that Casting is working their butts off to get clarity as quickly as possible. If a role changes from a regular to a guest star, then it’s priority is down graded. We will pick up reading people for it after some of our regs are set.

6. You think and feel that you are truly ready to be a series regular, but… :

This may not be your year to book a pilot. Plain and simple.

Now, to overcome some of these things:

1. Don’t compare your career to anyone else’s, ever: everyone succeeds in different ways, at different times. When your friend (who is not unlike you, type-wise,) tells you about their 10 pilot auditions, do not assume you should have the same. You are unique people, individual actors with dissimilar backgrounds and likely different reps. You are apples and oranges. Take a breath and try to be excited for your friend.

2. Update your materials: it may be too late for this pilot season, but if your reps give you that feedback, make that your priority number one.

3. Practice patience: do yoga, meditate, breathe, nap. This is a life skill that most of us don’t have. Now is a good time to work on it.

4. Change your focus: sitting around, pining for an audition will almost never result in one. Get your butt to class, pick up that script you’ve been writing, read a book, take your dog for a walk. Do ANYTHING other than twiddling your thumbs, waiting for an audition notice to come in.

5. Remember that other projects are casting right now: there are a gazillion series still in production, movies, shorts, web series, theatre… make yourself (emotionally and physically) available to those projects. Booking them can be just as rewarding.

Focus on being a good, professional actor, and do everything in your power to achieve THAT goal. (Go to class, read, do theatre, etc.)

If you do, the auditions (and bookings) will come, guaranteed.

Self-Tape Tips Part 7 - Finding a Reader

Self-Tape Tips Part 7: Finding a Reader

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I asked my actor friends what they felt was the biggest hurdle when self-taping, and the number one response was this…

Finding a reader.

And while finding a reader for your self-tape can be frustrating, it can also be a major benefit of self-taping. You can choose someone who will give you something, whether it be chemistry, timing, direct-ability or just flexibility… when you walk into a Casting office, your reader is your reader and they are often 1. not actors and 2. cranky about getting direction from you.

Here are some tips to help you get over the reader hurdle (listed from best option to least favorable): 

1. Find an actor pal to read with you. (Obviously.) In fact, do yourself a favor and have a “self-taping group” of actor pals. This way, you aren’t stuck if your usual reader isn’t available to help out. Find your tribe, start a group text chain and use each other, as needed.

  • One caveat here: don’t let your actor pals over-direct you. The nice thing about having an actor opposite you is that they can provide you with some real perspective. But at the end of the day, it is YOUR audition. Listen their feedback, but YOU need to decide whether or not to incorporate their notes.

2. If you can’t get a reader in person, use Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, etc. Even if there’s a slight internet lag, you’ll have someone with whom you can connect. Don’t worry about the slightly tinny/mechanical quality of their voice. It’s not ideal, but in 2020, we’re all very used to the sound.

3. Find an able-bodied non-actor who can take some direction. Maybe your neighbor is a writer who understands timing or perhaps your roommate did theatre in high school, or your mom is an avid reader… as long as they can follow the dialogue and incorporate feedback from you, they’ll more than suffice. (Hot tip: summarize the scene, and then give them a few minutes to look it over so they aren’t reading it totally cold.)

  • What you don’t want in a non-actor is someone who has an overly thick accent/doesn’t really understand what they’re saying, can’t pace it up/slow it down, or is a child, (unless the scene is written between your character and a kid.)

4. Use a rehearsal app to “read with yourself.” This is a worst case scenario because it eliminates the possibility of spontaneity. The forced/planned timing involved in using these apps tend to make your beats either rushed or overly drawn out. These apps are terrific for REHEARSING/LEARNING your lines, not performing the scene. Use these as an absolute last resort.

And the I-HAVE-TO-MENTION-IT-BUT-PLEASE-FOR-THE-LOVE-OF-MIKE-DON’T-EVER-DO-THIS:

5. Don’t read with anyone. If you just say your lines and pause in silence when the other dialogue is supposed to be read, that’s not a performance. That is just saying/reading lines. This will never make a successful audition. Ever. Seriously. The best thing that could possibly come from a read like this, is that you hear from casting that we want you to do it again, but this time with a reader. But it’s more likely that we won’t be able to see enough of a performance to request another take.

Creating your “self-tape tribe” is the key to finding a reader. 

Whether your group consists of friends or coaches or family members… or all of the above… having a go-to list will relieve the anxiety around finding a reader when you’re on a tight deadline.

And don’t forget to give what you want to get back! Be as ready/willing/able to be another actor’s reader as your pals are to be yours.

Demo Reels: The Basics

Demo Reels: The Basics

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Your reel is so, SO important.

Often times, it’s the very first taste we have of your abilities as an actor. Sometimes, it serves as a reminder of who you are, and occasionally, it proves that you’re capable of handling a specific role. Your reel is meant to sell you; to agents, to casting directors, to producers, execs, etc.

While there are about a billion things we can say about reels, these four points are what I consider to be the absolute basics, when compiling your demo reel:

1. Less is More: keep it short and sweet.

ONLY put your best quality (acting and technical,) and most current clips on your reel.

  • If you work often, you should update your reel with new (HIGH QUALITY) stuff as frequently as you can. (And even though you loved the work you did on CHEERS or SEINFELD, those clips are too old for us to see what you look/sound like now. Keep the credit on your resume, but take the material off of your reel.)
  • Two-three minutes worth of material is about all we need. Only have 45 seconds or one minute worth of clips? That’s ok, too.

HINT: Leaving us wanting more will often result in an audition…

2. Open with your BEST scene.

It might be the only thing we see, so start with your strongest work.

  • This also means that you should skip the opening video or photo montage. Open with a title card of your name or just jump right into the first clip. Either way, we should be seeing a scene within the first five seconds of your reel.
  • Try not to start with a scene where you are doing an accent, or are in crazy make-up or period costume. We want to see and hear YOU. Save that work for a little later in your reel, if you can. (However, if it’s truly your best scene, then put it first.)

3. Seriously, skip the fancy editing tricks.

Your reel is meant to show off your acting chops, not your Final Cut skills.

  • Sometimes, casting will need to edit your reel to pull out a specific scene, or even reorder your material. Want to know the first things that get dumped in the trash? All your cool-looking edits and fades.
  • Two basic, helpful edit tools: A title card with your name and contact (either at the beginning or the end,) and a chyron of the project name in the corner of each clip. Everything else is extraneous.

4. It doesn’t matter if your reel is one big clip, or separated out into individual scenes/clips.

Since there is no “industry standard” for this, it should be decided by you and your reps (and your bank account – these uploads/clips cost money, after all):

  • If you DO have all your material in one big clip, make sure your reps have access to the individual scenes (in a shared folder, through your website, etc.) It may help when they’re pitching you for a specific role.
  • Some people have separate reels for their comedy and drama work. Some have a separate reel for commercials or stunts. If you have enough material to fill different kinds of reels, go for it. If not, put it all together in one. Simple as that.

Remember, your reel is meant to SELL YOU.

If you’re not completely proud of a clip, don’t use it on your demo. It’s better to have no reel than one that will harm your chances of getting in the room or booking the job.

Auditions - No Excuses

Auditions: No Excuses

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Auditions: When Excuses Take Over Your Read…

  • “I just got the material.”
  • “My reps didn’t send me the full script.”
  • “I have three auditions today, so I’m not off-book.”
  • “Normally I coach, but this appointment was too last minute, so…”
  • “I was camping and didn’t have internet, so I just looked at this for the first time this morning. What exactly is this project, anyway?”

Casting Directors have heard every excuse imaginable when it comes to why an actor isn’t prepared for their audition. Actors will use it to preface what we are about to see, which makes us assume a combination of the following:

  • “This read will be subpar.”
  • “I’m going to have to give them a crapload of backstory before we can even start.”
  • “I will likely not get them to the performance I want, no matter what, since they don’t know the lines well enough.”
  • “This will likely be a waste of both of our time.”

When you start your read with an excuse, not only are you putting the CD on edge, but you’re also saying to yourself, “This isn’t going to be very good.”

Truthfully, we KNOW that there are extenuating circumstances as to why you may not be FULLY prepared for this read. We know you’re human beings, with lives and families and jobs/classes/auditions. (And 2020 update: we know there’s a global pandemic and everything changes by the moment.)

We also know when your appointment went out, so unless we sent you that audition within the last 12 hours (or less,) we DO expect you to have figured out a way to become prepared. And if it was so utterly impossible to do so, did your reps try to move your appointment? (Sometimes we can’t allow you to change your day/time, but we are always aware of when the request has come in… or if it hasn’t.)

On the reverse, when we knowingly give an actor very little time to prepare and they come in, bounding with energy and ready to play without a word of how much time they had with the sides, we are utterly delighted. Inevitably, those actors will get the callbacks/jobs, even if they’re up against people who have twice the resume. They come in open-minded, ready to do the best they absolutely can without fear or hesitation, and guess what… IT WORKS.

So the next time you’re sensing the urge to preface your read with an excuse, curb the feeling… trust Casting to guide you, and focus on being there in the moment, listening and having fun.

Auditions: Moving on from a So-Called “Bad” Read

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Not every audition goes perfectly. Actors have good days and bad days, (you are human, after all.) How often do you find yourself thinking, “That was crap. I KNOW I could’ve done better. I can’t believe I…”

Far too regularly, we see actors dwelling on what they consider a “bad read.” While it’s ok to (briefly) rehash and learn from mistakes, this cycle of shame can too easily affect your confidence and be carried from one audition to another.

Casting Directors often see self-doubt follow actors into the audition rooms. It looks like this:

  • An actor comes in, a little sheepishly because they’re not sure why they’re reading for a role, (either they feel they’re not good enough/never going to get it, or based on the sides or other people in the waiting room, feel that they aren’t right.) They walk in, literally questioning us as to why they’re there. Those actors AUTOMATICALLY give a sub-par read. Their heart isn’t in it.
  • We don’t give the actor a note, and they assume it’s because they did a terrible job on their first take. They walk out of our office with their head down, sulking, no matter how much we tell them that they did a good job.
  • We DO give the actor a note, but they’re so in their head about screwing up that they’ve stopped trusting themselves (and us,) and are unable to take the direction. Those actors get so frustrated with themselves that they leave looking utterly disgusted.

Casting Directors know the difference between someone who is having a bad day, someone who just isn’t this character, and someone who is green and not yet ready for that kind of role. We also know that if someone walks into our office with a crappy attitude, it doesn’t matter how good they are or how long their resume is, we’re never going to get the read we want from them. There’s an emotional wall standing between the actor and success at that point, and we can’t break it down in the five minutes we have together.

But as I said, you ARE human. Inevitably, you will fall into a negative mindset at certain points in your career. If the self-doubt monster gets the better of you, acknowledge it. BREATHE. Toss your sides in the recycle bin and MOVE ON. Dwelling will only keep the cycle going and it will absolutely affect your future auditions.

So in the words of a particular ice princess, LET IT GO. Trust your abilities and your Casting Directors, keep working on your craft, and look ahead to the next one.

Self-Tape Tips - Frame

Self-Tape Tips Part 4: Frame

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Finally, let’s talk about your self-tape frame and aspect ratio.

Here’s the good news: this is the EASIEST self-taping technical aspect to nail. Minor adjustments will get you exactly where you need.

COMMON SELF-TAPE FRAME ISSUES:

1. Your frame is too wide. We can hardly see your face and hence, miss all of your subtleties and nuances.

2. Your frame is too tight. We have full access to your facial features, but now you’re just a floating head. (Weird.)

3. You’ve filmed your scene with your camera or device held the wrong way. Aspect ratio: it’s a real thing.

SELF-TAPE FRAME SOLUTIONS:

1. You should frame yourself from around mid-bust to just above your head. Even if the scene calls for some “business” (typing on a computer, for example,) we don’t need to see what your hands are doing. Resist the urge to go wider. (Your eyes are the window; they hold OUR gaze and grab our attention… we need to be able to see your eyes/face clearly!)

Be careful not to frame yourself TOO tightly. Yes, we want to see your face, but it just feels odd and overly dramatic if that face is not attached to a neck and torso.

2. Your device or camera should ALWAYS be turned so that the image is HORIZONTAL or LANDSCAPE. It feels more natural to hold a device vertically, since that’s how we use them in our daily lives. However, it will throw off the aspect ratio and you’ll end up with giant black bars on the sides (see image above.) You will also have inadvertently shrunken the amount of space available for YOUR image.

3. Use a tripod. It will make your life so much easier. You’ll be able to set the device up, check the frame and then shoot your self-tape. If you’re propping your device up on something, it could slide. If your reader is holding it, your frame could drift or shake (doesn’t matter if they have surgeon-steady hands. Their breathing alone will cause the camera to move.)

There you have it! The self-tape basics are lighting, sound, backdrop and frame. Get a handle on those and everything else is fun.

Next self-tape tip… How many and which takes should I send?