Acting : Oh!.... controversial... Olivia Colman: Asking Actors to Self-Tape Auditions Is ‘Disrespectful’ by Amanda Toney

That's her perception and I can understand why she views it as disrespectful. However, I'm confused by Coleman saying in person auditions allow her to get feedback from casting directors. Since when? I've never gotten that. You audition and leave. You either get a callback or you never hear anything. In my experience, there's no difference between in person and self tape in that aspect. I like self tape because I can do however many takes if I forget a line or whatever (plus since when are auditions off book unless performing a monologue?) Wheras, in person one shot that's it. Also, I don't know what she means that self tape is last minute. IME, the deadline for submission is just as much time as scheduling an audition. I also don't think it's fair to say "I never would have gotten where I am if I had self tape." How would she know that?

To be fair, there wasn't much self taping when she broke in. For many actors, this is a way to audition for roles not in their area. It also allows for flexibility. These are just a couple of items in the "Pro" column which is not to say there aren't a few in the "Con" column as well. But, overall, as long as the system isn't abusive to actors - something that was addressed in the SAG agreement - there are more checks in the "Pro" column than the "Con".

I love Olivia Coleman so much and I think that her point is valid. What's hard is that I think the benefit of self-tapes is that they widen the reach and are accessible to performers who normally would have missed out on some of the opportunities due to distance, schedule, etc. However, I agree that forming a one-on-one relationship with casting directors is important to the industry and to the development of an actor's career. I think it's about finding balance and acknowledging that if the initial audion was a self-tape, then callbacks and testing reads should be done in person or at the very least live over Zoom. Even if that means providing travel for the actors at that stage of the process.

Her comment that it requires extensive memorization is a little off. Ever since some actor found the clause in the original 1930s SAG contract a year or so ago, casting has been explicit in every breakdown that "memorization is not required." Truly, it never was required. Actors, however, in an effort to one-up each other, essentially made it a de facto requirement. But that's not limited to self-tapes. That's been true for decades.

Also, her argument that you don't develop relationships with casting is also slightly narrow-minded. Case in point: a CD I had been auditioning for (exclusively on tape) for years, who had never booked me, FINALLY got the chance to book me on a project. She attended the Zoom table read, and the following day she was doing an IG live with her staff, and was gushing over an "actor that I FINALLY got to cast after years of not being able to!" It was so clear in that moment that she had become a huge fan of mine. Yet, from my bubble, my vacuum of no feedback, many actors would misconstrue that silence (and that 0% booking ratio) as NEGATIVE. When, in fact, I had definitely established a relationship, one-sided as it may have felt.

So, does self-taping present MANY challenges? Yes. But like Richard "RB" Botto said, there are PROS as well.

I own a taping service, and here in Atlanta, we've been a 95% self-tape market since 2012. Yep, 2012. So all this uproar is very old news to us. We mastered it long before the pandemic. And we book co-stars, guest stars, and even series regular roles despite the "lack of connection" with CDs.

Like anything in life, you can adapt, or you can complain.

One fantastic, informative and motivating post, Matthew Cornwell. Thanks for adding so much to the discourse. Clearly you speak from a wealth of experience.

Love your last line, btw. I often say, are you an excuses person or a solutions person. Sadly, many are the former.

i think self tapes are convenient for some, a disaster for others. if you've got something to offer that the producers want but you aren't quite hitting the mark, you'll get notes either way - if you don't get notes, they either have what they need or want to move on to someone else. self taping gives you chances to "improve" your take - but according to who? a lot of actors think they know all of the answers and often make big decisions on their own and aren't so good at honestly critiquing themselves. so i say yes to in person auditions and human connection. All the way.

Notes? Who are these people who get feedback from an audition? Just like a job interview, there's no notes. You get a second interview or you don't. CDs call you for a second audition. They don't email and tell you why you weren't selected. You're lucky if you get a "thank you for auditioning but we're going in a different direction" email.

I am not familiar with Olivia Coleman. It seems her reality is quite different from most others.

Nice post, Marsy Robinson. In a perfect world, in person would be the only way. But with global expansion as one, but certainly not the only, variable, self-taping isn't going away any time soon. Still, it points to the importance of networking. I've connected with hundreds of casting directors here through the years and have even collaborated with a few on films I've produced. The key is to continue to expand your networking circle and that comes back to treating networking and relationship building as a job.

Suzanne Bronson for sure dig into Olivia Coleman's work. you will not be disappointed. and i'm one of the people who gives notes - it is common to make suggestions to an actor you have interest in if you see something in them that warrants another take at a scene or a callback.

Suzanne Bronson you're right that you don't get notes or feedback on why it's a pass. However, casting directors or producers will give notes during an in-person casting session if they see something that they like in the audition but they want you to try the scene again with a different approach. When it comes to self-tapes, it's also not uncommon for casting to reach out and ask a performer to re-tape with specific notes, although the turnaround for a second tape like that is usually very quick. Sometimes that even happens ahead of an official call-back.

Most of the time not being cast has nothing to do with you, or your talent, so I fail to see the difference between in person or self tape. The advantage being self tape or web calls allow actors to audition outside their area.

In person auditions are recorded, self tape is saves a step. Yes, sometimes you are asked to make an adjustment, read it differently, I don't consider that notes or feedback really. In my experience, casting wants to see if you can take direction.

Stage 32 is always up to date! love it! you guys rock!

For big movies, would hope the studios aren't calling for more self tapes, as they actually have the resources to do a proper casting process. But for indies and smaller films, self tapes are actually a boon I've found. Casting is a huge process for any film, and in indies it can be costly in time and money, which you often have little of, to do full on intensive casting. Having self tapes as the first step can really streamline your process as an indie filmmaker and take a lot of logistics pressure off a smaller team with smaller goals in mind. If I were an A-list actor with nice credits having to tape myself though, I can see how that would feel annoying, unless I was going out for a role that plays completely against my type and I needed to show new chops.

A List actors don't need to audition that would be insulting. Haha

I've definitely been asked to do rereads with notes during in-person auditions. While I've had to do self tape auditions multiple times, I don't prefer them, as I've never been asked to retape with notes. It's just a cast or pass. It is convenient to not have to travel to a location to audition for a small role that pays very little. But the flip side is the big break roles are harder to get, as you can't leverage your charisma in real time; which is often a huge factor in getting cast.

Thanks, Darwin Reina!

Some fantastic points, Pat Alexander, as per.