If you are using a smartphone, make sure to turn the phone to the side and record. Tape in landscape. Any tapes recorded in portrait are IMMEDIATELY laughed at, shared around the office as we shake our heads as and ask ourselves why we signed this talent in the first place. As talent, part of your job is to know how to present yourselves for auditions. But, if you are reading this article, bravo, you are on your way to learning how to do things properly, and I salute you.
Be off book. There is nothing that says I am ready more than a talent that knows his or her lines. Typically audition turnaround times range anywhere from 24 hours to a week. If you have a week…there are NO excuses. If you have 24 hours, you should still try your best to be off book.
Framing yourself in the video is something else you will need to get right, but we will dial that in, in another blog post
Of course, there are many other things you should be doing, but your acting coach should be on top of you maintaining the line of sight for your eyes, owning the moment, voice/pitch control, etc.
There are a million things you should NOT be doing for self-tapes. Never hold the camera like you are taking a selfie. The camera should sit on a tabletop or a tripod. The last thing we want to see is camera shake. You are not filming an action sequence – we want to focus on you…your expressions, your pitch, your presence, your ability to deliver the lines.
Like everything else out there, self tapes/remote auditions are something you will need to work on to perfect. With a little effort, you will be landing roles with your eyes closed. If you think you are ready to take on the world of television and film, give us a call. At Bolt Entertainment, we look forward to working with hard working professionals who take the time to learn the craft – and reading this blog post was a big step in the right direction.
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