Acting : Has the idea of the "audition" changed with self-taping? by Matthew Cornwell

And I'll add that this is not a dig at Casting Directors. They are responding to budgetary constraints combined with the convenience of self-taping. Even projects local to Atlanta often don't hold in-person sessions. Even for Guest Stars or Recurring roles.

That's really interesting. I'm in Perth, Western Australia and I've often lamented that there isn't more self-taping! Being so isolated and not having a lot of opportunities here, I've resented that Australian casting directors expect the actors to be local or travel (6 hour plane commute) for the audition. But I've always considered it a supplement to a callback, not a replacement for it. There seem to be so many disadvantages and not enough benefits to that system. Of course, there are plenty of benefits for the casting director but even the director would be stuck, with an actor that they've never had a taste of working with and that seems like a predicament for everyone involved. But there must be considerations that I haven't thought of to justify it in the end because these people are professionals and generally good at their job. I'd love to hear a casting director's perspective that practices this.

Molly, I agree that there are so many disadvantages, and I think the whole reasoning is summed up in one word: money. Saving the project money is worth the trade off for them. Now, there are advantages as an actor for self-taping. If you suffer from performance anxiety in auditions, but do fine on set, then the self-tape can take the pressure off the audition. You also have the ability to do multiple takes. You also have more power over the elements of your audition (your day/time slot, your reader, etc).

Molly...I thought you might enjoy this piece from Australia's OZEMAG - It illustrates how some Australian members of Stage 32 are using the site to their advantage. http://ozemag.com/2013/07/18/where-to-connect-with-actors-directors-onli...

I'm a Writer/Director in Atlanta and have decided to move to recorded auditions for exactly the reason you state, money. Instead of having to rent a venue, schedule time slots, and hope the actors could find the place on time, I can now review their reads for free and on my own schedule. The downside is that I can't see how well they take direction, if they can handle a change-up, or a completely different interpretation than they had in mind. I plan to use the video reads to narrow down my choices, but I'd still prefer to have call-backs. Otherwise you might miss a great actor who simply has a different take on the character than you would like.

Thanks for the input, Stephen. As actors, I know one of the biggest complaints is that the money saved by productions is now money that actors have to pay for taping. My wife and I run a taping service, and some of our regular clients spend a couple hundred bucks in a busy month just taping auditions. Some actors have home setups, and some agencies will do limited tapings for their actors, but the vast majority are going to professional taping services. Now, actors actually save money for projects that would normally require 100s of miles of traveling (Atlanta to Wilmington, for instance), but a lot of the local TV/film projects still require tapings, even though the production office and casting director are right here.

Thanks, Richard! You're like a fairy godfather, eh! Stephen, thank you! That's exactly what I wanted to hear! I love the idea of filming auditions, for the reasons stated... but I can't give up on the priceless experience of working briefly with a director during a callback.

Stephen, as a director, and Matthew, as a professional taping service, what is the single best piece of advice you could offer to an actor that is auditioning in this way?

Because you won't get a chance to be directed, you have to rest in your choices. Get a private coaching session with a respected teacher if it's a big audition. And when you go to tape, be just as prepared as a "normal", in-person audition. Trust that if you let the essence of who you are come through (instead of trying to figure out what casting wants), then you can be just as successful on-tape as you are in-person.

My advice for recording an audition is: • Treat it like any other audition and take it seriously. • Memorize the lines so that you can concentrate on the delivery. • Do multiple takes and choose the best one. • Have a reading partner off-camera to read the other character's lines. • Use the best video camera you have available and put it on a tripod. • Pay attention to where you do the read: you need a neutral background in a quiet place. • Make sure you are clearly lit and that your face is in focus. • If possible, use a pro microphone or clip-on lavalier mic attached to the camera. Built-in camera mics are never really good, so they should only be used as a last resort. • Start by introducing yourself, the date, the character you are reading, and the name of the script. Pause a moment before beginning the read. • At the end of the read, restate your name and provide either your phone number or the number of your agent and thank them for watching your audition. • Upload the video privately to a service like Vimeo so that it requires a password to watch. If you have to use Youtube, make sure it is Unlisted so that they at least must have the link to find it. Some productions require that you post on a password-protected system as they do not want scenes from the film to be available to the public. • As a safety protocol, remove all online auditions once that part has been cast. Do not assume that you can use a really good read to show others your ability or that you can add any audition to your reel. You are reading copyrighted material and you have no right to distribute it in any form. Audition recording services are great as they will ensure that all of the technical aspects are done correctly, but the costs can add up. If you have to do it as cheaply as possible, you can use an iPhone or equivalent. As long as you're in a quiet, neutral background setting (someplace without distracting clutter in the shot) and the camera or phone are sitting on something or held very still, you can get passable results. A great low-budget option is the SmartLav by Rode to give you better quality audio if you're using an iPhone or Android. It all comes down to being professional in your manner and your work, and delivering your best performance on camera. Respond promptly to audition requests and try to get as much info as you can about the character before interpreting the scene. When you 'roll camera,' act as though you have the part and you're actually on the set. Even if you don't get that part, a good performance will often be remembered and may lead to other opportunities. As the saying goes, "You only get one chance at a first impression."

Great advice Stephen!

Thank you, guys! I really appreciate those tips! And such thorough tips, they were!

I agree, Molly...Some terrific and insightful info.

My only comment on Stephen's post is that you need to follow the specific instructions of the individual auditions. Some clients want the head and tail slate like Stephen. Some casting directors WILL NOT WATCH your tape if has a slate anywhere. Some clients like the YouTube/Vimeo link, but most (in the TV/film realm) will forbid it, even if it's password-protected. Your agent will prefer you to send your read via services like WeTransfer or Hightail (formerly YouSendIt), and they will upload to Actors Access or the appropriate site. All of his technical pointers are spot-on, though. I made a video over a year ago showing the different qualities of self-taping, and what has now become the standard for taping in Atlanta: http://youtu.be/GZoG3mFGIrc

This is great! Thanks!