Self-Taping your auditions..

SOME TIPS ON IMPROVING YOUR SELF-TAPED AUDITIONS:

I want to start with this - If you are not confident in your craft and have not been studying, I do not recommend that you start auditioning. (I am not referring to student films).  I say that because I don't want you to go in and screw up the one chance you get to make a first impression.   They don't just give beginning Med students a scalpel and say "ok, lets see if you can be a doctor."  If you are not sure your ready, then come to class; and I will give you my thoughts....but trust me you will always need class - even if your an A-lister.  Will Smith coaches with my acting coach on every movie.

Let's start with your EQUIPMENT.  If you are taping at home, then you want to have a camera that has great sound, and can shoot preferably in HD.   Remember, if everyone else sends in a video that is easy to see and easy to hear; and yours is hard to hear, then they aren't going to waste their time.

LIGHTING-  You need to be able to see your eyes and the color of your eyes during the audition.  The eyes are as they say "the windows to our soul".  Try not to have a weird angle with the lights so that you aren't casting shadows all over your face.  If the light is just from above then you may have darkness on your eyes.  If the light is just coming from the right then your left side will have a nose shadow and your left eye may be dark.  If you have a light above you and then you can put a light in equal distance to your right and left then that would great!

THE READER- The reader should not be acting!  The reader should not be trying to read so good that they get a chance to audition.  The audition is about YOU.  If the readers character is suppose to have an accent, please tell them to just speak normally.   The audition is alllll about you, so make sure the reader doesn't take away from any of that.  The reader should never be on camera!

EYE LINE-  Have the reader stand close to one side of the camera, so that you are looking right next to the camera.  This gives the viewer a great view of you, and what is going on between you and the reader.  If there is one or 2 more people in the scene then you will only need one reader, but you will need to make those extra eye lines.  Use your 4th wall technique to make that real for you.

OFF BOOK-  If you are taping at home then try to be completely off book if you have the preparation time.  Remember, it is more important to truly live in the circumstances than to get all the lines right.  If you need your sides, then hold them to the left just about shoulder height off screen and not in front of your face.  Over all,  do not forget to talk and listen.  Do not stare at your sides when the reader is speaking .. look at the reader and truly talk and listen.  Remember if you are talking and listening then you are %50 perfect already.

SOUND-  Hopefully, you have a nice enough camera; so that you can use it.  If you have some old egg crate foam or something like that to put on the walls (in front or beside you), do so; and it will take some of the echo out of the room.  If echoing is not a problem then don't worry about it.  You can also use towels; that should do a little for you also.  Not the wall behind you - you should not see anything on the solid wall behind you.  Make sure that wall is not black; but a solid color that doesn't make your skin tone look funny.  White is ok; and a light blue is also nice or even a grey.

FRAMING-   Slating is standing in front of the camera showing at least a 3/4 view of your body (this will change per casting director, as some have specifics of how they want it done).  In the 3/4 view, you will state your first and last name, the role you are reading for, and your Manager and/or agents name.
              Framing for film - you want to stay in a decent close up depending on the scene.  Your chest to the top of your head.
              Framing for TV -  For tv (and especially comedy) frame a little wider.  Comedy will not shoot a lot of close ups because comedy plays better in a wider shots; so frame from just above your belly button to the top of your head unless specified by casting which will be exactly what you had for film.  Chest to the top of the head.

EDITING- Do not insert your own titles, transitions, or any special effect, or sound effects.  This is not about how good you can make your own film.  You don't need fake blood, etc.   The audition is about you.  You need to render it to a quicktime film.  Those specifics will change depending your computer and what programs you use to edit.  If your slate goes in front of behind can sometimes vary depending on the audition.

Our industry is moving fast; and it is giving people opportunities to audition for stuff even if your not in the same city.  It is great if you can make it; but if you can't then you get the chance to put it on tape.  But remember you are competing with someone that was actually available to be in the room with the casting director; so we need to see your personality right when the audition starts since you don't have the advantage of meeting the casting director in person!  So please let your personality and character show through even in your slate.