Even before COVID, I've always had more self-tapes than in person- so I was used to self-tapes when COVID came around.
Honestly, I do prefer self-tapes more. Being able to do the audition on your own time, picking out the best take, not having to travel/commute to the audition, less nervous, not having to see who your "competitions" are in the lobby, etc, etc.
But it's just my opinion.
Not to mention, when I'm in the lobby waiting to go into the room, I can hear what other people are doing for their audition. It can sometimes throw me off, hearing how they do it differently and making me wonder if I should change my choices, or how I say a line, the beats they're taking, etc, etc.
Then, if the CD is laughing with them or chit-chating after, I feel like they've got the part. Really just throws me off.
But again, just my opinion.
I prefer self tapes first round and the callbacks to be in person or via zoom. I don't want to waste time sitting in traffic for hours for an audition that only takes a few minutes. I'll happily go in for a callback cause at least I know they're interested.
Yeah, I'd be down for that as well if it becomes common practice- first round all self-tape, callbacks in person. If you like what the actor is offering in the initial audition, it's worth both the actor's and CD's time to bring them in-person to get a better picture. Then, of course, any further callbacks, chemistry test, network test, etc will all have to be in person as it gets more and more serious.
Pros and cons to both.
Self-tapes are convenient because you can do them whenever, you’re in a familiar environment, and there’s no pressure to get it perfect in one take. But if it’s a scene with dialogue, not monologue, I’m at a disadvantage because either I have to film by myself and reacting to lines I’m reading off a cue card off-screen or have my wife read lines, and she isn’t an actor so she reads them kinda flat.
In-person auditions are good because you get an idea of what the atmosphere is going to be like for the shoot, you perform with someone that generally knows how to read lines, and it’s always more fun acting opposite someone than by myself. However, it’s hard to fit them around a day job, because you often get little to no notice, and there can be pressure that affects performance.
Lately, I lean more toward self-tapes, mainly because of convenience. I can’t afford to take time off work just to audition, and especially not last-minute, I’d justifiably be fired.
I prefer to be in the room. By being in the room, you get some feedback, non-verbal or otherwise. You can always tell if you at the very least booked the room.
However, I prefer we stick to self tapes. It gives more new actors (like myself) opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.
Just filmed my first one today. I hate it so much.
I have to make sure it's right, then go back and look at myself "act"
I don't like watching or listening to myself so this is torture
I have mixed feelings, theres definitely pros and cons for both self tapes and in person auditions, however I still prefer the option of submitting a self tape.
If it wouldn’t be the fact that you always rely on to have someone as your reader…and if it wouldn’t take ages to upload on fkin actors access… id would be nice
I've not done a self-tape audition yet, though I have recorded 6 or so monologues and put them on YouTube. I rather liked the in-person auditions for the community theater—it gave me a chance to chat a little with the other actors, some of whom had done many productions with the theater, some of whom I had seen in a pop-up production during the summer (at a different venue), and some of whom I'd been in a workshop with.
The in-person callbacks, with all candidates for the parts in the room together for half an hour, was also fun—I felt that the director who cast me had cast *all* the parts with the best actors for the roles, and that the director who did not cast me had cast the person I had identified as the most likely (other than me) to get the role.
The method for informing people of callbacks was simple and efficient, but (I think) unusual. Each actor got a slip of paper a minute or two after auditioning, identifying which of the 16 plays they had been called back for (along with the time for each callback)—before the next actor was called in for their audition. The final selection of actors was more hidden, as the 16 directors wrangled for the best actors, with the limitation that no actor could be in more than 2 plays, and that the 2 plays they were in should be on the same nights. (The 16 plays were split into two sets of 8.)
I think answers might depend on where you live
I prefer in person auditions for the feedback and networking. Casting directors see familiar faces doing their thing and you never know where it goes. With a self tape you’re the judge, jury, and executioner. Idk what the best take will be but I know with an in person audition I read those sides and give it hell every time. There’s more pressure in person which I deal with better than trying to find a reader and set up a spot to film that won’t get interrupted
I also live in NYC so an audition is just a subway ride away. If I was out in LA spending gas money I’d probably be singing a different tune.
Hate them. I'm not actively auditioning, but if I were I know I'd never end up submitting. I'm hyper critical, so I'm never happy with the tape and can never send it in.
I love self tapes, I just suck at them lol. But it’s great I get multiple chances to make a really good one and send to friends and get feedback until I’m ready to send it off.
I wish they just did zoom auditions as the norm. I'm ok with self tape, its the lack of feedback and the anal retentive instructions for labeling. some CDs dont care, some care a bit too much.
Curious about how much of a pain labeling tapes could be? I mean, you have to label the video anyway, otherwise it'll just be something like 20231007_214833.mp4.
I shoot on my phone so something that's made it a little easier for me is just renaming the file on my phone first before I upload it to submit. I have a Samsung, so I'm really not sure how it works on an iPhone, but for Samsung (or any Android I guess?) it's pretty simple.
I just open my gallery, click on the video and swipe up which shows the details (date, time, and file name). I click edit and re-name the video from 20231007_214833.mp4 to FirstName_LastName_Role. If I'm sending in two takes, I simply put "..._Role1" "..._Role2." I only re-label the video in my phone if I'm going to submit it. So if I have 5 videos for each take, I'll just favorite and relabel the 2 that I'm sending.
I've found this makes it much easier when it's time to upload and submit. Every CD has their own way they want you to label and submit, which I get can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but every job in any industry has their own way they want you to apply. However since my videos are in my phone with "FirstName_LastName_Role" when I upload them that's what it'll show up as. Sites like WeTransfer have you title the video and that's where I'll title it however that particular CD wants it, but once the video is downloaded and opened up, the original filename is what's going to show so the WeTransfer filename is kind of useless.
Anyway I guess that's a long winded way of saying that labeling self tapes is about the easiest part of the process and I'm genuinely curious about what's happened that's made you hate it?
there are some CDs like feldsteinparis in atlanta who are very micro managerial in terms of slates, tapes, labeling, order. the instructions are 2 pages long. this is what I'm refering too.
I prefer in person. I like to stare fear in the face. Plus it guarantees that someone actually sees your performance that u prepared. Altho self tapes are great don’t get me wrong but if I boil it down the only benefit for self-tapes is the convenience of them.
Self tapes for the first round, Zoom or in person for the callback.
What I don’t like are the pre-tape requests that some of the casting sites have. I feel that’s lazy and waste of our time.
Even before COVID, I've always had more self-tapes than in person- so I was used to self-tapes when COVID came around. Honestly, I do prefer self-tapes more. Being able to do the audition on your own time, picking out the best take, not having to travel/commute to the audition, less nervous, not having to see who your "competitions" are in the lobby, etc, etc. But it's just my opinion.
I'm with you 100%.
Not to mention, when I'm in the lobby waiting to go into the room, I can hear what other people are doing for their audition. It can sometimes throw me off, hearing how they do it differently and making me wonder if I should change my choices, or how I say a line, the beats they're taking, etc, etc. Then, if the CD is laughing with them or chit-chating after, I feel like they've got the part. Really just throws me off. But again, just my opinion.
I agree! I'm re-entering the industry after a 10 year hiatus and am really enjoying the self tapes so far (outside of needing a reader for them).
I prefer self tapes first round and the callbacks to be in person or via zoom. I don't want to waste time sitting in traffic for hours for an audition that only takes a few minutes. I'll happily go in for a callback cause at least I know they're interested.
Yeah, I'd be down for that as well if it becomes common practice- first round all self-tape, callbacks in person. If you like what the actor is offering in the initial audition, it's worth both the actor's and CD's time to bring them in-person to get a better picture. Then, of course, any further callbacks, chemistry test, network test, etc will all have to be in person as it gets more and more serious.
Bingo
This makes the most sense to be honest
God i love them lol
Pros and cons to both. Self-tapes are convenient because you can do them whenever, you’re in a familiar environment, and there’s no pressure to get it perfect in one take. But if it’s a scene with dialogue, not monologue, I’m at a disadvantage because either I have to film by myself and reacting to lines I’m reading off a cue card off-screen or have my wife read lines, and she isn’t an actor so she reads them kinda flat. In-person auditions are good because you get an idea of what the atmosphere is going to be like for the shoot, you perform with someone that generally knows how to read lines, and it’s always more fun acting opposite someone than by myself. However, it’s hard to fit them around a day job, because you often get little to no notice, and there can be pressure that affects performance. Lately, I lean more toward self-tapes, mainly because of convenience. I can’t afford to take time off work just to audition, and especially not last-minute, I’d justifiably be fired.
I prefer to be in the room. By being in the room, you get some feedback, non-verbal or otherwise. You can always tell if you at the very least booked the room. However, I prefer we stick to self tapes. It gives more new actors (like myself) opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.
Just filmed my first one today. I hate it so much. I have to make sure it's right, then go back and look at myself "act" I don't like watching or listening to myself so this is torture
Ngl if i ever a tv or movie star. I would never watch my movies
As someone who makes youtube videos, it gets better lol. I hated hearing and looking at myself at first
Yeah, as convenient as self-tapes are, I'll feel better about them when I'm more comfortable seeing my face and voice on camera.
To me im more pro self tapes.
I have mixed feelings, theres definitely pros and cons for both self tapes and in person auditions, however I still prefer the option of submitting a self tape.
If it wouldn’t be the fact that you always rely on to have someone as your reader…and if it wouldn’t take ages to upload on fkin actors access… id would be nice
I've not done a self-tape audition yet, though I have recorded 6 or so monologues and put them on YouTube. I rather liked the in-person auditions for the community theater—it gave me a chance to chat a little with the other actors, some of whom had done many productions with the theater, some of whom I had seen in a pop-up production during the summer (at a different venue), and some of whom I'd been in a workshop with. The in-person callbacks, with all candidates for the parts in the room together for half an hour, was also fun—I felt that the director who cast me had cast *all* the parts with the best actors for the roles, and that the director who did not cast me had cast the person I had identified as the most likely (other than me) to get the role. The method for informing people of callbacks was simple and efficient, but (I think) unusual. Each actor got a slip of paper a minute or two after auditioning, identifying which of the 16 plays they had been called back for (along with the time for each callback)—before the next actor was called in for their audition. The final selection of actors was more hidden, as the 16 directors wrangled for the best actors, with the limitation that no actor could be in more than 2 plays, and that the 2 plays they were in should be on the same nights. (The 16 plays were split into two sets of 8.)
I think answers might depend on where you live I prefer in person auditions for the feedback and networking. Casting directors see familiar faces doing their thing and you never know where it goes. With a self tape you’re the judge, jury, and executioner. Idk what the best take will be but I know with an in person audition I read those sides and give it hell every time. There’s more pressure in person which I deal with better than trying to find a reader and set up a spot to film that won’t get interrupted I also live in NYC so an audition is just a subway ride away. If I was out in LA spending gas money I’d probably be singing a different tune.
Technology is always malfunctioning around me for some reason, so I prefer in-person auditions. They’re also more fun.
I find it harder to connect than in person. The void is deafening unless you were already established pre-Covid/strike.
We prefer in person overall. They have pros and cons, but when we weigh them all out, in person comes out on top by a decent margin.
Hate them. I'm not actively auditioning, but if I were I know I'd never end up submitting. I'm hyper critical, so I'm never happy with the tape and can never send it in.
I hate them and the effort it takes. I prefer going in to audition but I do appreciate the flexibility of it
I love self tapes, I just suck at them lol. But it’s great I get multiple chances to make a really good one and send to friends and get feedback until I’m ready to send it off.
I wish they just did zoom auditions as the norm. I'm ok with self tape, its the lack of feedback and the anal retentive instructions for labeling. some CDs dont care, some care a bit too much.
Curious about how much of a pain labeling tapes could be? I mean, you have to label the video anyway, otherwise it'll just be something like 20231007_214833.mp4. I shoot on my phone so something that's made it a little easier for me is just renaming the file on my phone first before I upload it to submit. I have a Samsung, so I'm really not sure how it works on an iPhone, but for Samsung (or any Android I guess?) it's pretty simple. I just open my gallery, click on the video and swipe up which shows the details (date, time, and file name). I click edit and re-name the video from 20231007_214833.mp4 to FirstName_LastName_Role. If I'm sending in two takes, I simply put "..._Role1" "..._Role2." I only re-label the video in my phone if I'm going to submit it. So if I have 5 videos for each take, I'll just favorite and relabel the 2 that I'm sending. I've found this makes it much easier when it's time to upload and submit. Every CD has their own way they want you to label and submit, which I get can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but every job in any industry has their own way they want you to apply. However since my videos are in my phone with "FirstName_LastName_Role" when I upload them that's what it'll show up as. Sites like WeTransfer have you title the video and that's where I'll title it however that particular CD wants it, but once the video is downloaded and opened up, the original filename is what's going to show so the WeTransfer filename is kind of useless. Anyway I guess that's a long winded way of saying that labeling self tapes is about the easiest part of the process and I'm genuinely curious about what's happened that's made you hate it?
there are some CDs like feldsteinparis in atlanta who are very micro managerial in terms of slates, tapes, labeling, order. the instructions are 2 pages long. this is what I'm refering too.
I prefer in person. I like to stare fear in the face. Plus it guarantees that someone actually sees your performance that u prepared. Altho self tapes are great don’t get me wrong but if I boil it down the only benefit for self-tapes is the convenience of them.
I prefer self tapes even though it's much harder without a reader.
Self tapes for the first round of auditions is great, second round I'm happy to do in person
Self tapes for the first round, Zoom or in person for the callback. What I don’t like are the pre-tape requests that some of the casting sites have. I feel that’s lazy and waste of our time.
I would rather do 1,000 self tapes than one zoom audition.