Last night, I went to a screening of the new Ron Howard flick, "Rush," plus Q&A with it's stars, Chris Hemsworth (aka Thor) and Daniel Bruhl (I don't know how to do umlauts on this computer.) It's a beautiful film that is a character study about the Formula 1 drivers these guys play and the rivalry between them. Both actors are amazing in their respective roles, each doing a wonderful job taking on these iconic drivers.
What I found interesting was these guys talking about how they got these roles. Each had to audition. Yep, one has a SAG award for his work on Inglourious Basterds under his belt and the other is Thor, from the 3rd highest grossing film of all time. And both had to audition.
Here is what really struck me: Chris Hemsworth couldn't get an audition for this film. They weren't interested in seeing him. (Did I mention that he is THOR?) He wanted the role so much, once he read the script, that he proactively put himself on tape. He picked a monologue and had his wife tape him in his hotel room (and, he says, approximately 115 takes later he was finally happy enough with it to send it to his agents in hopes that Ron would watch it.)
When I first heard this, I thought, if THOR can't get auditions, what hope could I possibly have?
But, that is the incorrect response. What you should get out of this, is that no matter where you are in your career path you have to be proactive. Sure you should get a hold of scripts, find roles that are right for you, and put yourself on tape. But beyond that you got to be getting yourself out there, constantly creating. Write roles for yourself, create characters, do plays.
What will absolutely kill your career is sitting home and waiting for someone else to call you with an opportunity.
Showing posts with label self-tape. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self-tape. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
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.
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.
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