Things are starting to slowly reopen in LA. There are a few shows that are back to filming after some safety guidelines are in place. There are a lot of things that have to be done in order to have a safe set, such as regular testing and having actors wear masks or shields except for the brief time you are filming (everyone else on set has to keep their mask or shield on). I know a few people who are series regulars on tv shows, and they have been able to start working again. I’m so happy to see things starting up again, but I also know that they aren’t fully opening. Even with the shows that are back, I wonder how many actors that aren’t the regulars will be in each episode. I know things are still being figured out and things can and will change, but each step forward is positive.
There have even started to have auditions that are held in casting offices. I haven’t had an in-office audition yet, and I’m not sure how safe I feel going to one. Fortunately, for people who are nervous going into an office, most casting directors are still allowing actors to submit self-tapes. And more often than not, all of the auditions are being done as self-tapes. So that makes things easy.
For most self-tape auditions, you have at least a few days to get them done. Sometimes, if they are a general audition like my other pandemic audition, you get several weeks to do your audition. I appreciate having the time so I can get my lines memorized, find a friend who can help me with my self-tape (now, having help over a video call to have someone be my reader), have time to film a few takes, and then editing it and submitting it. Rarely, for self-tapes and in-person auditions do you have a same-day audition. But they do happen. And that’s almost what happened to me this past weekend.
Technically, it wasn’t a same-day self-tape audition, but it was close. The audition notice came in very late at night. I was actually asleep when I got it so I didn’t know about it until the next morning. And it was due by 8 pm that day. So I had to quickly figure out who could help me so I could get this done and submitted. I was lucky that another actor from my union slate was able to help me out. And it wasn’t a long audition so I quickly had it memorized.
I still want to improve my self-tape setup, but it’s not too bad. I have a good tripod for my iPad (which is my best camera) and I have a place in my house that has good natural light. I struggle with my current setup with doing full-body angles (which are typically needed for audition introductions), but that’s not too bad. And I think most casting directors understand that home self-tapes might not be perfect. But even with the improvements I want to make, I think my self-tape auditions look pretty good.
I’ve been doing more video editing lately since I have to do minor edits to the livestreams I help to run, so editing my self-tape was pretty easy. It was made even easier because every take that I did was actually the same video clip. I just started my camera when we started and kept it running through all my takes and adjustments. I just had to watch it to figure out which take was the best one. And while I don’t like watching or hearing myself on camera, I’m getting better at it and it’s not as difficult for me to do the editing.
I was able to get my audition edited and submitted a few hours before the deadline. I had a few issues getting it submitted, but the casting director gave us a few options of how we could do it so I was able to use a different method from what I originally planned on using.
For a self-tape audition, this was quick and easy. I’m shocked how fast I was able to get it done, but it really just fell into place. And having the chance to audition made me so happy. I don’t believe I booked the commercial I auditioned for, but that doesn’t matter. I had the best day having an audition and it really made my time being isolated a lot more fun.
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Self-Taping At Home (or Auditioning In Yoga Pants)
Audition Horror Stories (or Sometimes I Like Things To Be Boring)
An Isolation Audition (or Working On My Self-Tape Game)
Making My Acting Bold (or Feeling Great From An Audition)
Upgrading My Self-Tape Set Up (or 2 Auditions In 30 Minutes)
Audition Friends (or The Kindness Of My Competition)
