Still on the fence about self-taping? This week’s article from LA casting director Bonnie Gillespie lays out in full the number of submissions and auditions for the project she currently has on the go.
Here’s the quick facts:
– 11,461 submissions in the first 42hrs
– 12,482 submissions in total (8 days)
From those totals:
– 150 in-person audition slots available
– 587 actors invited to self-tape.
In addition, the breakdown included an invitation for any actor submitting themselves to self-tape and include the link with their submission.
So, how many self-tapes did they get?
Of the 12,482 submissions she received only *six* accompanying self-tapes, all of which were seen by the creative team *before* the in-person auditions began. That’s an advantage that I’d never considered to the early self-tape, and well worth thinking about.
Of the 587 actors who were invited to self-tape only *eleven* actually submitted.
Those are very encouraging numbers. Since casting directors will usually only see between six and ten actors for each role, that means that the small handful of self-tapes in this case had an excellent chance of being seen by the decision makers.
Building relationships with casting directors is the #1 priority for savvy actors, more important than the outcome of any one audition. With 12,482 actors competing to be seen on one project, the easiest way to be considered for a role is if the casting director knows you and your work. Each audition or self-tape is an investment in teaching the casting director who you are and the kinds of roles you are a good fit for.
Other benefits of self-taping? Extra audition practice for you. If you’re taping at home, then you get practice with the technology so your next tape looks even better. Your agent can watch the tape and see for themselves what kinds of characters you’re a good fit for. No driving. No headshot. Just you, a camera and a computer. Self-taping is accessible and inexpensive, especially if you’re taping and uploading from home. You get to do it on your own time, and you can do as many takes as you need to get your best performance.
So here’s your checklist:
1. Technology: Do you know how to tape an audition using whatever equipment you’ve got available and then upload it to a free video sharing site (YouTube, Vimeo) or send it using a free file-transfer site (YouSendIt, WeTransfer)?
2. Acting: Do you have the skill to do an audition that comes across with honesty and confidence, do you understand the story and can you effectively perform that on camera, are you making acting choices that complement the story and are a good fit for who you are?
3. Fit: Do you understand how who you genuinely are fits with the story and the character, do you know how you come across on camera (sometimes called your “type” or “brand”)?
You can read Bonnie’s article here and more from me here
Michael Bean, Owner+Head Coach
Biz Studio | Professional Film+TV Acting for Kids+Teens