It’s irrefutable.

Pre-2020, in the before times, we actors would get an audition and then prepare it, dress appropriately, show up a little early to the casting office, and deliver our work to the best of our capability. But that was the before times.

Technology and a pandemic forever shifted the state of the casting industry into a new world where ninety-nine percent of our auditions are ones that we actors tape ourselves in a home location or studio and then submit online. The self-taped audition is here to stay and there are many pros and cons.

PROS

• We have more control. We have more control over our lighting and camera setup, our choice of audition scene partner or reader, and the amount of takes we do before we choose which one to send. We can spend as long or as little as we like on it.
• We can change our wardrobe if we feel like what we thought was a great choice doesn't look exactly right when we look at it on the camera.
• Multiple opportunities to shoot. Sometimes you’re working and you’re just not in the right headspace. We can then shoot it one day, feel okay or even crappy about it, then sleep on it and shoot it again the next day after we’ve watched our takes, walked away from it, and come back to it having let it settle into our bones. We never had this luxury in the before times.
• We shoot our TV and Film auditions on a camera. I don’t know why but in the before times very few of us would practice shooting our auditions on a camera or our phone before we walked into the live audition. We knew that in every audition room we walked into for a TV or film project, the casting director would be taping us with a camcorder. In hindsight, it seems like an extreme lack of common sense. But now we send in auditions for TV and film projects in the form they will ultimately be viewed in. On a screen. And we can preview those before we send them in. You don’t need to project your voice to the back of the theatre when the person you’re talking to is a foot in front of your face. Different times call for different measures.
  

CONS

• There’s no room to walk into. In the before times, there was a moment before your audition when you walked through a door and into the room and said hi to the casting director or producers. There’s a certain power in “making an entrance” that I’ve always found beautiful and special. Ninety-three percent of our communication is nonverbal. And the way an actor walks into a room is an opportunity to make an impression whether they’re aware of it or not. Even if neither the actor nor the casting director was aware. THAT entrance was truly the casting director's very first impression in that actor at that audition. And the way you entered a room would vary from role to role, project to project, and at different casting offices. Being calm, casual, and confident might have been a way to let casting know they could trust you to carry yourself professionally on set with the A-listers. Cracking a small joke when you walk in might have been a way to ease any tension. Even a nervous and timid entrance might communicate you were in the zone and prepared to share some great work with them. Walking into the room was an opportunity to set the tone.
• Auditioning for people you’ve never met. I lived in New York City in the before times and after auditioning for many years, I knew almost every casting director in town. That was a point of pride for me. Most of those casting offices are back in business and now taking self-tapes. I can rest easier knowing that we’ve worked together in person before. Newer actors in our business do not have that luxury. They are sending their tapes off to people they have never met. That can feel like you’re sending your art and talent off into the void. Unless you’re in the final running for the part, no one ever calls to tell you that you didn’t get it.
• The lack of community. Auditioning can often feel very lonely. You’re isolated with lights and a camera between you and your reader. And that’s IF you have an in-preson reader. For almost all my auditions I am reading with an actor who is on my computer in another city or town. I send them my material and they are my scene partner. I talk to a point on a wall and pretend the other actor is there. And while I do keep a small sense of community with the actors I consistently work with, talking to a wall isn’t the same as talking to another person.

And that’s what I’m thinking about today. One of the big cons of the self-taped audition is the isolation. we can feel very isolated when working on our auditions. Now, yes, we don’t have to do it alone. We can, and should usually, rehearse with other people. But after a while, it can still feel like a very lonely undertaking. It’s an isolated activity to spend hours working on an audition that you know will, more times than not, end up in you booking a job. Especially if it's a job you would love to book. It takes strength and a positive, nee delusional, mindset to keep at it no matter how often you don't get the job because ninety-nine percent of the time you will not get the job. And to boot, you will never hear from anyone regarding the project again. No one from casting will ever give you their opinion on the work you did.

How can we combat this feeling of constant isolation? I can't say I've figured it all out because I do sometimes still feel these feelings. I have however become much better at not letting them dictate my overall sense of joy in work and life. Here are a few things that have worked for me.

1. Create a small group of friends and colleagues. I have a small network of friends, ones that I trust with my work, that I text even last minute to ask, “Do you have 20 minutes to read an audition with me”? Or, “Do you have an hour to help me shoot these three scenes?” And vice-versa, I help them when they have an audition. We help each other and in doing so we make each other better. Getting help and coaching from someone who both knows you and is a skilled auditioner is a VERY powerful tool and has, for me, not only made me a better actor but also led to bookings.
2. This is not a list I just keep in my head. It’s written down on my phone because sometimes I forget one of the people who might be perfect for the specific scene I’m working on. 
3. We have one unspoken rule with each other. We try and respond as quickly as possible to each other as we all know that our auditions are time-sensitive. If they say yes, great! If they say no, I move on to the next person.
4. If no one is available I go to a site called WeAudition, ($7 a month), and find someone for a few bucks who is more than happy to read with me. I cannot stress how valuable of a resource it is.
5. Find a way to work on acting every day even if it’s for five minutes. Read a play. Read a screenplay. Watch some YouTube videos on acting. REMIND yourself that you’re an actor.
6. Help other actors with their auditions. This is not only an amazing way to work on your craft in between auditions but it will make you a better actor. I believe this strongly. On WeAudition.com you can make yourself available to be a reader for other actors who are auditioning. I cannot express how rewarding it is to help someone create great work that they’re proud of. And again, it will make you a better actor.
7. Don’t let your auditions dictate the of happiness your entire day. This is a hard one for me. I often think, “Oh, this won’t take very long”, only to find myself finishing it four hours later and still wondering if it’s any good. It can be hard to separate work life from personal life when you’re work is emotional, you’re doing it from your home, and you care about it a lot. When I’m done and have sent my tape to casting I often go outside for a few minutes or go for a walk. The different environment reminds me that my life is bigger than JUST the audition. (which at that point is completely out of my hands. It's up to someone else if I’m someone they want to work on their project with.
8. Take an Acting Class! During the pandemic, I took a virtual acting class and it changed my life. I met a huge group of people, several of whom I still communicate regularly with today. I found a community! Not every acting class might be the right one for you but when you find one you like, the community you find will kick the isolation out of the room.

I’d love to hear what YOU do to fight the isolated feeling of constantly talking to post-it notes on the wall. I've got to be missing some good ones. Any others I should add to the list?

- Max

max@maxdarwin.com