A - Self Taping an Audition (Lesson)

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Self Taping an Audition

"Self-tapes are what many actors and casting directors refer to when an audition is done through digital casting–rather than trying out in person, performers submit video of their audition. For some actors, this can be more daunting than an in-person audition while for others, it can be less stressful."  -Ludovic Coutaud, New York Film Academy 

Tips for Self-Taping an Audition

Devices and Supplemental Materials

Please watch the video below to learn more about devices and supplemental materials needed to film an audition tape.

The most important thing to know, and hopefully, this gives you relief, is you can work with what you have.

We do not have to have fancy equipment to create really beautiful shows. Phones are great recording devices. iPhones are magical and have so many capabilities. Samsungs also have really high-quality videos. Auditioners can also use iPads or other tablet devices. You can also use your laptop. 

You also want to consider supplemental materials, such as a mini ring light or a regular 10-inch ring light, backdrops, and tripods. You can either do a nice gray or dusty blue backdrop, or you can do green screen backdrops- they do not have to be fancy. A really lovely workaround for a green screen is a vinyl tablecloth. A green vinyl tablecloth from Party City or the Dollar Store works great as a green screen. Then you can use all kinds of really fun virtual backgrounds. 

You can now cross one thing off your list -- you have something to record your audition tape with!

Next, you must be mindful of the aspect ratio, or the size of the frame. You have to set it -- it doesn't happen automatically. Set the aspect ratio to widescreen, which is 16 x 9 if the screen is horizontal, or 9 x 16 if it is vertical.  Also, be sure to set your resolution to HD. You can do that very easily by going to your camera settings on your phone. In the options settings, you will want to select the 4k option. If you have a newer phone, the option that says "4k/30 fps" represents your HD setting. Many phones do not record in that automatically, because it does use up a lot of storage. There are tutorials on YouTube you can find that will help you. This is a simple solution to getting a really nice high-quality video from a phone.

Audio

Audio is very important and it can be really tricky with self-taping. You will want to test your microphone levels for your volume and the space you are in. 

Microphone Sensitivity

Typically, whatever software you are using, there will be an ability to see a test bar associated with the audio input. This will indicate to the performer whether or not the volume is in a range that is being picked up by the microphone and whether or not the volume is too loud for the microphone to process. For a self-taped audition, it is not enough to simply be loud. If you overwhelm the microphone equipment with volume, the effect is the same as not being heard at all. Even if you do have a visual test option, the best thing to do is to record a small section and listen to it.  If the sound needs to be adjusted, you can either adjust the sensitivity of the microphone or the manner of the delivery of the lines. You may need to do both. 

Ambient Sound

Another issue with self-taping an audition is dealing with ambient sound. While some actors do have a home studio with soundproofing, many actors will record wherever they are able. Consequently, it is important to check on sounds that may get in the way of the audition.

Try to avoid echoes- garages, bathrooms, unfurnished rooms are notoriously difficult to record in. Towels, pillows, blankets, and curtains can help to dampen echoes.

Avoid Unintentional Noises

Dishwashers, washing machines, bathroom fans, televisions, and other people talking can all be very distracting in a recording. You may also not be aware of what is being picked up by the microphone. For this reason, it's a good idea to record a small sample in the room you are planning to perform in and listen back to see if you hear any sounds that are picked up on the recording that you may not have previously noticed. 

Framing Shot Angles

Please watch the video below to learn more about how to frame the shot for your audition tape.

Shot Types

Please view the presentation below to learn more about the different types of shots you could use in your audition video.

For the purpose of self-taping an audition, follow the general expectations below:

  • Use a medium shot for your basic self-tape, a close-up shot for more intimate acting moments, and a full shot for dance submissions. 
  • Try to film the video at eye level. Low angles are not good, especially for dancers. Find a way to get that full shot as close to eye level as possible whenever you're singing, acting, or doing a show that requires a virtual background. When your eye line is going straight to the camera, it's going to make a difference. 
  • Proper lighting is important! The most important thing is to keep your face out of the shadows. If you don't have fancy equipment, such as a light ring, you can still create good lighting by either using lamps or by filming in front of a window with natural light. 
  • Be mindful of your sound. Make sure that you avoid echoes and white noise, and watch your distance from the camera. 

Tips From Working Georgia Actors

We interviewed 75 working Georgia-based actors between the ages of 20 and 40 and asked them what the top tips they had for auditioning as well as what they wished they had known as high school students going into the market. These are the top ten responses:

  1. "Learning from a choice that fails is better than doing nothing. At least you did something discussable."
  2. "Read as much material as possible."
  3. "When looking for audition material there are great collections such as the Humana collections and the Kilroy list. They're a fantastic place to start. Avoid audition monologue books for actors; they don't introduce the larger body of work or the arc of storytelling the way that a play would or a monologue within a play."
  4. "Realistically, no professional theater cares at all what shows you did in college. Being on stage is great training in and of itself, but the most important thing you get out of your time in college is the training; do not take it for granted."
  5. "You get out of this industry what you put into it. If you get accepted to a well-known program or whatever and then get lazy because you made it into one of these big schools, you will be completely lapped by people who trained at what you may consider a lesser school. Just going to a certain program does not ensure actually being well-trained, and if you don't get into your dream school you can still come out as well prepared as you want to be."
  6. "Read plays, check out practice rooms, run material, tape yourself running things, and make notes about what isn't reading the way you meant it to."
  7. "Ask your friends and peers to watch stuff and give notes."
  8. "Book out the dance studio and go work in there etc. The harder you work and the more you put into this career, the more you get out of it guaranteed. Anyone can book a show or a film project. You stay in this industry long enough, the odds are wildly in your favor to book at least once.  What you do with that opportunity of your first show or project, that's what decides if you get a second."
  9. "Work hard and be pleasant. Hard workers who add something positive to the environment will work more than talented divas every day of the week."
  10. "Once you reach a certain level, everyone in the room next to you is talented, but only you are you. Don't think about what to do to be the character, but make choices that are individualized. Be yourself; be comfortable in your own shoes. If you are what they're looking for, you will get it. If you aren't, you won't. It becomes so much easier to accept that this has nothing to do with who is the more talented person and more to do with what the casting director is looking for specifically, but if you go in there and try to act how you think the casting director wants you to act for this role, you may look inauthentic which may make you seem less honest as an actor, and they may have been looking for exactly what you could bring to the role and you missed it by trying to be someone else."

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