Video Auditions: Tips and Tricks of the Trade, Part 2
In the previous post of this two part series, I gave some of the basic, first steps to putting together your video Musical Theatre Auditions. In this post, I am going to dive into some more specifics on what to watch out for when filming. Yes, this can be a tedious process, but I promise once you get the hang of it, videoing will be the least of your worries when auditioning.
I started this mini series after being a part of some casting teams and watching fellow Musical Theatre performers struggle through some of the specifications of video auditions. These are meant to guide, not dictate.
Again, what I discuss is a mix of fact and opinion. If you were to discuss some of these ideas with others, they might have a different opinion. Be open to change is all I ask.
So let’s get started with the question I should have answered right away in the last post…
1: What Do I Use to Film?
It has been said that if you have an iPhone 6 or above, you should be able to use it for your filming needs. I like to think you can use an iPhone 7 or above. Coming from experience, the iPhone 6 audio is not the best. Camera can be great, but the audio will make you sound like someone you have never heard before.
Of course, you can use a really fancy, nice camera, but if you are on a budget, an iPhone works just fine. So get yourself an iPhone everyone. All you Android users out there, you heard me.
Lighting you ask? Well this one can be as easy, or as difficult, as you want it to be. Personally, I like to use a little clip on ring light that I hook onto the tripod itself to create a light in front of me. Some like to use a tripod with a ring light attached that you insert your phone into the middle area with a stand. Others like to use fancy lighting on each side that you can find from online photography/lighting stores.
Any and all work well. I have not noticed a difference between one and the other.
TIP: When setting up your light, make sure that it is not too far off to the side. If it is, there will be a shadow that appears on your face and behind you.
To find these fixtures I was talking about, here are some links:
Mini Ring Light with Clasp: CLICK HERE
Ring Light Attached to Tripod: CLICK HERE
Non-Ring Light: CLICK HERE
2: The Camera Lens…
This part can be one of the hardest parts to figure out. News flash: not all tripods, in fact most tripods, do not extend enough off the ground to where you need them to be for video auditions. Do not be fooled into thinking that once you extend the legs as far as they go, that is the distance above the ground the camera needs to be. FAKE NEWS.
The camera lens needs to be right at, or a little higher than your eye line. This means if you are a tall person (like me) you will probably have to put your tripod on something to lift it up a bit. I use three empty storage boxes.
Yes, that is how tall I have to make mine. My basement set-up does look very interesting; Thanks for asking.
Anyway, you need to make sure that when you look into the camera to slate, you aren’t looking down. As well as when you are performing your chin is not to the ground either. That is all.
3: Makeup and Hair: The DO’s and DON'Ts
Makeup is one of those things that can deeply affect you on video, especially with the light glaring in front of you. What I can say from personal experience is that there definitely is a “too much makeup” look, but it is very hard to master this look on video.
What I mean is that when you are applying makeup for the camera and you know you will have a ring light on you, it is important to accommodate for that. This could mean a darker shade of blush, or bronzer, or even a little darker shade around the eyes, if you are an eyeshadow person. In total, do not think you are overdoing it on the makeup if you are going for a makeup look because you probably are not.
DO NOT FORGET THE LIPSTICK. From experience, if you do not have this on, you will get washed out right away. All of these measures are to ensure that your face is seen and not washed out at all. The camera picks up on the color of your lipstick and actually changes the lighting because of it, causing there to be a good balance between light and shadow/dark.
Ok now hair. Hair always confused me for the longest time, until just recently when a casting director freed my hair life. She told me “Do you want to be part of the other 5 million girls with their half up/half down, or do you want to stand out? If you want to stand out, you need to play your character or personality traits more.”
This was the most eye-opening comment I could have ever received, and it opened me up to a world of possibilities for my hair. Now, these comments are mainly for the people with the long hair they don’t know what to do with, but everyone else, join in, you could learn something too.
In all honesty, it just resorts back to the idea of what you are trying to appeal to in your audition. Do you want to look older? Younger? Rich? Poor? Any of these and more. Play around with it!
The amount of hairstyles that can be seen on video is RIDICULOUS and the amount we actually usually do is SO SMALL. We have boundless opportunities, yet we always tend to resort to our favorite styles. Remember, you can have a different hairstyle and still represent you and your character. It’s as easy as pulling your hair up for a sophisticated look and leaving it all down, tucked behind your ears for an unsophisticated look.
There are so many possibilities and endless opportunities. Seek and find them for yourself! In the end, it could make a world of difference!
4: Play the Camera Like You Are Playing the Stage
There is this idea that if we are “camera acting” then the expressions and body movements have to be reduced. To an extent, this is true. But, NOT entirely for Musical Theatre auditions!
Of course, you want to make sure you stay in your camera frame, but really sell what you are doing just as you would do in an audition room. It is the same experience. Do not think it is different.
In fact, on camera is the time where casting directors can tell immediately when you are not 100% there. Your eyes are exposed for everyone to see directly and really examine. If you are trying to be small, your emotional connection will be small. If you are selling it and buying what you are saying and doing, the casting director will too.
A camera is an audience, not a machine. We all must remember that.
5: Editing
Ah, the part that everyone absolutely loves, right?
Video editing can be the easiest, yet most daunting parts of the video audition process. Do I slate an individual portion or just go right into the song? Do I have a title page before the slate and an ending slide as well? Do I say thank you in the video or just in writing at the end?
These questions and so many others are always the epitome of the video audition headache that happens every time.
Try and remember we as actors are trying to simulate as real of an experience as possible. When you slate in the audition room, you go right into the song. There is no cutaway and then you begin singing. No! That can’t happen in real life! So, for the slate: slate your song and head right into it in one take.
Now there might be some different circumstances that arise that you might not be able to do that. Let’s say you are filming on your own, then you will most definitely have to cutaway before you do your song. That’s life.
What happens when an audition asks you to do a song and a monologue? What do you do then?
It has been suggested at times that you wear two different looks for your song and your monologue. While we love body positivity, please change off camera. This most definitely means two takes. I suggest having the slate as one take, song as another and monologue as the last take.
What about cover pictures with contact info and picture, etc?
There is a time and a place. If you are sending to an agency, then yes. If you are sending to a professional, equity theatre then, in most cases, yes. If you are sending to a regional theatre, or perhaps auditioning for colleges, then no.
Add an ending slide with your contact information and a thank you attached!
Do I add “Thank You” at the end?
Yes! Add that thank you at the end! BUT, only after you have successfully taken a beat after your song to live in it. We want to be drawn into the performance and slowly taken out of it, not abruptly halted out of the world you entered us into. It might feel like an eternity has passed, but take your space.
That is the one tip I can give for all of this. Slate, song, monologue, ending. Everything! TAKE YOUR SPACE! That time is yours, do not give it up so easily.
What are Some Takeaways?
An iPhone and a simple mini ring light work wonders. Don’t buy into the need for expensive product.
FAKE NEWS ALERT: The legs on a tripod might not extend to where you need your camera lens. Test it out first and add height if needed.
Lipstick will be your best friend.
Your hair can do incredible things. Find out what those things are!
A camera is not a machine, it is an audience. Play your audience, not the little tiny device in front of you. Make BIG, strong choices!
Make the experience as real as possible when transitioning/editing.
Most importantly, TAKE YOUR SPACE.
EXAMPLES: CLICK HERE
For some more tips and ideas, check out the book “No Caution” by Erik Stein and “Audition” by Michael Shurtleff. These books are like the holy grail of auditions. READ THEM!
To find “Audition,” CLICK HERE. To find “No Caution,” CLICK HERE.
