Self Tape Like a Champ

With technology having more and more of an impact on the audition process, the self-tape submission is slowly progressing from a once-in-awhile activity to a significant percentage of auditions. Can you blame the Casting Directors? Instead of spending the money to rent a room and spend all day with actors who could possibly get them sick, they can stay at home -- sitting in their pjs and sipping wine-- watching auditions on a laptop from the comfort of their couch. For most, that's a pretty easy decision to make.

Sure, as an actor first, I'm not excited about this change. It means that those of us who have stage presence and a certain kind of charisma that ignites when being in the presence of a live audience or room are going to be robbed of that tool in the audition process. However, it does allow the performer to have 100+ chances at an audition and the peace of mind knowing that the performance being submitted is the one intended.

One would think that, with the advances in camera phone technology combined with common sense, most actors would have a firm grasp on submitting a decent self-tape audition. Unfortunately, this couldn't be further from the truth. So, in order to make life easier, I've compiled a short but effective list for making sure your self-tape audition is one that gets you noticed instead of tossed in the proverbial bin.

Firstly, no actor should ever pay to have an audition taped.

Doing a successful self-tape audition is a simple process that can be done at home with a decent phone camera. There are only 3 reasons you should pay someone to tape your audition:

1. You can't find a single human being to read with you
   

2. No one in your family or neighborhood has a phone less than 10yrs old
   

3. You're making so much money, you're too busy
   

If none of these exceptions apply to you, you'll need to be taping your own audition and here are some basic guidelines to make sure your audition has an air of professionalism:

• DRESS TO IMPRESS -- Make sure you're dressing appropriately for the character. This doesn't mean renting or wearing an elaborate costume. It means looking in your closet and thinking, "Hmmm...what do I have that looks most similar to what my character's style is or what people in that socio/economic group wore at the time?" For instance, if you're auditioning for a business role, you'll wear a button-down shirt instead of a t-shirt. Or if you're a auditioning for a farmer or ranch hand, you're not going to wear a preppy polo shirt. Use what you have and hint at the character. This is not time for cosplay.

  
  

• SET THE SCENE -- The background or backdrop of a taped audition is crucial. It should be void of any distracting elements: furniture, photos/posters/paintings, decorations, etc. It's best to shoot an audition against a solid background or a blank wall. I find that lighter colors work better than dark walls or backgrounds. I don't recommend shooting right up against the wall/backdrop. Instead, it's best to have the actor close to the camera lens and have the wall at a distance behind. This allows for more distortion of the background and focuses the viewer on the foreground subject, reducing unwanted shadows.

  
  

• FIND YOUR LIGHT -- Lighting is one of the most underrated components of a taped audition. So many times actors mistakingly shoot at night and rely on the ambient light of the room they're in. You don't need an expensive light kit. Simply grab a couple of extension cords and bring household lamps out into the middle of the room. Put them as close to the actor as possible without entering the frame. Make sure there is no shadow on the face or on the backdrop behind. Increasing the amount of overhead light can backfire, causing shadows in the eye sockets. So make sure light is coming from lamps positioned to the right and left of the actor. Also, avoid shooting in front of a window as the light from outside can cause "backlighting" -- forcing the subject into a silhouette.

  
  

• FIT THE FRAME -- Many students I've worked with have been misled to think they need an expensive camera or a particular phone to shoot an audition. Not true. As long as your phone was made in the last few years, you'll be just fine. Too many times an audition tape falls short due to the Casting Director or Producer not being able to gauge the look or talent of an actor because they are too far away from the camera. In a nutshell, there are two basic frames for a taped audition: the slate and the audition itself. During the slate, rotate the camera or phone to the "portrait" angle (vertical view) and make sure, during the slate, the actor is in focus from head to toe. Then, for the acting part of the audition, turn the camera or phone back to a "landscape" angle (horizontal view) and position the actor so that the bottom of the frame is near the sternum with the top of the frame directly above the top of the actor's head. In the audition, we should be clearly able to make out facial features/expressions. Most importantly, the camera should never be hand-held -- always on a grip or a tripod.

  
  

• SOUND CHECK -- You want total quiet when you tape an audition. Turn off all outside noise. Close windows. Turn off fans and air conditioners. Shut off phones and tell everyone around you to be quiet. Then, speak clearly with volume into the camera. Play your first take back and make sure you can hear and understand yourself clearly before continuing. Another growing concern is that Casting Directors regularly complain about the Reader (the person reading the lines opposite the actor) being too loud. This is s a common result of the Reader being too close to the camera. Instead of making your audition partner move further to one side of the camera, forcing you into a profile, it's best to have them just scoot further back behind the camera to ensure they are not louder than the person being filmed.

  
  

• WRAP IT UP -- Your audition is like a present to the Casting Director. How would a gift be received it it was wrapped using kleenex? The packaging can sometimes be just as important as the gift inside. Don't film a great slate and audition and then skimp on the editing. Editing is something often daunting to most people but, rest assured, the level of difficulty is purely myth. Most computers and phones come with a basic video editing program. Or there are many cheap apps that can be purchased with TONS of free instructional videos on YouTube. It won't take long to learn the basics and soon you'll be doing sweet crossfade transitions between scene takes and, next thing you know, your polished tapes will be catching the eyes of influential CDs.

  
  

IMPORTANT REMINDER: The actor slate should always be done looking into the lens of the camera. However, when performing the audition scene, the actor should be speaking to and making eye contact with his/her Reader who should be positioned behind the camera, a little to the right or left

Sometimes certain casting offices will ask for unique audition tapes. They may have you share more detailed personal information in the slate or have the actor speak the lines of the scene into the camera instead of to a Reader. Regardless of what you're used to or your opinion of the alternate guidelines, carry it out exactly as is requested.

With audition tapes, the common expectation from casting offices is that the performance level should be very high because, with taping, you have the chance to do an infinite number of takes. This puts an incredible amount of pressure on the actor so do not accept mediocrity. Become a perfectionist. Dot your "i"s and cross your "t"s and make sure you keep the standards for yourself very high. If you have to do 40 takes to get it right, do it 41... with an extra for coverage.

In short, develop a checklist that assures quality control and make sure that the people who are receiving your audition tape are getting the very best, most professional version of you.