Even though I consider myself first and foremost a performer (I’m actually going to be in a cabaret show this coming weekend, yay!), lately due to a myriad of reasons I’ve been shifting more to backstage roles working on the production side.

Being in these kinds of roles has given me a new perspective into the entire process of putting on a show that’s been quite instructive to me as an actor who, up until relatively recently, is typically on the “other side.”

One of the parts of the process that’s long mystified and frustrated me from a performer point of view: casting. Casting is a tricky thing. As an actor, you can have the best audition ever and not get called back or cast. On the other hand, you can have a mediocre one and get called back and/or cast. I’ve had both happen to me.

Self tape auditions make the process even trickier. I’ve documented my disdain and struggle with self tape auditions previously, and in watching a bunch of audition videos for a new show that I’m involved with, I can see that I’m not alone.

That said, after viewing these self tape auditions from the production side, I discovered some “Do’s and Don’ts” to share to help actors figure out how to make these necessary evils stand out to the production team. Because we’re all ever learning, folks!

DO: Tape your audition with a blank, solid colored background

Many of the actors whose tapes I viewed already did this either with a white or blue background, but some did…not. And it was distracting to see furniture, art, and pets (yes, pets) wandering in and out of the frame. I want to focus on the actor’s performance, not be distracted by 20 different things in the frame! You don’t have to get crazy fancy with it – I actually tape mine in my bedroom since it provides a nice big blank white wall to work against.

DON’T: Just sing the song, or say the monologue – perform it!

I admit I’ve been guilty of this, and I’ve been trying to do a better job of performing while doing self-tapes. Many of them that I viewed recently featured actors who just sang the song – and while many of them had great voices, they honestly didn’t stand out. Those who actually took the time to perform the song they were auditioning with stood out by a mile, and were the ones who were called back.

And try to perform with your entire body – you do it onstage, you should also do it in a self tape! (again – this is something that I can definitely improve on…)

DO: Pick a song or monologue that best showcases your talents

This sounds pretty basic, but it’s a common mistake that many actors make…myself included! Although it’s often recommended to choose a song or monologue in the style of the show (as well as the character / characters you want to be considered for), make sure to choose something that shows your talents off best.

When viewing the recent batch of self tapes there were a couple instances where I knew the actors in question and was fully aware of what they were capable of, and yet their audition wasn’t as strong because they chose a song that didn’t fully show off their full talents. Production teams want want to see you at your best, so don’t be afraid to bring it!

DON’T: Use autotune, or voice-editing software to make your voice sound better

While it’s acceptable and makes total sense to make some sound editing tweaks to allow for a shitty camera or computer microphone, sometimes this tweaking can cross the line into making an audition sound…well, not quite realistic. Many of the self tapes I viewed did not cross this line, but one in particular did – which made it stand out in a not-so-great way. Production teams far prefer hearing your actual voice, not some super-enhanced fake version of it.

DO: Keep your self tape audition short, sweet, and fun!

It seems basic, but read the audition notice before submitting a self tape. Many notices state that they want a tape that’s no longer than a minute or minute and a half. A surprising amount that we received were 3, 4, and even 5 minutes long! Sorry, but unless you’re performing your butt off and really grabbing our attention in the self tape the entire time, the production team will likely move on after the first 30-60 seconds. Keep it relatively short and sweet.

And, of course – remember to have some fun with it!