Self-Taping Auditions - Some How-Tos

It seems more and more casting is being done by self-taping.  One example of this is how James Badge Dale got the role of "Cancer Guy" in Flight. 

This innovation is great for actors since CDs have the opportunity to see many more actors for each role.  It's especially good if you are proactive with your career because if you can find out what roles are currently casting that you are perfect for.  It is easy to get a hold of the sides and have your agent pass along a self-tape to a CD.

The trick with self-tapes is that there is no room for any mistakes.  If you want it to be seen and for the tape to actually help you book a role it has to be perfect.  When you are in the audition room, flubs can be overlooked - but when it is on tape mistakes sort of glare at you.

You don't need a fancy camera to do a self-tape.  All you need is a camera phone or any digital camera.  One thing is that you want it to be well-lit.  They need to be able to see you but, that doesn't require special lights.  I like to use a china ball, which you can get for less than $10 at Ikea.  As far as the background, I do it in front of my cream colored walls.  Some people hang a curtain or sheet.  You just want to make sure that whatever behind you is not distracting.  Avoid cluttered spaces - a blank wall is best.

Here are a couple technical notes about the actual filming.  Unless they specifically ask for it, you don't need to slate - just label your video with your name and the character you are auditioning for.  Nearly all the casting offices I have worked at don't have actors slate, the only film I worked on that required slates was one that needed every actor's exact height.  A close-up shot is best - about an inch above the head to just below the shoulders.  If the character is supposed to be a sexy female, I'd wear a low cut shirt and make sure some cleavage is in the shot.

When I self-tape, I make sure to do enough takes that I will have at least one that is perfect.  All my lines are memorized, I never look down at the sides, and every moment is clear.  Once I get the perfect shot I use iMovie or Final Cut to cut any extra footage off the beginning and end and send it off to my agent.

There are studios that offer space and equipment to self-tape at a cost, but I don't think it's necessary.  Really just grab a friend to be your reader and do it at your place.  That gives you the opportunity to control everything and do as many takes as you want.

Getting Used to Rejection

As an actor we all know that rejection is part of the game.  Rejection is something we have to face daily and just keep moving forward.

But knowing rejection is common doesn't make it any easier to take.  And the ugly thing is that it doesn't really stop.  No matter how famous or talented you are there will be some role you didn't get or some award that goes to someone else.

I had one of those weeks recently where I could do nothing right.  Every audition, every class, every workshop went wrong and by the end of that week I was certain I was the worst actor in all of Los Angeles. 

I'm not going to lie, I may have quit acting multiple times and cried a bit.  It was a tough week.

You know who got me through this bad week?  Leonardo DiCaprio.

Yep, Leo.

I thought about how not only has he never won an Oscar - he wasn't even nominated this year for his performance in "Django," which was pretty darn good. 

What it made me realize is that with acting, as with any art, everyone has an opinion and many disagree with mine.  You can't create art if you are worried about what other people will think or if you will be rejected.  It will stifle you.

I've been doing this for quite some time and the rejection still hurts.  I wish I could be one of those people who just takes it in stride and moves on to the next thing.  But I'm not, I have a tendency to fixate and worry about what I could have done differently.

In the end, I don't think you could have done anything differently than simply bringing yourself into the room.  Don't try to be anyone else.  Just be prepared and be who you are.  Either they'll want you or they won't. 

And if they don't then you don't need them either.