It Takes A Village To Do An Audition

It amazes me sometimes how the simplest audition can turn into a big production. This was the case for Zach this past Friday.

He received a callback for a print job. The audition was pretty straightforward because the main part involved recording a 30-second video on his iPhone. The callback notice was emailed to me at 8am and it was due by 5pm.

Zach doesn't have school on Friday morning so I decided to let him sleep until 10am before I would wake him up with the audition info.  Imagine my surprise when his alarm went off at 9:45am. He was going to spend the day with friends but could record the video before leaving.

I had some work fall into my lap between the time I got the email and Zach's alarm went off so I wasn't going to have time to record him. However, one of his friends was coming over at 10:30am so he could handle the recording. All the teenagers had to do was go outside to a nice sunny spot, record the audition and email it to me when it was finished.

Zach walked outside to record at 11am. About 20 minutes later, I got the audition emailed to me but didn't have time to watch it thanks to work. I finally saw it at 2pm and the first thing I noticed was the recording was shot from far away so you couldn't see any of Zach's facial expressions. I called him to record it again but at a closer angle.

He sent me the new recording and it was great except for the fact that he was standing in front of a fountain so all you could hear was running water. (ARGHHHHHH!)

I called again and asked him to go inside and record the video. About 15 minutes later, I got a new video with a closeup view of Zach and no running water.

It was now 3pm and still well before the audition deadline. Dana was home by now and went to the submission site on her computer to upload the video and some full length shots of his body. She then discovered the audition required his resume , a talent reel and a headshot which were all on my computer. I sat by her and emailed all of the info because she was far enough along in the submission process that it didn't make sense to start the process over on my computer.

We finally got the submission in at 4pm. The entire process took us 6 hours and involved:

• His management team sending the audition info
• Relaying the info to Zach
• Zach and his buddy recording the first video
• Watching the first video and realizing it needed to be recorded again
• Zach recording the second and third videos in two different locations at the home of another friend
• Dana using her computer to upload materials that I emailed to her from another computer as I sat next to her

It's amazing how many people and steps it took to get one 30-second video recorded and submitted. It was definitely a combination of teamwork and persistence that got the job done!

Keep your fingers crossed that this actor hears good news about the audition.

Not All Auditions Are Performed Equally

When the average person thinks of an acting audition, they picture someone walking out on stage or going into a room to read lines for a group of casting executives. These examples are still sometimes true but they are not always the case these days. There are many times actors audition for parts and are not in the same room with the casting director. Here are some examples of how auditions are currently conducted in Hollywood:

In-Person - The traditional way to audition and one of the methods most preferred by actors. Being in the room with the casting director not only gives actors an audience during the audition, it also allows for instant feedback. The casting director can ask for a different read of the script. He or she might even give the actor a different scene or part to read for on the spot. While it can be a nerve-wracking experience for the person auditioning, the fact that the casting person is there in person allows for an immediate connection to be made in the room.

Eco-Cast - This form of auditioning is provided by a company called Breakdown Services and they provide casting services to the entertainment industry. The service allows casting directors to send audition invites to actors, or their representatives, to record an audition. Once the auditions are recorded, they are sent to the casting office through the designated Eco-Cast account. This method allows a larger number of actors to audition since they don't have to be in the same city as the casting director. It does take away the intimate aspect of the casting process since the audition is simply recorded to be viewed at a later date.

iPhone - While this method is like an Eco-Cast since the actor is recording the audition for the casting director, there are a few ways that it differs as well. When an audition is recorded for submission, an actor normally tries to go into a studio with professional cameras and a generic background so there won't be anything distracting from the performance, Filming on an iPhone gives a greater sense of urgency as well as more of an intimate and "in the moment" feel. Plus, it allows actors to show off their creativity by choosing the manner in which it is filmed as well as any effects or tricks they want to add to make the audition stand out beyond their performance.

No matter which audition method is used by an actor, the end goal is to land the role and be part of the production. Zach has an audition to record on an iPhone this week and he is already thinking of ways to use the phone to his advantage during the recording process. With all of the audition methods available these days, can virtual reality auditions be far behind?

Besides his audition this week, this actor is preparing material for the Burbank Comedy Festival.