pros & cons of self tape drama school auditions
The industry has been venturing into self tape territory for some time now but in the wake of COVID 19 there has been a sharp rise in the number of 1st round auditions for both screen and stage in the professional sphere. Drama schools are very much following suit with this approach and there are some mixed feelings about this. Below is an outline of some of the pros and cons of submitting self tape auditions to drama schools instead of auditioning in person.
Pros
Saves Travel Time & Money
Self tapes can be done in your bedroom which is great news for your wallet because you don’t have to make the journey to each school you’re applying for, especially if you’re not based near them. It’s also fantastic news for your schedule because you don’t have to give up time to go to full day, half day or even 15min slot auditions which would usually mean giving up a work or school day. The self tape approach for 1st round auditions can be great because it is opening up the doors to more people who are from low income households as well as people who are currently working or studying. Self tape auditions offer the accessibility that in person auditions were unable to.
Fewer Nerves
Because you don’t have a panel of strangers in front of you, inevitably you will be less nervous. Brilliant news! Nerves and self doubt in audition situations is a big cause for applicants feeling like they don’t do their best work on the day. Self tape auditions eliminate this completely. Sure, there might still be a touch of camera shyness when you hit record but its a far cry from the sweating and shaking that can sometimes occur under in person audition pressure. Less nerves means a more relaxed, truthful and brave performance.
Multiple Takes
The beauty of screen acting is that if a line is dropped, the camera is out of focus, a plane flies overhead - you can simply cut and reshoot! Making a mistake during a self tape isn’t that big of a deal. Cut, delete the clip and try again. Shooting self tapes also gives you the ability to watch your work back and allows you to decide whether to reshoot for a better performance. This means that the tape that is submitted to the drama school panel are all of your best clips without them knowing how many takes or mistakes it took to get to that point.
Cons
No Feeling For The Training Environment
Unfortunately as self tapes are submitted remotely, unless you then have recalls that require you to attend the school, you don’t get a feel for the working environment, staff or students that go there. You miss out on discovering the energy and environment of the place you’re hoping to attend for the next 3 years. Some schools will have virtual tours and interviews with staff and students on their website that help with certain elements of this issue but its not quite the same as being there yourself and imagining yourself doing the training.
Tech Knowledge & Skill Needed
Lighting, camera angles, audio, editing, renaming, uploading etc. It can be a minefield for people who are self proclaimed technophobes. The idea of recording yourself with limited equipment, space and access to natural light and a quiet environment can be a challenge. In these cases, in person auditions are very much preferable as you can just focus on your job as an Actor and leave the technical components to people that know better.
No Redirection
In person drama school auditions often have a redirection element which enables you to show how adaptable, creative and instinctive you are in the moment. Audition panels like to have the opportunity to work with you as an individual to see what you would be like in a rehearsal or classroom if you are offered a place on the course. This practise is now saved for later in person stages of the audition season meaning that what you submit in your self tape is all the panel will see. They won’t see how able to are to take redirection and try something new.
No Panel To Speak To
Its hard enough to make the imaginative leap to the character and cirucmstance of the speech but now with self tapes you often don’t have anyone just off camera to speak to. In person auditions have panel members that are usually more than happy to have a speech directed towards them which means you get to connect to an actual human being during your speech. Self tapes don’t have this opportunity unless you have a friend, family member, dog, cat etc sitting just off camera.
Whatever side you are sitting on in your opinion of self tapes auditions, they are very much here to stay in both a drama school and professional capacity. My advice would be to take the positives and run with them along with taking the negatives and putting plans in place to overcome them as best you can - if your self tapes are always too dark, watch a youtube video about how to use light to shoot to your advantage, you don’t have a panel to speak to so get someone you trust and feel comfortable with to sit in as your listener for your speeches.
Above all, practise! Self taping is a skill like anything else and if it doesn’t come easily to you don’t be disheartened. Do your research and practise. This means that when that next audition comes around, you will be 100% ready to smash it.