As an actor, one of the very first things that come to your mind is being anxious about the auditions. It gives nervous energy to both the young and the old actors. But the world of performing arts is changing a great deal. Now, the auditions have taken new forms and evolved into the form of self-taped reels and videos.
Where the casting directors are able to view great talent through those self-taped videos that are sent to them, even those actors could now be a part of the larger frame who are located remotely and cannot be physically present on the day of auditions.
However, you have noticed that most of the actors are either looking for self-tape studios near me or trying to self-tape their videos. Some might not be able to make their big break in the industry. And there are some valid reasons for it.
We are here to help all those struggling actors searching for actor-taping services but don’t have the budget to do so.
Here are some of the tips to help all those actors who are doing self-taping for the very first time.
- Lighting:
Most of the casting directors have pointed out that the reason for most of the actors not being blown to secure their place in the top roles has nothing to do with their talent. But it’s the execution that is required. Some of the reels and videos are often declined is that the actors are not able to use the lights properly.
Here by lights properly, we don’t mean that we are looking and fishing out the expensive lights and equipment that become the day’s highlight.
Simple ring lights attached to the camera phone could serve out to be a good enough choice. Moreover, we are also focusing on providing better lights through the use of natural lights that are available throughout the day.
Only you need to take care of the time of the day and how the lights are playing the right role when you are shooting the videos.
- The backdrop:
The background is what helps you to lift your image in front of the camera, and therefore, you need to make sure that when you are choosing a background, the colors and the thematic representation needs to be subtle.
The backgrounds where fancy objects are placed or different patterns are interfering with your image are not the favored ones. And because of the right reason that nothing in the background should be used that takes the eye of the viewer away from you.
The colors that are used in the background need to be contrasting colors to create visual imagery. Suppose you match the color of your clothing with your background. Again it doesn’t create an aesthetic appeal for the viewer, and then there are chances of distraction.
Therefore, you need to be very specific with the background that you choose and also about the things that could be picked online easily and could play a role of a good background when in the picture.
- Sound:
As an actor, when we are filming at a busy place, one of the greatest concerns is the sound. If you are shooting your self-tape in a heavily busy and noisy area, no matter how good you are performing, your videos will be far from acceptance. Just because of the sound the background noise is irritating and distracting for the casting directors, and they should find a place or time of the day that keeps all the distracting sounds away.
- The script:
There are some core acting skills, and learning your script thoroughly is one of them. You need to rehearse your lines as many times before as you like. Before you begin to self-tape, it allows you confidence and gives you a good grip on your lines.
However, it is essential to note that when you have memorized your lines well, you can add some personal touch to the scene. It helps you to evolve as an actor if you are not sure about remembering your lines correctly.
You have all the time in the world before you begin to self-tape. Remember we talked to you about the endless benefits of self-taping and entering and leaving the audition whenever you are prepared through self-tapes.
- The quality of the footage:
When you are editing and finalizing the self-tape, you need to be aware of the quality of the footage. It has to be top-notch to be able to catch the eye of the casting director. If you have shot the video well with everything in mind, ensure top-quality footage that helps you to lend to your dream role.
