Online Video Auditions!

I LOVE technology. Who doesn't?

Don't answer that.

I especially love when technology works how it's supposed to. By making our lives better. For example. Auditioning. It's not the most fun thing in the world. Sometimes it can be soul sucking and destroying. Oh yeah, and disappointing. Even more so, sometimes, when there is an amazing project out there but there is no physical way to attend the auditions. As happened to me recently. So what did I do? I contacted the theater and asked if it would be alright to record my audition...Resounding YES!  So I went to work recording myself.*

It's easy, fast, I can edit it for the best possible take. It's still stressful, don't get me wrong. but I feel like there is a little more breathing room when sending in a pre-recorded submission. I've been asked a few times for various projects to audition via online video. I wish more things would go this route. But I write this saying...if you see a posting out there for a project you feel right for, contact the casting department and see if they'll allow you to submit online.

All that being said, now that we can upload auditions online, I have some advice for doing so. Being actors and artists, we are always trying to maintain some kind of online presence for our work. The internet is a wild crazy land and information is all over the place. Some auditions we post online now might not look so great a year from now. Or might cause casting directors who are looking into you to suddenly see you in a different light. One not favorable for their current project. Feedback I've received from casting directors seems to say, "if it's not relevant, take it down."

1) Privacy Options. All video upload sites, you tube  Vimeo, etc., give you the option to make the video private and password protected. If not password protected, they at least give you the option to make the video available to anyone with the direct link. Not the whole world. Make sure when you're uploading an audition for a specific project you check these options.

2) Social Media. Don't share this with the world. YouTube has the option to share videos to people by giving the direct link and not making it public. However posting it on Facebook or twitter kind of defeats that purpose. No?

3) Delete! Once you're done. You know the project has been cast. Get rid of that video. You don't need it anymore. For anything. And keeping it on your account is just begging you to give in and make it public and start sharing the crap out of it.

Sadly we're in a field where it's all about perception. You may have nailed an audition with one of these videos, but to another CD who may stumble upon, it could make them think twice. I'm not saying this will happen, but it could. And it's something that's come from the mouths of several casting directors I've met with.  Examples of your work are great, too much and it gets muddy.

That's not to say actor slates, or videos from classes are not usable. By all means. Those are fair game. Because they're things picked out for you to exemplify your type. And they're examples of you working with a CD. You working with a professional? Perfect. Use it. You auditioning for a part you may or may not be right for? Don't keep it around.

Again, these are my opinions based on what I've heard navigating this crazy business. But to me it sounds like sound advice. Especially coming from people who are in the business of trying to sell you.  In a non sex-trade kinda way.

*No I didn't get cast. But I did receive an amazing thank you email.

Sunday Funday auditions

So today was nice action packed day of being a working actor. Or being an actor in NY at least. First up was filming my section of the soon-to-be vrial sensation, Getting Even With Shakespeare trailer. That's right kids, a trailer for theater. If the big guys can do it, why can't we, eh? And in the spirit of the show it's smart, funny, and plays with the beloved characters of the cannon. Should be a rollicking good 2 to 3 minutes. My stuff was easy and took at most 20 minutes to film and then it was off to prepare for not one but two auditions this afternoon/evening.

Both pieces are new works being performed this fall and were asking for something dramatic and a little on the darker side. So ya both got the same monologue. Lucky you. In hindsight I think it's time to work on new contemporary monologues, but I'm still happy with mine. I am always confident that no one else ever does mine. Yeah, they're that obscure.

So two auditions. One in the village and the other in times square area. I was a little nervous being late for theatter one but thanks..I think to the rain. I really think the rain kinda put me In a little funk and I'm pretty sure I won't be being called back.

For either of them.

The second one I was kinda put off because the place was double booked so we were all sitting in a hallway auditioning. Lovely. Shouldn't let me effect me but it did.

Also thinking that fringe might conflict with both rehearsal schedules, but it's still better to audition than not. Keeps you in practice. On your toes.

And now I'm avoiding the tony's. Just not a fan of awards shows. Until I get one I'm sure.

Video Woes

So I just have to share with this most recent interweb drama.

I have a youtube account, who doesn't really?  I use mine mainly for hosting videos of my work thus far in order to to have them embedded into my website.  Makes sense i think.  Its an easy site to navigate and it lumps similar videos together.

Well the problem I've been having is that a piece that I have posted is a section of a longer piece called Eye Candy.  It was performed at the NY Fringe Festival in 2007.  A big success for us as a company as well as us as artists.  We all had a hand in creating this piece along with our choreographer.  Its my favorite piece so far entitled "At Last."  The music used in this piece is Etta Jame's At last.  

Now you see where the name came from.

Anyway, It's a video of a performance.  And for the performance we had all the legal rights to the songs.  So it makes sense that everything is ok to post a video of a performance.  I'm sure I'm wrong because youtube muted my video.  Sucks Sucks Sucks.  Yes Muted my video because we use Etta James in the piece.  

So this is the video with no sound and it's sad and pathetic.  It's still online but you lose so much without the sound.  I have managed to find a way around this for now and lets hope this works.  I've got it, for now, hosted on photobucket.  So now I have it live on my site again with sound as it was meant to be, but now all my videos don't have a uniform look.

I guess we do whatever we can tog et around things, huh?

All this because of copyright issues.  How are artists supposed to express themselves?  get their ideas across?  If we're being muted.  I am in NO WAY using At Last as a way to make money.  I'm just showing my art.  In a way, isn't this infringing on my right as an artist to bring my thoughts to the world?  Who is the law protecting here.  And where is the leeway?  Shouldn't there be something that allows us to express ourselves more freely?  And lastly for youtube, what about those people that put music on their home family videos.  Can't use it now?  How is that infringing on copyright laws?