No Shows to Auditions

“Why do actors no-show auditions? Who knows! I’ve heard stories of actors waiting to audition and saying aloud, ‘Man! It’s such a pretty day. I need to hit the beach,’ and then signing out and leaving without reading for the role. What I like to tell actors who worry about the vast numbers, in terms of competition in this town, is that you must keep in mind that among your so-called competition is a bunch of flakes. Show up and you’ll have beaten those folks right out of the gate.

Casting director friends have told me about actors no-showing final producer callbacks when it’s down to only three actors. I’ve heard of actors no-showing after being confirmed by both their agents and their managers. There are tales of actors who no-show after begging to be seen for a particular role. Generally, the ones we make the most effort to accommodate (scheduling & rescheduling to make sure the actor can be there) turn out to be the one’s that blow off us. That makes it all the more valuable to be the actor who is easy to work with, professional, and accountable. We already assume that you’re talented. That’s why you’re here. The ability to rise above the flakes is sometimes the talent that sets you apart.”
– Bonnie Gillespie
(Self Management for Actors)

How to Stand Out

“Standing out does not come from the outside but from within. You can’t obsess over the other actors coming in for the same role. You can wow us by simply being yourself. All we want is you, and to see your authentic, natural charisma coming through the character.”

– Cathy Reinking, CSA (Casting Director)
from her book,
“How to Book Acting Jobs in TV & Film
The Truth About the Acting Industry
Conversations with a Veteran Hollywood Casting Director”

How to avoid wardrobe malfunctions

From Backstage
5 Ways to Avoid Audition Wardrobe Malfunctions
By Gwyn Gilliss
Nov. 18, 2013

“When you have a shot at a really good role, you don’t want to be defeated by your clothes. Props and scenery can get in the way, but there’s no excuse if your wardrobe does as well.

How many times have you gotten a last minute call from an agent who had a major audition for you—a contract role on a television series, a meeting with a Broadway director, or a callback for a film? Suddenly, you’re in chaos! The blue blouse is at the cleaners. The black slacks are unpressed, and you’re panicked! You don’t have anything to wear, so maybe you choose something that you didn’t think about or try on ahead of time or something you’ve never worn. The results? Well, from personal experience, hilarious but highly embarrassing incidents occur.

Here are five tips for avoiding wardrobe malfunctions.

1. Break in new shoes, or just don’t wear them. If your shoes are new, wear them around the block on cement pavement a few hundred times. If you don’t scratch up the soles, you may go sliding on the polished parquet floors of an audition studio. Woo-hoo! If they’re high heels, make sure you can walk in them without twisting an ankle. Oops! Down you go.

2. Avoid big, shiny jewelry. Leave it at home if you are auditioning for any on-camera roles. Big, shiny jewelry is distracting, especially if it’s metal flashing in the bright lights of the television studio. They won’t see your face if they’re too busy looking at those big gold earrings, the large necklace, or the dozens of jangling bracelets. (There’s a hilarious scene from the movie “Auntie Mame” about that.) More importantly, jewelry can restrict your movements. Imagine wearing a long necklace. It suddenly gets stuck on the sleeve of your mohair sweater, and you spend the length of your monologue trying to extricate yourself from it. Then there’s that audition where you wore a strand of pearls. You guessed it. They pop right off and create an explosion of small bouncing balls all over the floor. Everyone in the room feels obliged to jump after them and play “pick up.” End of your delicious monologue. Yes! Both of those have happened to me. The result? Funny memories but no bookings.

3. Avoid tight skirts and pants. A skirt or pants splitting might be amusing, but it’s embarrassing to have to exit the room backwards or put your coat on to cover the fact that your underwear is showing. Try the skirt on beforehand, and practice walking around and sitting. The same holds true for guys and slacks. They shouldn’t be that tight unless you’re auditioning to play Elvis.

4. Keep your hair and makeup simple. Keep it simple if it’s for television. Often what looks great on the street (heavy lashes, sparkly eye shadow and black eyeliner) make a girl look like a vampire on camera. Long hair that just hangs usually falls in your face when trying to read a script or looking down. On camera, it creates a shadow over one side of your face or covers one eye completely. Don’t let your hair overwhelm your skills. Get layers or trim it shorter so it’s bouncy and flows instead of hanging. Guys with spiked, moussed, or waxed hair sometimes look shiny, greasy, or wet on camera. Use those products in moderation.

5. Wear bright, energetic colors. Unless you’re auditioning for something similar to “The Sopranos,” avoid wearing all black. If it’s an audition for a commercial, avoid the classic mistakes of red, white, and black. Aim instead for a nice shade of blue or vibrant spring and summer tones. Vibrant colors will help you book television commercials, but also help you be more memorable than your competition.

To really succeed at your auditions, wear comfortable clothes that make you look sensational. Wear vibrant colors with clean and crisp hair and makeup. After all, it’s you that’s auditioning, not your wardrobe.

As the founder and executive director of The Actors’s Market, Gwyn Gilliss provides free monthly info seminars, agent/casting director interview tele-seminars, weekly marketing tips, as well as many coaching programs to help actors break into both the NY and L.A. industries. Gwyn has tremendous success with her private career coaching clients. More than 90 percent get agent representation launching their careers with performances in feature films, Broadway productions, and Emmy-award-winning primetime TV series, such as “The Good Wife,” “White Collar,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “NCIS,” “House,” “Law & Order,” “30 Rock,” “Criminal Minds.”

Email her to request a free 15-minute career session: coach@theactorsmarket.com.”

Being On Time

Quote from a big talent agent about holiday season and it should be true all year long…
“Its busy and nuts out there, everyone is scrambling to get all their jobs booked and done. This is NOT the time of year to be even 5 minutes late. I suggest you show up 15 early. I am getting angry calls from Casting Directors because actors are even 5 minutes late. They seldom remember you did a good job in the audition room, but they always remember if they had to call me to say your late. Do your best to be your best.”

What to know before you go… or even confirm an audition

7 Things You Should Know Before You Accept an Audition

By Danielle Eskinazi
For Backstage
Oct. 15, 2013

“Today’s column focuses on the business of acting, rather than the art. Due to a recent booking issue with an actor and an agency, I initially wanted to write about things you need to know before you accept a job. However, upon second thought, it’s important you don’t go through the audition process for a job you wouldn’t accept. So here are seven things you should know before accepting an audition!

1. Accountability
You may have a great agency with a reliable staff representing you, but remember that your career is your responsibility. If you receive an audition appointment and have concerns over any of the below details, ask! Don’t make assumptions, and don’t confirm without getting your questions answered.

2. Availability
It is your responsibility to double check callback and shoot dates for a job prior to confirming an initial audition—even if you have given book-out dates to your agency. If you’re not available for the callback and/or shoot dates, cancel the appointment.

3. Conflicts
Yes, your agent should record your conflicts and submit accordingly. However, if you receive an audition that raises concern, follow your instincts and ask your agent to double check. I once had an actor accept a job and show up to set, only to find out that her agent had renewed a conflict. The renewal hadn’t yet been recorded in their agency’s system so it didn’t show up at time of the submission. Production had to shut down the set, and it was a $500,000 mistake.

4. Compensation
You need to be on the same page with your agent. Are you willing to work for scale? Are you willing to go out of town? Do you require a guarantee of days if the shoot may be, “One, two, or three days, depending on role”? If you want a guarantee, talk to your agent, but don’t confirm simply hoping you’ll book the maximum.

5. Dues
Pay your union dues. Period.

6. Documentation
Do not confirm an audition if you lack the necessary documentation to accept the job on a quick turnaround. Examples include passport, visa, work permit, Coogan info, etc.

7. Content
Your agent should already have your personal preferences on file, but in the event you receive an audition for a product or message that you don’t wish to represent, talk to your agent. Don’t accept an audition if there is any chance you will have second thoughts upon receiving a booking. We understand, and would rather not see you in the first place.

Danielle Eskinazi is an award-winning casting director. With more than two decades casting films, television, theater, and commercials, Eskinazi has cast such talent as David Bowie, Rosanna Arquette, and Woody Harrelson, while also launching the careers of now-successful actors including Hank Azaria and Milla Jovovich. Today Danielle Eskinazi Casting has cast over 3,000 national and regional commercial spots. Danielle has been nominated for the Talent Managers Association prestigious Seymour Heller Award for Best Commercial Casting Director of 2009, and was a runner up twice for Favorite Commercial Casting Director in Backstage West. Danielle’s latest venture is Actvice, an online service she created to give immediate and invaluable feedback on audition rehearsals, monologues, scenes, reels, and/or headshots.“

Spend Your Money & Time Wisely

I personally am an actor that takes a portfolio into workshops and does maintain a facebook “fan” page. I have always thought that proper marketing and presentation is good for your career and makes you stand out from the pack when your work is of equal quality, is that the wrong point of view? I found this article from Backstage that makes me question all I am being taught.

Why the IMDb STARmeter Rating Isn’t Getting You Auditions

By Secret Agent Man
On Backstage
July 22, 2013

“My experience has been that actors spend way too much time worrying about things that don’t really matter.

For example, why are actors always checking their STARmeter ranking on IMDb? Do you really think that number means anything? It’s just a rating based on Internet searches by the website’s users. In theory, the rankings are supposed to graph your popularity in the entertainment industry—but trust me: No one cares except for narcissistic movie stars and their publicists.

To prove my point, a 35-year-old actor named Shannon Guess recently held the number one position for more than a week. This dubious accomplishment had nothing to do with her acting career; Miss Guess was at the top because she was arrested for allegedly sending envelopes laced with poison to President Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The notes inside read, “You will have to kill me and my family before you get my guns. Anyone who wants to come to my house will get shot in the face. The right to bear arms is my constitutional right and I will exercise that right till the day I die.”

Wow! That’s the ultimate cover letter, isn’t it? I bet agents all over town were scrambling to get a meeting with this future star.
Sadly, there are companies out there you can pay to help raise your ranking. I know that sounds absurd but these places do exist, so some of you must be handing over your credit card number. I guess the hope is that no one will notice the lack of training and credits on your résumé when you’re that popular on IMDb. And maybe that’s why so many actors mention their ranking when they’re submitting to my agency.
Here’s the bottom line: Even if these companies deliver on their promises, none of you are getting a deal or an audition or representation because of a spike in your STARmeter ranking.

There are no shortcuts in this business.

Here are a few more examples of actors burning way too many calories on activities that don’t really matter.

I have an editor friend who works on a lot of demo reels. He recently told me that an actor wasted 10 minutes in his studio trying to figure out which font to use for his name.

When I attend a workshop, actors often hand me elaborate portfolios stuffed with more information than anyone could possibly want. I always feel bad when I throw them away. What a waste of time and money. If I’m meeting you at a workshop, all I really need is your headshot and résumé. Save the rest for your AFI career retrospective.

I’ve been told that actors spend hours and hours working on their Facebook fan pages, just in case someone like me wants to learn more about them. I hate to burst everyone’s bubble, but I’ve never done this, and I doubt I ever will. Why would I? There are only so many hours in the day.
That applies to you too. It’s like Gordon Gekko said, “The most valuable commodity is time.” So use it wisely. Learn some basic marketing skills. Get in great mental and physical shape. Put yourself in social settings that create contacts. Focus on your craft. Become the best actor you can possibly be. Doing this will serve you better than focusing on all that other nonsense that adds up to nothing more than wasted energy.

And that’s it for this week, gang. I have to go submit on some breakdowns. It seems like everyone is looking for a Shannon Guess type”

Space Station Casting Has Moved

Be advised when going to auditions at Space Station … They have moved from their location at Highland & Fountain to Cahuenga (near House Casting & Red Studios). Just don’t want you to be late to an audition like I almost was.

21 Things That Make Casting Directors Happy in the Audition Room

By Risa Bramon García | Posted May 29, 2013
Article from Backstage

“Casting directors are your advocates and your champions. Your work reflects on us. Your wonderful work makes us look good and gets that role cast. Your disconnected, tentative, muddled work does nothing for anyone. We need you to be great. We’re here to host your experience and shepherd you in, not hold you back. We want to share in your excellent work.

Casting directors await you on the other side of that door – the door that you can seen as a gateway or a barricade. While you turn it into a horror movie, it’s your stage, not a torture chamber. Whether it’s a pre-read for an associate or a full-blown director/producer callback session, this is your time, your experience. This is your opportunity to do exceptional work. Enter the space and do the work for yourself, for the gratification of the work itself, and yes, to collaborate with the other creative people waiting to figure it out with you. They can’t do it without you.

Here are some choices (and they are choices) to make any casting director truly happy in the room.

1. Accept the invitation with grace and enthusiasm. You were requested to be here as our guest.

2. Come to work and not to please or get our approval.

3. Enter with certainty. Don’t give up your power as soon as the door opens.

4. Play on a level playing field. We’re all figuring it out. Together.

5. Make no excuses whatsoever. Leave your baggage outside. Better yet, at home.

6. Make the room your own. It will make us so much more comfortable.

7. Ask questions only when you truly need answers. “Do you have any questions?” is usually another way of saying: “Are you ready?” You aren’t required to have one.

8. Know your words and understand what you’re talking about. You don’t have to be totally off-book, but if you’ve spent quality time with the material, you’re going to know it.

9. Do your homework on the project. This includes knowing all the players and the show or film’s tone and style. Read all the material you can get your hands on.

10. Make choices and take responsibility for the choices you make.

11. Don’t apologize. Ever. For anything.

12. Know what you want to do and do it. Then leave yourself available to make discoveries. Know that your homework is done. Now let your preparation meet the moments.

13. Don’t mime or busy yourself with props, activity, or blocking. Keep it simple.

14. Don’t expect to be directed, but if you are, take the direction, no matter what it is. Understand how to translate results-oriented direction into action.

15. Don’t blame the reader. Make the reader the star of your audition. According to my teaching partner Steve Braun, you should engage fully no matter who’s reading those lines. Likely your reader will engage – at least somewhat – if you show up.

16. Make specific, personal, bold choices. We want your unique voice to bring the script to life.

17. Stillness is powerful. Understand how to move and work in front of the camera – eliminate running in and out and getting up and down.

18. Require no stroking, coddling, or love. We’re there to work. Don’t take it personally when we’re not touchy-feely. Know that we love actors and that’s truly why we’re here.

19. Understand that you’re there to collaborate. You’re being evaluated in terms of how you serve the role and the material. It’s not a verdict on your personhood. Judgment is something you can control.

20. What you bring in reflects how you’re received so bring in joy, conviction, and ease, and our hearts will open.

21. Share your artistry above all else.

Remember that we’re all human in those rooms, and you can affect us on an emotional level. It’s what we all really want. That’s your job. You being fully present, truthful, personal, and vulnerable is going to give us the ammunition we need to champion you with all our hearts. We all desperately want you to do great work. We’re rooting for that every time you walk into the room. You show up and do your fullest, deepest work, and we’ll slay dragons for you and follow you anywhere. And man, we’ll be so happy doing it. You have the power to make that happen. For you. For us. For the work. Hallelujah!

Risa Bramon Garcia runs a Studio for Actors in L.A. with partner, Steve Braun”

Taping an Audition

I tape a lot of auditions because I live in LA & have a bunch of agents working for me back home in Atlanta. Taped auditions are your first step to getting in the door with major casting directors these days. I highly suggest going to a facility to tape your audition and in Los Angeles there are a few really good choices.

Audition Tape Inc (owned and operated by a really cool guy named Dino) is great and the tapes look professional. Dino’s a good reader, patient, and professional using his service is an overall great experience. The studio is in a house in West Hollywood. Audition Tape Inc costs around $45 for 30 min and the hours are pretty flexible. http://www.audition-tape.com

Argentum is known for their photo reproduction services but upstairs in a small studio of their Hollywood office is a taping facility with smiling, friendly helpers that do a great job. Caitlin is super sweet and helpful and always makes my experience at Argentum memorable. The best thing about Argentum is their prices which range from $10 for a few takes or $25 for 30 min. The downside is the hours which are not flexible and include being closed on weekends and weekdays after 2pm. http://www.argentum.com/2004/casting_suite.shtml (*Update* August 2013… Argentum has moved the casting suite into a larger location downstairs in the same space and thus have increased their prices by $5)

Argentum’s hours are so inconvenient because agents and productions ask for tapes at 4pm due by the next morning and if that is the case it’s sometimes easier to self tape. I had a situation recently where I could not self tape & the cities taping facilities were full so, a friend referred me to Central Station Studios.

Central Station Studios is located on the 2nd floor of a shopping plaza at Vine & Fountain there rates are reasonable ($20) and were able to fit me in 10 min after I called. The video I taped looked professional & they compressed it and sent a downloadable link that made sending it off to my agent easy. http://www.yelp.com/biz/central-station-media-los-angeles-3

How do I Self Tape?

Tools
I own a Canon EOS Rebel t4i which is a HD DSLR camera with a movie mode on it. You don’t need a camera this nice, but this series of cameras is a great buy if you are looking for one. I also use a tripod and a LED Video Light attached to hotshoe/flash holder/ma-bob on top of my camera. I try to set up a good system of lights around me as well so that I…

-pop in front of the background
-don’t have any annoying or distracting shadows

Set up in front of a curtain or blank wall … the less distracting the better… You want the casting director paying attention to you and not what’s on your bookshelf.

Readers
It’s best to call a buddy to come over and read with you… unless you are reading a monologue.

Editing
My friend Charlie (who has booked quite a lot off of tape) recently told me not to edit between scenes of the same character… don’t stop tape just take a few seconds to switch to the next scene. Casting directors would rather see you all in 1 take and not all pieced together. You can edit your slate in and put a title on it if you want, but keep the editing as simple as possible.

Scripts
It’s ok to use your script in a taped audition, hold it chest level so you can “scoop” up the dialogue if necessary. However, with a taped audition you don’t have too many excuses for not learning the dialogue so, try to be mostly off book, but at the same time keep your script on you as to send a signal that you are not presenting the finished project.

Where do you look
Your reader should be placed around the same height as your camera… not below your camera so that the tape clearly shows your eyes. Unless the copy calls for it… never look directly into the camera. Place them about 2 or 3 feet from the camera on either side.

Slating
Generally if the audition is through my agent they will ask for a front slate or tail slate (meaning at the beginning or end of the audition) and tell me what they want in that slate (name, height, agency, character you are reading for) If you don’t get directions assume it’s your name & character and a front slate at the beginning of your audition.

The SAG foundation actors lab has a camera and tripod & you can set up an appointment with Tina to film there if you are a paid up union member. They provide no lights, no assistance, and no reader. Actors are sometimes easy to grab to help sometimes not.

An article from Backstage’s Secret Agent Man Column:

5 Tips for Nailing Your Self-Submission

By Secret Agent Man
July 15, 2013

“Right now, I’m covering a high-end Internet project where the initial round of auditions involves actors putting themselves on tape. Once that phase is done, casting will review the submissions and decide who gets to come in and meet the producers face to face.
I cringed when the casting director explained this to me. My first impulse was to call her lazy. After all, it’s her job to read actors in person. That allows her to give notes and direction that could make a huge difference in the performance. When actors put themselves on tape, it’s an all-or-nothing situation. The choice is the choice. There’s no opportunity to make a simple adjustment because the casting director isn’t there to provide guidance.

From my perspective, this is total bullshit. I recently had a client pre-read on a film, and her choice turned out to be wrong for the part. But guess what? The casting director gave her a note, she nailed the adjustment, and now she has a callback to read for the director. If my client had been asked to put herself on tape, she never would’ve gone this far.

Alas, this is the world we live in, and my voice is often a whisper that no one hears because they’re busy playing with their phones. So I’m going to give you guys some advice on how to master a skill that’s quickly becoming an essential part of every actor’s tool belt.

Give some consideration to your backdrop. Avoid clutter. Don’t stand in front of a particleboard bookshelf with your bored cat sleeping on top. That’s too distracting. A smarter choice is to hang a solid sheet. Even a bare wall will work as long as it’s not blinding white. Also, make sure you wear clothes that don’t blend into the background. A dark top against a dark wall will make you look like a floating head.

Using civilians to read with you is a mistake. Their lack of ability will hurt your audition. So ask one of your actor friends to help, but make sure he or she throttles down the performance by about 50 percent. His or her emoting shouldn’t distract from your acting. Also, never have the reader appear on camera unless it’s someone famous like Ryan Gosling. That might be kind of cool.

Don’t break the fourth wall by looking directly into the camera. Instead, have your reader stand off to the side. The idea is to create the angle that would be used in a real production. And keep it tight. Don’t go any wider than a head-and-shoulders shot. You want the viewer to see the emotion on your face.

There’s no need to go out and buy a professional lighting kit, but you should give some thought to how you shed light on your audition. Overhead lighting isn’t very flattering, and fluorescents will make you look like death. Try moving some household lamps around to create a basic key light/fill light/backlight situation. A quick Google search will explain what I mean.

Unless casting specifically requests two different takes of the same scene, don’t send multiple versions of your audition. Going on tape is like losing your virginity. You get one take and that’s it.

These five simple steps should help make your self-taped audition a success. As for myself, I’m currently looking to invest in a start-up company that creates high-definition holograms. Because let’s face it. Pretty soon, that’s all you’re going to be. An image that’s not there, trying to create a character that isn’t real.”

Here are some tips from Backstage for Self Taping:

“1. Watch your audition before you send it!! Think of yourself as the producer who is watching and imagining you on their TV show or in their film. This is the ballpark we’re aiming for. Although you won’t have the same quality camera or lighting that you would in a professional setting, you should try to make it look as good as possible.

2. Do a test shot to see how you look. When you sit too close to the recording device, your face looks slightly distorted. A good general guide is to frame yourself from your hips/waist up if it’s a comedy and a bit closer (from your waist/top-ribs up) if it’s a drama. There shouldn’t be much discernible space above your head – the frame should ideally sit at or near the top of your crown. I can’t begin to count the number of self-tapes I get where the actor is at the bottom third of the screen! Try to give us a straight-on image, not angled up or angled down. If someone else is manning the camera, this will be much easier, but do the best that you can. Give us one standing full-body (or as much of yourself as you can get in there) shot and tell us your height so that we’ll have an accurate image of what you look like.

3. Please try to avoid reading with yourself, using a recorder to recite the other role back to you. It’s distracting, a bit odd, and the timing on those solo-recorded auditions can be a painful thing to watch! There’s usually a friend within pleading distance that you can ask. Of course we always prefer that you have a competent actor reading with you, but anyone is better than no one!

4. If possible, do your audition against a plain wall or a place that isn’t so distracting that we’re reading the book titles on the shelf!

5. Do two different takes If you’re uncertain about the tone of a scene, but post your favorite one first.

6. Your reading should be so honest that we feel like voyeurs watching you. Keep your volume in the correct, organic place for the space and the scene. It shouldn’t seem like you’re “performing” for us, except in the rare case where that’s what’s required.

and here are some more:
Dos and Don’ts of Self Taping
DO:

• Start with a wide shot that shows your entire body, both profiles, and then zoom in for the introduction. Introduce yourself breifly, saying your name, height, and maybe a few friendly facts about yourself.
• Keep your shots simple. Face camera and expose at least three-quarters of your face most of the time. Aim the camera at eye level.
• Have your scene partner read off-screen and close to the camera lens. The camera should always be on you.
• Use a simple solid colored background. You don’t have to rent a studio. It can be a wall in your home.
• Sit close to the mic, or use seperate clip-on mic.
• Practice with several takes, but just choose a few to actually send. (You can include a link to a reel if you wish as well.)
• Send in one medium shot (from the waist up) and one close-up (just face).
• Make sure your eyes are well lit. Film acting is all about the eyes. If we can’t see your eyes, you’ve deprived yourself of your most precious tool.

DON’T:

• Announce your age, or extrapolate too long on your biography. (Leave out the story about your cat having her period.)
• Get fancy with editing or shooting. You’re not making a film. You’re simply showcasing your take on the role, the same way we would in the casting studio.
• Focus the camera on any actor other than yourself, unless you want your friend to get a role. Believe me, I’ve seen it: “He’s not so great, but what about her?”
• Shoot on a location, use elaborate sets, costumes and props. If the set it more interesting than you, then you’re in trouble. If the scene takes place driving, please don’t shoot the scene in your car. It’s not necessary and will probably ruin your sound.
• Let your scene partner be louder than you are. Sound is often one of the biggest problems in self-taped auditions. We gotta hear you!
• Send in many takes. They won’t be watched.
• Show a lot of blank wall space over your head. One of the biggest problems for actors seems to be centering themselves in frame.
• Sit with the window behind you.

There are so many ways to send links now. There’s YouTube, Vimeo, YouSendIt, etc. Make sure you read the directions that the production has outlined so they get your audition in the format that is easiest for them to view. Don’t make them work to hard to see you. Enjoy the process of auditioning and acting. Self-taping gives you the freedom to do multiple takes and edit your own work. Have fun.”

Also, here is a fun article on how to tape wih your iPhone http://marciliroff.blogspot.com/2013/05/self-taping-your-audition-using-your.html

Who do you use to help tape auditions and what tricks work best for you? Share what you know and click below.

Running Lines

I had the most brilliant discovery today, I needed a reader to help me run lines but I only had a few hours before my audition and decided to ask my friends on facebook for help. I found a friend who lives a mere like 2 miles away that was willing to help but with our busy schedules and lack of time we decided to run lines via skype! I just emailed him my sides, we logged in and ran through the script until I felt confidently prepared to rock this audition without the sides. So, I have found another amazing use for skype, facetime, and fb chat… So easy and I don’t have to leave my bed! The advantage of running your lines with another person is getting a good natural pace going and someone to correct you if you paraphrase or say the wrong thing when trying to get off book.

Do you have any advice on this subject? Let us know, share your thoughts below!